Ask Pinkbike: Brakes For a Big Guy, and Should I Drill My Frame? – Pinkbike

Here at Pinkbike we get inundated with all kinds of questions, ranging from the basic “Can I have stickers” to more in-depth, soul searching types of queries like if you should pop the question or what to name your first child. Ask Pinkbike is an occasional column where we’ll be hand picking and answering questions that have been keeping readers up at night, although we’ll likely steer clear of those last two and keep it more tech oriented.

Big Guy Needs Big Brakes

Question: Pinkbike user Painhawk asked this question in the downhill forum: I’m a fairly robust downhiller, weighing in at 265lbs in full riding kit, and I need some proper advice when it comes to brakes. I’m currently running Shimano Zee brakes, and while they’re powerful-ish, I don’t really love how they feel and I really do want more outright power. From my understanding, going to Saint brakes will accomplish nothing of significance in that respect.

I’ve been reading about Magura’s MT7 brakes and Hope’s V4 E3, and depending on what I read they either feel more or less powerful than the Zees, leaving me confused. I’d hate to have to go for the Trickstuff Direttissima. They do look absolutely awesome, but at more than twice the price from other top-of-the-line brakes, it really would need to be the only viable option for me to consider it. Any and all SRAM brakes are completely out of the running for this, by the way. I have previous experience with Codes and it doesn’t make me super tempted to try the Guides.

I’m not that heavy of a guy, but I have ridden pretty much every type of brake out there and can say that Zee or Saint brakes are among the most powerful that money can buy. That fact leads me to suspect that the solution may not be to spend a load of money on something different, but to spend quite a bit less money to get your Zee stoppers up to snuff. I assume that you’re already using 200mm rotors, but if you’re not, get a set. Some aftermarket companies even offer 220mm rotors and adapters, but there could be compatibility issues with your frame and fork when it comes to discs that large. And while you’re at it, buy a set of high-quality sintered brake pads, even if you’re sure that your current pads are fine – you can keep the old ones as spares. But before you install all that stuff, have the brakes bled correctly by a professional who knows his stuff and has the correct tools; even the smallest amount of air in the system can make a set of otherwise great brakes perform poorly. A few other things to remember as well… it might sound silly and obvious, but how you’re pulling on the brake lever can also make a difference. If the brake is slid right up against your grip, you’ll end up with your finger well inboard of the end of the brake lever, thereby robbing yourself of some leverage and feel. You’re also not exactly a small guy, and if your descents are top to bottom runs on steep trails in the Alps, you might just have to deal with a bit of fade near the end of your runs. – Mike Levy

Should I Drill My Frame for Internal Routing?

Question: Pinkbike user @Troy-Clarke asked this question in the Mechanic’s Lounge forum: I need the pros and cons of drilling my bike frame for internal cables; I have a Trek Remedy 2009 .

Don’t do it. Internal routing may be back in fashion again, but that doesn’t mean you should start drilling holes in your old frame. The last thing you want is for your frame to crack and become unrideable, which is a very real possibility if you start putting holes in it that weren’t designed to be there, especially around the headtube area. The negatives far outweigh any potential positives – internal routing does look cleaner, but there’s no performance advantage, and it’s a bigger hassle when you need to swap out housing. If you’re still in the mood for some DIY frame modifications, what about repainting it? Stripping it down and getting it prepped for a fresh coat of paint will keep you busy, and it’s better than going wild with that power drill. – Mike Kazimer

Adding internal cable routing to this bike isn’t a recommended procedure.

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