Am planning a rotor upgrade for my M525s and am toying between Superstar offerings or the Shimano Ice-tech rotors.

Opinions welcome.

they look ace.

I had two superstar ‘Vibe’ 180mm rotors in a row which were out of true vertically or with an inconsistent width or something. Anyway they caused really really bad pulsing which disappeared when I got Ice-Tech replacements.

I think they look crap, like the sort of thing you’d see on an Asda bike.

Functionally, they might be brilliant…

I don’t have them & don’t feel I need them (never get brake fade) but have the RT76 rotors, look the same only cheaper, they’re ace & I think they look pimp.

Marketing bollocks……….you dont need them, they will fill with mud, replacments will cost more, if your rotors are big enough for your riding you wont get fade.

No.

How will they fill with mud?!
Are you thinking of the pads rather than the rotors?

I’ve got Icetech brakes with normal rotors. Unless you’re riding in the Lakes, Snowdonia or Highlands a lot then you’ll not need them. Just get the standard Shimano ones.

The Germans also managed to melt Ice Tech rotors.

Andy

Unless you’re riding in the Lakes, Snowdonia or Highlands a lot then you’ll not need them.

Yes, that’s partly why I’m upgrading, that and the age/scoring of my existing rotors.

I got bad fade on the upper part of Snowdon a couple of years back. Since then I’ve just been riding hills and had no problems with small disks. But I’ve got trips to bigger hills and mountains in mind.

I think I will avoid the SS rotors after ^ comment.

Oh yes, I was thinking of the pads. Doh !

From what I heard, icetech rotors and finned pads are the solution to shimano using mineral oil as opposed to high-temperature brake fluid.

If you have non-shimanos, you can just put castrol SRF in them and forget about brake fade forever.

It isn’t a £40 a rotor or £8.99 a rotor question; there is a middle ground.

‘…From what I heard, icetech rotors and finned pads are the solution to shimano using mineral oil as opposed to high-temperature brake fluid…’

This is pretty much cobblers.

Its true that perfectly water free DOT has a very high boiling point compared to mineral oil, but it stays perfectly water free for not very long at all because its hygroscopic, and this reduces its boiling point markedly, such that theres little difference between DOT and mineral oil in the real world.

Personally, I think Ice-tec is just something else to make sales. I’m sure that in big mountain country with massive plummets, floating metal sandwhich rotors and finned pads will make a difference, and only you can make a decision on whether its worth it or not.

Surely that depends entirely on the quality of the seals in your disc brakes? If not, why would the entire motorbike racing industry rely upon fluids like SRF?

Convention and very frequent servicing.

Moisture does get in over time. Its in there in the air that remains trapped at the top of the reservoir too. Theres a reason that you’re not supposed to use DOT with a broken seal but perfectly fine screw on cap thats been standing for some time.

I’m sure that in big mountain country with massive plummets, floating metal sandwhich rotors and finned pads will make a difference, and only you can make a decision on whether its worth it or not.

I’m a guide in the Alps. I don’t use Ice-Tech. I don’t get brake fade.

Foolishness.

Depends of how much you brake too, I guess.

Stevomcd – you will be laughing your way down every hill for our summer stay cos I’m iceteched up to f*** lol! 😆

Sorry dude, for some reason IceTech has 😉 annoyed the lapsed engineer in me. I may be forced to take the piss.

Ice Tec – two different metals sandwiched together sounds like a recipe for warping to me.

I like the shape of the non Ice new rotors but reckon the full on fins and alloy sandwich is overkill for singletrack.

Good ol’ Shimano RT75 rotors are ace. They work brilliantly and feel nicer than my Airotors.

Formula R1 rotors have a good comprimise between weight shaving and a sensible shape. Note the ninja-starness of the cutout!

lol, as a fellow lapsed engineer I have never applied logic to my purchasing! lol. I’m not saying who I am so that you rip the piss right out of everyone that turns up this summer with them! 😆

I wouldn’t bother Buzz. Unless you really need rotors and you can get them cheap.

Those Formula R1 rotors are really bad. The holes in the braking surface are too close together, so the metal between the 2 rows gets work-hardened during the manufacturing process. This results in bizarre uneven pad wear and in accelerated wear across the holes – which I’ve seen result in some spectacular rotor failures.

Only rotors I’ve ever seen fail!

This results in bizarre uneven pad wear and in accelerated wear across the holes – which I’ve seen result in some spectacular rotor failures.

😯

We had them on 2 hire bikes, plus my other half’s bike. Bizarrely (since the 3 bike get quite different levels of use) they all decided to explode a rotor on the same day. Freaky!

And I agree with honorable_george about the 2 different metals/warping thing.

So what 180mm rotors would you buy if you were attempting to keep weight to a modicum?

Wrong person to ask, I couldn’t give a monkey’s about weight! (within reason).

Running Hope floating rotors on my full-sus, Superstar Hayes knock-offs on my hardtail.

Stevo – we will need to conduct some serious practical tests when we are out! That means massive tech descents – not all bad

The thick ally bell hopefully means the disc wont warp over the whole area but at a surface level it might get interesting. So far I have had zero issues, but then I had zero issues with my R1 rotors on UK DH courses. I imagine the Alps is a whole different kettle of fish. 😯

I’ve seen one of those Formula rotors fold, but my two sets have been perfect for nearly two years… and I also run the Ashima Airotors which have been known to fail in the same way. I’m a ramblin’ gamblin’ man.

Yes, but I needed a new set of rotors anyhow. I figured they’ll stay on the bike for years so if there is any positive difference whatsoever it’ll be worth it. Probably marketing addled logic!

At the Mega last year, two of the guys in our group were using XT brakes but neither used the icetech, one used standard 203mm shimano & the other had Hope floating rotors – no problems reported.

continuity – Member

So what 180mm rotors would you buy if you were attempting to keep weight to a modicum?

Shimano RT76 – have them on all my bikes, zero issues, they’re great.

best i’ve had is ashima ai rotors really light, using one with a saint on front no fade at all but would like to try ice in future

No experience of Ice tech but have RT79 on one bike (centrelock version of the rt76) which work very well and seem to resisit warping.Also have RT75s which are the same weight and work equally well.

Tried KCNC razors,(similar to Airotor) very light but brake noise and an incompatibilty (slightly thicker)with my front brake meant I sent them back.

Conclusion: Stick with Shimano,but really not sure rt86 is worth the extra over rt 76 or even rt75.

RT76 and RT75 almost exactly the same weight btw so unless you prefer the more bling looks or stiffer construction you may aswell just go for an rt75.

I have RT76 on my bikes and had no issues at all. The previous Hope Floaters were dreadful in comparison. Warped easily and the braking never seemed as powerful even with the same calipers.
actionsports.de normally do some good prices on RT76

Brief real world experience.

Just come back from a weeks trails riding in the Alps. Bike is a carbon Blur xc with 180mm ice rotor front, 160 ice back.

The descents in the alps are long and steep with your brakes being applied constantly.

Other guys I was riding with had bike trail bikes, bigger rotors were complaining about brake fade, etc.

Me, nothing just constant on tap stopping power.

They’re perhaps a bit overkill in the UK where it ain’t so steep but in the alps they were excellent. 😀

I have two RT76 (Ice Tec) 180mm centreloc rotors for sale if anybody is after any?

My full sus has 160mm ice tech rotors with SLX brakes. My hardtail has M595 brakes with 180mm standard shimano CL rotor. I have never felt any fade on the full sus, despite it being used for bigger hills in the Highlands. I get fade on the hardtail on descents half as long. It’s not scientific but the SLX brakes with the ice tech rotors work for me. Before anyone asks the pad were the same.

Only odd thing is that my ice tech rotors say “organic pads only”.