Hydraulic disc brakes and breakdowns

First of all... happy New Year! Wishing you great roads in 2017! I’ve been traveling for a few years now with a high-quality mountain bike, but it’s equipped with hydraulic disc brakes. I live (pedal) with the constant worry of a breakdown (leak, air bubble, heat causing the fluid to...). My bike mechanic tells me it’s impossible to switch them out for V-brakes. What do you all think? Am I taking a big risk continuing (alone) with these brakes? Thanks in advance for your great tips!

You can always install cable disc brakes.

Happy New Year to you too! We’ve had hydraulic brakes on our tandem for eight years now—never had a breakdown, even though we’ve descended cols with panniers and a trailer. Just remember to bleed or even flush the oil every now and then. But we always do that before a trip, and a bike mechanic handles it. Check out our site for more: http://tandamour.e-monsite.com/

Ah! Thanks a million, you’ve put my mind at ease! I’ll check out your site. Thanks! !

I bought a second-hand KTM bike on LBC—it was about ten years old. Since then, I’ve ridden over 15,000 km. As a precaution, I picked up a bleed kit for any potential repairs. In the end, I never had to touch the Magura Hs11 hydraulic rim brakes.

That’s a great idea! I’ll talk to my bike shop about it—maybe bring something to convert hydraulic brakes to cable brakes if needed. A2Cmieu’s reply reassured me too. It’s true that you can find recent touring bike models equipped with hydraulic brakes these days. Thanks, friends! I’m already less worried about my solo trip through the Peloponnese, Albania, etc. While I’m at it, another concern… Do you bring a spare tire? I’ve got Marathon Schwalbe tires, so they’re tough, but I’ve read stories of blowouts… Even in Europe, there are remote spots where you can’t find repair or replacement parts. You’ll probably say that with rice powder, mascara, two mirrors (in case one breaks), an evening dress (for the dance halls in Albania), skis (for the mountains in Greece), and my cat, I’m not exactly counting grams anymore—and I can totally bring a little spare tire!

Ah, yes, good idea with the bleed kit! I'm making progress thanks to you and feeling more confident! Thanks, thanks.

That’s a great idea! I’ll talk to my bike shop about it—maybe bring something to convert hydraulic brakes to cable brakes if needed? A2Cmieu’s reply reassured me too. It’s true that you can find recent touring bike models equipped with hydraulic brakes on the market. Thanks, friends! I’m already less worried about my solo trip through the Peloponnese, Albania, etc. While I’m at it, another concern... Do you bring a spare tire? I’ve got Marathon Schwalbe tires, so they’re tough, but I’ve read stories of blowouts... Even in Europe, there are remote spots where you can’t find repair or replacement parts. You’ll tell me that with rice powder, mascara, two mirrors (in case one breaks), an evening dress (for Albanian dance halls), skis (for the Greek mountains), and my cat, I’m not exactly counting grams anymore—and I might as well throw in a spare tire! 😄

You’re not bringing your fridge? More seriously, there are foldable-bead tires that fit in a pannier—we do that. Schwalbe makes them, pricier than rigid ones, but good prep.

What brand are your brakes? We can help you find the right kit, along with detailed instructions for bleeding and adjusting them... If it's Magura, their website is really well done.

Hi Hélène,

Hydraulic disc brakes are now completely reliable. The only risk would be damaging a hose and having a leak, but if you protect them well during transport, there’s no reason that should happen. If it did, the chance of both brakes failing at the same time is highly unlikely. If one brake gives out, you could still continue your journey calmly to the next bike repair shop. These days, there’s no country in Europe where you can’t get this kind of issue fixed.

We make a "mountain" out of hydraulics, but it’s just oil in a sealed tube instead of a cable in a sheath. If the system is checked and maintained, it’s actually much more reliable than cable technology.

Taking a spare cable brake would mean bringing a caliper, a cable and its sheath, as well as a brake lever.

As for tires, personally, for a long trip, I set off with new tires for peace of mind. The option of carrying a spare folding tire in a pannier is possible, but again, in Europe, you can find tires everywhere...

Hi there.

Hydraulic brakes are super reliable—way more than cables—but like any brake system, it's good to carry a few spare parts.

I’d pack:

Bleed kit for your brake brand Rear hose the same length as yours, with fittings Set of brake pads Maybe a few spare bolts.

Everything’s small and lightweight.

Learn how to bleed your brakes and change your pads—YouTube’s your friend!

If you run into trouble or need to bleed them, you can use vegetable brake fluid instead of the original fluid—like the kind used in (older?) Citroën cars.

Serge

Yeah, it's true that in Europe you can find tires "almost everywhere," but when there’s a tear, it’s good to have a spare. I’m talking about our case with a tandem and trailer—it’s tough to push the whole setup! For brakes, always keep a set of pads in your kit.

Sram brakes. Thanks in advance! Ln

Hmm, not sure if this is clear, but there are 4 types of braking systems: rim brakes: hydraulic or not disc brakes: hydraulic or not. And the secondary ones: putting your foot on the rear tire and backpedaling on single speeds. It's very rare to find frames that let you choose between rim brakes and disc brakes for the same frame. The Surly Ogre, for example:



If you're setting off for roughly 3,000 km, you put on new tires, and if you feel your rear tire is worn, well, you swap it with the front one to finish the trip. Besides, it’s not the end of the world if a tire blows out—you can just buy and fit a lower-quality tire for a few hundred kilometers. Enough time to find a good tire or simply finish the trip.

To wrap up, on rough roads, you’re more likely to bend your wheel than blow a tire. * And that’s where disc brakes really shine compared to rim brakes—you can ride without worry with a slightly bent wheel if you don’t know how to true a rim perfectly.

For me, bringing a bleed kit seems insane for self-supported travel, but hey, everyone carries the cross they choose. I’ve had disc brakes for nearly 10 years from some obscure budget brand, and this summer, I traveled about 4,000 km and only had to make a quick 2-minute adjustment to bring the pads closer as they wore down.

Sram is the brand—next, you’d need the model, which is usually written on the brake levers and/or the brake itself.

That should give us the info unless it’s a model that’s no longer distributed. https://www.sram.com/en

A link that might be useful for you:

SRAM hydraulic specifics DOT 5.1 The system is hydraulic, so it's the fluid flowing inside the cables that, pushed by a master cylinder, controls the caliper. SRAM uses a specific fluid, DOT 5.1, a synthetic oil that withstands high temperatures during powerful braking. In fact, the caliper heats up quickly when in use, and some fluids tend to lose their effectiveness at high temperatures. Read the practical guide: Bike hydraulic brakes: The fluids In theory, SRAM found that DOT 5.1 takes twice as long to reach the boiling point compared to DOT 4, thus offering superior performance in extreme conditions. For info, DOT 5.1 is highly corrosive and should be wiped off quickly if it gets on a frame or lever. Learn how: How to bleed SRAM hydraulic brakes for road bikes?

Thank you so much for this post. I feel even more reassured about using my brakes in extreme heat now. No need to cross the Atacama—I had almost two weeks at 45°C in Romania last spring! Thanks again! Ln

Hi,

Just a note about Schwalbe and folding-bead tires: there are tons of other options—every manufacturer makes them (Conti, Hutchinson, Clement, etc.). And Schwalbe isn’t necessarily the only or best choice, despite what gets repeated endlessly from forum to forum.

As for folding-bead tires, not only can you fold them and they take up less space in your pannier than rigid ones, but they’re also significantly lighter. Best,

JM

Thanks for the details. Are flexible-bead tires as sturdy as the others (it’s true that everyone says you don’t get flats with Schwalbe!)? Thanks in advance and have a great afternoon.

It's not the flexible or rigid rod that determines a tire's durability. It's the quality of the rubber and/or an internal protective strip, for example, or even the thickness of the tread that will determine whether a "foreign object" punctures the tire or not. Swabble chose to make very thick tires, so they rarely puncture and last a long time. The downside is that they're very heavy, which has an extremely negative impact on the bike's efficiency. In short: poor efficiency but excellent durability.

Other brands opt for a Kevlar protective strip, so the tire stays light but resists punctures well. Downside: it's often more expensive. As always, the question is finding the right balance between your desires, your needs, and your wallet!

Hi Hélène, All the best for 2017! Sorry if I’m partly to blame for your "spellbinding" question, but those brake "blowouts" were in the Alps and Laos—and the Atacama is yours whenever you want in 2018 for the Pasos Agua Negra and San Francisco, with or without disc brakes ;). Safe travels in the Balkans and Rroftë Shqipëri! Luc

Hi there,

Just a little tip.

I’m chiming in years later—sorry about that—I just read this today. But still a seasoned traveler!

I left without a bleed kit and had a real hassle.

Headed to a pharmacy, got 2 big syringes, needles, and catheters. Then used organic olive oil instead of some impossible-to-find liquid. I spilled some on the ground—no big deal, unlike the original oil, it doesn’t pollute.

Result: bleed went fine, braking was perfect (works in summer, but of course, if it’s really cold, don’t use olive oil). FYI, the boiling point is around 300°C—just as good as the best mineral oils (which are polluting). Min temp: -3°C.

Hi there.

That’s a great tip, thanks so much! Where I’m going, coconut oil is easier to find, so I’ll try it on an old brake to see how it works.

As for the bleed kit, I’ve got two updates.

Some older Shimano brakes, like the 2003 XT M755s—which still stop really well—have a small cover on the reservoir, so you don’t even need a bleed kit.

You can still find them cheaply on the second-hand market. The ergonomics are old-school (two or three fingers), but for travel, they’re usually perfect.

For other brakes, you can find a small aluminum reservoir with a screw-on lid on AliExpress, plus a rod that screws onto the brake, compatible with Shimano. It works as both an oil container and a bleed funnel.

Coconut oil operating temperatures aren’t ideal because its solidification point is 24°C~26°C, so not great.

FYI:

Comparison of emergency fluids (Mineral System only) FluidSolidification (Freezes)Boiling Point (Smoke Point)Verdict for MTB LHM Plus (Auto)-50°C~250°CThe best (reliable and stable) Rapeseed Oil-10°C~204°CBest emergency fluid Sunflower Oil-17°C~232°CVery good (heat-resistant) Olive Oil+6°C~190°CFair (risk of solidifying) Coconut Oil+24°C~177°C (Virgin)Avoid (solid in the shade) Water0°C100°CDanger (boils too quickly) for DOT systems only

A temporary fix should be very short-term, as there are long-term harmful effects.

A crucial point to watch out for:

Warning: This fix ONLY works if your brakes use mineral oil.

If your MTB uses DOT brake fluid (SRAM, Hope, Formula), putting olive oil in will swell and destroy your EPDM seals in just a few hours. DOT and oil are not chemically compatible at all.

Mineral System (Shimano): Seals made of NBR or Urethane (which like oil). => see vegetable oil table

DOT System (SRAM, Hope, Formula): Seals made of EPDM (Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Monomer). => Water or glycol (yuck)

In an emergency, use water—putting vegetable oil in a system designed for DOT is disastrous.