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My friend has a new set of Guide RS going cheap so going to replace my guide R with them.
I think I currently have 160mm centreline discs but thinking of going up a size.
I’m quite heavy at 14st 7. What are the benefits of going bigger and what else do you need - some extra spacers?
You'll need at at least one new caliper adapter.
Going up a side in rotor will give the brakes better mechanical leverage to slow you down and a larger rotor might allow heat build up to disperse a little better, though I would think that effect his marginal at best. So really outs down to better mechanical advantage.
SRAM rotors can be pretty expensive though and I went for Uberbike Radiator rotors. They work very well but if I'm honest.... I went for them as much for their looks as anything.Lol Superstar and other brands sell them too, with their own brand etchings on.
Can't link on this beep forum - search Avid Disc Brake Mount Adapter, Post to Post +20mm Adapter, 180mm Rotor, Ti Bolts on ebay lol
Going from guide R to guide RS will offer no real gains in braking performance, but bigger rotors should.
At your weight (not that it's especially heavy but you're not small) why not go 200mm front 180mm rear? A few extra grams isn't going to change anything but the extra performance will.
I've owned Guide R, RS and RSC and I'd say that the RS are a good upgrade if you like extended steep terrain. R just doesn't have the bit needed when the poo hits the fan due to not having the mechanical advantage in the lever (the swing link). Buy yeah 200 / 180mm rotors are a no-brainer.
I’ve owned Guide R, RS and RSC and I’d say that the RS are a good upgrade if you like extended steep terrain. R just doesn’t have the bit needed when the poo hits the fan due to not having the mechanical advantage in the lever (the swing link). Buy yeah 200 / 180mm rotors are a no-brainer.
Interesting. I'm assuming that the RSC doesn't offer much over the RS then if you don't care for adjusting bite point. The RS is surely set to the minimum bite point where most people would set the RSC lever adjuster?
Turns out mine are already 180 rotors. And yeah I do a lot of steep stuff. There are super cheap so I might as well stick them on.
So might go for a 200 up front.
So are the RS an noticeable upgrade from the R or am I better of just sticking with the R?
I somewhat retract my earlier statement about the RS not being an upgrade. As Walleater pointed out the swinglink in the RS lever should provide a greater mechanical advantage producing more force at the rotor for a given pull. Personally i'd find it hard to justify buying new brakes that only go 1 step up the ladder, unless it was a proper good deal. If i wanted to get a really noticeable increase worthy of a purchase i'd be looking at codes and bigger rotors.
If it’s still the same on the newer guides, as well as the swinglink the RS also runs on a bearing instead of a bushing in the brake lever and it feels quite a bit nicer than the R accordingly.
They are pretty cheap.
I was going to go for a 203 up front but think Im all ok with 180's all round - means I can just use the existing rotors and not have to pay out for a 203 and an adaptor, but then the added 203 might be an added benefit.
Any such thing as over braking?!
I haven’t ever experienced brakes that are too powerful. My guides are on 200/180 centreline rotors on the big fs bike and 200/160 centreline rotors on the ht.
The guides on the fs feel more powerful but I think that’s becuas they have race matrix pads in whereas the others just have normal sintered pads in.
I’ve actually recently swapped the front guide on the fs for a code r - can’t say I’ve noticed a huge difference. I wonder if I’d notice more of a difference now if I swapped back to a guide on there?
So Guide RS and bigger rotor fitted. What a difference it’s made, really like the set up, thanks for all the advice!
Any such thing as over braking?!
Only if you are mega worried about weight