brakes ⁽³⁾

Patrick October 13, 2024

Updating Brakes Round Two

Back in mid-July, I updated the Hope brakes on my Volagi Viaje. I replaced the original RX4 calipers with the new and improved RX4+. Whereas the old RX4 used 2x14 mm and 2x11 mm pistons, Hope increased the pistons to 2x16 mm and 2x14 mm for the RX4+ calipers. I paid little attention to the pads then, but once out of the box, I immediately realized that RX4 and RX4+ calipers shared different brake pads. The original pads for SRAM RX4 calipers are 30.8mm wide. The width of the pads increased to 37.0mm for RX4+ calipers. That's a 20% size increase.

Patrick July 19, 2024

Updating Brakes Round One

I owned a lovely set of red Formula R1 brakes since 2010. They went onto my singlespeed Niner Air9 Carbon, moved to my black 44 Kid Dangerous in 2013, and then to my 44 Marauder in 2017; fourteen years of service and still working perfectly. It was time to treat the Marauder to a new set of brakes. I was just waiting for a worthy replacement to appear on the market. This happened recently with Hope’s release of the XCR brakes in anodized colors and the option of two, or four-piston calipers. Hope is essentially the only manufacturer that still offers disc brakes in a variety of colors. The XCR with E4 calipers were the brakes I was waiting for.

Patrick January 19, 2024

Centerlock Rotor Comparison

Whenever possible, I equip a bike with Centerlock rotors. I used to have rotors with the 6-bolt interface, but after experiencing some hub failures with 6-bolt rotors, particularly on road hubs, I now prefer Centerlock hubs. I have used SRAM Centerline X, TRP TR25, and Jagwire Pro LR2 rotors. I always install 160 mm rotors on the front and back of road and gravel bikes, except for my Volagi Viaje bikes, which require a 140 mm rotor on the back. Very recently, I bought a pair of Bucklos RT-MT760 rotors on AliExpress. They looked good, and you get a pair, including lockrings, for the price of one of the better-known brands.