Review: SRAM's New HS2 Rotors - Thicker is Better

Sep 1, 2021
by Mike Kazimer  
photo


Most riders are familiar with the concept that larger diameter rotors help improve braking performance, especially during hard, sustained braking. That's why we're starting to see more and more 220mm rotors on downhill and enduro bikes, and on eMTBs. Those larger rotors offer more surface area, which improves heat dissipation, and require less force at the lever to slow things down.

There's another way to improve heat dissipation – increase the rotor's thickness, and that's exactly what SRAM has done with the new HS2 rotors. The rotors are 2.0mm thick, compared to the 1.85mm thickness of the previous Centerline rotors. That may not seem like much, but that difference, along with a new brake track pattern, is claimed to deliver a 7% increase in power.
HS2 Rotor Details

• Thickness: 2.0mm
• Material: steel
• Sizes: 160, 180, 200, 220mm
• 6-bolt or Centerlock
• Weight: 204 grams (200mm, 6-bolt)
• MSRP: $50 - $65 USD
• sram.com

The new brake pattern also has less material removed and a different orientation of the cutouts, which provides more surface for the brake pad to grab onto. Towards the center of the rotor are spokes that have been painted with a thermal dissipating paint, another step that was taken to keep things as cool as possible.

There are 160, 180, 200, and 220mm versions of the new rotors, with 6-bolt and Centerlock options available. On my scale, a 200mm HS2 rotor weighed in at 204 grams, 14 grams more than a 200mm Centerline rotor. Prices range from $50 to $65 depending on the size and mounting style.

photo
The HS2 rotors are 2mm thick, and have a new braking surface pattern.
photo
The grey arms are coated with a paint that's supposed to aid with heat dissipation.

photo
This graph from SRAM illustrates the temperature difference between a Centerline rotor and the new HS2 rotor.


photo


Performance

I've been trying out the new rotors over the last month on several different bikes, all equipped with SRAM's Code brakes: a 160mm enduro bike, a 120mm trail bike, and a full-power eMTB. In all instances, the rotors are noticeably better than the Centerline rotors they replaced. By 'better', I mean that they give the brakes an overall firmer bite, and maintain that solid feel even on long, steeps sections of trail.

It's on the heavy e-bike that the improvement was especially apparent. On that bike I'd previously had several moments where I found myself wishing for more braking power. Hot, dry conditions, a 50-pound bike, and an extra-steep track meant that I had to pull extra hard on the levers to control my speed, even with a 220mm rotor on the front. With the HS2 rotors there was less fade, and it took less effort to manage my pace.

In wet conditions the rotors still make some noise initially, but they seem to clear water and quiet down more quickly than the Centerline rotors did. They'll also howl a bit on very steep, very sustained trails, the type where hard braking for minutes at a time is required. I still think there's room in SRAM's lineup for brakes that are even more powerful than the Codes, but that's a different topic. I've managed to avoid falling off any skinnies lately, so I can't comment on how well the rotors resist bending; if anything the extra thickness should make them less likely to fold over from an impact.

Now, the thicker rotors do mean that there could potentially be less pad clearance, although I haven't run into any unwanted rubbing. I've successfully run thicker rotors from other companies with SRAM's calipers before, and as long as you take the time to clean and reset the pistons the extra .15 millimeters shouldn't cause any issues.

New rotors may not be as exciting as a wireless drivetrain, or a fancy shock that has adjustable everything, but the HS2 rotors offer a clear performance benefit with only a minuscule weight penalty - that's a win in my book.





Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Reviews Brakes SRAM Sram Hs2


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271 Comments
  • 342 19
 Any SRAM/Shimano disc brake article without mentioning the competition is Hopeless.
  • 145 6
 Please, just stop
  • 71 3
 I brake for puns.
  • 20 17
 Come on guys, we can't slow our roll with puns for one article?
  • 43 4
 This topic is heating up, unlike these brake rotors.
  • 22 18
 Mentioning the competition just makes you sound like a TweRP
  • 70 4
 My interest in all these brakes is fading
  • 23 2
 Uncle Roger: Hayaes!
  • 46 2
 Think they found the winning Formula?
  • 32 2
 But eventually all these competing technologies will reach their Maxima.
  • 24 1
 Have they cracked the Code for better rotors?
  • 12 2
 Surprised Hope never released their Sandoval model


"Fade into you"
  • 18 2
 Please stop padding the comments section. My eyes are bleeding.
  • 11 1
 they don't want to trp over themselves
  • 2 2
 @suspended-flesh: Ha!!!
  • 3 1
 @jptothetree: Takes the heat! #ridefast #stopfaster
  • 17 1
 @galferusa: I think we should Guide this conversation toward something more productive
  • 16 1
 @aharms: Are you asking us to brake it down for you?
  • 6 1
 pb is doing some serious Tek-trolling by not including the competition.
  • 16 1
 Wonderful pun... made my day. you're a Saint.
  • 11 1
 I'm an Avid reader of articles like this
  • 10 1
 If they had simply glazed over the details, it would've warped my opinion on thicker rotors.
  • 6 1
 I Magura stop you right there...
  • 12 1
 waiting for Shimano bite on this, just not sure when
  • 3 7
flag Shimanosaint0097 (Sep 1, 2021 at 21:08) (Below Threshold)
 When SLXting brakes, I'm avid that sram are hopeless, trp havent yet found the Formula but shimano are Deore-ing the best to stay on the centerline and feel like a Saint
  • 2 1
 Hayes now, we just need to keep things cool.
  • 3 0
 Gustav M here in the comments
  • 3 0
 Perfecting mtb brakes seems like trickystuff
  • 1 0
 Just stop it.
  • 5 0
 Seems like this thread really resin-ated with people. That's sinter-esting.
  • 100 3
 So a ~8% increase in thickness results in a 7% increase of power, so by that nature an 20mm thick rotor should have 1000% increase in power, duh!!
  • 135 1
 Eventually you'd end up with a rotor as big as the wheel itself. Wait! What if we used the wheel as the rotor? How come nobody ever thought of that, eh?
  • 9 22
flag IntoTheEverflow (Sep 1, 2021 at 9:57) (Below Threshold)
 Somebody did think of that. It just hasn't made the transition from train wheels to mtb wheels yet.
  • 47 7
 @IntoTheEverflow: sounds like you've never heard of rim brakes...
  • 33 6
 @conman1395: fun at parties too.
  • 1 0
 @big-red: It could even hold the tire!! Maybe if Buell had that idea earlier...
  • 51 1
 Pound for pound, trees offer the best stopping power. Modulation sucks though.
  • 3 0
 Why have a flat braking surface when could be wavy, for better cooling?
  • 3 0
 @aljoburr: Exactly. Everybody knows that a gnarled oak tree dissipates heat way better than a smooth birch when you miss a turn and slam into it.
  • 1 0
 @big-red: IF plan to crash into a tree better make it a sequoia tree?
  • 2 1
 Don‘t they need 70% increase in power to at least reach the 100% power of Saint brakes? Big Grin
  • 61 1
 Hayes been doing thicker rotors for like ever
  • 15 0
 damn straight!
  • 11 0
 @meandros: they stay that way too. haven't bent as many thick rotors as I used to with 1.8mm.
  • 9 3
 They are the best brakes you can get too outside of maybe Trickstuff.
  • 4 0
 Same with Magura, the Storm HC rotors are 2mm aswell. I think I had some back in 2015, maybe?
  • 5 0
 And you can get the Magura HC for like 23 Euros!
  • 4 0
 @SkipSkovhugger: I have a 2mm thick,160mm Magura rotor from 2003, they've been doing the thick rotor thing for a while. Thick rotors are the jam!
  • 1 0
 @SkipSkovhugger: don’t forget the Hayes D series rotors
  • 3 1
 @maxyedor: 160mm rotors are not the jam
  • 2 0
 The regular centerline 220mm is already 2mm thick.
  • 2 0
 so does Trickstuff they have 2mm rotor for long, and TRP also lately, I think even thicker ~2.3mm
  • 54 1
 But do they gobble like a turkey?
  • 25 2
 Underrated. Probably lots of kids here never had juicys.
  • 2 4
 @Bahh: they have new shimano rotors though. too big a cutout at the spokes, you can even feel unevenness when going slow.
  • 28 1
 "They'll also howl a bit on very steep, very sustained trails"

One of my buddies is newer to riding and has them on his bike. On night rides we know he's still alive because we can hear him still coming down the trail above us. That howl/gobble/squeal is a safety feature! When things go quiet we start to worry...
  • 2 0
 Is the gobble gobble from the rotor or pads?
  • 4 2
 @jojotherider1977: it’s always alignment and uneven pistons.

@VtVolk be a mate and teach him how to set up his brakes.
  • 2 0
 @Bahh: here's a blast from the past: www.rei.com/product/764461/avid-juicy-5-disc-brake-set-160mm
  • 1 0
 @thenotoriousmic: definitely not, the old avid, then g2 and g3 rotors would gobble when wet no matter what you did. I don't know after that as I started using Shimano then turned to TRP after the M8000 brake dibacle
  • 39 4
 Cool to see people getting on the TRP thick rotor train. Shimano could stand to do this considering how fast their rotors wear down...
  • 64 3
 Magura been doing it forever
  • 14 5
 Shimano icetech rotors don't wear down, their aluminium melt!
  • 8 0
 My TRP Evos are my new favorite brake of all time, but man are they heavy.
  • 23 3
 You mean the Hayes thick rotor train...
  • 4 1
 Perhaps it's because some are meant to be used with organic (resin) pads and people run sintered pads on those?
  • 9 1
 TRP are great, but they didn't innovate any of this. Magura and Hayes were there 20 years before
  • 1 0
 Printed on this rotor: min thickness 1.7mm (2.0mm original thickness)
Shimano rotor min thickness is 1.5mm (1.8mm original thickness)

0.3mm of wear still spec'd. You lose the braking power increase from rotor thickness as it wears down, as implied by this article. There's also the trade-off of lower rotor/pad clearance when new to consider (from sticking a wider rotor in the same size caliper).

Interesting that SRAM describes the grey arms as a coating. Looks similar to IceTech, with a different material used as cladding over a base material. Stainless on non-stainless steel, in this case? Do you think you can wear it down further?

I speculate that the braking power could partly be from the lever's higher leverage due to swing-link, from tuning brake to bite earlier in lever stroke (cutting out more of the modulation zone). Otherwise, IceTech's heat management (and the improved braking) shouldn't lose out to this, considering the extra surface area it has.
  • 3 1
 @Jacquers: I mentioned this once in another conversation and got the interweb smackdown from allsorts of smarties saying "any shimano rotor works with any shimano pad" nice to see I'm not alone in actually knowing stuff and things.
  • 2 0
 @Duderz7: The lower range Shimano ones specifically have 'resin pads only' on them. I assume it's a different type of metal they use for those rotors.
  • 1 0
 @Jacquers: Same metal, just lacking heat treatment that would make them hardened. Easier to stamp out large quantities from the non-hardened metal, whereas the hardened metal is laser cut.
  • 31 1
 If the grey paint helps why not paint all of the spokes?
  • 2 1
 Without seeing the other side of the brake rotors, I'd bet that the other spokes are painted as well. The reason that every other spoke doesn't show paint is probably because the outside surface has been machined flat like the braking surface.
  • 14 0
 @GambinoSX: Then the question becomes: could they paint all the spokes after the machining?
  • 3 0
 Shimano FREEZA also uses this magic paint...

Shimano RT-MT905 6-Bolt Rotors:
An extra layer of heat protection, ICE TECHNOLOGIES FREEZA rotor construction uses a proprietary three-layer sandwich design with exposed radiator fin. Together with the heat dissipating paint, FREEZA rotors deliver supercooling forces for even more reliable braking performance and lighter operation in all riding conditions. ICE TECHNOLOGIES FREEZA rotors provide consistent braking performance with longer pad life, less brake fade and noise.
  • 1 0
 @GambinoSX: The painted spokes are painted on both sides (plus a skinny bit under the brake track). They're also machined slightly thinner than the rest of the rotor (even with the paint applied).
  • 5 1
 @JDUBKC: My money's on Shimano's magic paint working better than SRAM's magic paint purely because Shimano's paint is black.
  • 1 1
 Ahh never mind, the paint looks grey in these photos but black in the product photos shown on Vital.
  • 1 0
 the surface of the paint is so small that painting is not needed cost raising process...
  • 35 8
 Brake rotors for my bike cost more than brake rotors for my cars & truck. Something is wrong in MTB land. At least these won't be over $100CAD/rotor like the Shimano's posted the other day.
  • 12 2
 You’re aware that you can still buy $20 rotors, right?
  • 24 4
 you're comparing high-end rotors from one discipline to cheap/everyday rotors from another.
race car rotors are worth almost 10k usd.
you can buy normal bike rotors for 8 usd on ebay.
  • 2 0
 @MicaRenner: to be fair the carbon race car rotors are substantially better than the mtb rotors. The mtb rotors are extremely simply to manufacture and use a lot less material than cars.
They're expensive because supply/demand pretty much.
  • 22 3
 Still think there’s better rotors out there… TRP R1, Galfer, Brakestuff
  • 14 0
 Galfer!!! I paired those with my trickstuff D's and they are just vicious!!!!
  • 59 0
 @diggerandrider: "Vicious" may be one the best words we've heard used to describe our rotors
  • 4 0
 @diggerandrider:
I upgraded my rotors on my 161 to Galfer with MT5s massive improvement.
  • 5 0
 @diggerandrider: agree 100%. Galfer rotors are hands down the best upgrade I have made
  • 2 0
 @cmoney23: pretty cheap also. What do you like about them?
  • 1 0
 @poleczechy: Can you elaborate a bit more on what improved? At the moment, it seems like I warp my Storm HC 203mm rotors pretty quickly.
  • 2 0
 Hmm I might have to try some Galfers now too.
  • 2 0
 Made in Spain, for sale online from Nevada.
  • 3 0
 I just wish Galfer made 200 and 220mm rotors! Frown
  • 3 0
 @crazyXCsquirrel: 1mm washers under the caliper usually works.
  • 1 0
 @poleczechy: I have a 161. Which specific rotors did you go with? Did you size up?
  • 3 0
 @crazyXCsquirrel: Their 203 and 223 will work
  • 6 0
 I just put on 203 Galfer rotors and MTX red pads and it is magical
  • 1 0
 @Frank191: Do you prefer MTX red to gold? Just curious - no puns involved.
  • 4 0
 @jpat22: I sized up, so that was the main increase in performance gainz, I am ~210lbs so having 223/203 rotors really helped eliminate a lot of arm pump since I dont need to get on the brakes as hard. I broke my elbow in May so it's taken a while to get full strength back and but I'd imagine the arm pump would have been more apparent on the smaller stock rotors.
  • 2 0
 @thenotoriousmic: they just work all the time,, they do not fade, they are quiet, they stay in true so much better them my sram rotors, I was constantly having to straighten sram rotors. And the stopping power difference in noticeable.
  • 3 0
 @haen: Yep 223 up front and 203 out back 2.0mm thick. I needed to add a washers at the back mounting point in the rear since it was making minor contact to the caliper body, but I'm loving the bigger size rotors.
  • 1 0
 @cmoney23: I’m still running the same centre lines I bought on dh bike in 2015 so I can’t really complain but do agree they need straightening a lot but I’ve found that to be the case with all rotors. These look great though and super cheap in the uk compared to centre line / ice techs. I’ll definitely pick some up and they look cool also which is always a bonus.
  • 2 1
 @poleczechy: You have to use the proper adapter mate. Adding a washer that is not perfectly flat will mess up the parallel alignment between the caliper and the rotor and will shift your braking zone but the 2mm thick Galfers are really a killer
  • 8 0
 @Bobanek: love it when an American calls someone mate.
  • 2 0
 @thenotoriousmic: too many Brits in my life I guess
  • 1 0
 @poleczechy: ha funny , same here with the washers and 161 .
I am running 223 front and back with 2.2 thick brakestuff 130€ rotors
I never thought I buy a rotor who is that expensive, well it matches the Direttissima. I have almost no space for that thickness. Only a fraction of light is shining through now.
  • 1 0
 @Bobanek: I guess you don't ride the 161. Did you notice that some dudes wrote the same thing here?
My front an rear adapter is the same Galver adapter. Same disc size, same PM mount on the frame and Fork. Yet the rear needs a washer. How can that be?
  • 1 0
 @suspended-flesh: I have not tried the gold yet but the red are much better than the metal shimano pads
  • 3 0
 @suspended-flesh: I’m a gold man myself. I run them in Hayes dominion with galfer 223 rotor on the front of my long travel bike (200 rear). Dominion with reds and 200/180 on my trail bike. Neither have worn much despite many thousands of kms over the last 18 months. If golds didn’t exist, I would be happy with the reds. For the next change, I have golds for both bikes, and a sram 220 for the trail bike.
  • 1 0
 @Bobanek: the way SRAM sells brake adapters, you always end up with spacers, bolts, and washers you don't need. Those extra washers work perfectly fine to space a caliper to fit a 203 rotor. If you build up your own bikes and keep extra parts, you don't even need to make a trip to the hardware store.
  • 1 0
 @suspended-flesh: i've got gold on the big bike and red on the trail bike and could not be happier. way better than any OEM or other aftermarket pads I've tried, including galfer.
  • 1 0
 @dancingwithmyself: very true, this is why i have a box of adapter however over the years the calipers have became bigger . I run Magura MT7 and initially had them on filed Shimano adapter( to clear the caliper). so the connection section was thinned out like down to 30% of the original thickness in order to fit the front caliper. What I noticed is some resonances under heavy breaking. I run Maguras storm rotors 203 front and out back and until I put the magura adapters it was pain in the a** to adjust the caliper clearance. With new adapters those calipers just fit right out of the bat and surprisingly I got rid of this resonance. Granted all bolt were tighten to 5Nm as specified.
  • 1 0
 @Serpentras: Well mate adapter shall fit the specific caliper for the corresponding size of the disk. I assume that if I spent $800 on brakes and rotors 30 bucks for adapters will not brake the budget.
What rear caliper, rotor and type of mount do you have ?
  • 1 0
 @crazyXCsquirrel: Well... I just got a 223mm Galfer w/ a NSBillet 23mm spacer for my Range so your prayers have been answered!
  • 1 0
 @Bobanek: You should already know it by now. The Privateer 161 got Direct 180mm Post Mount.
I actually could not get any other +43mm adapters when I got my Discs.
Now the Trickstuff adapter is on the shelf again and yeah that is 30 € for one adapter. By the way the brakes without the cheap adapters will be more then 1000USD by now with those discs.
However I dont think that Galfer did a bad job with it that.
  • 16 4
 All these years and all that money spent on fancy R&D labs, and it takes them this long to figure out a 2 mm rotor works better than 1.8mm? Good job these guys don't work in F1 or NASA... At least there is now another option to try with my Shiguras than the already excellent Storm HC's...having said that they are twice the price for a bit of 'cooling paint'...Think I'll pass. So there we have it guys SRAM approves 2 mm thick rotors with your CODES, so now you can go out and buy a pair of Stoem HC's at half the cost!!!
  • 2 0
 I've been using 2.0 Galfers with my shiguras and they work well.
  • 19 3
 Trp stays winning
  • 9 0
 I saw this specd on the top spec megatower a month or so ago. I googled it and found sram's 2022 catalogue. The cat was already out of the bag. I've been using the Galfer 2mm 203 for months. Solid and about the same price. I'll try these, though. The 2mm rotors are nice but can take an extra 5 min to get everything aligned. The tolerances are TIGHT!
  • 4 0
 Galfers are lighter tough, because they have big cutouts
  • 2 1
 Hopefully we'll see calipers made with thicker rotors in mind from SRAM (and maybe even Shimano if they go thicker too) in the near future to help with the alignment.
  • 5 0
 @NickBosshard: like Hope V4s?
  • 2 0
 @erikkellison: Yeah I doubt these are as good as the Hope vented rotors.
  • 13 0
 New rotors, with 7% more brake rub!
  • 9 1
 I was thinking the same thing. I dont care about thicker rotors. I want calipers whose pistons are consistently moving out and retracting the way they should be. Something my Guides do not.
  • 2 6
flag Bobanek (Sep 1, 2021 at 13:35) (Below Threshold)
 @jmhills: Get Maguras with the magnetic retraction and you will never put back SRAM
  • 6 0
 @Bobanek: it’s not the pad’s attachment to the piston that is the issue, it’s the piston movement itself. If the piston doesn’t retract, it doesn’t matter how much the pad is stuck to the piston.
  • 1 0
 @erikkellison: Agree, then you need to reset the pistons and push them way back in block with plastic block + some shims since the supplied by sram adjuster is for 1.8mm rotors and new SRAM pads . SRAM got a procedure on their web page, also bleed all air. I adjusted 2mm rotor on a SRAM Level ultimate and have to do exactly this. Nevertheless I have been generally disappointed with SRAM brakes over the years and prefer to avoid them. Saying that they will be fine for 90% of the riders out there and probably 10% or the folks in this forum.
Cheers
  • 1 0
 @Bobanek: i find if you reset the pistons +- every time you swap pads it works about right. The front ones tend to need it more often (more heat i guess). I service a few bikes for a group of friends and they're all guide or codes (the codes are noticeably better).

I've been thinking of swapping mine for mt7's for a while, though tbh the sram brakes work well enough most of the time, so while not perfect, its hard to justify.
  • 8 0
 A head to head scientific lab comparison between these and the Shimano Freeza rotors would be brilliant, who wins the battle of the cooling, also weight and power comparisons to add to the fight.
  • 4 2
 s3.amazonaws.com/www.bikerumor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/30105205/shimano-brake-rotor-heat-dissipation-graph.jpg

From Shimano themselves (so not independently verified) but seems to run 150C cooler than SRAM.
  • 3 0
 @JamieMcL: Typical marketing material though, notice how the pink line they are measuring from is above 500C so they could be being sneaky with the scale and looks like its just over but is actually quite a bit over the 500.
  • 2 1
 Does anyone know if Shimano has patents on their stuff? Seems like a no brainer to run finned rotors.
  • 4 1
 The shimanos initially get hotter because aluminium has only 1/3rd of the heat capacity
  • 2 0
 @SickEdit: good for metallic pads then?
  • 4 0
 @hamncheez: the ice tech rotors are a steel aluminium steel sandwich. Much more expensive than a single bit of stamped steel.
  • 6 0
 @SickEdit: also worth noting these thicker Sram rotors are 34g (20%) heavier than Shimano's freeza rotors in the same 200mm 6 bolt size, less thermal mass but if the aluminium core and fins keep them cooler and lighter then surely win win, 34g might not seem like much but it's all unsprung rotating mass and every little helps.
  • 2 0
 @mountainsofsussex: Ok, why not stamped steel rotors with steel fins? Since we're already ignoring weight weinnies (I cant spell) with the step up in rotor thickness.

Two piece rotors are also popular, and not that much more $ than single stamped steel. Surely those could be made such that the steel/aluminum interface has more overlap and thermal conductivity?
  • 4 0
 @hamncheez: Galfer already have steel rotors with what look like shark teeth on the inside. I suspect we're effectively over paying for most plain stamped rotors relative to the multi material ones. I of course have no evidence for that!!!
  • 10 0
 @mountainsofsussex: I think we’re getting ripped off no matter what rotors we’re buying.
  • 3 0
 @xxinsert-name-herexx: Ha, see @m1dg3t 's comment below
  • 1 0
 @hamncheez: The aluminum has a higher thermal conductivity so it essentially spreads the heat out and uses the fins more efficiently.
Using the aluminum spider instead of fins is a great idea, but there's no way to transfer heat to it since the steel/aluminum interface has to be loose enough to account for the different thermal expansions of both materials. If it was tight enough to allow for good heat flow, then the rotor would warp excessively when heated.
  • 1 0
 @kylenetkyleo: Have the steel sit in an aluminum slot, sandwiched on either side? IDK just thinking aloud here
  • 1 0
 @hamncheez: You'd have to have a large surface area and very tight tolerances to get any useful heat flow. Any mud or dirt in it would basically ruin the thermal path. You could use the regular bolts on the spider and throw on some short heat straps (flexible copper connectors), but that would just add weight, complexity, and cost for probably negligible benefit.
  • 3 0
 @kylenetkyleo: Computer thermal paste!

Vapor chambers!
  • 1 0
 @xxinsert-name-herexx: yeah, I have no idea how a bit of stamped steel costs £30+
  • 1 0
 Hayes 200 (or maybe 203, I can’t remember) on the front of my trail bike normally. For the last couple of weeks (about 190km) I’ve been running my Mrs front wheel with 200/3 shimano ice tech. I’ve been thoroughly impressed by the performance of the ice tech rotors. They’re definitely better than the normal Hayes rotors. The price delta is significant between them, and 220/3 rotors are starting to appear at more affordable prices.

I would be happy if my next bike came with ice tech, but I’m not sure I would buy them when I can get a 220/3 rotor that performs better than an ice tech 200/3. An ice tech 220/3, now that would be of interest for me. I would be running a galfer 246mm disc on my long travel bike if it wasn’t so ridiculously expensive.
  • 1 0
 @mountainsofsussex: It's stainless steel to start, then laser cutting, heat treating and don't forget to pay for the designers, then add packaging, storage, distribution, tax and it's unfortunatly not hard to see why.
  • 1 0
 @hamncheez: Centerline X 2 piece works the same (except no fins but thats only a 10C diff according to shimano). Basically the center part is made of thicker material which can absord more heat quicker.
  • 10 0
 still got nothing on hopes vented v4 at 3mm :L
  • 2 0
 Ya, they aren't even close.... on pricing, that is.
  • 9 0
 How does making them thicker improve heat dissipation?

It increases thermal mass, yes - but cooling? negligible surely..
  • 6 0
 I'd love to hear how exactly this repeated claim actually works. Other benefits, sure... but heat dissipation without additional surface area? Not buying it.
  • 5 1
 Takes longer to heat up but will also take longer to cool down.
  • 5 0
 @mtb-scotland: Yes exactly. A greater thermal mass results in a smaller temperature rise for a given energy input, however with the minimal increase in surface area it will take longer to dissipate the same energy (which to be honest the graph shows quite nicely, its just described incorrectly in the article).

I guess the question is, is that what you want from your rotor? There is a balance between thermal mass and cooling efficiency to be struck. Is it better to have a disc that heats up slower but also cools slower, or a disc that will still stop you for a big stop, will get hotter but will also cool faster between stops. It's a balance car manufacturers have been tweaking for years.
  • 1 0
 @eddieantifreeze: cooling more slowly does have its advantages though
  • 1 0
 The graph confuses me. The steady state temp is lower than the old rotor (indicating it dissipates faster), but the slope of the curve at the end shows it cools down slower.
  • 2 0
 @JohanG: Think of cooking with cast iron versus the cheap lightweight non-stick pans, the heavy cast iron takes longer to warm up, distributes the heat more evenly and takes longer to cool off when removed from the heat.
  • 11 2
 yea but they don't LOOK as cool as shimanos...
  • 1 0
 +1.
  • 9 1
 Trickstuff or galfer rotors. Miles better than anyone else
  • 18 0
 Kilometers better in some countries
  • 2 0
 @galferusa: lol! Indeed. 223mm galfer rotor is dreamy
  • 1 0
 @galferusa: Why are the 246mm's som much more expensive than the 223's ?
  • 4 0
 Magura have had 2mm thick rotors for quite some time.I have talked to one of their principle engineering application folks and he claims that the thickness of the Magura rotors have been driven by worst case analysts point of view rather than thermal design . Under certain condition the 2mm thickness prevent rotor warping for rotors larger than 160mm. Thermal is added bonus but primary reason for 2mm specification is safety. On another subject he mentioned that the Magura rotors are produced by Galpher.
Hence it will be only matter of time for SRAM and Shimano to move to 2mm on teh lower cost single piece rotors . I suspect that floating rotors have higher rigidity of the inside holding "star" but ta the end of the day they shall be unified to 2mm as well.
  • 3 0
 Been running TRP 2.3mm 203 front rotor and 1.8 203 rear rotor with Magura MT7 brakes for 3 years. These brakes never fade and are incredibly powerful, great modulation also and adjustment with HC3 levers, they are really great. If it wasn't for the possibility of the composite master cylinder that can break so easily I would say they are nearly perfect. I intend to try XTR Servowave master cylinders with solid Flo Motorsports alloy levers (thin Shimano lever has a breaking problem too) and my Magura Calipers for the Shigura setup and now I definitely have to add Sram Rotors to the list of things to try in the pursuit for the perfect (for me) brakes.
  • 1 0
 I’d be cautious about running those solid lever blades as you may risk snapping the entire lever instead of just the blade.
  • 1 0
 @MaplePanda: I have thought about that but that is the same boat I am currently in. The Shimano body is tougher than the Magura body so I figured the entire system may be more resilient with a combination of benefits from each.
  • 1 0
 @MaplePanda: Also, the Flo levers have a spring so they can fold backward in a wreck.
  • 7 1
 There must be something wrong with my eyes. I'm seeing $65 tag for a painted piece of steel.
  • 4 1
 If it's one thing in Mountain Bike world that has never been perfected it is the disc brake. Through all the years and every different bike I have owned with different manufacturers of brake there has never been a brake system that I have been truly happy with. Even paying a fortune for the 'Next best thing' brake upgrade I've never found the perfect brake. There is always some niggles or issue. Yet every time in all weather's whenever I press my brake on my car it stops perfectly every time. Instead of selling fads like Mullets we will be far better off with the industry just sorting brakes out once and for all. They've had long enough!
  • 5 2
 Gimme a farkin brake man!! Next we sweatin details on shim stacks. Friggin motards. Schmokem brakes hot an piss on em to get home. Else buy you a ktm. Change a tire on a moto with buddy swattn flies n skeeters with a tennis racket... Then spit junk about rotor width meanwhile im cruisin down mainstreet with a e motor to the bar. Runnin stop signs like the cars do. No hate, just Get a moto and quit f***in around.
  • 1 0
 nice
  • 3 0
 @mikekazimer will u read this on the next pod plz
  • 6 0
 Screw this. 1.5mm for life, brah.
  • 6 0
 Guess TRP has been onto something all along!
  • 4 0
 Yeah they started this "new standard" way back. All of their brakes are actually made for thicker rotors too so there is way better pad clearance.
  • 2 0
 It appears that the Centerline only falls behind at the 100 second mark, but it cools faster than the new rotor. So there would be an advantage only on specific courses for the heavier rotor. For courses that are mild to medium braking, the older rotor would spend more time being cooler.
  • 4 0
 Are they still compatible with all the brakes that too the previous rotors?
  • 3 1
 Just here to say that it's 2021, and we have beautiful calipers, squeezing beautiful rotors, while being perched on top of the butt-ugliest adapters. I mean, look at that last picture! Clunky hardware, chunky adapter.....
  • 2 0
 Can I use them with Zee brakes? I'd like to use thicker rotors there as slight rotor/pad wear makes them feels spongy when the lever is in the closest position to the handlebars. Don't know if 2mm wouldn't cause any rub.
  • 4 0
 Using galfer 233 mm / 2 mm thick rotors and they took ages to set up on my saints. Not convinced they are any better than the ice-tech they replaced.
  • 2 0
 I use 2mm thick Magura storm HC’s with deore brakes. No rubbing.
  • 1 0
 Yes, if there is enough clearance in the caliper . Sponginess though is a matter of bleeding . You will also have to reset the pads . A friend of mine runs Gallfer ( 2mm thick rotors) with some 4 pot Shimano XT without any issues, consider that though he has Swissstop pads .
From what is recommended by Galfer you can run even 2.3mm thick rotors
galferusa.com/bike/products/rotors?vtype=bicycle&vmake=shimano&vmodel=saint-br-m820&vyear=all

cheers
  • 1 0
 So, Sram have tested other company brakes and enjoyed? When shimano will join the thicker group?

Also, new thicker rotors will make me buy new calipers when the time comes, or older brakes will handle these thicker rotors?

Can I install these 2mm thick rotors on my deore brakes?
  • 2 0
 I used 2 mm Magura rotors with Shimano Deore and there were no problems. Felt fantastic actually.
  • 1 0
 @iamamodel: Thank you! I'm looking forward to do the same!
  • 3 0
 Subscriber funded testing lab needed to see whether these or shimano ice-tech ones make any real world difference
  • 4 0
 Now they can release a whole new range of brakes that are 0.5mm wider.
  • 3 0
 If the special gray paint aids in cooling, why use it on only half the arms?
  • 7 1
 perhaps because it's BS?
  • 2 0
 @VtVolk: Half as much to warranty when it inevitably peels off?
  • 3 1
 still crap. it seems no one can make a decent freaking rotor. 2008 shimanos were the only nice ones, many small holes that cover the entire pad surface is how it's done.
  • 4 0
 The current 220mm SRAM centerline rotors are already 2.0mm thick.
  • 1 0
 I was thinking just that. Part of the reason thicker feels better is because the caliper pistons are pushed further back, so not as much fluid so not as squishy.
  • 1 0
 Hahahahaaa.... It's already a mind scramble to get a Guide version 1 and G2 to not rub on a normal basis. Thicker is gonna be craziness. Though, pretty stoked the throw will be closer.
  • 3 1
 Call me when they'll get Dub rotors with 28.99% of increased power please !
  • 3 1
 I love how whenever Shimano has a new product drop the succeeding day Sram is like... we want to be front page news worthy.
  • 1 1
 to be honest my stock centerline rotors from SRAM are 2 mm thick based on amazon digital gauge tool, and based on graph the difference in neglect-able unless you are going down fire rode for 40 miles in a row
  • 1 1
 So, a reduction of 0.15mm of brake pads so you can wear them out faster and so you can buy more of their brake pads in one season! Nice marketing SRAM! You had me with the metric system changeover.
  • 1 0
 Uh no. They fit in the same stuff that the old rotors did.
  • 2 0
 I'm a fan of the cutout style, lots of braking surface and no big holes to cause pulsing! Nicely done Sram!
  • 2 0
 Will there be a 2-piece option?
  • 1 0
 Is that chart for real?! A mountain bike brake rotor gets to 1000 degrees (freedom units)...???
  • 5 0
 If you want to see how hot you can make a rotor.....
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_s89mGxn_E&ab_channel=GalferUSA
  • 3 2
 ZTTO rotors to rescue my wallet:

www.aliexpress.com/item/32966272096.html
  • 2 0
 Out of all the places to skimp...
  • 7 0
 @cogsci: a piece of stamped steel is probably a great place
  • 1 3
 So they'll stop better until they wear down, still do the SRAM gobble. I guess it's an iterative improvement, but when other companies rotors are quieter and work well, I don't understand why SRAM can't/wont eliminate the noise.
  • 5 0
 I keep hearing this but I haven't had SRAM gobble since my Juicy's. I've run Levels, G2's and Codes. All silent. Are you speaking from experience or repeating what you read?
  • 2 1
 @JDUBKC: my xp w/ brake squeal (shimano, sram & hays):

All start quiet then start to squeal after some hard breaking events that heat the rotor up changing color. Warping never seamed to cause squeal (just brake rub when brakes not applied - PITA) - always the case hardened rotor.

I always take a flapper wheel on a dremel & clean off the blue crust to shiny metal. Also sand the pads down. Always quiet again after.

Should mention I never have run composite pads - only sintered metal.
  • 1 0
 @JDUBKC: quiet until they overheat in my experience, but that was end of the day and I was exhausted and just didn’t have the energy to get off the brakes and ride normally. Only happened the one time, normal trail riding and bike park days have been perfectly quiet.
  • 2 0
 Yay, they are now playing with octaves for the brake squeal.
  • 1 0
 Is the Sram howl from the pads or the rotors? Are after market pads quieter?
  • 1 0
 Brake rotors will allways be more exciting than anything wireless for my bike.
  • 1 0
 This thread has become the Dominion of Outdoor and will soon be paywalled? Smile
  • 1 0
 Late to the party on this, but put a set on and it made the bite point of my G2s much, much better.
  • 1 0
 Crisper feel...maybe Shimano lovers could get behind this Smile
  • 1 0
 I'm amazed SRAM are offering centerlock versions... wacky.
  • 1 0
 My Switchblade came with centerlock so I believe they exist even in the older rotors
  • 1 0
 @Handsomehwang: Wow, had no idea that SRAM ever did centerlock.
  • 1 0
 Available in 2023 probably?
  • 1 0
 “That’s what she said”
  • 1 0
 thick rotors equal brake rub.
  • 1 0
 Not necessarily. The TRP stuff was done with intention.
  • 1 0
 @onemanarmy: ya I get that but replacing rotors with thicker ones never worked for me I tried them twice and I had to adjust them every few weeks as the pads wore and the calibers settle.
  • 2 3
 Funny how all the reviews say that Code's have plenty of power and the you read articles like this where they say in a backhanded way that they are down on power.
  • 2 0
 They could use more power and I’m stoked that Cascade has the answer with new calipers coming out!

But everything else about Code RSCs is primo! And they COULD use more power… they don’t necessarily need more. But I’d take it. That being said, solid power, great adjustability, easy to bleed. They are sweet!
  • 1 2
 @stormracing: yeah, overpriced, heavy and weak
  • 1 0
 @kyytaM: to each their own. Work solid for me! And will only get better with the new cascade calipers
  • 1 0
 it could vary a ton from brake to brake even same brand/model. My Code R are not working really well,some others I touch are wonderful. I have the same setup than a buddy on his bike and his brakes feels and works amazing and my brakes are like wood.In the other hand,my old bike had SLX brakes and they worked flawless,no bite point wonder for 4 years. I would said Code´s are like old XT/SLX in terms of power,but SRAM brake pads are way worst than shimano.
  • 1 0
 The G2 series really need the braking support.
  • 1 0
 I guess I'll try these when my centerline rotors wear out.
  • 1 0
 I assume they are compatible with resin and sintered pads?
  • 1 0
 That’s what she said……
  • 1 0
 tested on a 'full power e-mtb' whatever that means
  • 1 0
 f*cking centrelock for the win……oh wait a minute
  • 1 0
 They're kind of... bland looking but at least they're not Centrelines.
  • 1 1
 So will these attract the same types of turkeys? The article is a little vague
  • 1 0
 Someone knows the maximum thickness of disc on Shimano callipers, please?
  • 1 0
 There's Magura MDR-P, so ...
  • 1 0
 Seems like you're all speaking in codes
  • 2 4
 Every set of brakes I've had on every bike at some point start rubbing and its a PITA to stop. Less pad clearance = a no go for me. Sorry SRAM.
  • 1 0
 THICC
  • 1 0
 Yes please.
  • 1 0
 Wireless Rotors
  • 1 0
 Looks like avid g3.
  • 1 0
 Available 2023.
  • 4 5
 SRAM have new rotors - discuss….
  • 3 0
 ok
  • 4 7
 Still as basic looking as cheap Amazon rotors. They definitely weren't going for "sexy" as Shimano does.
  • 10 2
 I kinda feel the opposite. I think my XT Icetech rotors look chunky and bloated. These look sleek.
  • 1 4
 of just buy any Shimano brake, add in cooling pads w Ice Tech rotors and boom... stopping power... just saying
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