Big Bike Thread
- Thread starter Breamy
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Cable disc brakes suffer mainly from the longer cables they have. These stretch quite quickly causing the brake to feel spongy and unresponsive. Also, if you ride offroad then dirt/grime gets into the outer casing making them feel rough.
Aside from that, as Breamy says they're fiddly to set up and adjust as the pads wear and the cheaper ones (like you'll get on a £200-£300 bike) are poorly constructed and not very sturdy.
The other main gripe is that a relatively cheap bike with cable discs will not be as well spec'd elsewhere (gears, controls, suspension fork) as one at the the same price with standard rim brakes, which themselves are just as powerful as cable discs if set up properly.
My advice - spend as much as you're willing to part with on a bike with rim brakes (will be referred to as v-brakes in most ads) and you'll end up with more for your money.
Hope this helps
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Aside from that, as Breamy says they're fiddly to set up and adjust as the pads wear and the cheaper ones (like you'll get on a £200-£300 bike) are poorly constructed and not very sturdy.
The other main gripe is that a relatively cheap bike with cable discs will not be as well spec'd elsewhere (gears, controls, suspension fork) as one at the the same price with standard rim brakes, which themselves are just as powerful as cable discs if set up properly.
My advice - spend as much as you're willing to part with on a bike with rim brakes (will be referred to as v-brakes in most ads) and you'll end up with more for your money.
Hope this helps
.Breamy said:
sorry mate but the above means nothing to me. what does that mean in plain english? they need replacing more often? they fail? what exactly? i apologise for being such an ignoramus.....
edit: ah thanks big chris....
Soldato
Happens to most after a few DH trials.Big Chris said:
All disc breaks are pretty fiddly to set up. The cheaper ones are crap, agreed.Big Chris said:
Yep, I'll agree with that, Spesh's HardRock Sport Disc 2004 is a prime example.Big Chris said:
I'll agree with that, although in some cases you can get discs brakes on bikes for decent prices. Bikes such as the Commencal Combi Disc come with very good breaks (Hayes HFX9's) for the money (£510).Big Chris said:
Very nice bike. Have the same fork range (but World Cups, not Team) here, with an Poploc Adjust, excellent piece of kit.Breamy said:
Those pedals could do with an upgrade. They don't suit the bike, get some Shimano M-647s or Crank Bros Mallets to really do the bike justice
.Tbh, I'd go for a Claud Butler Cape Wrath, a Commencal Combi Disc or a GT Avalanche 1.0 over the 4900.Breamy said:
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All brake/gear cables experience stretching to some degree, and there will always be some adjustment needed a ride or two in having fitted new ones (same thing happens with new guitar strings). With cable discs however, the cables are that much longer that the leverage placed on them by braking (and modern leavers pull more cable than older cantilever systems) stretches them out that much more, meaning often the lever will pull back to the bar, requiring more adjustment of the caliper and cable.Phnom_Penh said:
Hydraulic discs are actually quite easy, they come pre-bled so it's just a case of aligning the caliper with the disc, by using washers/spacers. I've fitted quite a few in my time (worked in a bike shop for a couple of years) and never had any trouble. Cable discs however are a right pain in the ass.Phnom_Penh said:
As of about £500 yeah you start to see capable components in all areas of a bike, but not at £200-£300 which is the range marc2003 is looking at.Phnom_Penh said:
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I want wiiija's bike it's awesome
Soldato
Yeh I suppose they are problematic in that respect. Pre-bled hydros are cheating tbh 
, they're not half as easy when you have to set them up yourself and servicing is a right bitch too (not that it isn't for cables). MTBs in the range of £300 are going to be pretty crappy in any respect tbh, discs or not. I'd still vote Avid Ball Bearing Discs as being some of the most powerful disk brakes that I've ever used.
, they're not half as easy when you have to set them up yourself and servicing is a right bitch too (not that it isn't for cables). MTBs in the range of £300 are going to be pretty crappy in any respect tbh, discs or not. I'd still vote Avid Ball Bearing Discs as being some of the most powerful disk brakes that I've ever used.Its an alright spec, the frame's fluidformed, and seems pretty decent Aluxx 6061?. The fork should be ok, but I haven't tried that exact model, the wheels are ok too, they're Alex rims which are ok, although never thought much of Shimano 475 Hubs though. Shimano LX Shifters and rear Derauller good, but the deore front mech isn't as good. The brakes look like Giant ripoffs of Hope C2s, so should be ok too. Not sure how good the crank is though, but they're usually one of the first things to be replaced. Tires are good, not so sure about the headset, never liked semi-integrated ones, it could be replaced with a Chris King Perdido, but tbh, I'd go for a bike with an Aheadset gusset.cheets64 said:
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Pretty much all hydro systems come pre-bled, infact I can't think of any from Hope, Hayes, Magura, Formula or Avid that require you to cut the hose and bleed the system.
Avid and Hayes cable discs are probably the best of a bad bunch yeah, but you're getting on for hydro prices (ChainReaction sell HFX9 XC for £75 each now) so you might as well go all the way.
Cheets64: yeah that's a nice ride for the money, although there are still a lot of 2005 bikes reduced at the mo so have a proper look around if you're in the market for something new (www.bikemagic.com has a lot of links and reviews to check out).
Avid and Hayes cable discs are probably the best of a bad bunch yeah, but you're getting on for hydro prices (ChainReaction sell HFX9 XC for £75 each now) so you might as well go all the way.
Cheets64: yeah that's a nice ride for the money, although there are still a lot of 2005 bikes reduced at the mo so have a proper look around if you're in the market for something new (www.bikemagic.com has a lot of links and reviews to check out).
Soldato
Last three pairs of brakes I've had, I've had to bleed myself (spose thats what come from using custom levers.)Big Chris said:
Yeh I'll admit the top-end cable aren't the best, but there are some hydros that are Goddam awful.
Phnom_Penh said:
Well there you go then, if you use custom levers then of course you're going to have to bleed them yourself. If you buy a hydro system off the shelf from any bike shop then it'll come bled and ready for fitting.
Haven't done anything to the bike in months and barely ride it - I'm a disgrace to the mountain biking community! Am starting to get a little bored of XC, so I'm tempted to trade my current bike in for a DH machine, but I don't know - I'll probably end up regretting it... I'm pretty sure it's just because I'm nowhere near fit enough anymore and rarely ride in winter. And that I've just discovered other sports that I like a bit better.
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I am riding the 04 version of the kona blast. Have to say this is my first "proper" mountain bike, had a cheapo one before it. Havent ridden it much over the last 3-4 months but before that was getting quite into it. Need to get out there again. Was really enjoying it just that winter and work got in the way
Here is a pick of the 05 model which doesnt really look any different at all apart from the paint job, mine fades from like a blue/purple colour from the back of the frame to black at the front. It didnt come with disk brakes so u upgraded them to hope mini hydrolic ones which are extremely powerful i think, miles better than the v brakes that came on it.
I will take some proper picks in the next day or so and post them up.
Here is a pick of the 05 model which doesnt really look any different at all apart from the paint job, mine fades from like a blue/purple colour from the back of the frame to black at the front. It didnt come with disk brakes so u upgraded them to hope mini hydrolic ones which are extremely powerful i think, miles better than the v brakes that came on it.
I will take some proper picks in the next day or so and post them up.
Yes you are! It's against the rules to have a bike like that (Turner have always been a fav of mine since way back in the early 90's) and not ride it. What sports have you found that you enjoy more though? My advice is to give them up and ride your bike some more...Seraphim said:
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@ Seraphim.
Thats a waste of a bike tbh, hate to think how much that cost you for you to then go and not use it.
Thats a waste of a bike tbh, hate to think how much that cost you for you to then go and not use it.
Chill out, you his dad or something?Phnom_Penh said:
I get the impression from what he said that he doesn't use it as much as he used to, having got bored of riding XC.
Seraphim, what size is it? Let me know if you think about selling her, email in trust
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