I mountain bike on a rockhopper comp disc 29er - it's the first/only bike I've had with disc brakes so far. I think for the first season or so, it was fine. But after that, I've only been able to ride for about two hours max, and my brakes (BB-5's) are gone. At some point I usually catch that they've started to loosen up and I turn the dial (the one down on the brake mechanism itself - not talking about a barrel adjuster here) a couple notches and that takes care of things for another hour or two of riding.
Other than that, I completely love this bike. I've taken it to two mechanics so far, one of whom is really sharp, but I'm still dealing with this. The bike shop where I bought the bike tightened up my cables when I first started having this problem, which basically bought me a little more time before I run out of clicks on the dial.
I don't know why this is happening. I do use my brakes more than your typical hardcore mountain bike rider (I like to climb hills, but am not crazy about the idea of flying down the other side as fast as the bike will go) - is it likely that I'm just wearing them out really fast? (Well, not *out*. the pads are still good. Wearing them loose I guess I mean.)
I know one other person this happens to, and she's also not a real fast descent type.
It's been suggested that I upgrade to BB-7's. Does anyone here have knowledge of these? Is it likely that the BB-5's just suck and BB-7's will do the trick? (I'm leery of assuming this, because I feel like I'd have heard more people dissing them.) Or is it more likely that my riding style just beats the crap out of the brakes and would stop serving me quickly no matter how far I upgrade?* I'm also looking at a bike with hydraulic disc brakes, so I think it would be great if I could learn what's happening before making a decision. If I'm going to make that bike's brakes suck like I've made this one's, maybe I should change my plans.
*Or some other explanation I haven't thought of?
Thanks for reading.
