I’m currently riding a KH36 with the standard configuration: a 180 mm disc brake rotor paired with a Shimano BR-MT410 hydraulic brake.
Would switching to a 160 mm rotor or upgrading to a BR-MT520/BL-M4100 (which I have laying around at home) or even Shimano Saint brake improve the smoothness of my braking experience?
This is what chatGPT says, comparing what I have now to what lays in my garage: Go with the BL-M4100 if you want a smoother, more controlled, and modern braking experience.
On my 36 oracle I have a Hope floating rotor 203mm, Hope E4 brakes and a medium density brake pad.
The brake is smooth even on steep descents.
Personally going with a smaller rotor especially with 160mm I think It will be too small.
Originally I had 180mm and went up to a 203mm
For smoother braking use resin brake pads, also known as organic rather then metal brake pads, often called metallic or sintered, are made from metallic particles fused together. More info here.
Can you describe what exact issues you are facing that you want a “smoother braking experience”?
I keep hammering this point, but I really think most of the time people are faced with issues related to brake control it is related to a poor ergonomic setup. Your hand should be very stable on the grip while one finger is on the brake lever, so that you can smoothly modulate the brake independently from any bumps or pulling on the handle.
Of course you can play around with changing parts if you have them around, but I generally think the most important part is making sure you can modulate it well.
Do I understand correctly that when the brake isn’t smooth it just grabs into the brake disc and stops too abruptly. I think with any setup you can learn how ur brake works and then act accordingly. I hardly ever use a brake, but generally ride on flat terrain. Initially I found it scary to brake, because I thought it would mess with my balance and perhaps lock the wheel, but eventually I learned to apply minimal force with 1 finger to apply braking. I just have stock brakes on the uni’s
I want to be able to modulate the braking power more precisely. At the moment, the brake is too aggressive.
My brake rotor currently has a grease spot and needs to be replaced anyway, so I’m considering whether 160 mm or 203 mm might be better.
@Bernhard Careful trying a 160 rotor, generally this size is used a rear on a bicycle. I put one, on one of my unes, and the 160mm adapter just did not work as the caliper fouled on the mount, so 0 adjustment for the pads, only way I could get it to work was to jack up the caliper with a couple of washers, then it did not sit on the rotor right. 180 or 203mm.
Try giving your caliper a good service and clean up, especially the pistons. Clean up everything with Isopropol alcohol spray, rotor incuded.
Then pop in some new pads, again carful on choice, I over speced and put the top rated uber pads in, and for me unrideable. They would just snatch the rotor even with the lightest pressure. Swapped back to the std Hope pads and its lovley, just perfect.
Shimano are good brakes and do the job, I have the 4 pot, on 3 unes and are very good. However, my 1st choice would always be Hope brakes, a quick twiddle of the biting point adjustment screw and its fine, takes about 4 seconds. No faffing with allen keys. The Tech 3 E4 or Tech 4 V4 are both std IS mount and give full adjustability.
If its smoothness and adjustability you want, that would be my choice. The Hope floating rotor is thicker and more soild, than a std Shimano rotor, so if you have a bigger wheel, then a good choice. I had it set up on my M4O freewheel flick flock une, where smooth controlled braking is essential most of the time.
Dont forget if you move upto a 203mm rotor you will have even greater braking force. Personally 180mm is about right for most unis. Finally I am pretty sure that shimano brakes should only use resin pads. Why not sure, but thats what it says on the the shimano 4 pot calipers info I have.
@Setonix@ManiusTerentiusPullus The M4O Freewheel une is a beast, and definately sorts the men from the boys . If you havent tried to “freewheel” coast on a uni, you dont know what difficult unicycle riding is
My freewheeler is black. I havent got the hang of using the brake and keep trying to pedal backwards, which as resulted in nasty falls backwards. The beast scares me.
@Setonix I can ride the freewheel flick flock, but I can only ride it in Free. To learn, I gave up riding fixed for 3 years, it was the only way I could reprogram my brain, hands and feet. I could never change on the move, or ride a fixed wheel une at the same time, I could just not mix the skills.
Both unicycles, but the skills required very different. If I was younger and fitter, I would never of sold it, or returned to fixed riding. Freewheel is a blast, fluid, fast, and pulling off coasting, the biggest smile factor your gonna get on any une.
Easiest way to learn, start uphill on grass, then you have resistance on the wheel from the slope and the grass, that will slow things down enough, and you dont need to use the brake for balancing.
Learning one handed riding all the time is essential, always 1 or 2 fingers on the brake.
On the flat and downhill, try riding the brake, just minimal pressure on the lever, so you can still turn the wheel but you can feel some resistance. Then slowley back off the lever, as you get better. Brake lever movements needed are tiny, very little pressure needed, you need very light fingers.