Mechanical vs Hydraulic Disc Brakes on Electric Bikes: What's the Difference?

 When buying electric bike, we need to pay attention to many configuration parameters of electric bike. In addition to paying attention to the battery motor of electric bicycles, will you pay attention to the brake parts of many bike? Braking is also an important part of a bike. Especially for electric bike mountain, the brakes of fast electric bikes are really important. Just like cars, when riding, you need a good brake to slow down to ensure the safety of riding. But many mountain bikes on the market have different brakes.

Type of Brake

There are many types of electric bicycle brakes. The brakes of electric bicycles on sale now mainly include mechanical brakes and hydraulic brakes. But do you know the difference between the two? Have you ever wondered which brake is better?

Mechanical Disc Brakes vs Hydraulic Disc Brakes

Mechanical disc brakes work by linking the cable to the brake, when you pull the brake cable, it in turn pulls the brake caliper, while hydraulic brakes use hydraulic oil, the fluid is compressed and flows all the way to the brake caliper , which transfers the force from the brake lever to the brake pads, which are compressed against the rim. There is no need for cables to participate in the process of using hydraulic brakes, while mechanical disc brakes do not involve oil bodies, which is the difference between the two.

Hydraulic systems are usually used in high-end systems, such as electric dirt bike,electric mountain bike, all-terrian bicycles, and fat tire electric bike,beach cruiser electric bike . These high-end series of bicycles use hydraulic systems, while ordinary mid-range bicycles use mechanical line brake systems, such as ordinary commuter electric bike, electric road bike,.

Mechanical Disc Brakes vs Hydraulic Disc Brakes What are their advantage disadvantage?

There will be friction noise in the process of mechanical disc brakes using cables, and because hydraulic disc brakes use compressed fluid to transmit force, there will be no noise in this process and when the same force is applied Lower brakes, hydraulic brakes work better, produce more and more stopping force, faster/more reliable and predictable brake pad retraction when the brakes are released. The mechanical disc brake of the cable requires an accurate length. When the cable is too long, the cable length needs to be adjusted to obtain a better braking effect.

In terms of maintenance, hydraulic disc brakes can be safer and less maintenance than disc brakes. Since the hydraulics are sealed, grit and dirt can't get into the moving parts, making them virtually maintenance-free (replacing worn brake pads is all that needs to be done), and the hydraulics are also easier to set up and adjust (using the correct tools, almost impossible without tools). Mechanical disc brakes can easily stretch the cable due to prolonged pulling of the cable, so the length of the cable needs to be adjusted frequently. However, once the hydraulic disc brake leaks oil or is damaged, it is more complicated to maintain, and generally needs to be repaired at a specialized bicycle shop, while the mechanical disc brake is simpler and more convenient to repair, and only needs to be adjusted with simple tools at home. The length of the cable is sufficient. without having to take it to the bike shop.

Of course, bikes with either mechanical disc brakes or hydraulic disc brakes have their pros and cons. When we buy electric bicycles, we need to follow our own needs to choose the most suitable electric bicycle for us.Price-wise, hydraulic disc brakes are definitely more expensive than mechanical disc brakes. If you're on a higher budget, opt for an e-bike with hydraulic disc brakes.