Which brake set for under £60?

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I'm rebuilding a Specialized Hardrock Sport. As it stands, the bike has no brakes (used the original V Brakes on another bike).

I've bought a new disc compatible wheelset, and as the bike will be used in mud frequently, I've decided to upgrade to discs.

Most say that a set of Vs properly set up will offer the same performance as mechanical discs, which is why ideally I'd like to go hydraulic (so I can at least feel a difference for the money!). However, the budget for this bike has been spent on other parts, leaving me only around £60 for a set of brakes (ideally I would get discs, calipers, adapters and if hydraulic, levers for this price).

If going down the mechanical route, I'd probably buy a set of Avid BB7s, but hear that Shimano have similar offerings around the same price. I've also seen some entry level Shimano hydraulic brakes for around £50, but I'm unsure as to whether these would be better than a good mechanical set up.

Which would offer the best performance? Are there any other setups that I've overlooked?

[Tc24]

richardxjr said:

So you've got mounts on the fork and frame I assume

Shimano *any* but entry BR-M 395s are great, loads of people take them off new bikes and flog for about £40 F+R. Deore very good, bit more money, SLX tad better adjustability, still under £100.

Then *any* rotors and adaptors cheap off the Bay. pinkbike or singletrackworld. May as well go 180 front 160 rear.

Yes, 51mm IS mounts front and back fortunately.

Would be pretty happy if I could find a set of BR-M 395s for anything near that price - I'll scour the 'bay. Not sure if these are the SLX ones you're on about, but doesn't appear to be a bad buy . Aware Deores will be a cut above, but budget won't stretch that far currently!

Daft question, but having never had discs previously, how do I know which adapters I need? As it's an IS mount, do I just buy an adapter for a 180mm brake at the front and a 160mm at the back, or is there more to it than that?

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yellowjack said:

I bought a set of Shimano Deore brakes as a straight swap for the Tektro IO mechanical discs on my GT Avalanche. Unlike you I had the benefit of an existing pair of 160mm rotors. Now, I hadn't had a MTB for a good few years previously, so I had no real memory of the stopping power of Vee brakes or cantis, and right up to the point where the Tektros failed on me, I was more than happy with them. The Shimano hydraulic brakes, though, are night and day better. So much confidence in them, so easy to fit, and pretty darned cheap to buy. I can't stress enough how good they are. If I recall correctly, they were about £40, so if you could get a pair for about that, there should be room in the budget for a pair of rotors too.

That's reassuring to hear, hopefully the improvement will be as noticeable on my set up

Were your Deores used at that price? Sounds a very good price if not, where were they from?

[Tc24]

Thanks for the input above - much appreciated.

It's clear that hydraulics are the way to go. The Deore M615s with 10% discount on top were a cracking buy, slightly annoyed I missed out on the additional discount. I think I'll monitor eBay and Singletrack classifieds for a week or 2 (have the new wheelset, cassette and chain to fit in the meantime ), then if nothing comes up, either buy those for £70 or the SLXs mentioned earlier on.

Will report back once brakes are bought!

[Tc24]

Thread update -

After richardxjr found some Shimano M395s for auction on eBay (that unfortunately went for a bit more than I bid), I found a new set for a little over £50 including a pair of Avid HS1 rotors. Bought these, and they're now fitted.

Despite them not being rated as highly as some other brakes (such as the Deores mentioned earlier in the thread), I absolutely love them and they provide more than enough stopping power for my needs.

Glad I went hydraulic, and glad I bought Shimano (as well as the better performance, the OCD part of me likes that they match my new shifters ) They're a revelation over the cable disks I had on another bike.

Only downside is having to use Shimano's mineral oil to service them, but even then, it's not OTT price wise. Both front and rear cables could also have done with being an inch or 2 longer, but I'll rectify this when the brakes need bleeding.

Cheers for the help everyone