Why I stopped using Shimano rotors: Disc brake rotor design, cracks & thermal issues discussed.

[@MAGAmaniac1000]

You have brought tremendous value to cyclists with your experience and channel

[@ashleysinani4207]

This ^, I have learned so much and am really grateful for this channel making me a more aware consumer and home mechanic

[@aaron___6014]

What? Just ride your bike and replace the parts that wear or break.

[@tylergarza8695]

@@aaron___6014 ... ignorant

[@aaron___6014]

@@tylergarza8695 ignorant of what? I have to be aware of what needs maintaining and see when something fails enough to try something new. Do you put this much thought into your car your mental health your body? Being aware that looking for the endless source of potential problems with things mechanical or biological is far from ignorant, accepting it and living your life instead is what I'm suggesting. Getting sucked into this mindset is ignorant.

[@flannyyy1321]

100% up for supporting your discs. That goes for any other products you have in mind going forward. I value your straight talking info massively 👌

[@yeungline]

Looking forward to the peak torque disc brakes 👍

[@basedgodstrugglin]

Peak Stop brakes

[@simedinson984]

@@basedgodstrugglin still a torque aint it

[@illuminatustm]

Very excited to follow that project 👍🏻 Went back to my “old” rim brake bike after being on discs for a while - not just because of being annoyed by the brakes, but it sure is nice to have one thing less that needs fine-tuning all the time

[@PeakTorque]

Same.

[@SprayIgniteBoom]

Exactly...part of why I ride is a ‘simple’ mechanical interface, peaceful rides (I prefer quite hubs), and a ‘back 2 basics’ experience...discs, 2 much electrical equipment etc detracts from that~

[@timocallaghan4408]

@@SprayIgniteBoom I had this realisation recently while considering DI2.. I already get annoyed with keeping the head unit charged and pairing sensors, why add another battery etc to the list!

[@durianriders]

"You just didn't set the discs up properly"

[@PeakTorque]

@@durianriders 😂

[@julianarbelaez3620]

Yeah mate I’ll be down to have a pair, good stuff👍

[@WowRixter]

It would be awesome to also try Swissstop after the Campy and do a comparison

[@lechprotean]

I'd be happy to chip in via patreon paypal or some such so @peak torque can test them

[@PeakTorque]

@@lechprotean great idea.

[@evanm.2300]

​@PeakTorque I jyst saw this vid 3 yrs late, what happened to the rotors?

[@KristianeLim]

This video answered all my questions about disc brakes. And i learned a lot more than i asked for. Cheers brother! Im shifting to disc brakes this month as sponsors are now supplying us disc brake bikes, and im already having nightmares on how to maintain them, let alone the cost

[@jerryc.5210]

1.5 years ago, I got a disc brake road/endurance bike ... w/ Campy 160 rotors front & rear. After 6 months, I was occasionally stopping to "re-center" the pads while on rides. After 1.5 years, the rotors are slightly "warped". If I had had to replace them at 6 months as Peak Torque reported, I'd go crazy. More importantly, I believe good rim brakes are better for road bikes because of the KISS factor, reliability, and durability. I've had Campy Record rim brakes, so I can't comment on Shimano quality. I bought my first C-Record bike in 1962. I NEVER had any problems over the last 30 years/6k miles per year with good rim brakes. They stopped as well as my current discs, pads lasted longer than disc pads, and close to zero maintenance. Disc brakes = 1) re-centering, 2) quicker wear, 3) more parts, 4) more cost, 5) warping, 6) special tools, 7) hydraulics & bleeding. For ROAD, I consider discs a solution to a problem that never existed. Gravel is a different application though, and I'm not talking about MTBs.

[@KILLTHEREDDITOR]

Sanaol may sponsor

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

​@@jerryc.5210The Shimano XT 8100 disc sets on my Trek custom mtb have been stellar with correct maintenance and cleanliness which I follow .

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

​@@jerryc.5210 The new ice tech Shimano's are crack prone and not linished very well . They are Chinese "questionable" quality .

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

​@@jerryc.5210I use Galfer 1.8mm thick discs in 180mm diameter or Deckas ones in floating bushing style with coloured 7075 carriers .

[@thijsvandenbroek5333]

I would buy your rotors right away when they come up for sale

[@aaron___6014]

Just because some guy on youtube burns his rotors up in the super steep mountains of asia doesn't mean yours will fail too.

[@donoldduckben]

Can't say for the other guy but I live on the hilly bits of hong kong island, from what I can tell it's where peak torque is based too so yea I'll definitely be snatching up a few rotors from him the second they go up for sale

[@raffyyy123]

I'm super excited to see how much better you can make rotors compared to what's available now. I will definitely buy a set when its available.

[@PhiyackYuh]

It will cost 150 pounds and last about 3 months and the constant of re adjusting the rotors and calipers so it doesn’t rub 😂 made in ali china 🤣

[@ssthirdgen]

Thank you! For years I have held the opinion that the rotor offerings were inadequate. Great video!!

[@thisandthatandotherthings]

Fascinated to see what you come up with versus what Shimano has in the pipeline with Dura-Ace 9200 brakes (and the context of Chris Froome's comments on disc brakes)

[@ThePaulKat]

Considering their cranks have been failing for years due to poor design and they have not attempted to rectify the issue, they will probably not have any improvements in the pipeline.

[@tccycling]

I ride 800+ miles per month and my Shimano rotors still have tons of life left. However, they do tend to warp slightly but nothing I can't fix in a couple of minutes.

[@nelsonsilva6842]

Yeah thisbguy is full of BS on his videos. Now must be trying to start a business on a market full of the stuff for any given part. I unsubscribed.

[@mihugong3153]

Hey Todd, which model of rotors are you using?

[@tccycling]

@@mihugong3153 I've used both the Dura-Ace SM-RT900 and the Ultegra SM-RT800 rotors. Both work great and I've had no wear issues using both of them for thousands of miles.

[@mihugong3153]

@@tccycling Cool, thanks for the info. I have XTRs on the way for my road bike, I guess I will try my luck :)

[@HooxNZ]

I ride and commute in only hills, I got 10 months out of my pads and rotors, that said I should have done them after prob 8 or 9

[@ChinaCycling]

Carbon ceramic brakes! If you survive the first hairpin, you'll get great braking on the second! 😂😂😂

[@coreygolphenee9633]

No you just warm up snaking back and forth with your brakes pulled

[@l.d.t.6327]

A pleasant surprise you have anything Campagnolo on your bike. Before you know, you'll turn 40 and have a full super record gruppo installed :-)

[@celynjones4958]

Good analysis. I use SLX RT-70 centerlock rotors on MTB (160 and 180mm). Reasonably priced and never had an issue. Cheers and keep up the excellent content.

[@TheNotoriousMIC]

Roadies a dragging tiny rotors with tiny little callipers down mountain descent nonstop for miles.

[@EliCriffield]

I'd buy some, but i think most people would be upset when their disks had rust on them. I'd be willing to guess that a surprising percentage of even the most expensive road bikes only get used a few times a year. I also think this push to make disk brake bikes as light as rim brake bikes so they can stop making rim brake bikes forces them to make rotors that don't have the mass they need to work right.

[@KasimirBlanco]

Agreed, rust would be a no go for me and I'd also like to see more road bike (centerlock) discs w/ thicker friction ring (i.e. >=2.0mm) for more mechanical and thermal stability.

[@edmondlam9126]

Great engineer mindset! When its not in the market, create it!

[@nicholassenechal2740]

My son recently had an Ultegra rotor fail after about 6 months use. The failure in his case was caused by the aluminium "cooling fins" becoming distorted meaning they rubbed on either side of the caliper. The stainless part was less affected. A complaint to the retsiler said was responded to with "no warranty claim as you were "dragging your brakes"". My son has excrllent descrnding skills snd mskes much less use of his brakes than i do (i am a BC qualified coach so i know how to observe these things...until he gets out of site!). I will be definitely switching back to full steel rotors after watching this. Thank you.

[@brettsta72]

I’ve been saying for a while now (as a non engineer) that I think the ice tech isn’t the best. That’s from using them for years and experiencing the ‘warping’, the ticking etc and I could only put it down to the aluminium sandwich construction. Thanks so much for doing the video. You’ll have an order from me 100%.

[@a1white]

an efficient rotor would be, perhaps the size of the actual wheel rim, with an efficient and simple calliper type system applying the pads to the surface. You could even use the actual wheel rim. Maybe one day, manufacturers will decide we need that

[@essjayaitch]

Interesting. 6 months life for rotors is crazy! My bike came with RT99 rotors which I replaced at approx 17500 miles, or about 3 set of pads. I replaced them with R8000, and your video prompted me to check them - the rear is at 1.5mm after approx 6700 miles, so the lifespan has been worse! The Campag ones look better value so I will probably go that route too. Nice watch by the way, I have one of those myself!

[@PeakTorque]

Forgot to mention: only organic pads used.

[@thomasjousse2427]

Do you have any opinion on organic vs sintered pads?

[@ncliffor]

stock shimano?

[@vladandrei2069]

No fins???

[@mdbourne]

Any update on how you like the Campy rotors? I need new rotors and am thinking to try the campy as well, if you still recommend them. And how are the ones you are designing are going?

[@JWH.Design]

This seems very interesting, looking forward to seeing the progress!

[@DrJRMCFC]

£200 a year on discs? Wow, just wow. I'll stick to Campag Super Record and Record rim callipers (which are a bargain compared to the SR with just a 15g weight penalty). Though I suppose to be fair I should discount the cost of replacing the rims eventually! Really enjoy your content. Thanks for taking the time to make it.

[@ScoobyDo2009]

I just found your channel and I have to say, you are quite good at this. This video was great, and very informative! Thank you.

[@chris-ke4jo]

What are the advantages of bleaching your hair? Marginal gains? I would like an engineering analysis on this subject, that would be really cool

[@Bellerophon17]

Brighter colour reflects more light than it absorbs, effectively functioning as a solar sail. If Pogacar had frosted tips he'd be breaking the 1000W FTP barrier

[@PeakTorque]

Modelling career

[@Chince02]

this didn't age well. looks like you went back to the shimano rotors and are still complaining about them

[@ThatsDUAL]

Don't even have disc brakes but instantly got reeled in this very informative piece.

[@mechpatt]

if your just going to laser cut solid piece - maybe inconel or hastelloy would be a good choice if you can get some offcuts? Really like your engineering knowledge - exceptional for such a young fella! Just remember to try your prototype on the rear wheel first before trying it on the front.

[@markusklemm4516]

I'll be keeping an eye out for updates on your rotors. Your design priorities match my riding/functionality priorities.

[@waynosfotos]

Great vid, always been suspicious of the amount of material on these rotors to disapate the heat. We already know carbon rim brakes exceed 200C so having a much smaller disc makes the disappation of heat even harder. Interesting to see what you come up with. 👍

[@theadventurebiker]

I've been using (older) XTR center lock all-steel (non-sandwiched) rotors on my bikes since 2003. Never had any issues at all to date. And they have lasted me literally 10's of 1000's of miles.

[@TheNotoriousMIC]

Dude get some new rotors. If your rotors get to thin you might go for your brakes on a fast downhill and the whole rotor jams into your calliper and throws you over the bars.

[@theadventurebiker]

@@TheNotoriousMIC my current bike has around 40K miles on it and the XTR rotor thickness is fine. No significant or even noticeable wear.

[@TheNotoriousMIC]

@@theadventurebiker well if you’ve measured them and they’re still thick enough then we’ll done.

[@stefannewels1823]

In my experience (25+ years bicycle mechanic) the pad clearance issue in at least 50% of problematic cases comes from "overfilled" disc brakes. Most common directly from the bike factories. Great explanations that need more spreading to customers (which I will do at work). Keep on the good work! Greets to the 5 year old 😎

[@_shaqz_]

Hi. What do you mean with "overfilled" brakes? I think that psitons often don't fully retract because of overbleeding of the system

[@Hexsense]

Now I understand why my Galfer road rotors don't ping after hard braking the way Shimano rotors do.

[@TheNickbb10]

Great project, I look forward to hearing more! I have had similar issues with ice tech rotors- go out of true with the high heat on road, get bumped on the mtb. For reference, I am now using the slx/105 RT70 rotors with zero issues. Seems to behave like a six bolt, just pinned onto the centerlock spider instead of using bolts.

[@bjma654651651]

I arrived at the same conclusion. Floating rotors are from high performance automotive. The aim is to _reduce_ temperature-induced warping of the rotor (caused by uneven heating from middle to outer edge of rotor). In cycling the energy is significantly less and the tolerances and masses are different. I’m not persuaded floating rotors are necessary on bicycles.

[@2WheelsGood.01]

Haha the expression at @2:37...Me every time I'm getting dropped on a climb and I blame it on the brakes rubbing. I'm totally interested in the project.

[@1000750]

Interesting project, looking forward to findings. I have brand new 105 disc set 6 bolt one piece style and at 900 miles I've been extremely pleased with performance and not one complaint, I clean them every other ride and the wheels have not been off the bike since new or in and out of the car so bumping them hasn't happened. I am also very aware of braking technique to shed heat, never ride the brakes, I do 3-5 seconds at the most breaking at any given time, on fast DH hard break let off wait hard brake let off style.

[@asonetuh6094]

I've had no issues with pad clearance with Hope Floating rotors. best rotors on the market, imo.

[@tobycolin6271]

A lot of the pro teams where using Shimano mtb rotors last year. Anyone noticed that the industry has caused lots of new problems to solve with discs. Brake rub, hysteresis, frame compliance frame and forks failures, increased spoke count, wider rims to increase rim torsional stiffness, fat tyres all design solutions to accommodate disc brakes. I’ll come back in 5 years time when you guys have done the hard yards and solved all the problems.

[@lichray]

I have been using AFS 03 rotors for a few months now. One thing I noticed is that the rotor feels soft when installed with some third-party internal spline lockring. It appears that because these rotor were designed for AFS, their crown face area is slightly larger than the lockring of the usual size. ZIPP's 160mm lockring solves that problem (ZIPP has two sizes of lockrings, but both uses external spline).

[@randomvariablenj]

I'd be super interested in this project. Can't offer any expertise, but would definitely buy one

[@michaeldowthwaite]

I’d be interested in a set - great work, loving the channel 👊

[@BalazsToth76]

I'm using SwissStop Catalyst Pro rotors on my shimano 105 disc brake equipped road bike and I love them.

[@trevekneebone369]

Me too. My rotors have lasted over 1 year and I weigh 95+ kgs and ride in hilly Cornwall.

[@trevekneebone369]

Use SwissStop pads too. 34 RS? Something like that.

[@lloydkflee]

Happy to provide input from my experience on Campy rotors over the 2-3 yrs I have on my All Roadie, along with the full steel Magura Storm rotors I have on my HT. Haven't had any overheating issues on either including some very long descents (one fully loaded bike packing in the Angeles, California and Lake Mountain, Aus). I'm a nervous decender so brake often but let them off so I don't cook the brakes. I've cooked rim brakes in the past (koolstop salmons) but feel more confident with discs.

[@Anza_34832]

He demonstrated the nagging effect of the discs wobbling when hot + gave solid reasoning what to his mind causes this problem 👍🏻

[@tommechelmans9471]

Great explanation again, making it understandable for everyone! My new bike frame arrives late August, will put winspace hyper wheels on them, so I will need new disc brakes also... Hoping to see yours available by then!

[@aaronpaterson7582]

I’m down to see a set. Plus loved the tech knowledge offered in the video. Keep in coming.

[@domestique3954]

I like your scientific approach 🤙 Thanks mate 🙏

[@orlandostuart5805]

I have the same Shimano rotors and the exact same problem. I'll definitely run Peak Torque Rotors!

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

Deckas floating rotors have had good feedback from some clients of mine . A friend makes rotors as he has a brake press and tooling to make them to a top secret design .

[@arollingman444]

Awesome project! I’m almost sad I don’t have any disc brake bikes now^^

[@SignorLuigi]

The Giant TCR Advanced 2 with RIM brakes I have been thinking about buying (as my first new bike in 45 years) is looking better and better every day! What do you folks think?

[@1rickqwert]

Stick with Rim brakes, on my TCR advanced SL rim brake model requires little attention and brakes excellent. In fact better than my Defy with discs

[@SignorLuigi]

@@1rickqwert Thanks for the feedback!

[@DonPenguino]

From doing some work in this area, I'll say I've never seen heat manage to effectively make its way from the rotor into the hub body. Most rotors are stainless, which is terrible at effectively transmitting heat through the minimal cross section of the webbing and has ample opportunity for both convective and radiative cooling given the spindly nature of most rotors. Those with aluminum spiders have a bit less resistance in regards to heat transfer, but by the same token any heat making its way into the aluminum is even more quickly radiated and blown away. As well, the brake pads/caliper/brake fluid act as a quite significant heat soak for the system. I'll also say that weight weeniesm is much of the cause of brake issues in the cycling world. The amount of mass used in bicycle brake rotors compared to the system mass is an order of magnitude less than for an auto or motorcycle, even though they're designed for ~similar speeds of operation. ED: As a follow up, take a look at images of people who have overheated their road or mtb brakes. The heat affected zone universally stops barely past the edge of the pad contact patch. Oh, also fun note on the Shimano rotors, definitely had a coworker manage to squeeze the aluminum out while riding in the Alps!

[@PeakTorque]

Wow that sounds extreme. Yep totally agree. There's just not enough thermal mass or surface area.

[@jaro6985]

Good points. A motorbike rotor might be between 1-2kg, of a 180kg motorcycle + 70kg rider that is ~0.4-0.8%. If you take a 130g bike rotor, that is ~0.2% of the total system weight. So a fair bit less yeah.

[@TheNotoriousMIC]

Haha my friend said it happened to one of the guides he was working with in the alps. Might be the same guy.

[@JUSSTTIINFU3K]

You're spot on. I've moved back to rim, fed up with them. Would love some PT disc though!

[@belmontst]

Had to subscribe for Peak Torque disc brake. Count me in!

[@pmcqueen]

Impressive amount of comments here on disc brake performance or lack there of! I've not personally experienced any delam issues with any of my disc brake bikes other than annoying rubbing after long descents. I would be interested in trying your new steel rotors. I saw a few comments about the XTR on the road as well, from reading the Shimano technical manual they do not recommend using MTB rotors on road bikes.

[@mechpatt]

On further thought, the rotors need to be hard enough to resist the abrasion of the pads, but also have good thermal conductivity. Unfortunately these are almost mutually exclusive, however, hard coat anodised aluminium rotors could be the answer. Not sure if you would use a standard type 6061 aluminium or a hardened 7075 material. The issue here is what the best pad material would be. Good luck, you have generated a lot of interest here

[@bartus9891]

I love this video. I have a pair of icetech rotors and I have exactly the same problem. During a ride they can start and stop rubbing on the calipers multiple times. I have also suspected that the cause of the issue has its core with the sandwich construction.

[@EliteAlex000]

Interested to see what product you come up with - could be interested! 👍🏼

[@automat8]

I've just bought new wheels. I'm having to go centerlock from 6 bolt. And I'm looking for rotors. So please keep me informed. Big thanks!

[@StanEby1]

Someone has surely said this before me. Since all my bikes have rim brakes I really never paid any attention to disc brakes until Chris Froome made his notable comments about them recently. The first thing that popped into my head is why not some kind of bronze? Copper in it will dissipate heat. Add a little nickel perhaps for corrosion resistance. More expensive than steel, but find the hardest copper alloy with the lowest friction coefficient and I think you'll land pretty close to what you want, IMHO. GOOD LUCK.

[@froggy0162]

They’re not floating - floating rotors are where the rotor can move on the spider. Hope rotors are floating for example.

[@PeakTorque]

These rotors definitely move on the spider... intended or not! Those rivets are not a perfect lockded 6dof fastener.

[@froggy0162]

@@PeakTorque Sure, but that’s not intentional I suspect. Hope rotors have the relatively larger circular attachment, same as motorcycle and car floating rotors - designed to assist in even pad contact and more consistent bite points across varying temperatures. The Shimano rotors are technically two piece fixed. Floating means they’re designed to move to accommodate variable pad contact situations.

[@richde]

Someone not named Froggy doesn't know what a floating rotor is, or that the flex of a thin sheet of metal isn't "float."

[@jesusroncero]

@@PeakTorque It seems it's normal and defined on the Campagnolo spec documents: support.campagnolo.com/media/files/035_2362_Technical%20Manual%20-%20Disc_Brake%20-%20Campagnolo_Rev04_05_2022_ENG.pdf

[@wasupwitdat1mofiki94]

Damn! I just purchased the XTR rotors and put them on my bike replacing the Campagnolo rotors I was using. The Campy rotors were not worn out they just rub to much when they heat up. The XTR rotors haven't been rubbing and I thought all was good to go. I'm going to use these XTR rotors for a little while longer but I will be keeping a very close eye on them and then I will throw the Campy rotors back on.

[@MJarthur95]

Thanks for your nice explanation, now I know why my 105 rotors rub/make an annoying noice when I ride in the rain or during descends. A couple of bike shops told me that they advice everyone to go with the “SwissStop Catalyst” rotors. Yes they are heavier but they don’t have the warping issue & last way longer

[@darekm.7769]

I use catalyst rotors on my gravel bike... They last long, nearly 10000km in them and still some life left... However on long descends they undergo the same issue when heat starts to build up and they rub...then come back to place when cool down...

[@ricktan5663]

A tungsten carbide coating has been utilized on brake discs in high performance automotive applications to improve performance, increase service intervals and reduce brake dust

[@kaedeschulz5422]

The problem might also be those tiny road disc's getting super hot compared to 220mm disc's on an MTB for example. A friend ride's hope floating rotors and they don't start rubbing from just getting a bit hot. Would like to see rotors from you for MTB as well! You should make the centerlock fit a bit tighter than Shimano as well while being at it already. They seem to be a rather loose fit for being a disc rotor and can come loose.

[@jruerph]

Wish I had seen this video a couple of days ago before I purchased a pair of the same Shimano rotors...which is probably why this video appeared in my feed.

[@cegalleta]

maybe you should try galfer rotors, they are floating rotors that can be either 1.85 or 2.00mm thick and can be used down to 1.3mm thickness. They're great. Edit: now a couple of minutes into the video, the galfer rotors are actually made the same way you describe you'd like your rotors to be, there's a 1 piece model made from high carbon steel (not stainless) with the center part anodized or painted, not exactly sure what kind of coating it is but it's there.

[@jonathan_guerrero]

After a ton of research, I bought galfers in 160mm today. Not for the weight but because I just want better braking performance for high speed descends. Have you ever had any issues with them?

[@andycorso8498]

I use BRAKING batfly rotors steel, not floating and six bolt fixing with my Campagnolo calipers. I have no problems with noise or wear. So yeah I think you’re going in the right direction. So many problems caused by such a narrow piston calliper gap......

[@karstenmeinders4844]

It seems to be a fad among British bicycles KZbinrs with an engineering background to develop their own components (Hambini: bottom brackets, Peak Torque: disc rotors). To contribute to the project: consider sodium cooling as used for outlet valves in automotive engineering!

[@glennoc8585]

Quite a bit more complex to engineer and manufacture into a slim rotor though. Sodium valves were pricey and mostly the bastion if high performance high temp engines like top fuel cars.

[@Distorted-Vision]

What is Peak Torque's background?

[@sergiobrunoleite]

I would like to know what you think about the fuids on the brakes too. Why Shimano uses mineral oil and Sram go with Dot fluid. This makes difference in the thermal side of things too? Can I use a Shimano rotor (designed to work with mineral fluid driven piston) with a Sram caliper and vice versa? This disc brake for road bikes is a hot topic now and you are the best to address the subject

[@iffy_too6465]

With motorbikes there are "fully floating" discs which the carrier holds the rotor by way of buttons, they will move very slightly if you pull on them. They're for race bikes and massive touring bikes such as a ZX12R or ZZR1400 etc and often after market, although I do believe some came OE at times. The regular "floating discs" that are actually solidly secured (rotor to the carrier) will warp under high heat loads, they're most likely just styled like a race disc for marketing. A lot of 6 piston calipers were doing that in the 90s, bikes like the ZZR1100, ZXR750, YZF750, EXUP 1000 etc. However if you use fully floating discs for street use they don't get hot enough to expand and the carriers, which are usually aluminium, deform and wear away. I had a set of Spondon race discs on a 90s streetfighter that had this problem. Fabulous cast iron rotors but I just wasn't heating them enough and ruined them

[@durianriders]

Road disc is an upgrade they said..... #savetherimbrake

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

Designing your own brakes? Super cool! 👍

[@TraceVelo]

Yeah i'm running the Ice-tech rotors atm, I did wonder how long they will last with only a thin sliver of steel each side... Do you run resin or sintered metal pads to get this level of wear?

[@kevinmartin7863]

I had a problem of Shimano disc rubbing when the brakes were hot. It seems it was caused by counterfeit JO2A brake pads. The black anodising was wearing off, which doesn't seem to happen on genuine pads, and the resin pads had golden metal bits in them.

[@projectcycling]

Very interesting topic and project. I was looking into Campagnolo rotors too and I'm looking forward to hear your impressions. Can't wait for the PT rotors ;)

[@kidsafe]

Often overlooked is vent patterns. On SRAM rotors, the differing “organic” shapes of each vent minimizes constructive sound interference from the fluting effect (hot air escaping from each vent as the pads glide over.)

[@n0ch91c3s]

Just because a rotor is two-piece doesn't automatically make them "floating". Very few bicycle rotors are floating. Hope make some. The braking surface has to be able to freely move laterally for them to be floating. The point of making them two piece is to make them stiffer for a given weight. As far as your desire for a full steel Centerlock rotor, you could pick any 6-bolt with a Centerlock adapter.

[@KasimirBlanco]

Very good points!

[@alainpfammatter8224]

Good idea to build proper discs. I often have problems with bended discs. I tried Shimano and Sram. Both have the same issues with rubbing.

[@vaughanc4919]

I too ditched Shimano rotors for Campagnolo, a fantastic upgrade and as a bike mechanic I always steer clients away from the Shimano sandwiched construction rotors

[@dpstrial]

I had the Dura Ace rotors for a year and they warped all the time. I have replaced them with a spare Ice Tech RT81 and a new Hope floating rotor. I wonder whether the Dura Ace (and the XTR) braking surface having four attachment points instead of five makes them more vulnerable to warping.

[@ConstantinLys]

Logged in just to leave a comment. No idea why people bite these floating rotors. Solid ones brake great and last long. Did a 23km descent with an average grade of 5.5%, weighting at the time 92kg with only a front brake, 160mm rotor. Performed ok, minimal brake fade. Temperature wise, I just don't think the hubs get that much heat. Just think of the motorcycle or car brake disks that get up to 600C+ in race conditions and don't fall apart.

[@ryans-18]

Down to try your rotors too...my shimano rotors have always gone out of true all the dang time.

[@qibble455]

Can't wait to see those discs of yours op.

[@johndef5075]

On my mt. bike depending if Im leaning and braking it will make rotor rub. Usually fixes it self by braking upright for a short stretch.

[@drunken_moose]

If you're looking for testers let me know. I live in San Francisco so lots of my rides have 5k+ ft vertical and many steep descents.

[@martenk7278]

As I'm very far from being an engineer and therefor probably missed some of the aspects of your design, but from a first glance, it does seem similar to what Galfer already have on the market. And please don't get it wrong, I'm very much a fan of you coming up with solutions to the technical issues we all have with our bikes, but no reason to invent the wheel twice if it can be avoided ;)

[@joelzylstra2971]

Any update on these bespoke rotors? I recall liking the idea.

[@lukediamand8911]

If you made the rotors the same size as the wheel, would that help with heat dissipation? And then perhaps you could integrate the rotors with the rim itself? What do you think?

[@edmundscycles1]

If you mount the caliper to the rear of the fork crown then the aero would be even better and improve braking performance too .

[@simonm1447]

A rim brake is essentially a disc brake after this definition, a disc brake with the maximum possible rotor diameter ;-)

[@edmundscycles1]

@@simonm1447 yup

[@Frothling]

Omg super spot on. I thought its just me. Thank you sir.

[@JonPrevost]

Looks like Shimano designed the rotors to be used with sacrificial (resin) pads and put the cost of disc/pad replacement on the heavier riders that need metal pads. Real shame but not unexpected. I've been told that being tall is a blessing... from those not used to paying more for less that doesn't last. Not a big complaint (pun) but it does get frustrating trying to be active in this day and age when everything seems built for the average user. I'm sure lighter riders can complain about bottom bracket heights and stand-over with frames. Such is life. In the future could you put part numbers in your video description? I'm interested in trying different brake rotors myself. My Shimano rotors are looking shabby.

[@DR_1_1]

I was running-in a new rotor on steep descents, it started to smell like something was burning, and the rotor is now slightly brown...

[@jimmtb1]

I don't seem to have the same issue on my mountain bike rotors compared to my road bike rotors. What is the difference and why don't they use the mountain bike product, calipers and rotors on the road bike groups? I assume it is weight. Is titanium an option as a material for the rotor? Probably costly but should be durable. Thanks for addressing the issue that bothers all of us and cost us many hours of frustration trying to get rid of the tick the night before a ride.

[@marcuswong1797]

Yes the shimano ones might not 'last' as long.. but they work perfectly throughout the whole life span. The campagolo rotors i used before and they warp like crazy. The Dura Ace ones i had never warped. I think the design of the shimano ones keep its shape really well.

[@bullwinkle428]

That potential delamination issue is actually kind of terrifying. Will definitely be taking a look at my Ultegra rotors later today. Have absolutely experienced that same thing with the post-application rub following a short, sharp descent. They probably already have 7000+ km on them at this point.

[@george.carlin]

Thanks, but I'm staying with rim. Sacrificing a bit of braking power but gaining a lot in simplicity/reliability/cost and weight is good trade off for slow riders like me. 🚲 Enjoyed watching this. 💪

[@tsubakisan1147]

@Peak Torque do you think centrelock is the way to go for MTB hubs and rotors, or is 6 bolt still a good and reliable standard? Also, do the centrelock adaptors that allow the use of six bolt rotors increase the risk of misalignment or instability? are some brand adaptors better than others? Cheers

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

Deckas and the RT 54'S or Galfer are the way to go . He never made rotors at all "take peak torque with a grain of salt when it comes to him making promises he can't keep" .

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

Has this guy got a thermal physics Ph.D .?

[@feedbackzaloop]

If you are so annoyed by riveting, you can have 6-bolts with CL adapters. And I believe you will run into production cost problems with mating stamped splined center part with rolled sheet disc, should you choose steel only approach. Basically, you will reinvent a RT10

[@PeakTorque]

Machined from billet steel.

[@feedbackzaloop]

@@PeakTorque so only prototype production then?

[@joshhiggins9431]

Great idea, hopefully the tarnished inside/outside edges can still dispel the heat.

[@tingtongcurry]

I nearly died on a tandem on an etape du tour using ice rotors. The rotors heated up, the alu melted and the rotors narrowed and became compressible enough that the pads wouldn't bite. Only an uphill run off saved my pilot and I. Gone for hope solid stainless from now on and no issues.

[@KasimirBlanco]

Wow, thats scary! What size of rotors were those?

[@tingtongcurry]

In fairness they were 160s and we should have had bigger to start of with. Our hope stainless are a massive 203 now.