Disk Brake upgrade

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hey, im new to mtb riding an bought a new GT Avalanche 2.0 disk.

problem!! not enough stopping power with the front brakes, i dunno if they still need some running in time, i doubt it as i have done about 15km off road an 60km road.
im thinking of doing a 203mm disk upgrade but cant find anywhere in sydney, even Aus that sells such a kit. found one place in UK. http://www.ebcbrakes.com/MountainBike.html

the way i figure it is i need a 203mm disk that fits and the adapter to space the caliper. more surface area more braking power? right?
would this upgrade be worth it?
i dont really want the expense of going hydraulic.
would just changing the pads be good enough?
please help!!!

Hey Bomar,

Welcome to the forums. Anyway, just my two cents worth but I don't think going to 203mm is necessary. I have the same bike but haven't bothered to change the brakes just yet (other expenses to meet). The standard Tektros aren't renowned for being particularly good brakes but a lot of manufacturers install them (to keep costs down I guess). However, plenty of people are happy with the Avid cable disc brakes. Supposed to provided excellent stopping power. Google them and you should find some helpful reviews. Anyway, depending on your budget, probably best to either stick with it for a while or otherwise replace them with the Avids and sell your others on eBay or the like.

I have Avid mechnical disc brakes 160mm on my hardtail and full suspension bikes and love them. They are easy to install and work on. I have found them for $130 USD for a front and rear set. That includes everything but the cables and housing.

Go the Avids mate. I wouldnt put the money into fixing up the Tektros as youll find that there are many other factors involved in the lack of stopping power...eg cable stretch and pad wear/quality.

My friend and I fitted Avid BB7s to his Jamis dual suspention and they were easy to install. He got them for $130 AUD of ebay and picked up some good-quality cables to fit to them. They also have sweet knobs that provide easy adjustment. My Hayes require you to get an allen key and all this jazz and i usually have to take my front wheel off as there is no room between the spokes to fit my multi tool.

Good luck mate.

Another vote for the Avids. Best value disk brake out here. And one of the best-stopping too, hydro's included.

I have hayes hfx9's on both my bikes (one with 6inch, one with 8inch rotors), they do a great job for the money. I had tektro cable discs on a previous bike and they were abysmal! Its worth considering the hydraulics as there is less replacing dirty cables. Anyway just a thought Torpedo 7 (www.torpedo7.com.au) has them for $210 per end at the moment!
Hope you can get what you need, Beardi

Not bad...i once saw them (HFX-9 XC-6" V-cut rotors) on ebay for $230 new (both ends) but it was an overseas sale...:(

I've got the same bike (avalance 2.0 disc). I've only had it for about 3 months and the rear brake is starting to stick. I took it to the shop today (a different one than where I bought it) and he worked on it. It works better but not great. He mentioned he bought 4 sets of deore hydraulic brakes directly from Shimano and has 1 set left. 160 bucks plus about 40 for installation. Sounded like a pretty good deal to me. It really pisses me off to have to be replacing major components so soon after purchasing a bike. I'm sure GT would replace the Tektro aquila's but I'm afraid I'd have the same trouble down the road. The other option is to give this bike to my step son (who rides it a lot anyway) and move up to some type of specialized. I looked at some of the new ones today and they look really sweet. Decisions, decisions. Good luck with your situation. Greg

I've got tektro mech disc brakes on my old jamis XC bike, and they're awful!

I haven't had experience of other mech brakes, but I do see the Avid mechs being mentioned quite a bit.

I run Hayes HFX9s (hydros) on my downhill bike, and my STP urban bike, and love em!