Best $142.02 I've ever spent! - Bigger MTB Disc Rotors

[@NickandKatieMTB]

*For more tips like this, check out the playlist below* 👇 kzbin.info/aero/PLgVIxm9uv4LSePq9oDoE81nGCFSaPlNyO

[@olliechristopher467]

Thank you Nick!! I'm upgrading my brakes from 180/200 to 200/220 on my Trek Slash. I appreciate your honesty that shows you are just a normal dude with "regular riding skills" most of us have. No fancy camera work and outrageous stunts. I'm a 63 year old dude who got the big suspension bike so my body does not get tore up on the trail. My last mountain bike was a hardtail Trek with rim brakes. After almost 2 seasons on this bike it's time for brake service.

[@NickandKatieMTB]

Glad I could help! Bigger rotors were one of the best upgrades I’ve done on my bike. I’m sure you’ll appreciate the difference it makes! Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching! 🤙

[@sans_2031]

You are mostly right with the points you bring. I would highly recommend the Formula Monolitic 203 2.3mm rotors. The thicker disc really helps with lever feel and keeping the rotors straight for a long time. This is if your calipers fit them, most do. They are 20 bucks a piece and look good as well. I don't understand the title of the video. For $142.02 I can get 7 Formula rotors 😆

[@NickandKatieMTB]

Thanks for the rotor recommendation! $142.02 is how much everything in this video costs to upgrade (rotors + adapters). You could definitely do it for less $$. Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching! 🤙

[@cibablea]

Perfectly demystified. Thank you. Convinced. Glad you didn't get hurt.

[@NickandKatieMTB]

That's great to hear! Glad you got something out of the video! Thank you so much for watching! 🤙

[@tehalexy]

"You need bigger brake rotors!" -> gets 203mm *me raises eyebrow in 246mm*

[@trailpimp6369]

203 front and rear is the way to go man. Steel pads and a solid bleed and all set.❤

[@NickandKatieMTB]

For sure!🤘I run organics but I have been meaning to try out some sintered jawns! I think a well done bleed is the most important part! Thanks for watching!

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

​​​@@NickandKatieMTB seriously? That's probably the most improvement you'll see, metallic aren't all born equal but still finer than organic 🎉😎

[@NickandKatieMTB]

@@LaurentiusTriarius I’ll have to give metallic pads a try!

[@bgriff2517]

I just purchased 200mm front and rear to replace my 180’s. Also got the metallic sintered pads for mom stopping power. The organic pads weren’t cutting it.

[@NickandKatieMTB]

@@bgriff2517 nice! Hope you enjoy them! Thanks for watching! 🤙

[@SourPatchPuss]

Hell yea, now you can put a stop to that thang like a mom stopping her children from doing all that monkey business! 🛑 ✋🏼 👩🏽

[@ju9piter]

Great video. One consideration you might want to mention is that the larger the rotor, the more likely that you can get rubbing on the brake pads. That's because most wheels are not perfectly true (or rotors for that matter) so the larger the rotor, the more it amplifies the oscillation of the rotor into the pads. It's definitely an issue on my piece of crap E bike, but not so much on better quality bikes. Also, that finger oil thing is the stupidest thing I've ever heard and I hear it all the time. Just ride your bike for an hour on any paved road in America. I guarantee you that you will pick up plenty of oil and contaminants all over that rotor. It's like 8 inches off the road surface! Oil on your fingers is very minor compared to the black shit that just naturally accumulates from road riding. Thanks for the great video, and keep up the good work!

[@NickandKatieMTB]

Thank you! I can definitely see how that could happen, luckily mine have been pretty straight! I just have heard not to touch them from some great mechanics so for me I just like to treat them as delicately as possible, even if it’s a bit overkill! 😄 Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching! 🤙

[@filipdrs8998]

I love my 220mm magura mdrp rotors i run them on the back and front of the bike so there is just so much braking power. It’s absolutely amazing I do gotta say I run them with Sram code rsc and green galfer pro pads. It’s just the best setup ever a lot of modulation but a shitton of braking power. It’s just amazing

[@NickandKatieMTB]

Sounds like a legit setup man! Heard a lot of great things about the Galfer stuff! I’ll have to try some of their products someday! Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching! 🤙

[@Sacca_96]

Mounted on the YT Jeffsy Galfer Shark discs and standard Galfer pads and the SRAM G2R has improved significantly

[@NickandKatieMTB]

Nice! Hear a lot of people love the Galfer stuff!

[@mikej1348]

I was hoping you did one at a time. First the front then both. I’m on the fence about updating the rear to a 203mm.

[@NickandKatieMTB]

@@mikej1348 I’m assuming your front is already 203 then? It can’t hurt to bump the rear up to 203 but it’s not as important as the front IMO. Hope this helps!

[@mikej1348]

@ Yes my front is at 203mm already. Some folks say you use more rear brake. But a comparison would be 👍

[@TE_53349]

Id highly recommend sram hs2 rotors. Best and most trustworthy rotors ive ever used

[@NickandKatieMTB]

I'll have to try em out after I run through these ones! Thanks for the suggestion! 🤙

[@TY_LR]

Super helpful video! I was thinking of upgrading my rear rotor from a 160mm to 180mm, but wasn’t sure about it. It would help a lot to have a 180mm rotors in front and rear. Thanks!

[@NickandKatieMTB]

Thank you! I’d say go for it! I didn’t get to discuss this in the video but from my research I learned most people use their back brake more (makes sense) even though so many bikes come with a larger one in the front. 🤷‍♂️ Seems like it might be a dying trend though! I think same size front and back makes the most sense! Thanks for the comment and thank you for watching! 😁🤙

[@falllinemaniac]

Personally I find 203 on the back is a bit too much. For one thing, "stopping" or "locking up" are two things I detest when shredding. On cold wet days the big rotor won't warm up, squeal and have less power. Not an issue until it is. Perhaps adjusting philosophy would be a free upgrade; Braking is necessary, comfort braking is a vice. A hardtail rider, I've learned to brake in the postage stamp of smooth dirt before the corner the corner then finding the acceleration out of the apex. This basically eliminated boiling brake fluid and now I find cold brakes like to squeal. I've been using different pads from different sources, MXT and Galfer are more expensive because they're made of superior materials. That said Corki sintered pads are cheap and quieter YMMV

[@NickandKatieMTB]

Totally! There’s no need to upgrade if smaller rotors are working well for you. I personally feel like the 180s in the rear were okay 95% of the time. I only experienced fade after long downhill riding. Especially if I was following someone and I needed to use the brakes more than I naturally would. The front needed a bigger rotor because I wasn’t getting a strong bite from them with the G2s. Upgrading the brakes probably would have been optimal, but bigger rotors were cheaper. Some people run 246mm dinner plates and rave about them. I don’t need to go that big, but every size has their use case. Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching! 🤙

[@cunning-stunt]

I found that the centreline discs warped constantly and were always clipping the pads. I looked at getting 2.3mm thick rotors from Galpher and they were really expensive. TRP do 2.3mm rotors at a reasonable price and haven't looked back since installing those. You have to watch out with some sram rotors as they are 200mm not 203mm like normal rotors, so you have to have the right adaptor. Or shave a bit of your adaptor with a file.

[@NickandKatieMTB]

Nice! Thanks for the additional info! Thanks for watching! 🤙

[@NickandKatieMTB]

@@tonysadler5290 thanks for the additional info and thanks for watching Tony! 🤘

[@craigelliott4338]

I'm going from 160mm to 203mm because I'm adding two ebike hub motors...

[@NickandKatieMTB]

Nice man!

[@gregmcdermott8838]

Hi I have the same what size bracket did you use

[@stevenr5149]

I could always to an endo on my side-pull rim brakes, my v-brakes, cantis, and 160mm cable pull discs-with no wheel movement. Are sure you were really doing it right? With that said, I agree that sizing up on rotors may be a better and more economical way of getting better/cooler braking on down hill riding, than spending $$$ on "better" brakes. FYI, front brakes takes 70% of braking fores- so just size up the front(and save even more$$$ and weight).

[@MTBQandA]

Thanks for this! Was thinking of going bigger and tis helped out a lot! Since I'm not very mechanical. HA!

[@NickandKatieMTB]

Glad I could help! I was a bit confused when I started this project so I tried to include everything that I had questions about! I’d say go for it, definitely one of my favorite upgrades I’ve done and it only cost about $130 dollars! Thanks for watching Johnnie! 🤙

[@xXxTeenSplayer]

203 is the diameter. You need an adapter that is 23/2 mm (which you have). 23 mm is almost an inch lol.

[@NickandKatieMTB]

@@xXxTeenSplayer valid point. I didn’t explain that correctly in the video. Yes, the mount itself is half of 23mm. Thanks for watching!

[@Synonomous]

Nice vid. Nice detail. Showing yourself choking on that skinny was humble of you and helpful. Totally psychological, lol. Should have more views but I guess most people are not doing it themselves so the lbs takes the job. I have tools, enjoy wrenching and am too cheap to pay them, haha. Thanks!

[@NickandKatieMTB]

Thank you! Glad you appreciate me showing that. I feel like it’s important to get the whole story! I’m sure a lot of people take it to the shop and that’s fine. I’m too cheap too haha and I always find (even though I’m not the best mechanic) with enough research I can get it right just about every time! Plus, less time waiting on the shop and more time riding! 🤙 Glad you enjoyed the video, thanks for watching!

[@Synonomous]

@NickandKatieMTB I actually used your vid to install a 203 on my 2002 Santa Cruz Superlight with a Psylo sl shock with an original 165mm rotor on it. I just needed one washer to make the adapter it came with fit! I decided to get the bike out after 16 years of storage and found that since I moved from Ontario to B.C. the front brake just wasn't doing it anymore. Yeah, I'm that old, lol. Subscribed and thumbs up! Cheers!

[@NickandKatieMTB]

@@Synonomous haha sick! Glad to hear you put the info to good use. Thanks for subbing and liking the video! 🤙 It means a lot to us. Cheers!

[@Emtbtoday]

My new Cube stereo action team came with 203 rota's I've never noticed an adapter on the calipers so went and checked and yeah only one on the fox 38s nothing on the frame just a direct fit to the frame German cubes surely thinks their bikes should have 203s standard im assuming as don't think id be able to run anything smaller on the rear if it's a direct frame mount it's a 2024 embt maybe why actually keep forgetting it's got a motor as so nice to ride liek a normal bike unlike my canyon ebike you feel that thing weighing you down

[@NickandKatieMTB]

Yup that makes sense that your ebike would come with the mount set up for 203. And yes, you won't be able to run anything smaller than that. I imagine 203 on an EMTB is the lowest you'd want to go! Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching! 🤙

[@eirichen]

Im considering upgrading from 180 to 203 front and back but my breaks have only 2 pistons (Shimano MT201). Do you think only upgrading the disks would be enough to get a segnificant increase in break power? Or is 4 pistons the way to go? They are not all that great now.

[@NickandKatieMTB]

@@eirichen I think it would be an improvement if you need like 20% more power. You could always upgrade to 203 rotors and if it doesn’t help enough then upgrade to the 4 piston brakes. Hope this helps!

[@reapton]

Thank you for that video. I have plans to upgrade my bike in this way and your video is exactly what i had been looking. PS: what do you think about 220 or 223 rotors?

[@NickandKatieMTB]

Glad I could help! It depends on the bike and rider size. If it’s an aggressive bike like a enduro or dh bike and/or if the rider is on the larger size, then bigger rotors might be a great fit!

[@Haron-x7l]

I have a 27.5 inche mountain bike, are 180mm rotor good ? With one are the best 160mm or 180 mm thanks

[@NickandKatieMTB]

@@Haron-x7l it depends if you feel like you could use more stopping power or if you’re happy with what you have. There is no size rotor that is better or worse! Hope this helps!

[@machine7767]

Why didn't you keep it simple and just use a 200mm diameter SRAM rotor? Why didn't you upgrade to the new SRAM HS2 rotors for even more power?

[@yuding237]

He did use sram 200mm rotors what r u waffling about lol

[@m3drivr]

HS2s are also available in 220mm. He actually went from 180 to 203 (so @machine7767 was right). That 3mm is finicky as you may have to put spacers in there or get specific adapters.

[@em1355]

I just came across your video and it was very helpful! I have been trying to figure out the adapter needed for a Tallboy 4 Carbon year 2021/2022. I have Magura MT Trail Sport brakes 4 front pistons in the front and two pistons in the rear. The front disc is at 203. I want to upgrade my rear disc, which is a Magura 189 Disc to a Magura 203 Disc. The Tallboy's max rear disc capacity is 203. It currently has a 180, but I can't seem to figure out which adapter I should use. Would you happen to know? Many thanks!!

[@NickandKatieMTB]

Glad you found it helpful! If it’s going from 180 to 203 it’s definitely a 23mm adapter. The adapter I used shooould work in theory but with different brands there may be factors that could effect the compatibility. I’d recommend checking with whoever you’re buying it from to double check. Hope this helps! Best of luck and thanks for watching! 🤙

[@KeoOutdoors]

Have you tried different pads? I use sintered brake pads on all my sram, and love them

[@NickandKatieMTB]

I have tossed the idea around, and even purchased some but ended up returning them for organic pads before using them! 😅 I do need to try them out for myself someday. Could be a great video idea too!

[@gregmcdermott8838]

Hi just wondering I have 160m and want to change to 203m what bracket would I need

[@NickandKatieMTB]

You would need a 43mm adapter. Just make sure your frame can fit a 203mm before proceeding. Hope this helps! 🤙

[@Matt-i5u]

Good for trail only

[@caperider1160]

Hard to understand how a bigger rotor will reduce modulation. My experience tells me the opposite.

[@NickandKatieMTB]

Since bigger rotors increase braking power, they can also provide less modulation and be easier to lock up. This is true to an extent. But personally, I really don’t notice this. I could see an inexperienced rider grabbing a handful of brake and then skidding into oblivion. In my opinion, most riders will quickly get used to modulating their brakes with bigger rotors.

[@caperider1160]

@NickandKatieMTB my understanding of MODULATION is how finely a rider can adjust braking power within a short duration. This is directly proportional to how responsive the brake is to a slight change in lever grip force from your fingers. Definitely, bigger rotors are much more responsive to slight changes in lever force. If you want, I could go into more details. It has nothing to do with full braking power.

[@sup-stoner]

I am thinking about upgrading from 200 to 220 mm rotors so what size adapter do i need, can you enlighten me? And how is the shimano adapter working with those sram brakes since i am gonna be using the same setup sorry for my bad english😅

[@NickandKatieMTB]

Hi! If you have post mounts (if you’re not sure check 2:27 in the video) you will need a 20mm adapter. Also make sure your frame will fit 220mm rotors. If you buy from an online source like Jenson USA, World Wide Cyclery or in person at a bike shop you can always double check with them to make sure the parts will work! In my case the Shimano adapters are working perfectly! Hope this helps and let me know if you have anymore questions! 👍 Thank you for the comment and thanks for watching! 😁

[@ABCEDEFG911]

Go for 246mm, its worth it

[@NickandKatieMTB]

@@ABCEDEFG911 I’m sure they’re great! My frame won’t fit anything over 203

[@aserta]

@@NickandKatieMTB You can either have your hubs machined so that the rotors can go inwards and clear (make sure your hubs have plenty of meat, minimum 4mm if it's a detached style) OR you can look for spacers that push the wheel away on the brake side OR (extreme and only for metal frames, only if you really want them) you can tweak your frame a little (a little hammer strike never hurt nobody, just use a piece of rubber between the hammer and the frame) OR you can look for specific hubs that move the brake inwards, you'd have to look in person tho, there ain't that many on the market. All the above (except the Jeremy Clarkson special) require that you space the brake calipers inward. Most people use washers, don't. Figure out what the exact spacing you need (ghost mount the brake caliper on the disk and figure out the spacer thickness with a feeler gauge set) and then buy a piece of metal with that exact thickness, preferably in a bar stock form (shim stock, it's called - McMasterCarr) drill it, shape it and use that instead. Washers have the nasty tendency of shifting, and any time you space something, you will have shifting, especially when you start considering the extreme forces you're putting on those bolts, at that distance lever arm. And speaking of bolts, you need grade 8 bolts for this. Hex head, no expense spared. There are allen head bolts in grade 8, but finding them in the right length as a shoulder bolt is more difficult. If you really want allen heads, but can't find shoulder bolts, then you need to dull the threads with a hardened file in the area where the moving bits are. This will not affect the strength of the bolt as long as you don't touch the main part of the shaft. Putting the bolt in a drill is the easiest way to get the threads dulled, just don't go to far and move the file back and forth on the bolt, don't keep it static.

[@drifterdogs]

Where were you riding during your testing?

[@NickandKatieMTB]

At Lake Williams! 🤙

[@denaude7058]

Thise centerline rotors tend to warp, especially with bigger diameter. Why not get a proper rotors with better heat dissipation?

[@NickandKatieMTB]

@@denaude7058 been using these for years with no issues

[@denaude7058]

@@NickandKatieMTB Maybe it's because I ride like a psychopath🤣

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

Contamination ia a thing but it's not as bad as people think, of course don't shoot degreaser and lube directly on your rotors and pads but a spray of automotive brake cleaner will get rid of it. Just dont use the brakes when they are contaminated... Organic compounds might be more affected but if you're not at least running semi metallic what are you doing with your life 😂

[@NickandKatieMTB]

Yup, you’re right! I try to keep my fingers off of them when I can, but the rotors can always just be cleaned up with alcohol or brake cleaner and still function 100%! Thanks for watching! 🤙

[@aserta]

@@NickandKatieMTB Naphtha cleans both rotors and pads... just don't breathe that stuff or get it on your skin. So i'd do the cleaning outside. Hand prints are ok. There's not enough oil (sebum) on your hands to make a difference, so you can touch the rotors just fine. To clean the bits, use a paper towel for the disks, wrap it several times and dip it in Naphtha, and for the pads, use a jar to swash them in there. FYI, it also makes a great chain cleaner as well, also in a jar. Drop the chain in, swish it a few times, and you'll see the chain come out mint (with a slight white-ish residue, but that's not going to make any difference at all on anything).

[@NickandKatieMTB]

@@aserta interesting! Thanks for sharing that!

[@zaidrixaporo1876]

so can a 27 can have a big rotors? do I still need the brake extension? thank you in advance

[@NickandKatieMTB]

You mean a bike with a 27.5 wheel size? Yes of course! And you would still need adapters to run bigger rotors.

[@oplkfdhgk]

f rear brake. never use it anyway so i just got bigger front rotor and left rear stock. 😀

[@NickandKatieMTB]

@@oplkfdhgk haha I feel you on that. I love a nice skid as much as the next guy but felt like I needed more stopping power in the front more than anything! Thanks for the comment! 🤘

[@Taco-Java]

What brand and rise is your handlebars? Great video!

[@NickandKatieMTB]

Thank you! They are the Burgtec Ride High Bars with a 38mm rise! I have a video on them too if you’re curious! 🤙 kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaqagqVjmsifhbc

[@bikelifegee]

If i have 160 can i go 203?

[@NickandKatieMTB]

It depends! Figuring out if your frame will fit a 203 is the first factor to check! I’d suggest looking into your frames max rotor size to make sure it won’t rub the frame!

[@sladeoriginal]

that vocal fry and start stop recording is killing me.

[@JOHNGIBS]

IF YOU NEED FAST YOU NEED LIGHT ROTORS WTF BIG ROTORS😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@doubleL_S]

Really using gloves to handle the disc when the first minute its ridden the disc will be contamination 😂

[@NickandKatieMTB]

The rotor does not get contaminated from riding. It can get dirty, but that is not the concern. Oil is the concern. I prefer to use gloves to keep the oils on my fingers from contaminating the disc.

[@69basta]

am bored of those discs brake they are everywhere !!! there is lots of brand better than sram !!

[@lexusstefan927]

Sram is always too weak, once a person is aggressive/advanced enough they just cannot stop you

[@iamcyberpunk68]

i use the cheap amazon shit works good for the money.

[@NickandKatieMTB]

I can’t advise that but if you say they work good, then more power to ya! 💪

[@iamcyberpunk68]

@@NickandKatieMTB it's all the same shit different day it's all made of stainless steel hundred percent it's all been hard and it's all stamped the same way just one you're paying for the actual name brand Shimano

[@NickandKatieMTB]

@@iamcyberpunk68 I get what your saying. I think I would be more sketched about the Amazon 2 piece rotors. If it’s just a solid piece of metal it’s probably safer.

[@iamcyberpunk68]

brain buckett and mouth guard required tho.

[@NickandKatieMTB]

Always a good idea! 🧠

[@iamcyberpunk68]

AND STAY OUT OF THEWOBBLE POPS

[@NickandKatieMTB]

😂😂😂

[@mikej1348]

I was hoping you did one at a time. First the front then both. I’m on the fence about updating the rear to a 203mm.