Please learn me on disc rotors

[Dave]

Campy/Fulcrum wheels all use the center lock that requires the larger diameter BB tool. It seems to work just fine. 160mm rotors will dissipate heat better and have more stopping leverage. 160 front and rear is now common on new road bikes.

I use Juin-Tech hydraulic/mechanical calipers that require 160 front and rear. This is my first disc bike and I chose Campy rotors. I accidentally bought a 140 for the rear, but I can't use it, so it's for sale on ebay.

The Campy rotors run extremely true. I've measured 0.002 inch runout.

[PacNW2Ford]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Until you come across ANOTHER rotor lockring/axle 'standard'...and ya can't either get the thing on and tight or off...VS an allen wrench or a torx...

Ha ha, this. I just had to buy another “bottom bracket” tool because the one I have wasn’t deep enough to clear the rear thru-axle to tighten an externally notched disc lock ring on my new wheels.

[joevers]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Until you come across ANOTHER rotor lockring/axle 'standard'...and ya can't either get the thing on and tight or off...VS an allen wrench or a torx...

I've seen plenty of seized, stipped, and snapped torx bolts and never had a centerlock lockring give me the slightest bit of trouble. Also not really sure what you mean by yet another rotor lockring standard. As far as I've seen there's 2, and they both use the same tool I always have at arms reach from Feedback https://www.feedbacksports.com/produ...ssette-wrench/

[Hellgate]

Originally Posted by slambers3

When I was young and wrenching a lot in the early 2000s, 6 bolt was standard. I used to hate those shallow little torx heads that always seemed to have just a little bit too much loctite on the threads.

Every disc bike I’ve owned has been CL and I wouldn’t go back, even if you swapped all of my gear out for top of the line stuff.

This. Same issue with motorcycles too. I can't tell you how many times I've have to drill the head off a bolt to remove a rotor.

IF I owned a disc bicycle it would be center lock.

To help mitigate the "new" tool issue, stick with the big brands, like Campy, of course.

[Applesauce]

Originally Posted by NHAero

Slightly lighter and better looking too...

Ditto on that. MT800 all the way. And they’re exactly the same weight as XTR - XTR gets you black cooling vanes in the middle, but that’s it. (For the record, I’m not a Shimano brake fan. But their rotor are more betterer than all the others.)

I’d like to meet the professional mechanic who doesn’t prefer CL in all applications. Especially if you travel, 6B can’t hold a candle to the practicality of CL. It’s a no-brainer on a road bike, where CL hub and rotor selections are diverse and broadly excellent.

[Davist]

chiming in for centerlock as well.. what's the downside of using the freehub lockring (I had the tool, since forever, so that's what I use) vs the BB one?

[Jaybee]

Unless you already have 6-bolt hubs, there's no good reason not to go CL. If you do have the 6-bolt already, then I don't think I would ditch it just to be CL.

Maybe, maybe.... Field repairs would be possible on a 6-bolt since your multitool probably has a T25 in it. But I've never had to remove a rotor in the field. And it would be hard to generate enough torque to do so with most multi-tools.

[kppolich]

Originally Posted by Davist

chiming in for centerlock as well.. what's the downside of using the freehub lockring (I had the tool, since forever, so that's what I use) vs the BB one?

Bigger end caps can have interference with the cassette locking style lockings.
The larger, BB style have a much larger opening in the center for the end cap.

Example: DT240 15mm to 12mm end cap won't let me get all the way in with the cassette tool. Yes, it's tight, but not a good experience.
Pics:


That wouldn't be an issue with this style:

[Davist]

thanks makes sense, but I haven't personally run into this as a concern, as I'm all 12mm right now...

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by cabriggs

This might be considered not quite on topic but it's related to the original question and it's something I've wondered about.

I've seen cases where the 6-bolt hubs have wider flange spacing and taller flanges than the CL versions. Do wider & taller flanges make for stronger wheels, weaker wheels, or is the difference negligible?

Thanks.

As you point out, ISO 6 bolt hubs usually have larger diameter flanges (at least on the rotor side) than Centerlock, and as you've probably surmised, this is primarily to allow clearance to thread the spokes over the larger diameter rotor mount. The larger flange has little affect on wheel performance. If anything, it might slightly increase the tendency for spokes to break at the threads, due to the slightly greater angle that the spokes enter the rim.*

As far as flange offset, there's no reason that the type of disc mounting system should have any affect here - the limiting factor for flange offset is clearance between the spokes and the caliper.

*In the olden days, it was not uncommon for hubs to be available in high and low flange versions. It was believed by some that high flange hubs made wheels stiffer and stronger. But now we know that neither is really true, and that flanges that are too large can decrease wheel reliability due to increasing the spoke bend at the threads. Flange diameters today are generally designed to be only as large as necessary to clear other hub design features (bearings, freehub pawls, disk mounts), and to have sufficient amount of material between spoke holes for flange strength (this becomes more of an issue as the number of spoke holes increase).

[kppolich]

Originally Posted by Davist

thanks makes sense, but I haven't personally run into this as a concern, as I'm all 12mm right now...

Those are 12mm end caps, however the have a taper from the original 15mm that was used on some DT240 CL hubs. Still works, just wish I had a little more room to full slide the locking tool in. I suppose I could machine the end cap down a bit closer to the taper (under the locking), but it's fine for now.

I too have only 12mm and only the free hub locking type wheels/bikes in the house. This is the only single wheel that has an issue.

-KP

[Chris(NJ)]

Originally Posted by Dude

Centerlock is the way to go because dealing with six bolts is stupid.

You mean to tell me you don't like having 6 individual chances to strip or break a bolt head?!

[RudAwkning]

Something to be aware of is that Shimano does their centerlock lockrings in both alloy and steel depending on the grade of rotor you purhcase. You can potentially overtorque the steel centerlock lockring and strip your alloy CL hub. That's a one way trip.

[cabriggs]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

As you point out, ISO 6 bolt hubs usually have larger diameter flanges (at least on the rotor side) than Centerlock, and as you've probably surmised, this is primarily to allow clearance to thread the spokes over the larger diameter rotor mount. The larger flange has little affect on wheel performance. If anything, it might slightly increase the tendency for spokes to break at the threads, due to the slightly greater angle that the spokes enter the rim.*

As far as flange offset, there's no reason that the type of disc mounting system should have any affect here - the limiting factor for flange offset is clearance between the spokes and the caliper.

*In the olden days, it was not uncommon for hubs to be available in high and low flange versions. It was believed by some that high flange hubs made wheels stiffer and stronger. But now we know that neither is really true, and that flanges that are too large can decrease wheel reliability due to increasing the spoke bend at the threads. Flange diameters today are generally designed to be only as large as necessary to clear other hub design features (bearings, freehub pawls, disk mounts), and to have sufficient amount of material between spoke holes for flange strength (this becomes more of an issue as the number of spoke holes increase).

Thanks a lot for the info.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by joevers

I've seen plenty of seized, stipped, and snapped torx bolts and never had a centerlock lockring give me the slightest bit of trouble. Also not really sure what you mean by yet another rotor lockring standard. As far as I've seen there's 2, and they both use the same tool I always have at arms reach from Feedback https://www.feedbacksports.com/produ...ssette-wrench/

Ha ha, this. I just had to buy another “bottom bracket” tool because the one I have wasn’t deep enough to clear the rear thru-axle to tighten an externally notched disc lock ring on my new wheels.