For general trail use, will I notice much difference? I get some brake fade on draggy descents, I want to size up the rear and my front rotor has a slight wobble so I'm thinking of moving to them. Worth it?
They look cooler so obvs.
Sizing up makes a big difference
Floating makes no difference
Ime
(But they do look cooler)
You will notice that they come in colours and you've already justified new rotors so why not. Performance wise not so much, the size increase you will notice though
Bigger rotors and a change of pads are probably a better bet if you're having problems with fade even just in general trail riding.
What brakes/pads/rotor size you currently on?
get some brake fade on draggy descents
Geez will be along shortly to tell you 160mm rotors are all he needs and you're crap☹️
160 / 180 steel SRAM rotors and Guides. Fibrax semi metallic pads.
No rotors are rotors
Personally I would just go SLX/ZEE rotors in the biggest size you can fit/need. They work well and are not mega money when you taco them or wear them out.
Floating rotors if you fancy the bling. Be aware some floating rotors are incompatible with some brake calipers (without modifying the caliper)
What he said.
Too vulnerable to damage to spend big money on, and negligible benefit anyway.
They are a consumable after all.
What do a set of floating rotors cost anyway? £100 if they are Hope?
You could get a set of 4pot deore brakes for about that.
£100 if they are Hope?
A lot less if they are Uberbike with the current discount code
Stop with the comfort braking and get the coloured bling in. Win win.
No rotors are rotors
Woah, deep, maaan
Is any bit of kit worth the upgrade...most of it no but since when was that an excuse not to. I've got Hope floating rotors an they do look great and been pretty bulletproof. but never really had a problem with any rotor. Had one solid rotor Pringle on me after a very long road descent that required a bit of dragging of the rear brake. Not put my MTB Hope floating rotors through the same duty, but have with my road bike Hope Floating rotors earlier this year in the Alps on two 20km descents.
Not sure I consider brake rotors consumable items. I've never worn a rotor out and only ever pronged the one after a pretty heavy session of brake dragging so not the normal duty I put the brake through. You'd be pretty unlucky to damage them.
What discount code is that?
They do essentially nothing and they're usually not even all that light (because you need a lot of alu to do the job of a little steel, plus the rivets/bobbins). PLus you get an extra failure mode to play with.
If your brakes aren't good enough, fix your brakes, don't fanny about with rotors.
No rotors are rotors
No rotors is quite dangerous
I very much doubt if floating rotors are of any/much benefit over solid ones. I've got Hope floaters on the FS which look lurvely & solid Hopes on the HT which are overkill sized & both can stop me dead with little effort.
Too vulnerable to damage
I've bent one rotor in 20 years of mtb.
In theory, 'floating' rotors (they're not really) should be more resistant to warping from heat under hard and heavy use. I've never had a floating rotor warp, but have had maybe three regular ones warp. It's hardly a massive issue though, they just get a bit noiser passing through the caliper.
What discount code is that?
UBER20 I think
I once had a pair of floating rotors. Found they needed truing much more often than any steel rotors I've had before or since, so got rid.
I don’t think so despite having them on both bikes because they look cool!
Shimano Icetech 203mm. Not actual floating, but look like it.
Got the Uberbike ones, they are generic as a few brands sell them with their own logo etched onto them.
I don't think they make any difference but I was upsizing anyway... so why not go pimp?
Uberbike finned pads too. Don't fit the newer Bleeding Edge, Guide calipers though.😟
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I think just going up to 200/180 or 200/200 will make a difference.
What are you doing to your guides to fade them in general trail riding? I’ve done a load of uplift days on Guide r’s woth 200/180 discs and uberbike race matrix pads and not had any dramas.
I’ve upped my fs bike to a Code R / Guide RE combo (what I could get cheap on eBay at the time) and they are definitely better for sure - but I didn’t ever noticeably fade the Guides even on uplift days at BPW / BMCC etc.
Using standard Centerline discs btw.
Nothing pimp about that lower leg protection 😊 and I won't mention those washers between caliper and adapter, oops just did. Classic 203 bodge.
The icetec ones do keep things a bit cooler, along with (proper, integral) fins on the pads. Helps the pad to last a bit longer as well as fading noticeably less.
The old "ice cream sandwich" failure mode seems to be a thing of the past, too (unless anybody wants to correct me).
Are those uberbike ones a sandwich icetec-alike or is the material inboard of the braking track just for fun?
Well they're a few grams heavier so not enough that will make any difference to anyone at any ability. They are possible to warp...but you have to really be trying, less likely for the average person to warp. I'm an average person and have warped a solid steel rotors, but not Hope floaters. And the argument taht 'you need a lot more aluminium instead of a small amount of steel' applies to frames too and which frames tend to be heavier despite that? Steel frames, so not really an argument. Also i'm not aware of any reported issues with the rivets failing so the main failure mode of rotors is them warping due to heat stress...which solid steel rotors are more susceptible to.
But yes, for most of us they are nothing more than a bit of bling, and there is nowt wrong with that, but they do offer some benefits even if those benefits are not something that most people will notice.