On UDC the Shimamo disc brakes are about $160. On Amazon, bike disc brakes are about $30. Could I just get a cheap one and stick it on a uni, saving $130? Or is there a big difference that makes it impossible to use?
It depends on the brake, and the uni to an extent. You might need to buy a mount for the lever, so factor that cost in.
The advantage of getting a name brand such as Shimano or SRAM is that pretty much any bike shop will be able to help with servicing, spares and stuff. A non-branded from Amazon, eBay, AliExpress or wherever won’t have the same backup, either for service or for spare parts. For example I had a Zoom or ztto , can’t remember which. Shimano pads look the same but didn’t quite fit. I had to file a bit off the edge of the backing plate to get them in the caliper. It also didn’t fit a Shimano bleed kit, so after shortening the hose I had to go back to AliExpress to find a bleed kit for it. Neither the brake or the bleed kit had instructions, I was able to work it out but if you are not confident, big brands have loads of tutorials on YouTube which the off brand stuff doesn’t. So it might work if you are handy with tools, or might just be a headache!
GMBN had a good video on YouTube a little while ago back to back testing a name brand Vs a Chinese copy and came to pretty much the same conclusion.
If money is tight for you I’d recommend going for a non-tier Shimano brake, something like the mt200. All the advantages of spares and maintenance backup from a big brand at a fraction of the cost of, say, deore. And if you need a rotor check whether that comes with the brake, that can be another ‘hidden’ cost! The kit will likely come with brake, rotor, mounting hardware and an adapter for the correct rotor size but just check what is actually included.
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