Shimano Hydraulic Disc Brake Recommendation For Trek Verve 3
06-22-24, 08:14 PM
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Shimano Hydraulic Disc Brake Recommendation For Trek Verve 3
Hello all, I recently purchased a Trek Verve 3 and like many who bought it, the bike came with the substituted Power hydraulic brakes. I don't recall who makes these brakes, but I did find them online. Surprisingly, the brakes are not bad, but I credit my bike shop for setting them up properly. Of course, I'm pxxxed off that my bike didn't meet specs, but I like the feel and comfort of the bike, so I took it anyway.
So to my question. I want to replace the existing hydraulic brakes with a set of Shimano hydraulics. I use my bike for riding in my subdivision and paved bike trails and like I said the current brakes work fine. But, I would be more comfortable with a reputable brand. Unfortunately, I'm not mechanically minded or familiar with bicycle hydraulic brakes, so I'm seeking advice from the knowledgeable experts here. Can someone please recommend a set of good Shimano brakes that will fit the Trek Verve 3? The specs called for the bike coming with Shimano MT200 brakes, but I thought I could step up a bit to a higher grade Shimano set for not much more $, like the Deore MT401/410. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge!
So to my question. I want to replace the existing hydraulic brakes with a set of Shimano hydraulics. I use my bike for riding in my subdivision and paved bike trails and like I said the current brakes work fine. But, I would be more comfortable with a reputable brand. Unfortunately, I'm not mechanically minded or familiar with bicycle hydraulic brakes, so I'm seeking advice from the knowledgeable experts here. Can someone please recommend a set of good Shimano brakes that will fit the Trek Verve 3? The specs called for the bike coming with Shimano MT200 brakes, but I thought I could step up a bit to a higher grade Shimano set for not much more $, like the Deore MT401/410. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge!
06-23-24, 04:41 PM
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Clark W. Griswold
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Do the brakes currently not function? I saw twice that they work fine or are not bad so why replace? I could understand if they were a non-functional brake but then I would submit are warranty claim with Trek at my local shop (or area corporate store more to the point)
No real need to get pissed off they made it clear they might have substitutions:
However as my co-worker would say it is better to be pissed off than pissed on.
I could understand if this was a high dollar bike but this is an entry level hybrid with some already goofy specs (1 1/8 threaded fork and quill stem in 2024 with some proprietary QR thing no thank you Trek) and so long as everything if functional and not a significant drop in functionality I would leave them alone.
If you are wanting to spend money get good pedals and Ergon grips and focus on touch points like that which will make a significant difference and can move to another bike if need be.
No real need to get pissed off they made it clear they might have substitutions:
However as my co-worker would say it is better to be pissed off than pissed on.
I could understand if this was a high dollar bike but this is an entry level hybrid with some already goofy specs (1 1/8 threaded fork and quill stem in 2024 with some proprietary QR thing no thank you Trek) and so long as everything if functional and not a significant drop in functionality I would leave them alone.
If you are wanting to spend money get good pedals and Ergon grips and focus on touch points like that which will make a significant difference and can move to another bike if need be.
06-23-24, 05:12 PM
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I have the MT200s on my Cannondale Quick 1 and they are great. I'm not sure what more you would need on a Verve as it is much more relaxed than the Quick...
06-23-24, 07:01 PM
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Thanks for your thoughts. Let me further explain. I spent 2 months researching Trek, Specialized and Cannondale bikes... their entry level hybrids. I found that many manufacturers stated they could substitute parts, which was a result of the supply chain issues during the pandemic. In the end, Trek offered more "bang for the buck" and I was happier getting a Shimano drivetrain over the microSHIFT ones. My bike in particular met every spec except for the brakes, seat and grips. The dealer was gracious enough to put the spec seat and grips on at no charge to me. The brakes however, they did not offer to swap. But, at $799 (plus tax) I think I got a decent bike. So my "frustration" about the substitution might have been unjustly harsh, though I got no discount in price for the lower quality brakes.
Now to my specifics about the brakes. Yes, they work. But I read many, many reviews where owners claimed the brakes either failed or wore out prematurely, neither case ideal. As for me, at 68 years old, I'm more safety conscious. Riding thru subdivisions with moving cars, golf carts, joggers, walkers and other bicyclists, I want to make sure I can depend on my brakes. I've had 3 bike shops tell me Shimano brakes are far better than the generic Power brakes Trek put on the bike. And, I've been told Shimano brakes will require fewer adjustments and would likely last longer. Thus, my question.
While the Shimano MT200 brakes are likely an upgrade over the Power brakes, if I'm going to spend money to trade them out I want something better.
Can I use what I have? Absolutely. Do I want to? Absolutely not! So, any recommendations for an upgrade are welcome. Thanks!
Now to my specifics about the brakes. Yes, they work. But I read many, many reviews where owners claimed the brakes either failed or wore out prematurely, neither case ideal. As for me, at 68 years old, I'm more safety conscious. Riding thru subdivisions with moving cars, golf carts, joggers, walkers and other bicyclists, I want to make sure I can depend on my brakes. I've had 3 bike shops tell me Shimano brakes are far better than the generic Power brakes Trek put on the bike. And, I've been told Shimano brakes will require fewer adjustments and would likely last longer. Thus, my question.
While the Shimano MT200 brakes are likely an upgrade over the Power brakes, if I'm going to spend money to trade them out I want something better.
Can I use what I have? Absolutely. Do I want to? Absolutely not! So, any recommendations for an upgrade are welcome. Thanks!
06-24-24, 02:33 PM
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Thanks for your thoughts. Let me further explain. I spent 2 months researching Trek, Specialized and Cannondale bikes... their entry level hybrids. I found that many manufacturers stated they could substitute parts, which was a result of the supply chain issues during the pandemic. In the end, Trek offered more "bang for the buck" and I was happier getting a Shimano drivetrain over the microSHIFT ones. My bike in particular met every spec except for the brakes, seat and grips. The dealer was gracious enough to put the spec seat and grips on at no charge to me. The brakes however, they did not offer to swap. But, at $799 (plus tax) I think I got a decent bike. So my "frustration" about the substitution might have been unjustly harsh, though I got no discount in price for the lower quality brakes.
Now to my specifics about the brakes. Yes, they work. But I read many, many reviews where owners claimed the brakes either failed or wore out prematurely, neither case ideal. As for me, at 68 years old, I'm more safety conscious. Riding thru subdivisions with moving cars, golf carts, joggers, walkers and other bicyclists, I want to make sure I can depend on my brakes. I've had 3 bike shops tell me Shimano brakes are far better than the generic Power brakes Trek put on the bike. And, I've been told Shimano brakes will require fewer adjustments and would likely last longer. Thus, my question.
While the Shimano MT200 brakes are likely an upgrade over the Power brakes, if I'm going to spend money to trade them out I want something better.
Can I use what I have? Absolutely. Do I want to? Absolutely not! So, any recommendations for an upgrade are welcome. Thanks!
Now to my specifics about the brakes. Yes, they work. But I read many, many reviews where owners claimed the brakes either failed or wore out prematurely, neither case ideal. As for me, at 68 years old, I'm more safety conscious. Riding thru subdivisions with moving cars, golf carts, joggers, walkers and other bicyclists, I want to make sure I can depend on my brakes. I've had 3 bike shops tell me Shimano brakes are far better than the generic Power brakes Trek put on the bike. And, I've been told Shimano brakes will require fewer adjustments and would likely last longer. Thus, my question.
While the Shimano MT200 brakes are likely an upgrade over the Power brakes, if I'm going to spend money to trade them out I want something better.
Can I use what I have? Absolutely. Do I want to? Absolutely not! So, any recommendations for an upgrade are welcome. Thanks!
I found this: https://matthewbrealey.medium.com/sh...ing%20rustless.
Referring to Shimano’s disc brake calipers, the most common is MT200. There are numerous other brake calipers starting BR-M2, M3 and M4, and M5 and on the whole they aren’t an upgrade on the MT200, which will stop a bike very effectively.
Shimano considers the MT200 brakes to form part of a ‘Alivio’, ‘Acera’ AND ‘Altus’ specification. However they are extremely commonly specified on bikes with Deore shifters & derailleurs.
Two slightly different parts are the MT420 and MT520 calipers. These are four-piston designs, which are very similar to Shimano’s downhill MTB groupset. The difference between the MT420, MT520 and more expensive brake calipers is that they use a straight connection to the caliper, rather than a banjo joint as on more expensive brakes. This gives slightly worse heat dissipation. The MT420 caliper has resin pistons, rather than the ceramic on MT520 and all higher parts. The MT420 is likely to be specified on e-bikes, as it is often paired with levers intended for cargo bikes or similar, rather than mountain bikes, which typically have shorter
True ‘Deore’ brakes are usually only found on mountain bikes costing $2,000 and up. The major difference with these brakes is that the caliper uses a different pad, which does not go as deep into the rotor diameter, but spans more circumference. This difference allows Shimano to draw a distinction between cheaper rotors (those starting RT5 and below, e.g., SM-RT10, SM-RT30), which use softer steel and are not recommended for metal pads, presumably for abrasion reasons. In addition, the most expensive rotors are made of steel/aluminium/steel sandwich, which dissipates more heat. These rotors are deliberately incompatible with the pad used on the MT200 -MT500 calipers.
The Deore brake calipers from the current (M6100) and previous several generations (M6000, M615) have not changed much — they use two resin pistons and the newer pad design (though the M6100 hose routing is improved compared with previous generations). However, a new option is the M6120 4-piston caliper, which is identical to the MT520 caliper.
Shimano considers the MT200 brakes to form part of a ‘Alivio’, ‘Acera’ AND ‘Altus’ specification. However they are extremely commonly specified on bikes with Deore shifters & derailleurs.
Two slightly different parts are the MT420 and MT520 calipers. These are four-piston designs, which are very similar to Shimano’s downhill MTB groupset. The difference between the MT420, MT520 and more expensive brake calipers is that they use a straight connection to the caliper, rather than a banjo joint as on more expensive brakes. This gives slightly worse heat dissipation. The MT420 caliper has resin pistons, rather than the ceramic on MT520 and all higher parts. The MT420 is likely to be specified on e-bikes, as it is often paired with levers intended for cargo bikes or similar, rather than mountain bikes, which typically have shorter
True ‘Deore’ brakes are usually only found on mountain bikes costing $2,000 and up. The major difference with these brakes is that the caliper uses a different pad, which does not go as deep into the rotor diameter, but spans more circumference. This difference allows Shimano to draw a distinction between cheaper rotors (those starting RT5 and below, e.g., SM-RT10, SM-RT30), which use softer steel and are not recommended for metal pads, presumably for abrasion reasons. In addition, the most expensive rotors are made of steel/aluminium/steel sandwich, which dissipates more heat. These rotors are deliberately incompatible with the pad used on the MT200 -MT500 calipers.
The Deore brake calipers from the current (M6100) and previous several generations (M6000, M615) have not changed much — they use two resin pistons and the newer pad design (though the M6100 hose routing is improved compared with previous generations). However, a new option is the M6120 4-piston caliper, which is identical to the MT520 caliper.
06-24-24, 06:58 PM
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Clark W. Griswold
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Thanks for your thoughts. Let me further explain. I spent 2 months researching Trek, Specialized and Cannondale bikes... their entry level hybrids. I found that many manufacturers stated they could substitute parts, which was a result of the supply chain issues during the pandemic. In the end, Trek offered more "bang for the buck" and I was happier getting a Shimano drivetrain over the microSHIFT ones. My bike in particular met every spec except for the brakes, seat and grips. The dealer was gracious enough to put the spec seat and grips on at no charge to me. The brakes however, they did not offer to swap. But, at $799 (plus tax) I think I got a decent bike. So my "frustration" about the substitution might have been unjustly harsh, though I got no discount in price for the lower quality brakes.
Now to my specifics about the brakes. Yes, they work. But I read many, many reviews where owners claimed the brakes either failed or wore out prematurely, neither case ideal. As for me, at 68 years old, I'm more safety conscious. Riding thru subdivisions with moving cars, golf carts, joggers, walkers and other bicyclists, I want to make sure I can depend on my brakes. I've had 3 bike shops tell me Shimano brakes are far better than the generic Power brakes Trek put on the bike. And, I've been told Shimano brakes will require fewer adjustments and would likely last longer. Thus, my question.
While the Shimano MT200 brakes are likely an upgrade over the Power brakes, if I'm going to spend money to trade them out I want something better.
Can I use what I have? Absolutely. Do I want to? Absolutely not! So, any recommendations for an upgrade are welcome. Thanks!
Now to my specifics about the brakes. Yes, they work. But I read many, many reviews where owners claimed the brakes either failed or wore out prematurely, neither case ideal. As for me, at 68 years old, I'm more safety conscious. Riding thru subdivisions with moving cars, golf carts, joggers, walkers and other bicyclists, I want to make sure I can depend on my brakes. I've had 3 bike shops tell me Shimano brakes are far better than the generic Power brakes Trek put on the bike. And, I've been told Shimano brakes will require fewer adjustments and would likely last longer. Thus, my question.
While the Shimano MT200 brakes are likely an upgrade over the Power brakes, if I'm going to spend money to trade them out I want something better.
Can I use what I have? Absolutely. Do I want to? Absolutely not! So, any recommendations for an upgrade are welcome. Thanks!
If you are looking to change the brakes I would check in with Trek and work with them to replace things. If they refuse entirely and I had to replace working parts then I guess I would probably just get a set of mt200s.
If the brakes are functional then they aren't really lower quality in this sense because they are doing their job and they are replacing essentially like for like in this situation. Sure yes in a perfect world they would replace the brakes with say Tektro instead but maybe they couldn't get those so they got what they could.
06-25-24, 07:17 AM
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Thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge and insights. I feel better now and will wait to change out my brakes until needed, but will go to the MT200s when that time comes.
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