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      09-22-2018, 05:08 PM   #107
RM7
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Drives: Camaro SS 1LE
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Bread View Post
Maybe try something that works in the cold? With good ol' dinosaur juice? Partial to Formulas myself. Although will likely run Saints or XTR Enduros on my next bike now that Shimano is finally serious about 1x.
That's a myth to a large extent.

The thing about mineral oil is that there's no standard for it, so the companies are free to develop whatever they want, as a result, the fluids can have radically differing properties. Magura is a good example of this, their fluid did not test well at low temps (German quantitative tests). The XTRs work just fine for me down to -20°F. Sure, they are stiffer, but they still work and you don't need a lot of braking when it's -20 anyway. I have actually done -20 with one XTR and one Formula, they felt exactly the same. It's not that the fluid goes bad with Shimano, it's caliper seals that get very hard and stiff. If I was regularly riding colder than this, such as Fairbanks, I might go for Avid mechs, but overflow can be a big issue in the winter and can render any brake, especially a mechanical, inoperable. On solid-ice sections with studded tires, you want at least some brake.

The real problem with Shimano is that they don't offer any replacement parts, seals, etc. Due to this, they are "throwaway" brakes that you can't keep going season after season. I get about 2 seasons and they give out, my old XTs did (ones that I actually don't ride in these crazy cold temps). That left me without a rear brake on a vacation and I was pissed. They also weep a little fluid if you let them sit for long periods of time, that I can deal with though-knowing a sure method to clean the rotor and pads. I can't deal with their cheap disposable brake philosophy. Probably go back to Hope, although I didn't have the best experience with their power back in the day.

First two pictures are around low-single digits to zero. Last picture was a 100 mile race (turned into 120) where the temperature much of the time was around -10. As I said, the coldest I usually ride is about -20, it's not that cold here often, but back in the mountains in February and March it can be.

The rotors on the other hand, those are pretty amazing. The aluminum heat-dissipating fin sandwiched in between the steel braking tracts seems a few generations beyond what we use on cars today and they work great. On my XC bike I can run a small rotor and not overheat it on some pretty crazy descents.
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Current: 2018 Camaro SS 1LE, 2023 Colorado ZR2. Former: BMW 428i Gran Coupe.

Last edited by RM7; 09-22-2018 at 06:41 PM..
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