2 Piston vs 4 Piston MTB Brakes | Which is best for you?

Many bikes come stock with 2 piston brakes, but should you upgrade to 4 piston brakes? But wait, what even are 4 piston brakes?

In this video, we'll compare 2 piston and 4 piston brakes and help you decide which is best for you and your riding style.

***This video was originally posted a little while back, but we made wanted to change our wording on some things and have reuploaded it.
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The Lost Co.

Bellingham, WA

360-306-8827

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#mountainbike

#ridelost

#mtbbrakes

[TheLostCo]

This video was originally posted a little while back, but we made wanted to change our wording on some things and have re-uploaded it with this updated version! 🤘🤘🤘

[nickzarnetske]

Thanks to The Lost Co I want a coil shock, new rear hub, and 4 piston brakes...in a week.

[Gworan]

If when descending steep trails you're scared and just holding on for dear life, like me, four piston brakes with sintered finned pads is a must

[letourrr]

SRAM brakes, for when you want Chrysler reliability out of your stopping power and enjoy multiple bleeds per season. Also fun is waiting for the recall notice.

[WestRipStiker]

I adore my Magura MT7s, Ive been running them for almost 2 years. I do use Shimano XT rotors with them but there is a little bit of rub that comes from them because of the piston stroke, it is very small compared to the Shimano brakes. Also Magura rotors are thicker than Shimano rotors new and almost the thickness of a Shimano rotor when they are worn.

[cancycle]

I only run 64 piston, yeah it’s a little clunky but it stops really well

[stevetrojano]

Love my XT8120 4 pistons. Overkill some days but when you need them it's good to know they are there.

[lasumo]

“Only two pistons or 4 pistons”
Hope brakes: There’s 6 actually

[danharvey]

Running Magura MT5s on my Downhill mtb and they're amazing! Not just for the price! But the stopping power & modulation is so confidence inspiring, they literally compensate for my lack of skill as someone just getting back into mtb after a 10 year hiatus. Since having them ive been able to go faster, steeper & harder, knowing i can slow down if i need to. And all for a ridiculous $250nzd front & rear delivered from UK to NZ. By far the cheapest 4 pot brakes i could find, & better than the bottom half of most of them. Will never go back to a 2 piston brake, & any bike that doesn't have better brakes than the Magura MT5 will be getting upgraded..

[Jon-nzdm]

Basically, if you live near and have access to vertical descending trails, 4 piston brakes are for you. For the majority of riders that don't get to ride mountains(or in my case don't have any mountains with 600 miles), 2 piston brakes have plenty of stopping power.

[giorgi]

Me with 30$ chinese brakes: Interesting

[jpxc]

I’ll say this straight this is one of the best MTB channels out there it’s very clear very outgoing and love the content and how detailed it is keep it up guys definitely sharing this channel around happy riding

[dragosbogoi]

I run Tektro Auriga 2 piston brakes with ceramic pads (Discobrakes) on my XC 29er and the stopping power is more than enough for my needs.
I would like a 4 piston setup, though 😊. Even if I don't need it.

[mrconnsmythejjb]

Had SRAM's and totally disliked them. Did not like the modulation effect on them and was constantly adjusting the level adjustment. Switched to XT Deore, way better IMO.

[kght]

4:22 not only that, you won't have to slow down as much because you have more speed control. instead of being able to control your speed between 10 and 15 miles an hour of change, you can control it between 5 and 10 miles an hour of change. that is a huge improvement. if you can slow down 4mph instead of 8mph with the same amount of effort (effort, not force) it will be allot easier to slow down less when you want to. when your pinky does what your middle finger used to, your middle finger gets more sensitive.

[fotiskarakaisis]

I have seen a lot of videos on MTBs as of late and this has been of the few that not only does not suck, but it's quite helpful!

The structure of the chapters is very good, the emphasis on terms by blowing them up in bold white font is super helpful, and the lack of an annoying British accent is absolutely refreshing.

Create a similar presentation for tires, suspensions, derailleurs, etc.

[Trasher]

If you want noisy brakes that require bleeding all the time with loss of feel or pumping up in high heat, I recommend Sram brakes.

[onlyonecannoli]

I run Alberto Fujimori signature rally DH brakes on all my bikes. Yes, they are uber expensive and a bit of an overkill, but you get the peace of mind of knowing that they can handle anything you throw at them.

[michaelalfonso]

My 2001 Specialized Rock Hopper Disc came with Magura Julie (single piston, mineral oil, hydraulic) disc brakes and they work great, (still working, never leaked or changed the mineral oil)! Of course they are obsolete and heavy by today’s standards but I refuse to fall into the marketing trap of buying the latest and greatest (ex. 27.5” or 29” wheels). I have never bled them or changed the fluid because my bike shop said “if they it’s not leaking, don’t do it.” If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
It looks like you are biased toward DH riding, but redeemed yourself at the end by saying, 2 pistons are for XC riding. I ride XC and there was the same resistance (2001) from road bikers against hydraulic disc brakes. They were saying the discs “would cut your leg or open in a crash and will heat up and burn your leg in a crash. Now road bikes (most bikes for that matter, come with disc brakes), it took them 20 years to see the light. The only stigma they still hold on to is they still use cables. I’m sure they would never replace their car hydraulics with cables.
There are discrepancies: 2:01-4 piston brakes w/ larger rotor decrease modulation
2:55-4 piston brakes have increased modulation
Also you forgot to mention a Larger rotor = increased weight. Thanks for posting!
I am building a Litespeed Titanium Full suspension Mountain Bike and wanted all Shimano components, but decided at the last minute to go with Magura 4 piston Brakes!.😃

[jeffflammer]

Super informative, complete and easy to digest recap on brakes with clear, concise recommendation at the end. Watched it on 2x and in 10min and feel I know everything I need to make a purchase.