I’m not harping on about soul/niche/being pointless, but wondering why such significance is placed on mechanical disc brakes?

With all the high end material tech and welding skill going into the frames, White Industries freewheels, Surly crystal decanter holders etc, why the luddite approach to stopping?

Budget economy cable stoppers are great for entry level bikes, but on a £4k+ bike?

I really don’t understand.

Aren’t niche bikes basically luddite bikes anyway though?

mend-ability in the field?

They’re not bad stoppers you know.

All disc brakes are mechanical

It’s to do with H-bars – I think hydro disc brake levers are bulkier than V-brake one and don’t fit between the wrongle pipes.

Cable brakes are ok-better than V’s for stopping in the wet but I still have V’s or Hydro’s.

I guess if the cable doesn’t stretch or snap then cable discs should be fine.

cable disks are really popular in the states and a lot of these bikes come from there.

The guys at Bikevillage like cable discs ‘cos there’s no fluid to boil.

I can see that in hot dry climate with long descents, I like hydraulics. Technology rules 🙂

It’s because if you want to fit weirdo nichegasmic bars then you sometimes need road levers, which are not available (more’s the pity) in hyrdaulic versions.

A set of BB7s are light, easy to fix and adjust, and they stop an XC bike just as well as expensive hydraulics.

It’s interesting that people who can obviously afford to spec any set of their brakes go for what is a relatively cheap setup. Maybe because it works better.

I’ve just removed Juicy 7’s from my blur and stuck BB7’s on.

I can stop with 1 finger on my bb7’s even with 16 stone on 2.35’s – why do I need this hypothetical extra power from Hydros?

I’ve used Hayes and Shimano on the blur whilst the Inbred stayed on bb7’s without a murmer for the last ~7 years.

Niche bikes are ridden by people who don’t know what they’re doing imo

Niche bikes are ridden by people who don’t know what they’re doing imo

I’ve just got BB7s to go on my Inbred, so it seems that you’re correct 🙂

A set of BB7s are light

Compared with what?

A boat anchor. Even a small one.

Compared with what?

A hippo. I used to have one in my camelbac on a bit of rope, hoof it on the deck to stop. Worked very well, but dented performace a good amount. Some people tried to lighten things up buy using a few housebricks, citing improved modulation depending on how many bricks were loosed at one time, but I never saw the attraction.

wot is niche bikes. dh xc ??????????????

I like BB7s because i don’t have to think about them ever. At all ever at all.

Ever.

Not even a little bit.

I like BB7s because i don’t have to think about them ever. At all ever at all.

You have some kind of magic ever-lasting brake pads in there?

” I like BB7s because i don’t have to think about them ever. At all ever at all.”

You have some kind of magic ever-lasting brake pads in there?
…and magic maintenance free cables?

My niche Kona has BB7’s on with Profile Aero bars using SS200 bar-end and CrossTop levers. Previously it had Shimano 105 flippy levers, before I dumped the gears. With 160mm rotors it stops just as well as if it had hydros on, and as I have hydros on my other three bikes, (Hope M4, M4Mono and Juicy 7), I believe I might just have some sort of experience to back up my statement. The BB7’s are not that light, but there are plenty of heavy hydros as well. I don’t even use fancy cables, just standard off the shelf full-length outers. I can understand why riders like them, especially if they’re doing real wilderness riding. All you need is a couple of spare sets of cables in case one gets ripped out by a branch or rock, something which would be tricky with hydros.

I disagree with TimothyD.

I have XT discs on one bike and BB7s on on another.
Both work well with plenty of power and good modulation but, whereas I only ever touch the XTs to change the pads, the BB7s require regular tweeking of the red knobs to keep the bite point where I like it.

They’re both good brakes but if I was buying another set of discs they’d be XTs (unless I’d won the lottery in which case they’d be Magura Martas 🙂 )

🙂

Okay okay i over stated it a bit, I knew people would pounce.

I like them because i didn’t have very much new to learn to keep them working well,which means i can think about other things instead,like trying to learn Spanish properly,or any of the other things that need thinking about.

Along with friction thumbies and flat pedals they help keep the part of my brain labelled cycling as clutter free as possible,and probably keep cycling a bit closer to like it was when i was young and just got on my bike and rode about on it before putting it back,i may need to turn the red knobs every so often or lube the cables when i remember to,but that’s pretty much it,along with changing the brake pads,but for me they help to keep things simple,and i don’t need ot think about potential things that might happen like stuck pistons or air needing bleeding.

The levers are quicker to replace if i ever bend one on a cycling holiday too,but that’s just an added bonus.

Each to thier own at the end of the day. 🙂

Cheers
Tim

I don’t like the yellow smiley faces by the way,they’re a bit yellow and grinning.

No offence to the creators of the website.

Perhaps you could get Avid to make you an inferior version with weak colours?

I prefer BB7s to hydraulics I’ve ridden; but at the end of the day everyone will have their own personal opinion and they all work!

I like them because i didn’t have very much new to learn to keep them working well

There couldnt anything LESS to learn than with Hydros?! Unless you damage a hose there’s nothing at all to do/maintain other than change pads, unlike cable discs?

Its a fair point….I have fitted BB7’s just because I know how to maintain them….and are perfectly powerful enough for me…but thats ’cause

I ride a niche bike and don’t know what I’m doing

😆

What’s this endless maintenance with hydros myth? I’ve had a set of Hope Mono Minis for 13 months now without needing touching aside from a set of new pads.

With the amount of riding I do (and from experience of owning BB7s) I’d have changed the cables numerous times and be twiddling the red knobs every couple of weeks.

And the joy of a really long wet welsh gritty day and realising on the final descent that your perfectly setup bite point has worn through and the levers are now on the bars barely stopping you at the most critcal time… yeah cable discs were great! 🙄