currently running slx with 203mm rotors, but im wanting something a bit more tarty. you seem to be able to get mono minis for a good price – but just wondering about performance.

can you use 203mm rotors?
are they powerful?
are they a pig to bleed?

and any other comments!

Yes
Yes
No
Hope brakes are best FACTOMUNDO
Formula come second.

I'm running a 203mm on the front of mine with '04 mono minis and it works very well for me – 14st on a 5'' bike in the Peaks.
Very easy to bleed.
Can't compare to SLX though – I've never used them.

Any good? YES.

Only bettered by X2!

easy to bleed, and yes any rotor size, however on a good DH or long run they CAN over heat and loose performance, are they powerful.. not really unless you have the set up 100%. Key with older hopes is you need to have the set up very well! some hate hope for bad performance, but you need to maintain them and ensure the pistons are lubed to stop them sticking! get them right and they are great!

The aluminium pistons are prone to seizing in the bores.
I replaced mine with phenolic pistons and they've been fine since.

Have used mini's with 203/183 on the trail bike for 3 years. Plenty of stopping power for uk conditions, I did find however that in morzine they didn't have enough power on some of the steeper & faster runs and had to use 2 finger braking…. Never had any issues with over heating even in the alps (despite everyone telling me I would)

I'm about 80-90kg with kit.

Hope for the best!

Mono M4/Mini here in 200mm/180mm. Piece of cake to bleed and provide plenty of power but my rear Mini has been a bit of a PITA. I'm on my second set of pistons and they don't retract as well as I'd like, result is lots of squealing and pad wear. I also don't seem to be able to get rid of a bit of lever wobble, which isn't really the end of the world.

Experienced quite bad brake fade and loss of power due to over heating a couple of times but that's been on very long downhills on the road, constantly on the brakes at about 30mph for 3 or 4 miles, fully laden with panniers. Never had a problem off road though and I weigh about 16 stone.

Never had the Mono Mini's but have Mono M4's at the moment and compared to hayes and shimano's there are by far the best. oodles of power, and oodles more when you really pull hard on them.

easy to service and i've not had any bother with sticking pistons, and I dont really look after them much.

I love em but agree X2s are prob worth the extra – they are everything that's great about the mini (pad life, weight, feel/modulation, looks) but with more power.

I find my minis adequately powerful on 183/163 rotors but then I'm only 11.5st and don't ride the alps…

+ 1 what Juan said…..

They are exellent. I am running the Pink ones and only upgraded the rotors for 203/183

Now what to do with 4 160 rotors in Pink 🙄