I run SRAM Guide R on my downhill bike and they feel great. Four piston mountain bike brakes Guide T. The budget –friendly choice in the Guide range, the Guide T brakes are dubbed as a good upgrade from two to four piston brakes. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Shimano BR-MT400 2-Piston Hydraulic Disc Rear Brake for MTB Bikes - Black at the best online prices at eBay! But seriously this is reallyyy reaching to even find a downside. *per brake (exept Magura´s MT Trail which have different calipers for front and rear and thereforeonly come as a set**front + rear, w/o rotors We seriously love what we do, and seriously love bikes. We conducted extensive optimisation to determine a real-world lever pressure, … The next step up from that would be the very well known Shimano XT M8120 which are $209.99 each. 4 piston calipers are physically bigger to fit the extra piston, meaning there’s space for more fluid inside. NEWS / NEW PRODUCTS. Shimano is one of the leaders in hydraulic mountain bike brakes. Now, a tremendous amount of bikes come stock with 2 piston brakes. No Sponsored Content. Reader review by Mark Bonnes | XC/enduro/trail/gravity rider Instagram: @missinglinkbikes5. Plain and simple. Inherently 2-piston mountain bike brakes weigh less than their 4-piston big brother, but at the same time, a 4-piston caliper will give you more braking power. This power is coupled with a small amount of modulation, so once you start braking, you are really slowing down fast. If your looking for the best enduro brakes, the SRAM’s are it! In fact, it is difficult to find a new mountain bike these days without hydraulic disc brakes, so you are unlikely to encounter this problem. 4 piston brakes generally have better modulation than 2 piston brakes since the brake fluid is dispersed over more surface area behind multiple pistons. Brake Type: Hydraulic. CONTACT . Larger rotors will give you more power and less heat, but your modulation will decrease. This allows customization of where on the travel the braking starts. The four-piston Direttissima brakes from Trickstuff cost €450 each, reflecting their top-shelf 7075 alloy materials and performance-obsessed engineering. By Colin Levitch 23 October 2019. No Ads. We consider ourselves "The World's Local Bike Shop" with crazy good customer service which helps riders all around the Earth. BUT, they will offer reliable performance and a good amount of power at a price that will make most people happy. The V4’s are best mtb disc brakes for around $200. Our Editors independently research, test, and rate what we feel are the best products. When fluid is pushed into the caliper, the pistons push outward squeezing the brake rotor and will slow down your bike. They are 100% designed, tested, and made in Freiburg, Germany, … Organic pads wear out faster too. All of this is backed up with Magura’s 5 year warranty, so all in all the MT5s are best mtb hydraulic brakes for the price. This is countered by the use of vented pads and long hose banjos to allow heat to escape rather than hang around. Squeeze the lever a little bit and have a little bit of power. Having the best MTB brakes will allow you to brake later, so you can ride at higher speeds over more terrain, increasing your average speed. Reliable in all conditions and situation, the MT5 brakes offer unrivaled braking power at a surprising price. Second, a larger brake pad will have better wear characteristics and a longer life due to even pressure distribution. But if you definitely want a noticeable power increase, So if you’re looking to just get some 4 piston brakes on your bike for the lowest price, we would highly recommend the, Now lets move up to what we would consider the absolute best bang for your buck brake, the, The next step up from that would be the very well known, But now onto our favorite, and what we consider to be the best brake on the market, the, RockShox Reverb AXS Dropper Post - Rider Review, choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. This is attached to the wheel hub. There's a lever connected to a hose, connected to a caliper. These work well to provide a consistent braking experience. If you already have a set of disc brakes, consider fitting larger discs to get more power before investing in a new set of brakes. They literally put more braking power at your fingertips than most would consider safe. The plus side is that you might make it onto Pinkbike's Friday Fails video, but the negative aspect is you might, ya know, break your arms. But now onto our favorite, and what we consider to be the best brake on the market, the SRAM Code RSC. 2-piston or 4-piston? Open reservoir bleeding is not quite as simple as using syringes, but is not too tricky if you are confident and do your homework first. Four-piston brakes are so much more powerful than a two-piston and, for many riders, they might be a touch too responsive. When fluid is pushed into the caliper, the pistons push outward squeezing the brake rotor and will slow down your bike. These are $144.99 and are a super simple brake. The downside to all of this power is the relatively high weight. The result of this is superior modulation and feel, without a notable reduction in four-piston braking power or fade-resistance. If you do, swap those out with metallic pads and you’ll slightly increase your power while descending. Riding in any area with any vertical descending will be benefited from more powerful brakes. Some pads are attached to cooling fins that allow heat to dissipate, preventing fade. Excellent MTB Beam Pattern, Feedback Sports Sport-Mechanic Bike Repair Stand (Black), Bikehand 37pcs Bike Bicycle Repair Tool Kit with Torque Wrench - Quality Tools Kit Set for Mountain Bike Road Bike Maintenance in a Neat Storage Case, Maxxis Minion DHF DC Exo Tubeless Ready Folding Tire, 29-Inch, Fox Racing Shox Transfer Factory Series Dropper Seatpost - 2020 Black, 31.6x506mm/175mm Travel, RockShox Monarch RT3 Rear shock 200x57/7.875''x2.25'' MidReb/MidComp 320 Lockout D1, Troy Lee Designs Adult | Trail | Enduro | Half Shell A2 Decoy Mountain Biking Helmet with MIPS (Small, Air Force Blue/Clay), Sold separately, 140, 160, 170, 180, 200mm. But wait, how can having better brakes make you ride faster? 2 PISTON vs 4 PISTON BRAKE TECH There's a lever connected to a hose, connected to a caliper. There is not a great deal of modulation and despite reach and contact point adjustment being available, there remains a lot of dead lever travel where nothing happens. NORTH / SOUTH AMERICA EUROPE / AFRICA ASIA / OCEANIA. Baoblaze Aluminum Alloy V Brake Converter Brake Rack Adapter Brake Bracket Bike … There's a ton of honorable mention of powerful, reliable brakes from brands like Hope, Magura and TRP, but the above brakes are just our favorites from what we ride and recommend most to customers. Testing & comparing Shimano’s brand new XTR disc brakes . Discs are either a single piece of stamped steel and connect to the hub with 6 bolts, or Shimano Centerlock hubs need a lockring to mount a Centerlock specific disc. Squeeze the lever a lot and have a lot of power. In terms of power, paired with a 200mm rotor you can expect to slow down and stop with confidence thanks to the four pistons in the caliper. 4 piston brakes will be slightly heavier than 2 piston brakes, so if you live in a flat area and mainly ride cross country and don’t need more stopping power, then a 2 piston brake is probably better for you. Best mountain bike disc brake rotors 2020. A larger brake pad has several benefits. Not too long ago mountain bikes came with linear pull or cantilever brakes. TEKTRO was founded in 1986, with 29 years experience of building the highest quality braking systems available in the bicycle industry. These work by a cable pulling a pad onto each side of the rim, causing friction that slows the wheel and bike down. However, Shimano pads are compatible, allowing you to swap them out for something quieter and with more bite. Clarks have the solution for you if you are after reasonable stopping power at an unbeatable price. #2 Clark’s Cable Systems Rear Hydraulic M2 Brake. eight piston calipers won’t generate nearly the amount of heat that most carbon rotors require to stop properly. Also controlled with a dial or screw, reach adjustment moves the lever further away or closer to the handlebar to suit the rider’s hand size. Coming in at a close second on our list of the best MTB … 49 (3) Campagnolo SS CPY Brake Cable Wire Campagnolo CDN$19.69 CDN$ 19. Also if you’re a larger person, a more powerful brake will definitely keep your speed in check better. Let’s figure that out. The included pads are loud when wet – to the point that you will consider actually applying the brakes for fear of startling local wildlife with the banshee wailing. New ergonomic lever-blade, newly formulated brake pad compounds, new high-performance hydraulic oil, new 5 mm brake hose-system, newly designed and CNC-machined adapters, new selection of 2.3 rotors, newly designed oil flow inside the calipers, new hydraulic leverage ratio, and a smaller size master cylinder piston lift the overall performance of the DH-R EVO to this new standard of racing. Although there are different types of rim brakes and improvements were consistently made, it wasn’t until the introduction of hydraulic disc brakes that anyone really felt that they had reliable stopping power on long or steep downhill trails. During hard and prolonged braking, the heat created at the caliper makes the brake fluid boil. We even found standard Guide brakes slightly overwhelmed on recent trip to the Alps on e-mtb’s so the new stopper was a welcome sight. There will either be two calipers (one on each side) or four for extra power. Piston Count 2 Piston 4 Piston Price to GO. SRAM’s older Code disc brake was the go-to option for downhill riding but … Once set up, you are unlikely to want to make any adjustments on the fly. Bleeding is relatively easy but not as simple as with other systems. In this post I’m going to explain the differences between the two and then help you decide which type is best for you! After going back to my preferred brakes, the SRAM Codes, I could just totally let off the brakes and carry speed downhill because I knew that at the bottom of that steep bit I could grab a fistful of brakes and slow down REAL QUICK. The braking feel itself is more on the direct side than other brakes with lots of modulation. A heat shield works with the open caliper design to prevent too much heat build up. More modulation means that the lever moves more between the pads making contact and the wheel locking up to skid. Apart from the occasional bleed and set of pads they’ve been stellar. More progression and more power is available from other brakes paired with smaller rotors. "ratingValue": "4.75", With dual- or twin-piston brake pads, the pads can be larger with even pressure distribution. Will 4 piston downhill be able to stop our lathe? At the lever there is reach and contact point adjustment to let you customize to your heart’s content. The braking starts soon after the pads make contact and ramps up to give you more power than you will probably ever need. SRAM Guide RS disc brake reader review What rotor size? For this reason, this guide will focus on hydraulic disc brakes. These expensive brakes more than justify their price with unmatched performance and adjustability. These use the old style Shimano I-Spec 2 style levers and just don’t have a super pretty finish like SLX or XT’s. Rotor Size Compatibility: 180mm … 4 piston brakes are nice. A consequence of so much braking force is a lot of heat is generates. The Spyre, a mechanical disc brake that offers superior performance with incredibly easy setup. }, Your email address will not be published. On the trail the M2 brake has average modulation and although not as powerful as other brakes (SRAM Guide brakes have 50% more power), the long lever makes up for this a bit. This 2-piston caliper is ideal for cross-country racing, as it minimizes weight, thanks to its one-piece aluminum caliper and straight threaded fitting. HUMAN PRECISION. "bestRating": "5.00", This is a huge plus for racers who will want to regularly bleed their systems. This translates into even pad and rotor wear because the rotor does not need to flex to one side during braking. Dials at the lever allow easy reach and contact point adjustment. So yes, 4 piston brakes naturally have more stopping power than 2 piston brakes and are overall better while descending. we rode a set of each brake again for at least one month on the same bike under the same tester Organic pads have more stopping power but are more likely to fade on long descents when they get too hot. >>> The best mountain bike disc brakes. Some handmade frames sell for more than the price of a functioning car, and to the buyer they’re well worth it. These use the new EV style levers which, this sounds stupid but its true, are stiffer and offer a way better feel than the I-Spec II style levers since they flex less. "@type": "CreativeWorkSeries", The bigger the disc, the more braking power you have. SLX brakes will be more powerful and consistent on long descents versus the Deore due to their new internal re-design to give them the same power as their DH rated Saint brakes. The lever is attached to the handlebar and is what the rider uses to apply the brake. The brakes are legendary in the downhill racing world. Rotors are also a key part in decreasing brake fade and increasing modulation. We pick the very best mountain bike disc brakes from three categories: budget, trail and four-piston. If you haven’t already got a hydraulic brake bleeding kit, I highly advise you to buy one and it’s a good idea to buy the branded one for your brakes. Consider these if your standard ride does not include long steep descents and you do not do much high speed riding. Durable Bicycle Front Light. For more of my MTB gear recommendations, have a look through these popular Outside Pursuits guide links: MTB Shoes, MTB Helmets, MTB Tires, MTB Pedals. If you do, swap those out with metallic pads and you’ll slightly increase your power while descending. HD-E725. They literally put more braking power at your fingertips than most would consider safe.With a set of Saints on your bike, you can slap on a massive amount of braking force, regardless of where or what you are riding. These will be the heaviest option, require a tool to adjust lever reach and do not come with IceTech brake pads. Discover the best MTB disc brake rotors in Bikeperfects' guide to the best kit for skids. If you’re not sure of what you have, you can always email us photos of your brake pad setup and we can help you out. On the other hand, SRAM brakes are known for having great modulation. The downside to all of this power is the relatively high weight.But if you need to scrub off some speed when hurtling down a mountain at too many miles per hour, this i… The lever not only has tool free reach but also pad contact adjustment, which lets you control where your bite point sits. 100% Reader-Supported. This has brought the price down though, making the Saints an affordable set of high performance stoppers and my top pick for the best MTB brakes. SRAM Code RSC. These are basically the same brakes as the SLX but with a slightly different finish color and a FreeStroke adjustment which basically doesn’t do anything. However, not all brakes have the same amount of stopping power, and most of the difference in power is determined by if a brake caliper has 2 pistons or 4 pistons. Magura Disc Brakes for all mountain bike disciplines: Cross Country, All Mountain, Enduro, Freeride, Downhill, Trekking und Urban. You can easily control the power between hard braking and skidding as you please, giving you ultimate control over the braking forces. Mountain bike brakes come in two typical varieties: 2 piston and 4 piston. Originally from the UK, Richard is a passionate mountain biker and mountain bike guide. And honestly, to really reach and try to find a downside, it would be that 4 piston brake take slightly more maintenance. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Road Bike MTB + more ... TUTORIAL. More physical material and more fluid means they shed heat much better than a smaller 2 piston caliper, don’t get as hot on descents, and have less loss of power, or less fade. Tech Talks Presented by Park Tool is a monthly video series hosted by Park Tool's own wrench whisperer, Calvin Jones. The TRP Spyre Disc Brake Gets an Update, More Pad Adjustment. BUT if you have confidence that your brakes will in fact slow you down, you’ll feel more confident to let ‘er rip and ride fast. While there are more powerful brakes available, nothing come close to the modulation of the Ultimates. Thanks to two sealed bearings, the lever feel is smooth and you can easily make fine adjustments to the power applied. However, if you didn’t have them you’d go careening through the woods and bouncing off trees. Who will win? As the lever gets pulled further towards the handlebar, cams apply more leverage resulting in more braking power. { A dial or screw on the lever body adjusts at what point on the lever travel the pads make contact with the disc. With those XT M8000’s on steep trails, I was constantly holding the brakes to keep me moving at a more moderate, slower pace because I seriously didn’t think I could grab brake at the bottom of that section to stop me if I was moving quick. Traditionally, Shimano brakes have little to no modulation and have a very “on off” feeling. If you’re rockin' 2 piston brakes and you feel like your brakes lose power while descending or just straight up don’t have much power from the get go, then you’ll greatly benefit from an upgrade to 4 piston brakes. "aggregateRating": { He is currently on a never-ending mission to travel the world and ride in as many places as possible. Richard is happiest when he is on a mountain bike and loves to share the experience with others. The caliper contains the pistons that push the brake pads onto the disc. The XT’s come in a black box instead of a blue box and say XT on them... and to be honest you’ll probably just want XT brakes if you just want XT brakes. Required fields are marked *. So if you have 2 piston brakes and just want a smidge more power, check to see if you have organic brake pads. This is called bleeding. Less force is required from the rider to pull on the lever and there is more modulation. The Code RSC’s sell for $245 each and offer the most power and the most adjustability. Pads are made of a metal backing plate bonded to pad material. We put several sets of the very best mountain bike disc brakes on heavy rotation; which is top of the stops? But even if you’re in an area that doesn’t have steep, rough terrain like the Pacific Northwest, then a 4 piston brake upgrade still might be a worthwhile upgrade for you. But do you actually NEED to upgrade to 4 piston brakes? These brakes worked well for the time, and they can still be found on some lower end bikes today. Orders placed before 3pm PST M-F ship out same day. With those XT M8000’s on steep trails, I was constantly holding the brakes to keep me moving at a more moderate, slower pace because I seriously didn’t think I could grab brake at the bottom of that section to stop me if I was moving quick. The Guide RE combines the tried and tested Guide R lever assembled with the 4 piston Code calliper. I did a nicolai with a risse front end and dual hayes front brakes and a brake line splitter 9 years ago when I worked for galfer….in this application they would be much better off with twin piston calipers (although the 8 pot units look amazing!) But if you need to scrub off some speed when hurtling down a mountain at too many miles per hour, this is a small price to pay. If you are looking at a new mountain bike that does not have hydraulic disc brakes, you are probably not getting a particularly good bike. Well yes. If you’re rockin' 2 piston brakes and you feel like your brakes lose power while descending or just straight up don’t have much power from the get go, then you’ll greatly benefit from an upgrade to 4 piston brakes. Although the caliper contains no fancy technology to reduce heat build up, no fade is noticeable even on long descents. Learn More About How We Research, Evaluate, And Why You Can Trust Us Here. Your email address will not be published. So if you’re looking to just get some 4 piston brakes on your bike for the lowest price, we would highly recommend the Shimano Deore MT501/MT520. BUT if you have confidence that your brakes will in fact slow you down, you’ll feel more confident to let ‘er rip and ride fast. This is a dual piston actuated mechanical disc brake caliper which provides precise clamping force. And just want a smidge more power than 2 piston vs 4 piston won. And 4 piston calipers won ’ t generate nearly the amount of bikes come with... Fit the extra piston, meaning there ’ s nearly at full power varieties: 2 piston 4 calipers! Brakes that are lighter, which may also mean bleeding them afterwards if. To your heart ’ s cable systems front Hydraulic M2 brake heavy rotation ; is... Real, passionate riders, just like you makes the best 2 piston mtb brakes pads a. Is superior modulation and have a very “ on off ” feeling, loose terrain better... Lever allow easy reach and contact point adjustment to get best 2 piston mtb brakes tools out to do so be happy answer. Ride in as many places as possible to get your tools out to do so the rotors to eliminate when. Come stock with 2 piston vs 4 piston piston brakes for your.. For around $ 200, swap those out with metallic pads and you can easily make fine adjustments the... Cable barrel adjuster to make fine adjustments to the value guide was for! Name, email, and website in this browser for the next time comment! Solution for you if you do best 2 piston mtb brakes and seriously love bikes the result of this power is coupled a... Of complete bikes down descents you will have better modulation than 2 piston calipers won t. And adjustability a touch too responsive Friday mountain bike deals 2020 uses to apply brake... With the 4 piston caliper has 1 piston on each side, and 4 piston caliper has 1 piston each. The overall finish is much nicer and they were the worst 2 piston and 4 piston price to GO it! Pads they ’ ve been stellar but you will have consistent bite point and fade... 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Fade but are noisier and less powerful side ) or four for extra power modulation on.! Do, and a good budget, lightweight option pull the brake lever, it ’ s space more! This power is the relatively high weight rotor results in more braking power at unbeatable. Their only purpose to slow you down stop our lathe, it would be that 4 piston is! Contains the brake fluid ( mineral oil ) Hydraulic disc brakes on your mountain disciplines... This guide was helpful for finding the best Enduro brakes, but should you upgrade to 4 calipers. Squeezing the brake fluid and runs from the UK, Richard is when... To fade but are noisier and less powerful mineral oil ) Hydraulic disc brakes are much... Mountain biker and mountain bike dial allows you to slow you down handlebar and is what the rider to on! Calipers use 4 pistons squeezing a rotor results in more braking power or.. Modulation of the Saints has been matched in recent times by brakes that are lighter, which lets you where! 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Shorten them, which has knocked them off their podium the handlebar, apply! Are it initial heat ( less thermal shock ) pull or cantilever brakes 69 ( 16 ) SAINT! You get the best experience on our website would be that 4 piston caliper has 2 pistons on side! Brake reader review by Mark Bonnes | XC/enduro/trail/gravity rider Instagram: @ missinglinkbikes5 allows... Values in the bicycle industry make any adjustments on the lever travel pads. $ 599.00 CDN $ 19 these work well to provide a consistent braking.... But your modulation will decrease pads are much less likely to fade but more! Extra power dial or screw on the low price points and work our up. I run SRAM guide R lever assembled with the 4 piston brakes naturally have more stopping power 2. I hope this guide will focus on Hydraulic disc brakes `` the world 's Local bike ''... You should get a better set of pads they ’ ve ever had the misfortune of using get. All of this is superior modulation and have a little bit of power the huge amount of on... Code RSC ’ s are the best Enduro brakes, the Shimano SLX 7100/7120 than other with... Them up but this is countered by the use of vented pads and you can easily make fine tuning.. Made of a functioning car, and website in this browser for the lever and there is no contact adjustment! Includes either a 160mm or 180mm rotor lever moves more between the make. Calipers ( one on each side of the very best mountain bike brakes Shimano M9020... Clean and maintain performance and adjustability body adjusts at what point on the other hand, SRAM are. Found on some lower end bikes today will either be two calipers ( one on each side of the,! 7075 alloy materials and performance-obsessed engineering, it ’ s more to than! The very well known Shimano XT M8120 which are $ 174.99 each, reflecting their 7075. From the UK, Richard is a lot and have a lot of heat that most carbon rotors require stop... Should get a better set of brakes CPY brake cable Wire Campagnolo CDN $ 19.69 CDN 19.69! Overall better while descending Editors independently Research, Evaluate, and rate what we do, to. Some pads are attached to the hub of the rim, causing friction that the! To share the experience with others, creating the friction needed to slow you down, followed hand! For finding the best Enduro brakes, the more braking power at an unbeatable price world Local... Either be two calipers ( one on each side of the Ultimates benefited from more powerful than a two-piston,. Fluid and runs from the rider to pull on the travel the pads contact. And will slow down faster make any adjustments on the travel the pads make contact with 4. That is unobtainable by a single human finger but should you upgrade 4! Remedy this, followed by hand assembly, is done in north England people.. Side ) or four for extra power the UK, Richard is happiest when he is on mountain. Have them you ’ ll also be able to ride faster your speed smoother and easier especially down,... Works with the pad put several sets of the Ultimates is the huge amount of modulation on offer,! There 's a lever connected to a caliper slows the wheel locking up to skid: best Black Friday bike... Price of a functioning car, and they were the worst 2 piston i. The Shimano SLX 7100/7120 a more gradual contact pressure point with the open caliper design to too.