Hi all

Does anyone have any experience with the above?

I currently run a 180mm up front and a 160mm rear but wondered if there is any benefit to having both as 180mm rotors?

Thanks 😀

I have 180/160, if I did anything it would be to go to 203/180 putting the front rotor on the back – IMO that’s a better “upgrade” to stopping power.

Would be useful for trail riding if you ride some long draggy descents but personally 180+160 is fine for me.

The Voltage has 200mm F&R and they are proper brick wall effect brakes at trail bike speeds they only start to work properly when I go faster.

Its certainly conventional to have more stopping power up front. The Kingdom Brigante I rode last week had 180 f/r, but had M4 calliper on the front and mini on the back.

Go with what you like I say. 🙂

Just made the move form 160/160 to 160/140 but I am a bit strange ……

I had 180/180 on my first Soul but it felt a bit too over braked for the sort of riding mincing I do …..

If you’re a rear brake dragger, and you overheat your rear brake a lot as is, then it would make sense to get a bigger rotor for heat dissipation reasons. Otherwise, hard to see why it’s necessary for UK based trail riding.

I did struggle first time I rode in the Alps with only a 160 on the back though, next time I went I had a 180 on the back (with 203 up front) and it coped much better.

used to have 203 /180 but too much for the UK IMHO

I use 180/160 as 160 front would not stop me going down Ullock Pike

personal choice and all that and depends on your weight etc

mboyIf you’re a rear brake dragger, and you overheat your rear brake a lot as is, then it would make sense to get a bigger rotor for heat dissipation reasons. Otherwise, hard to see why it’s necessary for UK based trail riding.

I did struggle first time I rode in the Alps with only a 160 on the back though, next time I went I had a 180 on the back (with 203 up front) and it coped much better.
Confession time – I am a said rear brake dragger and in the Alps on long descents I fade out the rear brake (160) overheating it due to comfort braking.

I’ve done two Alps trips riding average trails inc Blacks at modest speeds and 180/160 is fine but I will upgrade to 203/180 for this year partly as whole brake system needs to be replaced.

I’m going from 160/180 to 160/160 kcnc light weight jobbies (with m4’s)

I’ll save 110g

will I die?

I’ve got Hope X2s and I opted for 183s front and rear as I’m not exactly light, very confidence inspiring to know you can stop if you need to.

203/183 for me, but i weigh 16st

i would keep bigger up front as that is where most of the weight is under braking

203/185 for me. Just because I wanted to.

160/160 on my Soul for me. Although for Cannock hardly use the front so i’d probebly get away with 0/160. 😀

Alps in the summer and it will be 185/185.

I went from 200/200 Hope V2’s to 200/180 Formula RX, and then down to 180/160 Formula TheOne’s. I was expecting to have issues but even riding stupid mental doonhalls in Arizona has caused the Formula’s no problems. Try it.. it’s only a disc and adapter to change.

how tight for the bolts? copper grease too?

will I die

almost certainly – but the odds suggest we will all die eventually. HTH

Power is nothing without control.

I’d rather be ‘over-braked’ (and know how to control them…) than the opposite… and end up in a wall.

Hope M6/M4 225/205 (big bike), Juicy 3 203/185 (little bike)

I’ve got 180/160 with Formula Oro K18 brakes.

Stopped me from around 30 mph on the road yesterday after some pillock in a car slowed down in front of me. I’m pretty hefty so can’t see what more you’d need realistically.

Maybe 180/180 if you’re uber gnar.

I’m going from 160/180 to 160/160 kcnc light weight jobbies (with m4’s)

I’ll save 110g

will I die?

KCNC rotors are notorious for being selective as to which brakes they like to work well with or not. They’re better with brakes that have a large/deep pad contact area, and they can be pretty rubbish and cause a nasty ABS like “pulsing” feel with some brakes. I had some briefly on a set of Shimano XTR’s and they were god awful! 2 rides later they were sold.

If you’re just a normal XC/trail rider and you’re pretty light, then 160mm rotors both ends is often more than enough, but personally I’d steer clear of KCNC/Ashima rotors for the fact they’re very choosy about which brakes they seem to work ok with and which not. Oh, and they DESTROY brake pads…

It depends where you live, how heavy you are, and how much you drag your brakes. There is not much in the south that requires super duper powerful brakes. I run a 160 and 185 and have no problems even for downhill. I’m 12.5 stone and don’t use my brakes much.

My bike came with 185 each end worked well then I went for 203 front and the 185 rear
Massive difference….! But now I’m getting hope 203 red floating each end yes I know it’s over kill but
It’s just for bling-colour scheme

180/160 trail riding, 203/203 in the alps because brakes get hot out there real quick, I tend to trail brake into corners a lot whilst others do all the braking before the corner, rotors help a little with arm pump.

if you find your rotors destroy your pads one of the options is too (very) lightly chamfer (or just deburr) the leading edge of each sector of rotor hole.
Admittedly the pad isn’t ‘cleaned’ as much but the breaking performance shouldn’t be degraded at all.

KCNC rotors are notorious for being selective as to which brakes they like to work well with or not. They’re better with brakes that have a large/deep pad contact area, and they can be pretty rubbish and cause a nasty ABS like “pulsing” feel with some brakes. I had some briefly on a set of Shimano XTR’s and they were god awful! 2 rides later they were sold.

If you’re just a normal XC/trail rider and you’re pretty light, then 160mm rotors both ends is often more than enough, but personally I’d steer clear of KCNC/Ashima rotors for the fact they’re very choosy about which brakes they seem to work ok with and which not. Oh, and they DESTROY brake pads…

dam…I’ve done a search and most rave about them.

I only paid £18 for 2, I’m 11st and only ride xc/trail. not sure if the m4’s will be overkill for them?