In our Tech Q&A series, we tackle cycling queries – no matter how trivial! – with insights from the BikeRadar team and trusted industry experts. This time, a reader wants to know if he can improve the feel of his mechanical disc brakes, or if they're all a bit rubbish.
I’m running mechanical disc brakes on my trail hardtail, and they just don’t feel great – vague lever feel and not much bite. I’m not ready to switch to hydros yet, but is there anything I can do to make them feel better? Could it be setup, or are mechanical brakes just always this underwhelming? Brad Leverton
There’s hope for you and your brakes yet, Brad. While cable-operated disc brakes will never feel as good or as powerful as hydraulic discs, they can be made to work much better with a few simple upgrades and setup tweaks.
More often than not, mechanical disc brakes are let down by poor cables.
Normal brake housing (the ‘outer’) designed for rim brakes has a small amount of flex. Because there’s more tension in the system with a disc brake than with a rim brake, this ‘squish’ can have a greater effect on how the brake feels.
We’ve had good experiences replacing standard Shimano outer with Jagwire’s Pro Compressionless housing, which reduces the spongy lever feel, giving better bite and consistency.
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The caveat to this is that compressionless housing can cost a similar amount to a brake upgrade – Jagwire’s is £64.99 for 10m (admittedly, you won’t need that much), while you can pick up a set of Clarks hydraulic discs for £40 a pop – so you might be better off doing that instead.
- Read more: Clarks M2 Disc Brake review
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A second thing to consider is the pads. Stock pads can be disappointing on mechanical disc brakes.
Replacing them with high-quality sintered or semi-metallic pads from a brand such as Kool-Stop, SwissStop, Aztec or Galfer can significantly improve braking power and consistency.
Another possibility – although not the first thing to look at – is that the disc rotors could be thin and flexy, especially if you’ve got budget single-piston brakes.
In this case, upgrading to a chunkier, stiffer disc, such as TRP’s R1 or Shimano’s RT66, may help.
Having said all this, the most important part of getting your brakes feeling tip-top is regular maintenance.
Mechanical discs are far less forgiving than hydraulic discs when it comes to misalignment. This is because – other than a few exceptions – they only have a piston pushing on the pad from one side, with the other pad being fixed in place.
In contrast, hydraulic discs have two or four opposing pistons, so they tend to centre themselves more readily.
You’ll need to make sure both calipers are centred perfectly over the rotors and that pad contact is even on both sides.
As the pads wear down, it’s important that you take up the slack in the cable so the pads continue to run suitably close to the rotors.
Mechanical disc brakes are cheaper and can be a better option for people doing long, expedition-style rides where maintaining a hydraulic setup can be difficult, but hydraulic discs will always win in terms of ride feel, especially for mountain biking.
Perhaps, Brad, an essential upgrade to consider later down the line…
Do you have a cycling question you want answered? Every month, we’ll select the most interesting questions and bring you an expert-level response from our unparalleled access to the greatest minds in cycling, both on the BikeRadar staff and across the industry. Send your questions through to podcast@bikeradar.com
