Need Help!!!

justmate33

Hello,
I have a couple of question, so if someone could help me it would be very nice.

1. Mechanical Disc Brakes vs. Hydraulic Disc Brakes : pros and cons of each, wich one is the best, is it worth it to buy the Hydraulic?

2. What do they mean by Fork 100mm Travel? And what is wheel travel?

3. Dual Suspension vs. Hardtail : pros and cons of each, wich one is the best?

Thanks a lot!!!

rek

In my experience, you have a finer control of brake pressure with hydraulics -- fluid doesn't have friction in its housings like a cable sometimes can.

Hydraulics are generally the better, and more expensive, option.


A 100mm travel fork means the (front) fork can compress up to 100mm when it's under load.

I'm pretty sure "wheel travel" refers to how far the rear wheel can move up and down on a full-suspension bike, as the ratio of shock compression to wheel travel isn't 1:1 like on the front. I might be wrong here as I haven't shopped around for a FS bike.


Neither is best, it depends on the type of terrain and riding. You wouldn't want to go downhilling on a hardtail, but it's a great choice for cross-country.

Hardtails are cheaper, lighter and generally more efficient (no pedal bob), but aren't as comfortable, don't really let you go [as] nuts, and tend to punish you for your mistakes in technique (just ask my battered rear wheel.. )

I'm sure an FS rider can fill in with the other half

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Peter
Cannondale Synapse Carbon Scalpel Cyclocross Ultra

justmate33

THanks a lot!!

gee-tee-zee

...forget mech discs: you'll be ****in' about with them continually...hydros or even quality V's are better...

...full susser vs hardtail: depends what kind of riding you do...for xc i'd say a hardtail with quality forks is better...whats the point in having full sus and 'locking it out' all the time?...

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Hecubus

Not true, most mech discs now are extremely reliable. Mech disc are overall simpler to set up and cheaper. They offer better performance than rim brakes such as far better modulation, less lever force, and all wheather performance, and overall better power. They also suffer some of the drawbacks of rim brakes. Cables get dirty and work so they need to be kept clean and replaced every so often to keep them sliding smooth.

Hydro discs offer somewhat better power. The lever feel is always consistent and never degrades because there is no cable drag to wear down the cable. The lever force required to activate them is very little. This means you can easily brake with one finger across the entire range of braking. It also reduces hand fatigue greatly. They are generally extremely reliable. If they are setup and bled right you won't need to touch them for years.

Suspension travel and wheel travel, well its pretty simple. Its how much far the front suspension will move from fully extended to fully compressed. Wheel travel is the same thing although it is mainly use to describe the rear wheel. Since the rear is not like the front where wheel travel and suspension travel are equal (wheel is attached directly on suspension), it is usually refered to as wheel travel. On the rear, suspension travel is generally less than the wheel travel because the shock is placed in front of the wheel and connected by swingarms and pivots which make the wheel effectively travel a longer distance than what the shock compresses.

The last subject is a bit touchy for many people. There is no best type of bike. Traditionally hardtails offered the most efficiency, simplicity and ease of maintenance, while FS usually was better suited to more technical and aggressive riding at the expense of lighter weight and pedaling efficiency. The energy from the pedals stroke had a tendency to be absorbed by the suspension rather than driving the chain. The result was wasted energy. Nowadays that line is starting to disapear. A hardtail will accelerate very nice an firmly and climb well, but as stated before, it is more punishing on the rider both physically, and mistake wise. Right now there are many suspension designs that have pretty much canceled out most of the drawbacks that used to be associated with them. Most of the modern systems that have come out in the last few years almost entirely isolate the pedaling action from the suspension virtually eliminating pedal bob. Weight has come down to the point were a FS bike is perfectly feasable as a race bike. A good full suspension will climb and roll with nearly the same efficiency as a hardtail without the need of a lockout. It could possibly be even better because some people don't realize you actually spend more time sitting and pedaling on a FS than you do on a hardtail EVEN IF YOU'RE GOING UP. On technical climbs FS bikes tend to do even better because the rear wheel tracks over obstacles rather than bumping over them and loosing traction like hardtails tend to do. They can roll faster on straights too since you can remain powering on the pedals instead of having to stop pedaling, getting off the saddle, and using your legs to absorb bumps. The myth that FS is only practical for downhilling is a complete misconception from people with generally very little or no experience on them.

justmate33

So what bike would you recommend under the price of 3000$?

THanks

justmate33

3000$ is in CDN.

Cyclesmith

I have a couple bikes and ride both Mech and Hydro disc brakes. It all depends on which brand you get, but both have their pros and cons. I enjoy both for different reason. Hyros are cool, very good, and IMO the best. But I like my Mech. disc brakes too! They are cheaper, and MUCH easier to fix and maintain...ever try to service your hydros out on the trials if you have a serious problem....not easy. In short....the single speed mt. bike that I custom built has Mech. disc brakes, and I have never wished they were hydros.

Sheppy

For $3000 CDN you should have enough to buy a FS bike that works cross country. However any less and I'd plump for the hardtail (just did in fact)..... Having said that I'll just need to get an FS bike sooner anyway to get that rear wheel tracking better!