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Brakes
NB: Originally posted elsewhere on the Global Riders Network and appears via syndication.
I have recently purchased an Anthem X 29er which I'm stoked with. I am going to change the brakes from Avid Elixr Cr's to XT's as I prefer them. The XT's are currently set up on my other bike with 160mm rotors. (the rotors on the Anthem are the same size) Do I need to swap the rotors or can I just bolt on the XT calipers/levers with original rotors that are currently on the Anthem?
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you can leave the rotors and just swap the levers and calipers.
Rotors are rarely (and becoming rarer) specific to the actual caliper/brake.
Assuming they are both 160mm brakes, go ahead and swap.
Great, thanks! They are both 160mm.
how much do you want for the Avids, Ive got Shimano's on my Merida but prefer Avids, would be keen to do a deal with you if you're interested.
I'm putting them on my Yeti 575 which I'm selling.
I have read in the past that the width and the braking track is different from Shimano Vs Avid Rotors. (I could very well be mistaken)
Yes, they will work, but not optimally.
If it was me, I would take the 20 mins and change the rotors over as well.
is greater, from memory and I'm not sure if diameter differs ever so slightly.
Back in the day when I ran Hayes Nines, the pads overlapped the braking track and ran on the spokes on the rotor by about 2mm. The result was the part of the pad on the main track wore more, leaving a lip at the bottom of the pads that ate into the rotor spokes. If I'd kept going I'd have eventually under cut the spokes fully and separated the brake track from the rest of the rotor.
Maybe the Hayes rotors were soft (quite possible, the tracks had funny concave wave worn in them both ends), but it impressed upon me the need to make sure everything lines up properly. Needless to say not an issue with shimano brakes and rotors, or Avid brakes and rotors. I dunno what Hayes thought they were doing.
Better to keep the discs matched to the brakeset if you can.
Yes, I tried the the swap over yesterday & the alignment between the pad/rotor didn't look spot on. Looks like a rotor swap is the go to be on the safe side. Thanks.
Is the official verdict that Shimano brakes should be run with Shimano rotors?
I'm running 6 bolt DT SWiss 370 hubs currently with G3 rotors. I have been looking for an IS mount 160mm to 185mm converter only to find out on CRC that Shimano make 180mm rotors, hence why I couldn't find the mount I wanted (but I could find an IS 160mm to 180mm converter).
I've always run 185mm up the front, 160mm up the back. Given this equipment is going on a single speed, should I simply run 160mm back and front on XTR brakes? I'm not the lightest person going around (90kgs)...
Andrew