You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Running the SRAM Levels that came on my On One Big Dog and as expected from a budget stopper they're not exactly groundbreaking so wondered if anyone could recommend possibly some better rotors that would work or decent pads?
I've always used Shimano on my MTB's and wondered if the ice tech rotors are compatible in terms of pad height and thickness as I've always found them to be excellent on all levels of Shimano gear!
I ran icetech rotors with my SRAM guides and codes with no issues. I've always used the uber bikes race matrix pads which have worked well for me for years, now using the e race matrix pads.
What rotors have you got on there now? I’ve mostly run Centerline 200/180 on my mtb’s (have got some kind of Shimano on my road bike that seem fine too).
Are you wanting more bite or are you fading the levels out? If fading then bigger rotors if more bite then try some different pads. In mixed conditions I’ve found uberbike e-matrix have more bite than standard sram sintered pads (and more then the straight race matrix), but I think I’m finding in extreme slop the e-matrix struggle a bit. Perhaps sintered pads are better in those conditions.
At the moment it's got these 180/160 Riderever rotors fitted and they're just useless. No bite and only get worse when warmed up!
I've got levels as that's what my bike came with a couple of years ago. I was all for taking them off and fitting whichever Shimano's were on offer at the time as the reviews weren't great. However They're pretty good so I haven't replaced them. I'm using the centerline rotors, 180mm up front and 160mm at the rear. Currently running DiscoBrakes Kevlar pads.
Hardtail 29er, peak district riding/mincing, 15 stone in full kit of pure muscle/flab.
I’ve got some level brakes and they’re actually really good. I think the pad compound would be the 1st & most economical place to look before buying rotors. Steel is steel, & as long as they’re clean and have full pad contact whatever you’ve got should be fine. Pad compounds, however, come in all kinds of flavours and can really effect the feel and bite of a brake.
That's where you're wrong, it's not quite a steel is steel thing.
I have a friend who was producing disc brake rotors as part of a number of custom bike parts and they never took off because the steel he used was too hard so they never worked properly.
Same goes for Echo Bikes who make trials stuff, their disc rotors are notoriously hard and switching out for Hope Trials rotors makes a huge difference.