MTB Brakes

The MTB brake, a specific brake

The MTB brake is a special type of brake, it meets the different requirements of mountain bike practices. There are mainly two braking systems: disc brakes and V brakes.
On Alltricks.com, the MTB brake designates all technologies, spare parts and brake accessories.

The V brake, the classic:

The V brake, also called rim brake, offers the advantage of being inexpensive, lightweight and very easy to maintain. However, it will lose its efficiency on wet or greasy ground, since the braking is done directly on the rim, it's exposed to water and impurities that alter the performance of the system.
Moreover, the proximity between the brake pads and the rim will tend to generate "bundles" of sludge under extreme conditions, which may go as far as blocking the wheel. There is also a more frequent maintenance than on the disc brakes because of the quick wear of the brake pads.
The standard V Brake using a cable is the oldest standard, but there are also alternative options such as hydrolic V-brakes (often used for trial) and U-brakes (used in bmx).

The disc brake, the power:

Linked to the emergence of mountain disciplines in the 1980s, the disc brake has many advantages: powerful braking and a less frequent maintenance.
Unlike V brakes, the performance of the system will be little affected by wet conditions, as water tends to cool the system.
However, their use in dry conditions requires some control, because the heat released by the system tends to dilate the brake fluid and modify the properties of the brake pads as well as those of the discs. Too much braking, especially when going downhill, will overheat the system.

Each braking system has different technical characteristics to meet the specific constraints of each discipline:

Cross-country brake

For the XC practice, discs have a small diameter to maintain low weight and often use 2 pistons brakes.

DH, and Enduro brakes

For those disciplines, users are looking for maximum performance, therefore disc brakes with 4-piston calipers and large diameter discs. On the other hand, there are emerging technologies of ventilated pads to better dissipate heat and maintain excellent braking performance on extended periods.

Trial brake

Trialists don't care much about the endurance of their brakes but look for maximum bite, they use hydraulic V brakes. This type of system allows to block the wheel instantly and is the most efficient system to do so.