Need new rotors: Preferences?

[Dr Luxurious]

I need new rotors for my cross bike
160 centerlock
There's like 10^23 options out there now
What's good?
Does it really matter?

[scoobydrew]

Shimano RT800 (Ultegra) and RT900 (Dura-Ace) rotors seem pretty popular, though some aren't fans of how they look. You can sometimes find the Shimano MTB rotors a bit cheaper than the aforementioned road versions and run those. I have Shimano RT-86 (XT level MTB rotors) on my gravel bike.

SRAM Centerline rotors work well too.

[Velocipede]

TRP 25 rotors. For the money, excellent. They aren't over the top like the finned Shimano's. And they come in black. I've put them on more than a few builds.

If you are looking to stick with a specific brand, like Campy for Campy, do that. Campy makes a great rotor. Well, technically it's Magura. But still. Very good.

[Smitty2k1]

I've been trying to find some decent 160mm centerlock rotors for a while now. Seem like there are no deals to be had on the higher end offerings (Shimano 800/900, SRAM Centerline X/XR) and they just seem so damn expensive for a consumable item compared to the $10 budget rotors... maybe the recently announced SRAM Paceline rotors will be able to be had for a reasonable price in the near future.

[dem]

You don't say which calipers you're running.. there's "shimano wide" and "shimano narrow" pads - you can use narrow on wide rotors but shouldn't use wide on narrow.

Personally I just run mid-line Shimano ice tech (XT). I wear them out in 1500-2000 miles so buying XTR/DA seems nuts. :)

[Pinned]

I've been trying to find some decent 160mm centerlock rotors for a while now. Seem like there are no deals to be had on the higher end offerings (Shimano 800/900, SRAM Centerline X/XR) and they just seem so damn expensive for a consumable item compared to the $10 budget rotors... maybe the recently announced SRAM Paceline rotors will be able to be had for a reasonable price in the near future.

SRAM is very good about price protection so you're unlikely to find any deals on anything SRAM.

That said, Shimano's RT-800/900 and MT-800/900 are by far the most reliable options of all the rotors I've used (long lasting / don't bend easily, not noisy, cool quickly and don't make annoying pinging noises when heated up). And they can be had for less than retail. The MT800 is the best value of the lot, IMO.

[vqdriver]

Tbh, you'll probably be happy with most rotors out there that aren't on the fringes of superlightweight or super cheap. I've tried included baseline rotors that warped with moderate braking and squealed or pulsed like crazy. Returned to normal after they cooled down but not ideal. On the flipside, some early lightweight ones had cutouts at odd angles creating their own unique th/th/th/th noises. Dunno of thats still a thing...

most of the mid to high tier sram shimano rotors are good. Hope and magura rotors have also been good to me. Fwiw, I just get the finned xt level now and call it good.

[Smitty2k1]

SRAM is very good about price protection so you're unlikely to find any deals on anything SRAM.

That said, Shimano's RT-800/900 and MT-800/900 are by far the most reliable options of all the rotors I've used (long lasting / don't bend easily, not noisy, cool quickly and don't make annoying pinging noises when heated up). And they can be had for less than retail. The MT800 is the best value of the lot, IMO.

Thanks, ended up pulling the trigger on a pair of MT800 with lockrings on eBay for $75. A bit more than I wanted to spend, but should be solid.

Now if only these damn TRP Spyres would finally arrive from China...