Jackboy just into the gravel scene this spring. I started out with a somewhat cheap bike to see if I loved gravel riding first which I do. I bought the 2016 Raleigh Tamland 1 which has the Spyre TRP mechanical brakes on it. When I hit them on a nasty downhill there seems to be a slight delay in getting the bike to stop. I then bought the 2017 Raleigh Roker which has the hydro brakes on it. I did the same mt. bike ride and there is night and day difference between the 2 brake systems. When you hit the brakes on the hydro the bike just flat out stops. I am so impressed with the hydro brakes if I buy another gravel bike it will have to have hydro brakes on it. I hope this helps.
I'm moving from rim brakes to disc no doubt and know what hydrolic disc feels like since I have them on MTB and road(both hydrolic).
I'm wondering about the performance of mechanical discs versus hyrdrolic.
The bike I'm considering has mechanical disc and I don't want to make a mistake!
I don't think you can make a mistake with buying a bike with mechanical discs. I would worry more about fit than that. There is a difference between the mechanical disc and hydro and for sure you will be able to tell the difference at least I could. They are still better than roadie rim brakes. Not afraid to admit at my end that I luv to climb but not too much of a downhill guy. If you already a mt. biker you probably have a feel for some hairy situations on a bike. Coming from the roadie end I didn't have that kind of off road experience. What bike are you thinking about buying?
I've got bikes with hydraulic disc brakes and others with mechanical disc brakes, including several with Avid BB7s. I suspect everyone has their preference for one or the other, but when set up properly either should function great. I would have no qualms about buying a bike with BB7s.
In my opinion the big change is going from rim brakes to disc. Hydraulic is definitely better in terms of stopping power and modulation (think one finger braking), but not worlds better than mechanical. My rule of thumb: If its a QR bike, get some good mechanical calipers, maybe ones that pull on both pads. If it's a thru axle bike, go with hydraulic as you can truly realize all the benefits they have to offer.
So this is my dilemma....it's either Warbird Carbon w/ Apex 1x and mechanical disc Avid BB7 brakes and replace wheels for $1,100 I9 UL 235 (1350 grams)
OR Warbird Carbon Rival 2x with Hydrolic Disc keeping DT Swiss c1800 wheels.
Scenario 1 is $300 more but I have two sets of wheels.
Scenario 2 has 2x which I'm not excited about....and a wheelset that is not quite as good as I9UL 235 and 350 grams heavier...
Thought I'd chime in here. Hydro brakes offer better feel then cable are trouble when they break. You should have your shop bleed and flush the fluid each season. This gives you a fresh bleed and fluid before the season. None of this with cable actuated stuff. I had 2 guys I ride with taken falls and damaged a hose. We ride single track as part of our rides. Cable breaks are always easier to repair in the field. That said the best cable based ones I have ever used are the TRP Spyres once setup correctly they are flawless. Depending on where and how you ride may depend on Hydro vs Cable.
Jackboy wrote:So this is my dilemma....it's either Warbird Carbon w/ Apex 1x and mechanical disc Avid BB7 brakes and replace wheels for $1,100 I9 UL 235 (1350 grams)
OR Warbird Carbon Rival 2x with Hydrolic Disc keeping DT Swiss c1800 wheels.
Scenario 1 is $300 more but I have two sets of wheels.
Scenario 2 has 2x which I'm not excited about....and a wheelset that is not quite as good as I9UL 235 and 350 grams heavier...
Any input or feedback is most appreciated!
Jackboy nobody can tell whether to buy 1x or 2x. At my end I don't see that the 1x is all that it is built up to be. I bought the 2017 Raleigh Roker Comp which is 1x Sram Rival. Granted I only have been able to take the bike out for 1 test ride but if I had to do it over again I would have bought the Roker SPort which is 2x Shimano 105 I believe. It all comes down to whether you want to be riding 1x or 2x. $1100 also seems high for a set of wheels unless you are going carbon. I bet you could get one of the wheel builders on here to build you a set of wheels up for $700. I will tell you this much the Roker Comp has hydro and my old Tamland 1 had mechanical disk and I could see a big difference on the 3 mile descent of my local mt. at 7-8% grade.
Mech disc brakes are easy to apply, and they give great feed back. It is when you are going down hill on a 40 pound fat bike with 160mm rotors that mech brakes require a lot out of your hands....more grip.
When I previously looked into this, people had said that the cable housing getting clogged can be a problem with mechanical disc in muddy conditions. Not sure how big an issue this is.
I think hydros perform significantly better, but I'm used to them from the mtb world. I have cable TRPs on the Willard. They're not bad, but they're not nearly as confidence inspiring if you start to really push it (high speed downhills and CX racing).
There is often concern about hydros "breaking" or causing problems in the field if they need repair. I've yet to experience firsthand a scenario with myself or others where a hydro brake problem completely paralyzed a bike, and I think mountain bike riding has far greater potential to cause problems with components than road or "gravel."
As Zman pointed out, nobody can tell you if 1x or 2x will work best for you. It's all about your riding style, terrain, and fitness. For gravel I'm a 2x guy but a friend who's an excellent Cat-2 CX & Road racer (read:much faster, stronger than me) has a 1x10 setup and does just fine in hills and flats.
As others pointed out, hydro's provide more force and feel. Mechanical are less expensive, less maintenance, and while requiring a harder squeeze they'll work just fine. Around here, shops charge around $60 to bleed & replace the fluid in one brake line. Brake cables last a looooong time. I see bikes from the 80's go through the shop with original cables (note: these were "garage queens" which were pampered and seldom ridden).
BTW, if you haven't used disc brakes, the brakes will not have full stopping power until the brake has been "bedded in". So a new bike on a showroom floor likely has not had the brakes bedded in and braking will be somewhat less than optimal.
