2 Piston vs 4 Piston MTB Brakes | Which is best for you?

[@TheLostCo]

This video was originally posted a little while back, but we made wanted to change our wording on some things and have re-uploaded it with this updated version! 🤘🤘🤘

[@mtnbiker49]

But misspelled 'aggressive'. 10:09

[@juliusalcoser398]

I really dont know about the ideal braking power..i ride on rough rocky trail and even roots and my tyre bites on the ground when i do braking. Im not really convince of the concept between 2 and 4 pistons brake. Yes lets say 4 pistons but smaller pistons were there while 2 pistons but they are bigger pistons..thats why im not yet totally convince. My brake still bite more and my tyre hold on the ground when i ride..do i really need to upgrade? Sorry but im not convince. Im not against on 4 pistons brake but my brake still do the job for me..oh by the way im still using 2014 shimano 2 pistons non series hydro brake on my primal 2020 hardtail. Please convince me through a reply..glad to hear your thoughts.

[@mijaiscares8580]

m8000 xt 4 pistons front and m7000 slx 2 pistons rear... I hate sram brakes xD

[@ayushmtbfreestyle]

I am riding Mt200😭😭 brakes

[@pe3nut946]

New to eMTB world from being a Roadie. 3 months in had to switch out stock deore 2pot (brake fade in steep rocky decents on UK moors) to 4pot Hope Tech4 E4s on my Orbea Rise. WTF night and day different. eMTB should come with 4pot as standard 🤔. New to your channel enjoying and learning lots from it. Great work 👍

[@nickzarnetske9994]

Thanks to The Lost Co I want a coil shock, new rear hub, and 4 piston brakes...in a week.

[@hunterwright386]

Nick Zarnetske Get ‘Em!

[@thusmarshal8815]

Me dreaming that marzochi z1 coil...

[@SV-pv4pv]

They are doing their job well!

[@enduroironmanpv]

Same over here... Marzocchi Coil and some ZEE brakes

[@nekistunter8569]

I ruined your 69 likes

[@giorgi7757]

Me with 30$ chinese brakes: Interesting

[@williammurphy666]

its impressive you are alive

[@Iuripiotrowskidarosa]

Me with mechanical brakes... Well no need to say anything more :(

[@kleenhall6885]

Get on offer up. I found some used sram code rs 4 pistons for $100 for front and rear

[@GroundZ3R0Gamer]

Link? 👀

[@eugenegutierrez5106]

Taking a short cut it’s not worth going to ER. Medical expenses are expensive.

[@cancycle5881]

I only run 64 piston, yeah it’s a little clunky but it stops really well

[@teemu3370]

69 beats all your base are

[@MrSatchelpack]

Legend has it @CanCycle is still stopped.

[@cancycle5881]

@@MrSatchelpack I’ve transcended into a negative velocity

[@khalidtkrebs7610]

.5 sec stoppage time

[@Gworan]

If when descending steep trails you're scared and just holding on for dear life, like me, four piston brakes with sintered finned pads is a must

[@lasumo5006]

“Only two pistons or 4 pistons” Hope brakes: There’s 6 actually

[@-joo3033]

Gator brakes 8 piston...

[@iPTdar2I]

16 piston brake : IF YOU TOUCH THE LEVER, YOU PLANT HEAD

[@letour32rr]

SRAM brakes, for when you want Chrysler reliability out of your stopping power and enjoy multiple bleeds per season. Also fun is waiting for the recall notice.

[@stevetrojano1595]

Love my XT8120 4 pistons. Overkill some days but when you need them it's good to know they are there.

[@WestRipStiker]

I adore my Magura MT7s, Ive been running them for almost 2 years. I do use Shimano XT rotors with them but there is a little bit of rub that comes from them because of the piston stroke, it is very small compared to the Shimano brakes. Also Magura rotors are thicker than Shimano rotors new and almost the thickness of a Shimano rotor when they are worn.

[@jpxc1329]

I’ll say this straight this is one of the best MTB channels out there it’s very clear very outgoing and love the content and how detailed it is keep it up guys definitely sharing this channel around happy riding

[@danharvey3096]

Running Magura MT5s on my Downhill mtb and they're amazing! Not just for the price! But the stopping power & modulation is so confidence inspiring, they literally compensate for my lack of skill as someone just getting back into mtb after a 10 year hiatus. Since having them ive been able to go faster, steeper & harder, knowing i can slow down if i need to. And all for a ridiculous $250nzd front & rear delivered from UK to NZ. By far the cheapest 4 pot brakes i could find, & better than the bottom half of most of them. Will never go back to a 2 piston brake, & any bike that doesn't have better brakes than the Magura MT5 will be getting upgraded..

[@travellerseko]

Same here. MT5 on my downhill bike

[@dragosbogoi]

I run Tektro Auriga 2 piston brakes with ceramic pads (Discobrakes) on my XC 29er and the stopping power is more than enough for my needs. I would like a 4 piston setup, though 😊. Even if I don't need it.

[@fotiskarakaisis399]

I have seen a lot of videos on MTBs as of late and this has been of the few that not only does not suck, but it's quite helpful! The structure of the chapters is very good, the emphasis on terms by blowing them up in bold white font is super helpful, and the lack of an annoying British accent is absolutely refreshing. Create a similar presentation for tires, suspensions, derailleurs, etc.

[@mrconnsmythejjb3372]

Had SRAM's and totally disliked them. Did not like the modulation effect on them and was constantly adjusting the level adjustment. Switched to XT Deore, way better IMO.

[@YouTubeWatcher541]

My wallet says 2

[@lmandrums3118]

haha good one!

[@jefferywang6063]

Mine says mechanical

[@richarde1355]

Jeffery Wang yep, my girlfriend’s bike has some Avid BB brakes on them that work amazingly well.

[@justanothermountainbiker6958]

Check out mt420 shimano 4 pot brakes

[@JoLe1991]

for heat management, rotor size and thickness is far more important than caliper piston count. I don't see why M7100 brakes with metallic pads and large and thick rotors would not provide enough braking power in any possibly imaginable situation

[@Jon-nz3dm]

Basically, if you live near and have access to vertical descending trails, 4 piston brakes are for you. For the majority of riders that don't get to ride mountains(or in my case don't have any mountains with 600 miles), 2 piston brakes have plenty of stopping power.

[@MTBMOR]

I have SLX 4 piston and xt 2 piston brakes. The 4 pistons are way better. Be careful when buying replacement pads. Not all the online documentation is correct for the new shimano brakes.

[@laderamtb3684]

Thx for the tip... with Covid we have been relying more and more on the online retailers

[@mtbcrasher2703]

Don't you just order the same part number that you are replacing?

[@doubblea2]

I’m going to upgrade my Code R’s hopefully this week to Hope Tech 3 V4 with 203mm rotors. Finding stock is the hardest part right now. 🤘🏻🚵🏽‍♂️🦍

[@LumenVereMedia]

Finally found the only guy that wants Sram brakes on the internet - NEAT!

[@jeffflammer9606]

Super informative, complete and easy to digest recap on brakes with clear, concise recommendation at the end. Watched it on 2x and in 10min and feel I know everything I need to make a purchase.

[@jackarnoldy8966]

In my opinion, as long as you aren’t a 40 kg cross country racer, just go 4 piston. The only real downside is the extra cost. but if an extra 100 bucks brakes the deal(pun intended), you can go the used route, or maybe check out a lower end model.

[@Trasher6]

If you want noisy brakes that require bleeding all the time with loss of feel or pumping up in high heat, I recommend Sram brakes.

[@metaldad8318]

Thanks for the video, I just decided to change my XT M785 to SLX M7120. Not installed yet due to collar bone recovery period, but I'm sure it's the best choice I've made.

[@yudhaasukma]

why down grade from xt to slx ?

[@randexco]

Magura MT5 203 in front and 180 in rear. Both 4 piston callipers. The setup has claimed the pride of 2 rookies over the handlebars. The scene was worth every scratch on my frame. Hahahah

[@marcg611]

That's the setup I'm considering for my new Ibis ripley, have you experienced any of the Shimano 4 pots ? I'm cross shopping the 8120.. thanks

[@JuanWay2Rock]

I run Shimano SLX M7100, 2 Piston brakes on my IBIS, and it's basically more than enough stopping power for me...considering all I ride is a lot of cross country miles on my bike.

[@johnsonjae]

I have always found four piston to be better for modulation when you ride the brake, and obviously heat dissipation. However, I have never had an issue stopping a bike with 2 piston, if the system is completely bled. 2 piston are definitely more grabby. On my DH bike, I run 4 piston upfront where I want more braking, but less grabby, and 2 piston out back where I"m not worried about the wheel locking up with hard braking. Also, A mineral oil system will definitely give you a more solid brake feel, but less modulation than a DOT brake.

[@mrvwbug4423]

For sure, My trail bike has 2 pot Shimanos and they get REAL grabby when hot, makes switchbacks and steep downhill tech sketchy.

[@vinceking7878]

@@mrvwbug4423 Interesting info thanks

[@ronhau1542]

This guy does a really good job explaining this stuff.👍👍

[@onlyonecannoli3952]

I run Alberto Fujimori signature rally DH brakes on all my bikes. Yes, they are uber expensive and a bit of an overkill, but you get the peace of mind of knowing that they can handle anything you throw at them.

[@milton9230]

Im running shimano deore xt 4 pistons and i couldn't be happier, i have tried the srams they are not bad brakes but i like the deore xt more

[@thegee-tahguy4877]

I have a 70 pound electric fat bike that came with two piston front and rear brakes. I upgraded the front brake only to a Magura MT5e 4 piston brake system. I left the rear brake alone. What a great braking system the Magura is as the bike now stops on a dime regardless of how steep a hill I'm going down.

[@mikethomas6051]

Im going to try shigura set up on my ebike, my original on 2pot slx m675 is good but i have 1500w peak power/160nm of torque hitting my wheels, im finding Shimano 4pot a little underwhelming, i tried m6120 and m7120 , looking forward to magura power

[@yetti423]

Theres another benefit to using 4 piston brakes....extended pad life. i Iused to chew through pads every 3 weeks with m615 brakes (2 piston and large milages off rd through insomnia) and a chain. thats £60. Now on 4 piston zee brakes they last 3-4 months and with aftermarket pads £25 for 4 pairs all seem rather shiney. and the upgrade HAS SAVED MONEY

[@samblenkharn8099]

Shimano LX parallel-push V-brakes! 😂 Considering leaving the nineties behind though...

[@jesussaves9974]

This is my first time saying this to any KZbinr but nice video man 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾

[@jackgarner7818]

Awesome Video! I purchased a FAT bike that came with, lets say not very good brakes for my riding style. I grabbed a pair of Shimano Zee levers, replaced the fixed free stroke screw with adjustable from an XT lever and added the Shimano 4 - piston 520 calipers w/metal pads. Added a 203mm rotor on the Bluto (which I added to the bike) & a 180mm rotor rear, brake performance is outstanding!

[@thusmarshal8815]

I use some old Shimano 2 piston brakes and they have never overheated because they fit more oil inside them use them for DH and down country for the past 9 years And they are resin pads

[@MRSNIFFMEFINGA]

I rode downieville with my two piston shimano brakes and I didn't have much left of the pads by the end of it!

[@SylvainProov]

i replaced my XC default front brake (MT200) by a M7120 + 180mm Icetech rotor. Might be overkill for an XC bike but having good brakes is so good and it's much safer !

[@Prosecute-fauci]

I have a set of shimano mt200s on my bike and I don’t feel any need for more. It doesn’t take much to lock up a wheel even with the lowest end hydraulic brakes. More braking power is rarely ever needed.

Upgraded my 22 year old GT LTS 1000-DS with the first usable disc brake on any bike with 1 piston mechanical brake. And guess what, it works great!

[@rohanjs.]

I’m running the shimano slx 4 pots. I love everything about them

[@laipaklun1207]

i used Shimano XTR M9120 Brakes and it feels quick and crisp. when i touched the lever, the brake will bite instantly. Amazing work with metal brake pads.

[@lutzmetzner7020]

I ride the Magura MT7 at my Scott Voltage but with the Trail Sport Levers, these combination has very much power and isn’t so sponge than the stock MT7 lever

[@seargenthammer2511]

i used a 4 piston M7120 and i wanto revert down to a 2 piston... but this video changed my mind.... 👍 Good Content Sir! 👍

[@christianklima691]

If you ride much trails downhill 4Pistons are the better choice!

[@BrandonMeyer1641]

I can vouch for the Shimano mt520. I have it as my rear brake and a deore 2 piston up front. There is certainly a difference and I 100% prefer the mt520. I used to have mt520 front and rear but I cracked a piston during service which basically kills the brake. That’s why there’s a 2 piston deore up front. I would say Shimano s ceramic pistons are def more reliable than their plastic ones. By this I mean the pistons don’t become sticky as often. They always return as they should, but you have to be careful servicing them because they are simply more delicate. I also tried the sram guide r and those are good 4 piston brakes as well.

[@currendejonge2732]

I run 4 pot breaks on my xc race bike just so I know that even with skinny tires I can stay in control

[@Fred_the_1996]

Bruh, XC race bikes these days are starting to get 2.35 inch and 2.4 inch tires

[@user-gv5pp6iw5i]

Gravel bike, daily commuter. Want speed with quick/effective brakes in stop-go city traffic. 2 piston = 180mm rotors (XT and/or alfine = COMMUTER 3-finger levers) 4 piston = 160mm rotors (XT = MUST because no 180mm flat mount adapters. With flat-to-post adapter since standard 2 piston isn't enough) Both combinations has equal stopping power. (Newer XT touring levers paired with flat mounts)

[@endeavour5316]

Well I had an oldchool rim brake mountain bike and I decided to refurbish it and fit it with modern parts and now I have a bike with Disc and rim brakes front and rear, 10/10 would reccomend

[@rupertmtb]

Great explaination why you need XT :)

[@Hardcaslte]

Not gonna lie, I got a YT Izzo Pro and I didn't even know that the G2 RS were 4 pistons until like a month after riding it and noticing the four pots on the bike while cleaning it. Went inside just to double check on the SRAM website. I love these brakes, never ever feel like I need more or don't have enough to stop me. Totally controllable, etc. On my MTB's I do prefer the SRAM brakes because they have that 'squishy' feeling that to me is more controllable, I don't want to be going on a technical downhill and accidentally lock the brakes because they're too sensitive. I have rocks and roots to be paying attention to, I don't want to be using brain power to gently modulate my brakes.

[@knightdaemon4836]

I have an XC but I use 4pistons. I was told that it's for DH but I have more control with 4Ps. I don't mind the "extra" weight.

[@TheLostCo]

More control is definitely worth the tiny weight increase.

[@cgreeneblue]

4 piston brakes? Yeah they're cool I guess, but my buddy rides with AVID BB-7s and seems to be able to stop fine at the bottom of the hill...2 piston Sram and shimano brakes are pretty good these days...I doubt a lot of people need 4 piston brakes....or 12 gears for that matter.

[@flexion3025]

Chad Greene facts i have half working mechanical brakes

[@Fred_the_1996]

Those 12 gears really help when racing XC. For leisure riding, trail, enduro or anything else, though, eh, 10 speeds work well

[@OldDirtGuy]

I ride dirt bikes and mountain bikes. I still like using BB7s or Klampers. They modulate about the same as the average dirt bike brake. So I just feel comfortable with them.

[@kght222]

4:22 not only that, you won't have to slow down as much because you have more speed control. instead of being able to control your speed between 10 and 15 miles an hour of change, you can control it between 5 and 10 miles an hour of change. that is a huge improvement. if you can slow down 4mph instead of 8mph with the same amount of effort (effort, not force) it will be allot easier to slow down less when you want to. when your pinky does what your middle finger used to, your middle finger gets more sensitive.

[@OvervoltedMinds]

If one wants a 4 piston calliper, I would only change the front one. Changing the rear one would be an almost redundant upgrade. I mean look at motorcycles… you always find the breaks more powerful on the front wheel because that’s where the most stopping power is

[@GokkunGuru]

Running XC setup and for my local trails, 2 piston Shimano Deore XT B8100 suffices. Upgraded levers to Flo Motorsports.

[@uuzd4s]

All brakes do is Reduce Kinetic Energy into Heat. That said, Kinetic Energy is Mass x Speed. In your Mtb endeavors you travel Fast but tend to have a much lower Mass than say, an Commuter Ebike, which is my situation. I'm generally traveling slower on somewhat busy public Bike/Hiking Trails, but w/ a heavier bike. So in Three riding seasons here in Washington State (Ebikes and rain dont mix so it's Fair weather Only), I've logged over 16K miles on my Riding Apps since Spring of 2020 and have gone thru close to Ten Brake Pad changes and Three set of Rotors (1×180mm & 2×203mm rotors). My Original Tektro HD-E350's 2 piston brakes came w/ 180mm rotors and when they hit their Wear Limit @ 1.6mm thick I swapped Caliper Brackets to allow for the 203mm's. That said, I've Always used Only Organic Resin pads for Two Very Good reasons. Resin Pads don't "grab" as hard as the harder Metal or Ceramics do, giving a much more "progressive" feel when braking. AND, your Rotors wis last Much longer w/ the softer Resin Pads, something you didn't mention in this vid. The trade-off is obvious, softer Resin pads get changed more often (and are generally cheaper) than Metal/Ceramic compounds, but your Rotors last longer. If you want more stopping power, go w/ the more agressive Metal/Ceramic type pads. I went w/ Larger 203mm Rotors for an even more "progressive" feel at the Levers and I Luv Em! All that said, Brake dust is Hard on Caliper Pistons and creates quite a bit of Maintenance. If you Don't clean out the Brake Pad wear material (Dust) at each Pad Change you Will experience a Stuck Caliper Piston eventually causing noise or squealing and uneven Pad Wear. Everybody will develop their own Pad Change process depending on your particular setup, but for me, I loosen the Two Caliber mount Cap Screws, remove the pads (one 2mm cap screw for the Tektro's), insert a Bleed Block, apply brake pressure w/ the lever to move the pistons out and then hit everything w/ compressed air. When all excess dust/debris is cleared, wipe the exposed Piston ends w/ a Q-tip w/ a drop or two of Mineral Oil on it. Wipe off any excess Mineral Oil w/ more Dry Q-tips or clean cotton rag (Do Not contaminate the New Pads w/ Mineral oil), and install ur New Pads. Squeeze the Brake lever to allow the Caliper to re-center and tighten the Caliper Bracket screws in small increments between each one until tight. Make sure to clean the Rotor w/ Isopropyl alcohol on a rag before "Bedding In" your new pads. Or you can take your bike in to a reputable shop. 😉

[@purmitherple2127]

This was great! Dude is super likeable and I learned a lot

[@rossfoleymtb2474]

I'm running hope tech 3 e4 brakes they are the best I've ever rode

[@smarty8772]

I`m waiting on mine to arrive...Can`t wait to get them on

[@rossfoleymtb2474]

@@smarty8772 you're gonna love them man the stopping power is unmatched

[@bradleymorgan8223]

I've got a 3000w ebike, and i recently upgraded from cable-actuated rim brakes (eek!) to some basic shimano 2-piston disk brakes. Miles better!

[@benhlooong]

what ebike uses fucking rim brakes in the 21st century

[@gasperh.9800]

@@benhlooong myb it was converted from old bike at home

[@michaelalfonso1070]

My 2001 Specialized Rock Hopper Disc came with Magura Julie (single piston, mineral oil, hydraulic) disc brakes and they work great, (still working, never leaked or changed the mineral oil)! Of course they are obsolete and heavy by today’s standards but I refuse to fall into the marketing trap of buying the latest and greatest (ex. 27.5” or 29” wheels). I have never bled them or changed the fluid because my bike shop said “if they it’s not leaking, don’t do it.” If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! It looks like you are biased toward DH riding, but redeemed yourself at the end by saying, 2 pistons are for XC riding. I ride XC and there was the same resistance (2001) from road bikers against hydraulic disc brakes. They were saying the discs “would cut your leg or open in a crash and will heat up and burn your leg in a crash. Now road bikes (most bikes for that matter, come with disc brakes), it took them 20 years to see the light. The only stigma they still hold on to is they still use cables. I’m sure they would never replace their car hydraulics with cables. There are discrepancies: 2:01-4 piston brakes w/ larger rotor decrease modulation 2:55-4 piston brakes have increased modulation Also you forgot to mention a Larger rotor = increased weight. Thanks for posting! I am building a Litespeed Titanium Full suspension Mountain Bike and wanted all Shimano components, but decided at the last minute to go with Magura 4 piston Brakes!.😃

[@aleskelnar1355]

223mm rotor + Saint on DH 29er and still, I can imagine it will stop quicker, if I use 243mm rotors :-)

[@Maliq993]

I weigh 100kg so I definitely wanted something reliable when descending some gnarly stuff or even long descents where regular 2 pot heat up really fast. I went for the more budget version of mt520's/m 6120 and they are good enough for me, I dont believe I am missing a lot for skipping more pricier version like m7120 or m8120. Yes I get fancier levers but in the end even these levers that I have are enough since that lever adjustment is done when bleeding/changing pads and you forget about it till next service. But you do have to be extra careful with those ceramic pistons, they are easy to shatter and changing single piston is not advisable since they don't promise the same performance. Im speaking from experience :D I ended up spending more than I planned since I had problems with those ceramic pistons but in the end, with all that extra epxenditure Im satissfied overall

[@BeADad2447]

For heavy riders that sometimes ride in the street, you need more stopping power! Don't even think about it you can't have enough breaking power!

[@kissshotacerolaorionheartu983]

more pistons is definitely more better, i opted for a hope mono 6ti front and m4 evo rear setup over my standard shamano twin pots, and you can really tell the difference especially it being an ebike the extra mass is a real drag with puny brakes

[@GerardoCarrillo]

What do you think about installing a 4 piston in front and a 2 piston in the back? (I have 2 MTB so I can have both with good braking power).

[@williammurphy666]

I don't want to be "that" guy, but I will be. The force applied to the rotor has nothing to do with the size of pad. The pad size is for wear, and heat dispersion. The size of the piston(s) is important due to the force being transmitted from the lever to the brake pistons. If the same amount of fluid is being sent into the caliper, the surface area of the pistons are key. since P=F/A you want to optimize the volume pumped vs area. If there is too small a variance, the brakes will be like a light switch, on or off, that is dangerous. So to have more stopping power, the lever pumps more fluid and the pistons can be bigger to have more modulation. On a positive note, I love your videos.... keep it up

[@williammurphy666]

@@MD.media01 as an absolute, no! since what is important is the force applied, and the coefficient of kinetic friction, along with I, which is the disk diameter. The reason larger pads are used is for heat dispersion and wear.

[@williammurphy666]

​ @Darragh if all is the same, you want smaller pistons, force(F) = since pressure (P)/Area (A). So if you have smaller pistons, there will be more force. Simple math here, halve the area, double the force; halve the radius, and you get 4x the force. Its like braking distances. double the mass, double the stopping distance, and double the speed, it is 4 times the stopping distnce. The trade off is with the amount of modulation you have. That is why, eg, Code R vs Code RSC brakes are not the caliper, but the lever and fluid displacement. Just like the trickstuff brakes, most of the engineering goes into the levers, and how to augment the lever distance whilst reducing the fluid displacement. Another example of this is/are tire withs. The wider the tire, the more traction you have, not because of the contact patch, but because of the imperfections cause by the aggregate in a road. As a whole, it all comes down to the stickiness of the friction.

[@neptunevibe]

I own an XC MTB and I use Tektro Auriga hydraulic brakes..

[@Ropetable]

i swapped out my top of the line 200 dollar trp quad piston brakes (only brake saddle) with shimano deore brakes and organic pads, for 1 fourth of the price, and the annoying loud noise is gone while the power and feel is improved. mineral oil brakes are so convenient.

[@willbell4140]

This was very helpful for me because I have crappy mt500s from 2016 so the Slx is the best option for me (4 piston)

[@TheLostCo]

Hey as long as you have a bike with hydraulic brakes then that's a great start! MT500's are actually pretty good for an entry level brake. -Mike

[@Computrones]

I remember I would put the shoe pressing the rear tire as a break!☺

[@cpF01]

Can we start the countdown until the first dual disc front brake bike comes out? You know it's coming. With ebikes coming on.. a year? Year and a half?

[@reganmccormack5841]

Nice info just what I was looking for including price points which is often left out.

[@hgodfrey]

I think the XT are anodised rather than painted. That's the main upgrade from SLX.

[@nikoyannaros48]

The stiffnes of the new lever is a benefit for sure, if you brake extreme hard. But i believe that all shimano 4 piston brakes have the same power and performance if you use the same brake pads and the same rotors. What do you think about it, what is your experience ?

[@dvxShoeN]

Only the mt 420 is less powerfull. 10 percent less than mt 520 or other 4 piston Shimano brakes. Mt 520,slx, xt, saint, zee are technicaly exactly same brakes. Difference are other Materials, brake pads and Levers.

[@dvxShoeN]

They also use ceramic pistons in the same size. Greetings from Germany

[@Digi20]

Yes, they all have the same piston size and the same cylinder size for all levers. Otherwise you could not mix and match them. So outright stopping power is identical. The feel however does vary due to different lever shapes, reaches, materials etc. and heat tollerance for a heavy SAINT with ceramic pistons will off course be better than for an entry level brake.

[@Carlifurafollas]

I’ll get a 4 piston calipper for my front wheel. While going downhill rear tire usually has no much grip and if you have to stop, you use the front brake also buut...shimano rules you know...front flip almost guaranteed 😂 I really need a progressive feeling while lots of stopping power!!

[@xXPhunKXx]

I personally put Saints on my hardtail, but I ride it like a bmx bike so *shrugs worth the expense imo

[@EnvyTheRealest]

4 pistons is overkill for a bicycle. I ride motorcycle and most motorcycle has 2 pistons, bigger bikes has 4 pistons per caliper as they would have two calipers in the front and one in the back. They need that because of the weight have speed it can go. When I was riding bicycle I upgraded my cheap Chinese bike that came with SR Suntour front shocks with Shimano BL-M425 in the front and back. The power with that setup was a huge difference from the cable brakes the bike came with. 4 piston brakes on a bicycle is way overkill, it's not necessary. It's just more money for something you would not need

[@mikethomas6051]

I use an ebike pushing 1500w 160nm torque mid drive, even my slx m675 stop good, I've used m6120 on front and m7120, haven't noticed that much difference in stopping, maybe a little initial bite, rotor increase made more difference for me. 4 pot are abit more fussy in setting piston's back in bleeds and can cause rub more for me.

[@AndrewLenhardt]

Running Magura MT5's on my San Quentin

[@SmokeyBear363]

Was it a big improvement? I also have the SQ2 and the brakes suck

[@brinleyclement1952]

Dark Matter those brakes are some of the best

[@guillemc8219]

Your vidéos are just great. Fun and catchy

[@robertmotion]

Thanks bro. This is good. For an aggressive ebiker like me, I just ordered Juin Tech GT (4-piston) for my Super73. Thanks. /Bklyn👑

[@OYeahan]

I don't think there's much difference in total piston area in 2 pot vs 4 pot brakes - especially when the levers are interchangeable between both systems (as increased total piston area would make the pad - rotor clearance smaller, which would not be nice). Also, there is basic physics - there is some piston area in the lever that is optimal, and some optimal stroke length etc. vs force multiplication, so that's where the piston area comes form (as bicycle brakes don't have servo assist).

[@AdamBrowne-eg1eb]

What?

[@Ideal1980]

Thank you, Mullet-King

[@QoraxAudio]

More pistons mean more braking power, but also more weight and much more maintenance. After my quad piston brakes got gummed up all the time for half a year, I changed to M8100 double piston and never looked back. But I'm always riding my bike, I'm not just a recreational rider, but drive through all terrain types and weather conditions, including dirty industrial areas, road salt, etc... So it's definitely not that straightforward.

[@alex72829]

I don’t have any brakes on my bike, they just add extra weight and slow me down.

[@TheLostCo]

We like your style!

[@Lousicle]

203 rotors and semi metallic pads make a huge difference. You can get a lot of performance from two piston brakes.

[@mrvwbug4423]

You can get more braking power, and more fade resistance, but you will still lose modulation as they get hot

[@zachaxel4403]

Is Saint brakes still the best option for DH?

[@jeffs8525]

I went up one disc size front and back... easy way to get a noticeable improvement for a lot less cash.

[@mrvwbug4423]

It helps, but at least with my setup, they still lose modulation and get grabby as they get hot. I went to a 200mm rotor up front and metallic pads front and rear but kept the Shimano MT-400 2 pots. They are probably still not up to black rated downhills, I did a black rated descent on sunday and they were getting grabbier and harder to modulate on each successive switchback as they didn't have time to cool between switchbacks.

[@dfathatgmx]

I personal prefere the 100 piston brake, better performance

[@jimmycharlene]

I love my old huffy breaks ill lay a 30 foot patch

[@henriksaxin685]

Shimano Zee with free stroke adjustment that works for me to center the brake pads

[@neal8777]

Can anyone tell me if my 2 piston M8000 XT levers and cables will work with a new SLX 4 piston caliper? Or will I need to replace the set? Thanks!

[@CJ-ty8sv]

Let me preface this comment by saying that while my area of expertise is in automotive brake system design, for a bicycle, it is identically the same, just substantially scaled down. A couple things to point out that are either misleading / sort of wrong mention in this video are: 1) 1:18 More piston surface area doesn't necessarily mean more braking power. It just simply means more clamping force for a given squeeze force on the lever. Smaller area just needs more lever force to equal the same clamping force at the caliper. Breaking power ultimately is limited by the friction and vertical load available between the tire and the ground. This assumes that everything else is equal. A different master cylinder bore size and / or a different mechanical leverage ratio of the lever can easily offset this. 2) 1:25 is not necessarily true either (and often it ISN'T true) because multi opposed piston calipers (i.e., 4 piston, 6 piston, 8 and so on) also use smaller pistons (can see the substantial difference between 1:10 and 1:18 of this video) and thus have less surface area per piston. --For example, the SRAM Formula R1 2 piston calipers us 22mm pistons so that is 380mm² surface area per side. On the other hand, the SRAM Code R/RSC 4 piston Calipers use a differential bore setup with a 16mm and 15mm piston on each side , so that's 201mm² and 177mm² respectively for a total of 378mm² surface area per side (i.e., a negligible 2mm² less area than the 2piston calipers R1's mentioned). If we look at the SRAM Guide 4 piston, they use a 16mm / 14mm differential bore so that 201mm² and 154mm² respectively for a total of 355mm² (i.e., 25mm² less than the R1's mentioned). The longer (wider as mentioned in the video) and more efficiently used pad of the 4piston calipers (especially when mixed with a differential bore 4 (or more) piston caliper) is where 4 (and more) opposed piston calipers shine / have an advantage. This has to do with one, better heat management as basically said starting at 1:36. The other aspect that goes with this that the multi opposed differential piston caliper (like the two SRAM 4 piston calipers mentioned above) has an advantage is with localized pad leading end heating issues that a single piston (per side) suffers from. Basically, with a single piston pushing on the pad in the middle, there is an imbalance in heat distribution across the length of the pad with the leading edge being the hottest and also the highest clamp load on the disc, progressively getting cooler and lower clamping force as you go towards the trailing end of the pad. This cases the Pad to get too hot where the clamp load is the highest and it starts to fade. A 4 piston with equal bore size suffers this problem too but not as bad as a two piston because the large overall pad size is better at dissipating heat due to its larger mass and surface area, so overall, for the same braking force, they run a bit cooler. The fix for this is a differential bore caliper like the Code and Guide mentioned above. The smaller piston is on the leading side of the caliper / pad (which leading really means the side that a given point of the disc enters the caliper, so if looking at say the front calipers mounted vertically on the rear side of the fork like most, the leading side is the end that is down towards the ground). The disc naturally grabs and imparts a torque (or moment) on the pad that tries to push the trailing end of the pad out away from the disc. So by using bigger pistons on the trailing side (smaller on the leading side), this torque on the pad is offset since a bigger piston will generate more clamp force for a given hydraulic line pressure than the smaller one, so the actual clamp force across the length of the pad is balanced By doing this, you eliminate the localized pad lead end heating explained above that 2piston and equal bore 4 piston caliper setups suffer from because you balance the force across the entire length of pad and thus you balance the heat from friction across the length of the pad. This causes the average temperature to be lower since the the "work" is more evenly spread out across the pad. This also helps to eliminate pad taper wear.

[@bananasstuff3344]

this is all true, but if i were a beginner wanting to get some more power out of my brakes, i'd be pretty confused by all of this. there were generalisations made in the video, mostly for the better.

[@Kordz79]

Nice content guys👍

[@gopro_vlogs]

I some Shimano SLX 4 pot callipers with XT leavers (because I accidentally broke the SLX leaver) and I love it. great stopping power and modulation. I have tried sram and tectro breaks, they are also great breaks but I just didn't like them. they are not my kind of cup tea.

[@quinntitchkosky5396]

A good option to is it replace with better pads and a bigger rotor before upgrading

[@Thebirdemoji]

4:11 That just made laugh so hard.

[@sc0or]

Look, if it breaks better, that means more heat is generated. The smaller and the bigger plates will be the same temperature at an end. Less heat initially plus less dissipation result to the same temperature as more heat initially plus more dissipation.

[@_gummikko_]

Do i look like an idiot if i put 4piston brake to rear and keep the original 2 piston brake on the front?

[@brinleyclement1952]

You should do the opposite

[@arthurfernandes2402]

Brinley Clement Why? The rear brakes do most of the work...

[@andrewineson3469]

@@arthurfernandes2402 agreed, but the rear brake requires much less power than the front or you will just lock the rear brake all the time and once locked it is barely doing anything. Most of the stopping power comes from the front brake due to weight transfer however, if you lock the front you are probably going down.

[@tonitvrdi9812]

@@andrewineson3469 It's not just the power, 4 piston offers much better modulation - which you need at the back.

[@neroetal]

@@andrewineson3469 learnt something new so stoppage can be done with the front brakes

[@nc_mtbmedic1399]

Should review the magura..they look great and re affordable

[@finn1613]

shimano is way more affordable

[@mrvwbug4423]

It would be interesting to see how Magura and Hope compare to Shimano and SRAM.