Rise H30 brake upgrade?

[Hippyross]

Hey all.
I've recently got myself an h30 but after a few cycles I'm finding the brakes are lacking. I ride natural trails and am having to use two fingers to get any sort of power that will slow me down and leaving me with less grip to hold onto the handle bars down the bumpy trails.
Would it be beneficial to fit lager rotors or just go with a better brake setup?

Tia

 

[MadTurnip]

What bike have you got there is several models of H30, Occam, Rise etc.
If its the rise and its using SHIMANO BR-MT410 they can be a bit less powerful but my older trail bike had them with 180mm rotors and they were adequate single finger braking.
If you haven't already, give your rotors a good clean with some isopropyl alcohol or some kind of substitute. Do you use any kind of bike cleaner on your rotors?

 

[Hippyross]

My bad it's the rise h30.
I haven't cleaned them I've just washed the bike with whater and citrus wash.
I thought they would have just needed bed in but after 30 odd miles they just don't feel great or as good as I'm used to.
I will buy a tin of brake cleaner from my motor factors on Monday and see if that helps.

 

[b33k34]

So they're the bottom end, non series, 2 pot shimano. They don't have the 'servo wave' levers that come on, I think Deore upwards. they're the first thing I'd upgrade on that bike.

Also, Orbea fit 180 rotors front and rear. Upgrading those to 200mm (particularly at the front) will give a noticeable increase in power at very low cost - £15 for a shimano plus 20 adaptor on the fork and you can pick up 200mm rotors on Ebay for about £20 (SRAM/AVid stuff always seems very cheap if you're not worried about having the latest pattern (and you shouldn't be). if they're cetnrelock rotors on there now maybe add another £15 for an adaptor

 

[mtbrdan]

Save time and frustration and get some 4 piston XT's with 203 rotors front and rear.

 

[Hippyross]

Save time and frustration and get some 4 piston XT's with 203 rotors front and rear.

Working on trying to get a set of SRAM G2 ultimate for a good price just waiting to here back about them.

 

[Richridesmtb]

With G2 you'll still want 200mm rotors

 

[Micheal Edwards]

Try a set of magura m5 e-stop brakes? You can but a pair for £150. You don’t need to swap over the brake lines as they fit the Shimano ones. Get a pair of magura MDR- P rotors and you’ll never need anything else.

 

[benzy]

Would it be beneficial to fit lager rotors or just go with a better brake setup?

I swapped out the M6100s that came on the bike with M6120 (4 pistons) and 203 rotors and the improvement was minimal. Brakes still didnt have enough power on steep descents. So I'd save your money and time there. I cant believe the XTs would be that great of an improvement over the M6120s but others swear by them. And have to believe with the right pads they're good. But I'm giving the Magura MT5s a go, which by most accounts have some of the best stopping power out there for the price.

 

[Hippyross]

I swapped out the M6100s that came on the bike with M6120 (4 pistons) and 203 rotors and the improvement was minimal. Brakes still didnt have enough power on steep descents. So I'd save your money and time there. I cant believe the XTs would be that great of an improvement over the M6120s but others swear by them. And have to believe with the right pads they're good. But I'm giving the Magura MT5s a go, which by most accounts have some of the best stopping power out there for the price.

I've just received my mt5 estop and they have a banjo fitting not the same fitting as the brakes on the bike but I'll make them fit some how lol.

The rest of the bike I can't fault tbh I did pump the rear shock up to 200psi and it feels much better and I'm using 95% of the travel.
My friend just bought a levo and we done 20miles of trail riding on Sunday I used 52% battery and he used 80% he's a few stone heavier though.

 

[benzy]

I've just received my mt5 estop and they have a banjo fitting not the same fitting as the brakes on the bike but I'll make them fit some how lol.

The rest of the bike I can't fault tbh I did pump the rear shock up to 200psi and it feels much better and I'm using 95% of the travel.
My friend just bought a levo and we done 20miles of trail riding on Sunday I used 52% battery and he used 80% he's a few stone heavier though.

Let me know how it goes. Is there much of a difference with the eStops? Is it pads and levers?

 

[Micheal Edwards]

I swapped out the M6100s that came on the bike with M6120 (4 pistons) and 203 rotors and the improvement was minimal. Brakes still didnt have enough power on steep descents. So I'd save your money and time there. I cant believe the XTs would be that great of an improvement over the M6120s but others swear by them. And have to believe with the right pads they're good. But I'm giving the Magura MT5s a go, which by most accounts have some of the best stopping power out there for the price.

Try them with a 2mm rotors?

I've just received my mt5 estop and they have a banjo fitting not the same fitting as the brakes on the bike but I'll make them fit some how lol.

The rest of the bike I can't fault tbh I did pump the rear shock up to 200psi and it feels much better and I'm using 95% of the travel.
My friend just bought a levo and we done 20miles of trail riding on Sunday I used 52% battery and he used 80% he's a few stone heavier though.

Thats good to know about the battery

 

[Hippyross]

Let me know how it goes. Is there much of a difference with the eStops? Is it pads and levers?

They are 4pots, from research they have 90nm of force which is at the top end.

 

[benzy]

Try them with a 2mm rotors?

Thats good to know about the battery

Looks like thin rotors and resin pads may have been the weak links. Lol, tempted to take off the Maguras and give the XTs a shot.

They are 4pots, from research they have 90nm of force which is at the top end.
View attachment 85456

The regular MT5 is 4 pot too. Looks like the green pads and a slightly different lever.

 

[Hippyross]

Looks like thin rotors and resin pads may have been the weak links. Lol, tempted to take off the Maguras and give the XTs a shot.

The regular MT5 is 4 pot too. Looks like the green pads and a slightly different lever.

Sorry thought you meant the the difference in comparison to the stock brakes. I think the estop are just mt5's with a different pad and the discs are what makes the difference in stopping power.

 

[Tubby G]

I’m no doubt stating the obvious but have you bedded in the pads properly ? I usually do between 20-30 hard stops on tarmac from sprint speed to bed mine in before hitting the trails

 

[Shjay]

MT5s are 4 pots with the two pads connected at bottom, MT5 estop are 4 individual pads like the MT7
Bedding in pads correctly is important otherwise can just get a glaze on pads & won’t work well

 

[Hippyross]

I’m no doubt stating the obvious but have you bedded in the pads properly ? I usually do between 20-30 hard stops on tarmac from sprint speed to bed mine in before hitting the trails

No I never done that that's the first I've ever heard of doing that, I just assumed they wouldn't have been as good until I used them for a while but after 30-40 miles they are better but not what I'm used to I need one finger braking for the riding I do.

 

[Tubby G]

No I never done that that's the first I've ever heard of doing that, I just assumed they wouldn't have been as good until I used them for a while but after 30-40 miles they are better but not what I'm used to I need one finger braking for the riding I do.

they may have glazed over as Shjay suggested

personally I’d remove the pads, rough the surface up using emery paper, replace and then go outside and start hard braking, endos and some fine 180 skids !

 

[Hippyross]

they may have glazed over as Shjay suggested

personally I’d remove the pads, rough the surface up using emery paper, replace and then go outside and start hard braking, endos and some fine 180 skids !

I've already new brakes bought I'll do that with the new ones

 

[Richridesmtb]

Just try not to let the wheel stop when bedding in. Go hard and ease off just before stopping.

 

[neilo]

Just try not to let the wheel stop when bedding in. Go hard and ease off just before stopping.

I haven't heard this before, why is this important?

 

[Richridesmtb]

Bedding in is transferring brake pad material onto the rotor. If you stop during bedding it can leave a build up of material in the one spot, rather than having an even layer on the rotor.

 

[Pezzar]

I've heard the mt5 pads are a faff to change, is that right or are the mt5 e's different?

 

[Tubby G]

I've heard the mt5 pads are a faff to change, is that right or are the mt5 e's different?

A faff? They are dead easy. Not the best photo, but all you do is undo the screw that’s holding two pads either side of the rotor, pull the pads out, put new ones in and replace the screw. Repeat with the other piston

To align the calliper it’s literally undoing the calliper bolts a few turns until the calliper can move enough so the wheel spins freely and tighten back up again

simple

 

[Pezzar]

Cheers, maybe a review on different maguras I saw then, good to know.

 

[benzy]

Cheers, maybe a review on different maguras I saw then, good to know.

Agree. Dead simple. Only downside I heard is fast pad wear, but if you’re getting better braking power then that’s the trade off. Bleeding Magura vs shimano is another story.

 

[Pezzar]

Agree. Dead simple. Only downside I heard is fast pad wear, but if you’re getting better braking power then that’s the trade off. Bleeding Magura vs shimano is another story.

I have Hope Tech3/e4 brakes on both current un assisted bikes, which have to be the easiest bleed out there, so I'm going to not enjoy the experience no matter what brake I get unless it's Hope.

 

[Weezerj]

Increased rotor size from 180mm to 203mm front and back, stops much better, but also easier to modulate the rear brake on downhills.

 

[Kamill]

Went from the M410's to M6120 4 piston brakes with metallic pads, 203mm ice tech rotors front and back. Huge difference in the brake feel. I did swap out the brake hose as the M410's use the slightly larger diameter hoses. I think you can get away with M420 calipers, 203 rotors and metal pads but I'm not a fan of the larger lever.

I did what a couple members suggested and just threaded the two hoses together with a screw. It helps to thread in a screw to cut the grooves in the brake cable before trying to join them. Used some silicone lubricant on the hose and pulled it through the headtube by grabbing the caliper. At no point did it feel like it was getting caught on anything. I'm probably going to attempt the same thing with the dropper cable. Swapping out the stock lever for a PNW Loam Lever and there isn't enough cable slack. Plan on changing the cable to jagwire as well, we'll see how a screw does grabbing the shielded cable vs the plastic brake hose.