I have Avid Elixir 5 (dot fluid) paired with 203mm rotors, and i had a problem with piston of the rear brake the one moved and the other one didn’t, my mechanic said he made it work a little and that to repair them he would need to order parts and i would need to wait for them to arrive, etc etc. and it would be more expensive than new brakes, i asked him about the Shimano Mt200 and i told him the downsides and why riders hate them that they get contaminated and squeak, they weak for enduro/dh (my riding style) and he said that they are good, easy to maintain and cheap, also told me that since i am lightweight (35kg) and not like 90kg+ i would be able to stop the bike with them while riding some enduro trails well, i am on a tight budget like 70euros and i dont know if i should get a pair of tyres for my bike or get shimano mt200 brakes i think that i should get new tyres beacuse mine are well worn out and i dont know what should i do or either save money and dont spend it all at once, i need your help people.
Bike Brand and Model: Scott Voltage Fr30
by Connor4659
11 Comments
definetly tires
Well you definitely need tyres.
And whomever told you that one brand of brakes squeaks more than another is full of shit.
Tires. Those are toast
Your mechanic has a better grasp on reality than your online reviews for shimano mt200 brakes. That being said, tektro 4 piston brakes are plenty powerful for a good price. You are in a tough spot between tires and brakes. You need good tires to stop well just like you need good brakes. I would lean towards new tires.
Get the brakes, keep the discs large and get organic brake pads.
And get new tires.
You can have the best brakes ever but if the tires have no grip anymore they would be useless.
Do your brakes still work now? If not I suppose that would be the most important thing to address first.
Your tires definitely need replacing though. These are 26”, correct? See if you can find some 26” enduro tires on sale.
Those tyres are shot. You can pick up a good pair of High Roller 2 for £60 ($80). Clarks do a great set of 4 piston brakes for £68 ($92) [Clark’s Brakes](https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChsSEwjy-87FhJGTAxVBnFAGHd1SHMMYACICCAEQFRoCZGc&co=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA2bTNBhDjARIsAK89wlHxK7AfvZxMfTQJDKRaSCmbmbGYVDg7fM4xto1P52hU0YTu-k1_rHIaAsDZEALw_wcB&cce=2&sig=AOD64_1TPhoX1l1E4KipEOidREnMPR875g&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjqqcnFhJGTAxW2WkEAHYikHFEQwg8oAHoECAkQDQ&adurl=)
Neither of your tires are safe to ride. It’s definitely tires before brakes. You might be able to free up the caliper pistons by doing what’s called a massage where you push them out and push them back in a few times. Also I don’t think I’ve ever heard a bad thing about the mt200 other than riders who have physically outgrown them. Contamination is an issue regardless of brand. Long story short do your tires worry about brakes later
These tires are in bad shape. If your brakes are in a similar condition as these tires, you have to do both ASAP.
Probably both, judging from the age of the tyres
I’ve worked as a bike mechanic and rode Shimano brakes for years they are super reliable , and don’t need a lot of maintenance. Brakes only squeal when the pads have got contaminated for some reason, unless you have Hope’s they always squeal. I see your on a tight budget but maybe you could find some used Deore M6120 and keep your rotors and just put new pads in them, if you are riding enduro stuff I’d put metallic pads in them , they stand up to the heat better.
Also unfortunately both those tire are at the end of there life , there isn’t a whole lot out there in a 26 these days but I think you can still get Maxxis DHR and DHF in a 26