220mm front brake upgrade

[rodgemx125]

I'm upgrading the sram guide re to shimano saint on my levo, just wondering if a change to 220mm disc would be worthwhile to, have 203mm at the moment.

It's a old 2018 levo comp with rock shop revalations on

 

[2WheelsNot4]

I think you mean rock shox revelation.
2018 is listed as a 203mm max rotor size, so it could be risky putting on a 220mm Or it might be fine, you'll need to hear how others have gotten on and if they've used that size without problem.

RockShox Revelation RC - 2018 Fork

Reviews, ratings, specifications, weight, price and more for the RockShox Revelation RC - 2018 Fork

www.vitalmtb.com

 

[Semmelrocc]

Do you already have 200mm on the rear? Might be a tuning idea to consider.

 

[rodgemx125]

Do you already have 200mm on the rear? Might be a tuning idea to consider.

Yes, 203 discs both end

 

[Semmelrocc]

I remember reading an interesting article in German Enduro magazine recently, suggesting to have the bigger rotors on the rear (see link). The bottom line: front braking might be stronger, but rear braking is longer and more constant, resulting in higher brake temperatures on the rear rotor – hence the suggestion to use 220 mm rotors there (at least for heavy and/or aggressive riders).

 

[2WheelsNot4]

I remember reading an interesting article in German Enduro magazine recently, suggesting to have the bigger rotors on the rear (see link). The bottom line: front braking might be stronger, but rear braking is longer and more constant, resulting in higher brake temperatures on the rear rotor – hence the suggestion to use 220 mm rotors there (at least for heavy and/or aggressive riders).

I think I read that article as well, but it kind of falls flat as motorcycles have a much smaller rear disc, same with the other motorbike disciplines.
So you know how much bumpf is added to mtbs each year, new-better-faster-stronger, and that article could just be more of the same. Speculation..

 

[mtb-steve]

MotorcycleTE="2WheelsNot4, post: 375831, member: 20762"]
I think I read that article as well, but it kind of falls flat as motorcycles have a much smaller rear disc, same with the other motorbike disciplines.
So you know how much bumpf is added to mtbs each year, new-better-faster-stronger, and that article could just be more of the same. Speculation..
[/QUOTE]
Motorcycles have engine braking (usually) so that takes some of the braking duties away from the disc, however I had a Huqvarna 701 and with the fuel tank being the rear subframe it meant there was a lot of weight at the back. It's the first motorcycle I've had that wore out the rear pads long before the front pads.

 

[KnollyBro]

I'm upgrading the sram guide re to shimano saint on my levo, just wondering if a change to 220mm disc would be worthwhile to, have 203mm at the moment.

It's a old 2018 levo comp with rock shop revalations on

I upgraded to a Magura 220 (2mm thick) rotor from the SRAM 200mm rotor along with Code RSC brakes (Levo SL) to ride the steep rock slabs we have in Squamish. Just change the adapter. Be prepared for a significant increase in braking power!

 

[MountainBoy]

Motorcycles have engine braking (usually) so that takes some of the braking duties away from the disc, however I had a Huqvarna 701 and with the fuel tank being the rear subframe it meant there was a lot of weight at the back. It's the first motorcycle I've had that wore out the rear pads long before the front pads.

It's important to remember that correlation does not equal causation. And in this case, moving 20 lbs. a few feet rearward is not going to change the front/rear brake wear ratio that dramatically.

Explanations that are actually more likely:

1) The Husqvarna has a tiny rear brake that just wore out more quickly
2) Your riding style on that bike was different
3) The rear brake pedal was positioned such that your riding boot was riding on it without you being aware of it.

A MTB'ers riding style and the type of terrain ridden will determine whether the brakes should be equal sized or weight towards the front or back. In general, I think brakes that are the same size front and rear are most suitable for most people's use cases. That's because a bicycle doesn't have any engine braking and it's true that people like to ride the rear brake instead of using both brakes. But the front brake does most of the braking when real braking is needed so it generally makes sense to have them the same size. A bicycle that experiences a lot of repeated hard braking from high speeds or long, steep descents on would want a larger front brake.

 

[MountainBoy]

I'm upgrading the sram guide re to shimano saint on my levo, just wondering if a change to 220mm disc would be worthwhile to, have 203mm at the moment.

It's a old 2018 levo comp with rock shop revalations on

The only valid reason to upgrade to a bigger rotor is if one brake or the other ever approaches its thermal limit. This will be felt as needing an increase of lever pressure to maintain the same level of braking force. Most people who experience this can solve it by learning how to brake more evenly by distributing some of the braking force to the rotor that is not approaching its thermal limit. But, if you are a heavier rider or ride with additional gear weight, and you ride extended steep descents, you very well could be approaching or exceeding the thermal limit of 203mm rotors. In which case you might also be exceeding the thermal limit of 220 mm rotors but at least you will have made an improvement.

Depending upon how severe the descent is, even a light to average sized rider could require more thermal capacity in their brakes. Most people don't need that capability but the only downside is a little more weight/rotational inertia and, of course, the additional dollars. If you need the extra capability, it's worth the money, if you never approach the thermal limits, it's a waste of time and money.

I hope that helps answer your question. Some people will probably claim they get slightly better modulation/feel from bigger rotors but now we are getting into splitting hairs.

 

[irie]

The only valid reason to upgrade to a bigger rotor is if one brake or the other ever approaches its thermal limit ...

Another reason to have a larger rotor is to increase leverage.