As a morbidly obese dude (40M 5'8" 355lbs) on a health journey, I've been riding my bike more often. Got lucky this summer in Southern California and have yet to see the scorching temps. I go out on Sundays with my pops and best friends and we put in between 6-13 miles. I'm very much a beginner, I actually posted a video on here of me falling off the bike going less than 1 MPH, the dissing kept me humble haha. Nothing crazy, i'm super slow, i'm still getting off the bike on most climbs, but do love me some downhills and flats. I will say, I take on some stuff that the rest of my group definitely doesn't try, it's not that I'm fearless, it just looks very manageable on my end. My coworkers (who have ridden pro) hype me up and give me props for doing rock gardens and stuff. This past Sunday was the first time I got scared going on a downhill, it felt I had no brakes and they weren't doing much to stop me. I wasn't recording on that section, however, on this video, I picked up a lot of speed (a lot for me), and to make matters worse, forgot to drop my post and almost got bucked. I'll first explore the option of bleeding the brakes as they don't grab right away and they feel spongey. Another dude I know suggested the Sram's are trash and the brake pads should be set very close to the rotor in order to grab better. I think that's what he said, will have to revisit that convo with him. Others suggested oversize rotor with shimano brakes. Any of my fellow big dudes run oversize or better brakes? Appreciate the input
Bike: Specialized Fuse 29 Size Medium
Brakes: Sram Level TRL, Front: 4 piston, 200mm. Rear: 2 piston, 180mm
My fellow BIG dudes, what brake set up are you running? I'm a huge beginner and need way better stopping power
byu/advictoriam5 inMTB
by advictoriam5
37 Comments
When was the last time you did maintenance on your breaks. I bleed mine at least once a season sometimes up to three times
SLX 4 piston 200 in front, 180 in back
Take it to a legit bike shop and get some some advice on your size and bikes. Guys over 300 pounds do need to consider keeping an eye on certain parts and upgrading others. You’ll probably want to lightly sand your rotors and get some good ceramic pads either way.
Learning bike control will require miles and practice. There are no magic brakes. I started going down moderate downhills slow and still fell off my bike. The more miles you put in frequently, the more comfortable you will be. I treated biking like other sports, put in my time and effort 2-4 times a week and the results will speak for themselves.
I have Magura EStop 5 on my Orbea Ebike, 203mm disks-two piece. Together we are about 310 pounds, they stop amazingly well. On my Santa Cruz SRAM Code R 203 mm one piece rotors-they also do a great job but about 20 pounds less in weight.
Depends on my bike…
Hardtail 220/200 rotors SLX 4 pistons
Enduro full suspension 220/200 rotors SLX 4 piston.
Trail bike full suspension 200/200 Deore 4 piston.
Gravel bike 180/160 TRP Spyre
All pads are metallic.
FWIW I am a big boy, not just someone wanting to respond…
SRAM brakes drool, Shimano brakes rule! Especially levels. Those brakes are the absolute worst.
I’m not big, but I ride fast and I have arthritis. 4-piston Shimano SLX or XT if you’re feeling flush. Biggest rotors you can fit, 200+ front and rear. Metallic pads, if you do long descents get the ones with fins. Otherwise don’t bother.
You can go the extra mile and sand the rotors, but I think you’ll be fine.
It’s not a small subtle difference. It’s immediately noticeable, and it’ll be easier on every ride. Long time SRAM devotees don’t like riding Shimano at first because the bite is so much stronger. They must have better fingers than me.
I run old saint brakes on all my bikes
Get the biggest rotors you can fit, then maven bronze.
Honestly, I have generally disliked sram brakes, but anyone who says that mavens aren’t insanely powerful is kidding themselves. I’d look into those if I were you
shimano XTR. maybe some mavens but they are sram lol.
Possibly not the advice you need *yet*, but might soon. Don’t be afraid to let some air out of your shock if it’s not eating up features well. You’re probably not sending any big jumps or drops, so make sure you’re getting use out of your fork. I had mine pretty high pressure since my weight suggested as much, but it wasn’t actually doing any work for me at that pressure. (Not that I’m seeing features in the video, but if you’re just getting ejected off the bike hitting a rock or root, and your standing and trying to absorb it still, your bike could work against you there.)
I’m 6’4 230lbs and I ride hard. I run trp dhr evo on all my bikes 223 front 200 rear on my dh and 203/200 on my enduro.
Cura 2 Brakes with 203mm rotor on banshee bike
I have Formula Cura 4 on my enduro bike with 220/203 Magura MDR-P rotors and metallic pads.
250# here…
Hayes A4 180/200 on my trail bike. Also Hayes A4 but 200/220 on the ebike.
I’d check out Hayes, SLX or XT 4 pistons with 180/200 at a minimum.
If you ever happen to upgrade down the line I recommend hope tech v4s with their vented rotors, they offer abysmal amounts of braking power. Just keep in mind they are not budget friendly
On my Rallon Enduro : 220fr 200re + magura MT7
On my Rise light emtb : 220fr 200re + stock slx brakes with 2 pistons
I use SRAM Code brakes with metallic pads. They have a good amount of power, as they’re more common on DH bikes. If you like the modulation of SRAM brakes, then those are probably the ones to look at. I’m not a huge dude, but I’m 220+ and like to ride steep.
If you want more of an On/Off feel, then you may want Shimano Saint brakes. Also more of DH brakeset. Definitely powerful, and a lot easier to service than the SRAM brakes
200mm rotors maybe 220s and saint brakes.
Increase rotor size and get wider and meatier tires if necessary. All of the big brake brands have amazing stopping power nowadays, that is Shimano, Sram, Tektro/TRP, Magura, damn even the smaller/unknown brands have good offerings
Lots of great deals on codes now that the mavens have surpassed them. Codes both ends, HS2 rotors, 220mm front & at least 200mm rear & you’ll have no more problems
Your bike probably supports 220mm front/rear rotors. Then get upgraded brakes and e-bike pads. I could recommend SRAM Maven as they are insanely powerful without bucking you the moment you touch the levers.
Keep going dude! Remember, the only way to lose weight is to be in a calorie deficit, biking alone won’t magically make you lose weight!
200/200 code rsc, metallic pads
I have a set of code R brakes. They’re definitely not the best but they’re solid and they slow me down. I’m 225ish now but they felt grabby when I was 280 as well
hope tech 4v4 and floating 220mm rotors on my e bike. I will never run organic pads bc of a bad crash when organic pads got wet.
on my analog I have hayes dominion and 200 d series rotors and its good too. I am a little over braked for my weight, but its safer this way.
big riders will benefit from the biggest rotor they can fit, and powerful brakes w metallic aka sintered pads.
Shimano SLX 4-pots with sintered and finned pads.
220 front rotor, 203 rear.
I got a set of hayes dominions with hayes rotors. I really love them. Great stopping power along with modulation. there was a noticeable decrease in arm fatigue.
Had Problems with a db8: not enough Power.
I changed to the following setup:
Shimano Saint with a 223 mm Golfer Shark rotor.
This setup is extreme! You have enough braking power no matter what …….
My commuter bike had a Magura Gustav pro with 200 rotors. Also a pretty powerful setup….
I think youd probably be more suseptible to brake fade, meaning your brakes will get really hot and spongy if you drag them. I would get the thickest rotor you can, which i believe is 220mm size by 2.3mm thickness.
For brakes, DOT oil based brakes handle brake fade much better than mineral oil based brakes.
I think your best bet is the TRP DHRs. They are rated for the rotor size youll want to get. Theres also Lewis brakes, and they have a 6 piston caliper. Ive never tried them, so i dont k ow ablut the quality.
No matter what anyone tells you, do not buy magura brakes, lol.
“Too much speed” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Well, I’m not too big but I want stopping power so I don’t get arm pump in the bike park.
I use 200/200 rotors and magura mt7 hc3 with the race pads. The stopping power is Awezome!
Bro. For real. I sense need for social media validation. Just continue. You will feel better. Good brakes are important but gear is just a fun distraction. Get out there. Peddle. And you will win.Â
I’m 100kg and run 203mm front and 180mm rear 4 piston Shimano SLX. I could increase the rear to 203mm as well, but it locks up so easily as it is even when trying to put all my weight to the rear that I don’t think it’d make a difference.
Thick 220 rotors (I have TRP RS05E) with good quality pads (e.g. Galfer purple). Maven Base, Dominion A4, or Hope t4v4 brakes. Shimano brakes in a pinch – less powerful but cheaper, though Maven Base are cheap too. Not Hope Tech 4 if you have small hands or like the lever close to the bar – they only work well with the lever far out.
[https://www.pinkbike.com/news/review-sram-maven-base-brakes-light-lever-action-and-lots-of-power.html](https://www.pinkbike.com/news/review-sram-maven-base-brakes-light-lever-action-and-lots-of-power.html)
Haven’t tried all the fancy big brakes like mavens n whatnot, but I’ve ended up with magura mt5/mt7’s on every bike I’ve had after trying a bunch of the other common brakes. They absolutely suck ass to bleed, but once you get them dialed in right they have ridiculous power with full control. Some people also throw on Shimano levers with them, which apparently makes them a bit more powerful and on/off-like.
https://preview.redd.it/ir6br9sf4kgf1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=11249140c623ea0a2000151490879da441d2fc25
MT7 hc3’s I have on my current bike with 220/203 MDR-C rotors. Absolutely suck to work on, but they work like champs (typical German lol)
As a heavier rider at 220#, my wheels and tires need upgrading ahead of my brakes.
DH casing on the rear, Enduro on the front, we are one strife carbon wheels front and back.