I have been using the Galfer rotors with Galfer pads with a Deore brake for a few months now. I love them and they feel very good. I just got another set of XT brakes and look forward to some back to back testing with my second bike later this year. I love that they are made in the EU and they look good as well.
Thanks for sharing these rotors. Really appreciate all the time you take to make your content. Your research, comparisons, and explanations are so informative. How many of us could decipher Shimano package labels before your Chanel.
I have the Galfer rotors & sintered pads in my Deore 4-pot calipers and have been truly impressed. Great stopping power, no fade and only noise in the wettest conditions.
I have replaced the Sram guide R rotors with Galfer’s. The difference is night and day. With the Sram’s I was so annoyed because of the lack of power that I was thinking about replacing the whole braking sistem. Than I came across this Galfer’s and I gave it a try. Replaced rotors and brake pads. Never been so happy, cheap mod with huge benefits. Now I’m shredding bike parks with no worry!!!!!!
Same here so went Magura 220mm discs front and back on my e/bike to rebuild my Femur after moto x crash and a tip here is don't use organic as there shite but sintered but Carbon Lorraine pads they polish the disc then as I run a Sram code sintered and I swap between the two to get the bite on the pads as we used these Carbon Lorraine pads in motocross. Tried loads of pads and disc combo's.
I hate the SRAM Guide R brakes that came on my Canyon Spectral. But it seems they are universally hated. Been looking to replace them with Shimano. I may have to give Galfer disc & pads a try. Thanks for sharing.
As a Spanish brand, here in Spain are very popular. Have many friends with them and I use their pads, for me they have more bite than shimano and make way less noise. Road version is used in many WW builds. One last note, Orbea uses them from factory in many bikes and some world cup XC teams use them as well.
Nice review, thanks. I run 203 galfer wave with code rsc's and semi-metallic pads, riding in the PNW rain/mud/occasionally dry conditions. The galfer rotors have significantly less frequent and much quieter 'goose gobble' noise than the sram rotors, but more bite and no fade that I've noticed. As a few other comments have mentioned the cutouts to make their own particular noise under braking, it's very very quiet, my riding buddies have never heard it, and I kind of like the hum/buzz noise. These are my favorite rotors, with the Hayes D as a second runner up.
I run the Galfer 203mm floating rotors front and rear, with Shimano Saint brakes, and it is excellent! It's on a 58lb Haibike, and I am 290lbs plus gear, yet it has no problem with braking power, even going 35mph downhill. It also has a nice progressive feel, and is easy to control at slower speeds.
You change it because you had problem with saint rotors and pads ? Because me on my Orbea Wild i upgrated with Saint Brakes but i have always problems (much noise, feel the pads crumbling) and thinking to try Galfer pads and rotors.. thank you for a feedback
@@ilijaagatic2085 Hi! I originally bought the Saint brake kit for my Haibike without rotors, and Galfer rotors are affordable and good quality. Since my original post, I got a Specialized Kenevo also, and I bought 223mm Galfer Wave rotors to upgrade that bike, but the rear frame clearance wasn't enough for 223mm. So then I bought SRAM HS2 220mm rotors for the Kenevo, and upgraded to Code RSC levers, with the purple Galfer ebike pads, and used the 223 Galfer wave rotors to upgrade my Haibike. AMAZING braking performance from that setup! It only requires a cheap caliper adapter to upgrade, and the stopping power is noticeably better, with far less effort required to squeeze the levers. The speed and weight of me on an ebike basically requires the biggest rotors. lol
Galfer is the OE spec for the rotors on my Honda Africa Twin and they are fantastic in that application. They are definitely not stranger to making quality parts. I run these same Rotors in 203 front and back on my trail bike and have had great results. I may try their pads when the time comes to change.
Is a great rotor...I've used in all types of terrain bike park,down hill,cross country ...and braking performance with metallic pads powerful stopping power..3 seasons of riding, have not warped them, amazing rotors .I recommend....👍👍👍
I've previously used Galfers on my motorcycles and when I saw they made them for MTB, I decided to upgrade to a set. I REALLY wanted to like the Galfers but on the second (third?) ride with their rotor and pad combo, the brakes faded so badly on a steep downhill that the levers came to the bars and they provided almost zero stopping power. Fortunately, the trail had a fairly straight/smooth runout and I was able to get slowed down. Swapped them out for a set of SRAM HS2 rotors and SRAM resin pads and haven't looked back. I currently have them hanging on the wall above my workbench in the garage because who doesn't like the look of smoked rotors? 😁
How are the HS2s handling the heat on the steeps -- still great? I'm thinking of replacing the Centerline X on my gravel bike for an alpine tour... with ceramic pads.
I run Galfer Wave 223mm x 2mm on front with Magura MT5 4-piston 4 piece MTX RED pads ---AMAZING POWER, MODULATION = ZERO BRAKE FADE. Rear, unfortunately, I returned the Galfer Wave 203x2mm and replaced with trusted Magura Storm HC 203x2mm rotor -- so much Stronger and literally appears 100% larger brake surface area too. It seems the Galfer Wave 203 are much like a XC, light rotor and so much less braking area for my large MT5 pistons.
Lol... I just noticed only now; time to replace yet... my rear magura master cylinder is cracked...all this time and still amazing braking; not as powerful as usual but still STORM hc builds braking longer you hold.... just not applying like front. Leaking air pressure?
Best rotor on the market. Nothing else comes close! I run 223 front and 203 rear 2mm thick with code RSC brakes and galfer Pro pads. They are like smooth like butter! Insanely quiet and fade free stopping power!
I trow something i use and are happy with in this chat =) Magura MDR-P =) Less Holes so more Brake contact, Floating, E-MTB so for heavy use made! Touching the Rotor isnt harmfull because it is metal =/ Curios Ppl. The Shimano is just a Stamped disc, so no Heattreating and no deburrung un other side. Also less ideal to break in. Oh and also good Disc would be the BrakeStuff Punch Disc
I started using Galfer rotors & pads in 1992 on my FZR 400, then on my Honda 125RS, then on my GSXR 600. Sandro knows his sh*t and they are a stand-up company. Their braking products are provide excellent performance. My first mtb use was in 2008, I coupled a Galfer 180mm rotor with BB% mech discs on my Iron Horse hardtail. Now run a Galfer 203mm front on my Roscoe 6. Top notch products.
I just installed the 246mm on the front of my Levo comp which has Code brakes. It's good, now it stops without death-gripping the lever. Also, it's 3mm thick. To address alignment I installed grub screws into the bolt posts to micro adjust alignment and they can't move when tightening the bolts down. Also
I have these fitted to the front of my custom ebike 203mm and a Hope 203mm on the back. Hope rotor grips smoother and the Galfer more like abs..both are strong griping.
My only concern with these rotors are that they have bigger 6 mounting holes than other rotors. I guess it doesn’t really matter when torqued down properly but I’m running centerlock adapter & the 6 bolt mounting area has too much play. Other than that I’m quite happy with the performance so far.
2mm model looks interesting if it comes in a 160mm version for my gravel bike. I ride in the desert I friends tell me the 2mm thick rotors work much better in the April-October months. Less chance of warping and better performance in the heat.
Thanks for the review...been considering these as we also noticed that the new shimano rotors are now made differently...they also warp easily compared to the japan made rotors
Another great video! My experience with any rotor that has massive cutouts (these Waves, Magura SL2, Ashima, etc..) is that they chew through my resin pads in record time, make a 'ticking' noise when braking at high speeds and will even pulse the lever as well. I live and ride in the SoCal high desert (never wet) and prefer resin pads over metallic, so maybe what I have experienced is because of the softer resin pads flexing into the cutouts?? I'm on SRAM HS2 rotors now and they are butter smooth with no noise and don't warp under my 215lbs.
Agree with your conclusions exactly. I switched to TRP that have the rotors with small drilled holes as opposed to large cut outs. Plus they are 2.3mm thick and work on SHimano brakes really well. I weight 215lbs as well without pack and need power to stop. I did a video on the trp rotors if you are interested to check em out. I use sintered metallic or ceramic pads and they both made noise on the galfer rotors.
Well they are making them in CL version and I have ordered a set for my bike. In the moment I have XTR freeza rotors 2 months old and they are making same turkey sounds as my SLX rotors have. I hope Galfer will not make any sounds.
@@LoveMTB I have brand new Shimano pads J05A waiting for Galfer discs to come, then I will mount them and test. Bit by bit I am upgrading my bike properly. In few months I hope I will get DT Swiss 350 rear hub and that will be it.
Moving away from Shimano 1,75mm thick rotors to Magura rotors that are 1,99mm thick really made my breaking feel and power better. I did not go with Galfer since they were hardly available in 2021 but I'll definitely consider them for next season if my Magura rotors end up too thin. Doubt it!
I did not know the shimano rotors are made in China. I checked my bike and stock rotor is China made while the after market rotor I bought for the rear (still RT66) is Japan. There is a difference that I noticed, the China rotor tends to have a lot of brake material stay on it and it is currently warped and I am unable to fix it by truing it. The Japan rotor has been true and the braking surface is clean. Was wondering why they looked different when they were the same model rotor.
Interesting how these rotors from Galfer (even if these have the same 180mm diameter) have offset of braking marks on the contact surface from the pads, even if you're using your brakes without any adapters. I mean in your case is clearly visible that phenomenon which warning was printed on the packaging at 2:46
I got the 203 on 2mm with 2 piston XT with GALFER competition pads.(green) ( no run in require).. Front and back. Note I'm 65kg rider. NO JOKE! Best combo and lightweight.. in relation with 4 piston calipers.
I bought a 2mm rotor Galfer, it is suitable for electric trains, but I use it on a hardtail, and I have a question: can such a rotor be used with pads from Shimano metal?
Thanks for sharing this video, now we have options to save $$$ for our passion on MTB. Please make a video on tools that you are using, I know Park Tools are a bit pricey. Another options on tools. Thanks!
Another brilliant vid @LoveMTB - thanks very much! Apologies if this has been covered, but can you run these rotors with Shimano SLX (M7120) metallic pads?
I was considering the Galfers with my new wheels but that excessive wave pattern kinda leaves me cold. I ended up using Maguras just because they were cheap and thick. Super stoppy with the new kevlar pads i installed.
@@LoveMTB Luckily i got them at the same time as i ordered a whole bunch of wheel components from a German website. Some parts can be so cheap from there.
I looked at Magura but the reviews were sort of mixed, so I ended up with TRP rotors and did a video on them. They are really good and silent and 2.3mm thick.
I did a video on these and had some issues with them. I switched to TRP rotors and what a difference for Shimano 4 piston brakes. I did a video on them too. They are 2.3mm thick but a really nice upgrade for shimano 4 piston brakes.
@@beforedawn They will flex on the larger size rotor and you'll hear it most on the front fork using a 203 rotor. They can be a little noisy due to the large holes cut into the rotors. I think the large holes are also what makes them flexy.
Appreciate your videos! Inspired by your Formula Cura video I have a set of 2-pots on order for my ’22 Top Fuel. Trying to decide on brake rotors 180/180 with centerlock hubs. With sale prices I can get the XT M800 or the Galfer Waves for the same cost. Priority is braking performance, but I don’t want to deal with any warping which is my concern about the M800s. Would you recommend the Galfers over the M800s?
@@LoveMTB Galfers ordered! Thanks for the advice! I switched rear to 180 for a marathon race with long steep descents. Decided to leave on with trail tires for winter. I’ll go back to 160 if I can’t keep from locking up with the Curas and XC tires. Note on CL rotors…I believe Galfer simply glues and/or pins their CL adapter to a 6-bolt rotor to make a CL rotor. (I read this on a forum, and it looks so in photos.) Not necessarily bad, but I decided to just buy the 6-bolt rotors and adapters so I can reuse the adapters. The 6-bolts were on sale and cost and weight was the same. I normally hate introducing another variable using an adapter, but upside is that I’ll have more and cheaper rotor options if the CL adapter proves reliable. I’ll try to remember to post my findings.
I love these rotors. Of particular note: they seem to perform amazingly as they they get hotter... no 'Turkey Gobble' with these, in fact what mine do is make a nice sounding 'hum' i'd say is from the shape of the cut outs in them where the pad is riding of the edges. Very predictable feel.
All Shimano rotors Slx-Xt I can find are from Malaysia or Japan, I thought chineese are only from aliexpress. Actually ordered Cues crancs from ali and they are NOT Chinese as well!
That 3mm delta is never good, your pad may or may not align properly with the rotor, as the pad wears out you'll start to hear all kind of noises from the rotor
I switched to Glafer rotors like the one you're using. They work great so far. My rear rotor makes a light "squeal" noise when I'm feathering them. I thought the pads were contaminated when I installed them. I degreased the rotor and replaced with new pads, bedded them in and the light squeal came back. Checked and I don't see any glazing on the pads or leaking pistons on my caliper. I realigned my caliper, cleaned the pads and degreased the rotor. The squeal came back at the end of my ride. It's only at the initial bite if I'm feathering the brake otherwise they are silent on full brakes or firm braking. Strange.
What about Fig2 on picture. This looks like mine adapters from 160 mm up to 180 mm and up to fi 203 mm OMG!! In Gazelle S8 ultimate. I recommend you brake discs from China. I bought two of them with 2 mm, and they work perfectly, and are 4 times cheaper than big brands with huge margin on this product!
Has anyone ever had a properly tightened rotor bolt come loose? I dont use the Shimano shims and even put a dab of grease on them and never had any even become slightly loose. Would be interested to hear otherwise.
properly tightend bolts dont come loose. Make sure to use loctite and tighten them in the correct way with correct nm. If they still come loose maybe some parts bended. In that case I d go for new screws. if that doesnt work u might wanna try a centerlock adapter depending on your hub.
When i think about something, often you have a vid about it... Today it was the thickness i needed cause of brake rub. thanks.. Also wanna know about galfer pads and thickness.
very cool never knew they existed I have been using the Shimano XT rotors never tried the SLX version though. I do have 1 bike with sram centerline rotors
Have you heard of or tried Ashima Ai2 rotors? They’re made in Taiwan and the claimed weight is super light. Excellent for XC. Just ordered them and waiting to try them out. They’re even lighter than Magura’s Storm SL.2, which by the way are excellent rotors.
Been using the Galfer waves on my trail bike for a while now and they seem just as good if not better than the SLX ones on my XC bike and better value.
These videos are so useful and demystifying the Shimano product coding has really helped me (and many others). I wonder if I could draw on your experience: i have 6100s on rt66s 180/160 and would like a little more power on occasion. What do you think would make the biggest difference? Upgrading and/or upsizing rotors? Or going for a 4 pot? Id wanted to try the m6120 callipers (no banjo fuss) but theyre out of stock everywhere in the UK. Cheers!
@@LoveMTB Thanks so much for the advice. I'm still using the Shimano resin-g03s, I think? Would the metal make a difference? Or those expensive fins...? 😂
I agree, go try a 4 piston with a thicker rotor like TRP. They make a 2.3mm rotor, never warp and increased cooling as well. Check out my video on them, you'll be pleased if you use them.
@@LoveMTB Yes: I think you're right. I probably want to try the 4-piston, partly for power, partly because I heard that the Shimano 4-pots give a bit more modulation, and partly, no doubt, because of peer pressure and marketing...Cheers for the content!
Besides performing better, the Galfer rotors are actually available to buy. So they are definitely better in the sense that you can find them vs Shimano being MIA on virtually everything these days.
Hi, Have you tried the new Goodyear mountain-Peak tyres? Are they really that lightweight with 29x2.4, 120tpi at 770g? They also have more gravity oriented tyres, but i was thinking about the trail/XCish ones. Would you consider to make a video about them?
Going to try Hayes D series for my Hayes Dominion A4. Nothing wrong with my cheaper snail rotors, I just want to see the comparison between expensive vs cheap.
I think that comparing the Slx RT66 disc with the Galfer disc does not make sense because these are discs from different price ranges, Galfer is of course much more expensive than the Slx and it is normal that it will be a better disc in all respects except for the price,but overall a very nice overview and useful information about the Galfer watch face, thanks. Unfortunately we have been observing a drop in quality for some time parts produced by Shimano, as you rightly noticed, Shimano discs are also already produced in China, a great, great pity that Shimano goes this way because I have been their customer since the 90s, but if Shimano maintains this trend of producing everything in China, and probably Yes, it will also have to look for an alternative to Shimano in my bicycle garage, as a curiosity I will say that today the store accepted the complaint of the newly purchased XT m8000 derailleur, the new derailleur had a play on the cage 4 mm each way, it's a joke I guess. If this is what the quality of the XT group at Shimano looks like now, I get off this train and get into another one. Regards
Yes. Agreed. I immediately removed on both bikes, Shimano SLX calipers + CL rotors (China) and Sram guide R's (even smaller + 😄worse) and replaced with Magura MT5 + MTX Red pads.... Galfer Wave 223 fr and Magura Storm HC 203 rR.
Galfer have been making superb motorcycle disc brakes for years, so keenly seeing what their bike rotors are like.
I have been using the Galfer rotors with Galfer pads with a Deore brake for a few months now. I love them and they feel very good. I just got another set of XT brakes and look forward to some back to back testing with my second bike later this year.
I love that they are made in the EU and they look good as well.
Thanks for sharing these rotors. Really appreciate all the time you take to make your content. Your research, comparisons, and explanations are so informative. How many of us could decipher Shimano package labels before your Chanel.
I have the Galfer rotors & sintered pads in my Deore 4-pot calipers and have been truly impressed. Great stopping power, no fade and only noise in the wettest conditions.
I have replaced the Sram guide R rotors with Galfer’s. The difference is night and day. With the Sram’s I was so annoyed because of the lack of power that I was thinking about replacing the whole braking sistem. Than I came across this Galfer’s and I gave it a try. Replaced rotors and brake pads. Never been so happy, cheap mod with huge benefits. Now I’m shredding bike parks with no worry!!!!!!
Same here so went Magura 220mm discs front and back on my e/bike to rebuild my Femur after moto x crash and a tip here is don't use organic as there shite but sintered but Carbon Lorraine pads they polish the disc then as I run a Sram code sintered and I swap between the two to get the bite on the pads as we used these Carbon Lorraine pads in motocross. Tried loads of pads and disc combo's.
I hate the SRAM Guide R brakes that came on my Canyon Spectral. But it seems they are universally hated. Been looking to replace them with Shimano. I may have to give Galfer disc & pads a try. Thanks for sharing.
As a Spanish brand, here in Spain are very popular. Have many friends with them and I use their pads, for me they have more bite than shimano and make way less noise. Road version is used in many WW builds. One last note, Orbea uses them from factory in many bikes and some world cup XC teams use them as well.
Yes i also use galfer Green Pads. I agree what U Said is true.
Nice review, thanks. I run 203 galfer wave with code rsc's and semi-metallic pads, riding in the PNW rain/mud/occasionally dry conditions. The galfer rotors have significantly less frequent and much quieter 'goose gobble' noise than the sram rotors, but more bite and no fade that I've noticed. As a few other comments have mentioned the cutouts to make their own particular noise under braking, it's very very quiet, my riding buddies have never heard it, and I kind of like the hum/buzz noise. These are my favorite rotors, with the Hayes D as a second runner up.
I run the Galfer 203mm floating rotors front and rear, with Shimano Saint brakes, and it is excellent! It's on a 58lb Haibike, and I am 290lbs plus gear, yet it has no problem with braking power, even going 35mph downhill. It also has a nice progressive feel, and is easy to control at slower speeds.
Wow, you weigh almost 2 of me.
you would be best with 223 front and rear with MTX GOLD pads.
@@VikingRasbornStrong actually in the last 6 months I did switch to 223 mm rotors and I really like the Galfer purple pads.
You change it because you had problem with saint rotors and pads ? Because me on my Orbea Wild i upgrated with Saint Brakes but i have always problems (much noise, feel the pads crumbling) and thinking to try Galfer pads and rotors.. thank you for a feedback
@@ilijaagatic2085 Hi! I originally bought the Saint brake kit for my Haibike without rotors, and Galfer rotors are affordable and good quality. Since my original post, I got a Specialized Kenevo also, and I bought 223mm Galfer Wave rotors to upgrade that bike, but the rear frame clearance wasn't enough for 223mm. So then I bought SRAM HS2 220mm rotors for the Kenevo, and upgraded to Code RSC levers, with the purple Galfer ebike pads, and used the 223 Galfer wave rotors to upgrade my Haibike. AMAZING braking performance from that setup! It only requires a cheap caliper adapter to upgrade, and the stopping power is noticeably better, with far less effort required to squeeze the levers. The speed and weight of me on an ebike basically requires the biggest rotors. lol
Galfer is the OE spec for the rotors on my Honda Africa Twin and they are fantastic in that application. They are definitely not stranger to making quality parts. I run these same Rotors in 203 front and back on my trail bike and have had great results. I may try their pads when the time comes to change.
Is a great rotor...I've used in all types of terrain bike park,down hill,cross country ...and braking performance with metallic pads powerful stopping power..3 seasons of riding, have not warped them, amazing rotors .I recommend....👍👍👍
I usted them for half a year or so and I complitely wear away the front rotor. Great stopping power thought
I do kind of XC, but this season I has a los of mud. Yes, down to 1.3
I've previously used Galfers on my motorcycles and when I saw they made them for MTB, I decided to upgrade to a set. I REALLY wanted to like the Galfers but on the second (third?) ride with their rotor and pad combo, the brakes faded so badly on a steep downhill that the levers came to the bars and they provided almost zero stopping power. Fortunately, the trail had a fairly straight/smooth runout and I was able to get slowed down. Swapped them out for a set of SRAM HS2 rotors and SRAM resin pads and haven't looked back. I currently have them hanging on the wall above my workbench in the garage because who doesn't like the look of smoked rotors? 😁
How are the HS2s handling the heat on the steeps -- still great? I'm thinking of replacing the Centerline X on my gravel bike for an alpine tour... with ceramic pads.
@@beforedawn The HS2's are REALLY good! I'm 245lbs and running 180mm front and rear on my Transition Spur. I plan to put a set on my Sentinel, too.
I run Galfer Wave 223mm x 2mm on front with Magura MT5 4-piston 4 piece MTX RED pads ---AMAZING POWER, MODULATION = ZERO BRAKE FADE.
Rear, unfortunately, I returned the Galfer Wave 203x2mm and replaced with trusted Magura Storm HC 203x2mm rotor -- so much Stronger and literally appears 100% larger brake surface area too. It seems the Galfer Wave 203 are much like a XC, light rotor and so much less braking area for my large MT5 pistons.
Lol... I just noticed only now; time to replace yet... my rear magura master cylinder is cracked...all this time and still amazing braking; not as powerful as usual but still STORM hc builds braking longer you hold.... just not applying like front. Leaking air pressure?
Best rotor on the market. Nothing else comes close! I run 223 front and 203 rear 2mm thick with code RSC brakes and galfer Pro pads. They are like smooth like butter! Insanely quiet and fade free stopping power!
I trow something i use and are happy with in this chat =)
Magura MDR-P =)
Less Holes so more Brake contact, Floating, E-MTB so for heavy use made!
Touching the Rotor isnt harmfull because it is metal =/ Curios Ppl.
The Shimano is just a Stamped disc, so no Heattreating and no deburrung un other side. Also less ideal to break in.
Oh and also good Disc would be the BrakeStuff Punch Disc
I started using Galfer rotors & pads in 1992 on my FZR 400, then on my Honda 125RS, then on my GSXR 600. Sandro knows his sh*t and they are a stand-up company. Their braking products are provide excellent performance. My first mtb use was in 2008, I coupled a Galfer 180mm rotor with BB% mech discs on my Iron Horse hardtail. Now run a Galfer 203mm front on my Roscoe 6. Top notch products.
I am using TRP-29 Standard Thickness Rotor 160mm no longer made and yes on the Galfer Wave disc brake rotor, 160mm - DB002W
I just installed the 246mm on the front of my Levo comp which has
Code brakes.
It's good, now it stops without death-gripping the lever.
Also, it's 3mm thick.
To address alignment I installed grub screws into the bolt posts to micro adjust alignment and they can't move when tightening the bolts down.
Also
Hi, What kind of brake caliper do you have to support 3 mm thick ?
2.3mm is the maximum on my Shimano
Nice job with the review, you always have great real world reviews with high end and budget friendly in mind 👍👍
I have these fitted to the front of my custom ebike 203mm and a Hope 203mm on the back. Hope rotor grips smoother and the Galfer more like abs..both are strong griping.
Thanks for sharing! We love the Galfer rotors.
Might have to give these a try when my RT-86s need replacing. Thanks for the review!
i use ztto on an aluminum spider, they work great and very rarely need to be leveled
I use 280mm on my 450cc enduro bike.
I can guaranty you that, you have made the right purchase...
Great 👍
These discs are among The best on The planet! We use them on all The bikes in the shop, love ‘m !!
Loving my 2mm Galfer Waves on my SB150! Great paired with the MTX Gold pads. 💪
My only concern with these rotors are that they have bigger 6 mounting holes than other rotors. I guess it doesn’t really matter when torqued down properly but I’m running centerlock adapter & the 6 bolt mounting area has too much play. Other than that I’m quite happy with the performance so far.
2mm model looks interesting if it comes in a 160mm version for my gravel bike. I ride in the desert I friends tell me the 2mm thick rotors work much better in the April-October months. Less chance of warping and better performance in the heat.
Great information as usual. Thank you!
You’re welcome 😇
I ride galfer rotors and pads on my DH bike. best rotors out there. On the east coast things get steep and rocky. Great heat dissipation.
I rode the 200 mm Galfer discs on my Sram brakes and they where really good! I can definitely recommend them
I run the big dog 223 rotors on my heavy ebike. They made a very noticeable difference in stopping power.
Thanks for the review...been considering these as we also noticed that the new shimano rotors are now made differently...they also warp easily compared to the japan made rotors
Best rotors - magura hc and sl2. Excellent combination of price and product
I cannot speak about the rotors because I haven't tried Galfer but I have compared the break pads and I prefer Shimano anytime.
Another great video! My experience with any rotor that has massive cutouts (these Waves, Magura SL2, Ashima, etc..) is that they chew through my resin pads in record time, make a 'ticking' noise when braking at high speeds and will even pulse the lever as well. I live and ride in the SoCal high desert (never wet) and prefer resin pads over metallic, so maybe what I have experienced is because of the softer resin pads flexing into the cutouts?? I'm on SRAM HS2 rotors now and they are butter smooth with no noise and don't warp under my 215lbs.
Agree with your conclusions exactly. I switched to TRP that have the rotors with small drilled holes as opposed to large cut outs. Plus they are 2.3mm thick and work on SHimano brakes really well. I weight 215lbs as well without pack and need power to stop. I did a video on the trp rotors if you are interested to check em out. I use sintered metallic or ceramic pads and they both made noise on the galfer rotors.
Do the HS2 overheat braking in steeps?
Hi, nice review, which Galfers would be the replacement for the Xts? With two parts, aluminum and steel?
Well they are making them in CL version and I have ordered a set for my bike. In the moment I have XTR freeza rotors 2 months old and they are making same turkey sounds as my SLX rotors have. I hope Galfer will not make any sounds.
They've been quiet with a nice bite for us
@@LoveMTB I have brand new Shimano pads J05A waiting for Galfer discs to come, then I will mount them and test.
Bit by bit I am upgrading my bike properly. In few months I hope I will get DT Swiss 350 rear hub and that will be it.
Good plans 😎 @@zdravo4
I've been using Galfer pads for my MTB for years. They are the best hands down
Moving away from Shimano 1,75mm thick rotors to Magura rotors that are 1,99mm thick really made my breaking feel and power better. I did not go with Galfer since they were hardly available in 2021 but I'll definitely consider them for next season if my Magura rotors end up too thin. Doubt it!
I did not know the shimano rotors are made in China. I checked my bike and stock rotor is China made while the after market rotor I bought for the rear (still RT66) is Japan. There is a difference that I noticed, the China rotor tends to have a lot of brake material stay on it and it is currently warped and I am unable to fix it by truing it. The Japan rotor has been true and the braking surface is clean. Was wondering why they looked different when they were the same model rotor.
Interesting how these rotors from Galfer (even if these have the same 180mm diameter) have offset of braking marks on the contact surface from the pads, even if you're using your brakes without any adapters. I mean in your case is clearly visible that phenomenon which warning was printed on the packaging at 2:46
Good eye :)
I got the 203x2mm earlier this season. super happy with them
I got the 203 on 2mm with 2 piston XT with GALFER competition pads.(green) ( no run in require).. Front and back.
Note I'm 65kg rider. NO JOKE! Best combo and lightweight.. in relation with 4 piston calipers.
I bought a 2mm rotor Galfer, it is suitable for electric trains, but I use it on a hardtail, and I have a question: can such a rotor be used with pads from Shimano metal?
YES, no problem
I don't know if anyone confirmed this yet, but they are in fact laser cut, and don't forget about the center lock options!
1. Do you clock your rotors when installing? If so, which direction?
2. What torque wrench are you using?
Thank you.
@@LoveMTB Yes. Thanks. That's what I thought, clockwise.
Thanks for the info, didn't knew about them. I'm recent to your channel, it is great and well made topics, !
Thanks for sharing this video, now we have options to save $$$ for our passion on MTB. Please make a video on tools that you are using, I know Park Tools are a bit pricey. Another options on tools. Thanks!
Another brilliant vid @LoveMTB - thanks very much! Apologies if this has been covered, but can you run these rotors with Shimano SLX (M7120) metallic pads?
I was considering the Galfers with my new wheels but that excessive wave pattern kinda leaves me cold. I ended up using Maguras just because they were cheap and thick. Super stoppy with the new kevlar pads i installed.
@@LoveMTB Luckily i got them at the same time as i ordered a whole bunch of wheel components from a German website. Some parts can be so cheap from there.
I looked at Magura but the reviews were sort of mixed, so I ended up with TRP rotors and did a video on them. They are really good and silent and 2.3mm thick.
I did a video on these and had some issues with them. I switched to TRP rotors and what a difference for Shimano 4 piston brakes. I did a video on them too. They are 2.3mm thick but a really nice upgrade for shimano 4 piston brakes.
what were the issues & what size were you using?
@@beforedawn They will flex on the larger size rotor and you'll hear it most on the front fork using a 203 rotor. They can be a little noisy due to the large holes cut into the rotors. I think the large holes are also what makes them flexy.
@@travelthenarrowtrail8660 I'll check out your vids, thanks! I think you're onto something about the size and cut outs.
Son los mejores discos de freno que hay en el mercado. Excelente vídeo.
Good vid. One question though, how do you know when to replace the rotors ?
I usually use the 2 piece XT rotors. I will have to give these a try.
How would you rate it vs. the RT86? ISI mostly don’t like two piece rotor as they can start making noise
More initial bite, no issues otherwise whatsoever.
No centerlock version 🤔
Is there any adapter to put them on centerlock hub?
@@LoveMTB great thank you.
I got 203 F/B, Excellent performance!
Appreciate your videos! Inspired by your Formula Cura video I have a set of 2-pots on order for my ’22 Top Fuel. Trying to decide on brake rotors 180/180 with centerlock hubs. With sale prices I can get the XT M800 or the Galfer Waves for the same cost. Priority is braking performance, but I don’t want to deal with any warping which is my concern about the M800s. Would you recommend the Galfers over the M800s?
@@LoveMTB Galfers ordered! Thanks for the advice!
I switched rear to 180 for a marathon race with long steep descents. Decided to leave on with trail tires for winter. I’ll go back to 160 if I can’t keep from locking up with the Curas and XC tires.
Note on CL rotors…I believe Galfer simply glues and/or pins their CL adapter to a 6-bolt rotor to make a CL rotor. (I read this on a forum, and it looks so in photos.) Not necessarily bad, but I decided to just buy the 6-bolt rotors and adapters so I can reuse the adapters. The 6-bolts were on sale and cost and weight was the same.
I normally hate introducing another variable using an adapter, but upside is that I’ll have more and cheaper rotor options if the CL adapter proves reliable. I’ll try to remember to post my findings.
I bought the thinner ones but when i ride fast they sound, i think they to thin for a 203mm so the gyroscopic force make it bend a little.
I love these rotors. Of particular note: they seem to perform amazingly as they they get hotter... no 'Turkey Gobble' with these, in fact what mine do is make a nice sounding 'hum' i'd say is from the shape of the cut outs in them where the pad is riding of the edges. Very predictable feel.
Just picked some up in center lock since XTR rotors are impossible to find
All Shimano rotors Slx-Xt I can find are from Malaysia or Japan, I thought chineese are only from aliexpress. Actually ordered Cues crancs from ali and they are NOT Chinese as well!
What exactly is the benefit of laser cutting discs over stamped ones?
I use their 2mm rotors on my XT brakes, works great.
I have the stamped rt66 and they vibrate a little when braking. Kind of annoying but will switch to something else when it's time to replace.
does the 203/223 rotor work on a 200/220 rotor setup or do you need the Galfer specific spacer?
That 3mm delta is never good, your pad may or may not align properly with the rotor, as the pad wears out you'll start to hear all kind of noises from the rotor
@@LoveMTB so what is the solution?
I switched to Glafer rotors like the one you're using. They work great so far. My rear rotor makes a light "squeal" noise when I'm feathering them. I thought the pads were contaminated when I installed them. I degreased the rotor and replaced with new pads, bedded them in and the light squeal came back. Checked and I don't see any glazing on the pads or leaking pistons on my caliper. I realigned my caliper, cleaned the pads and degreased the rotor. The squeal came back at the end of my ride. It's only at the initial bite if I'm feathering the brake otherwise they are silent on full brakes or firm braking. Strange.
Mine do that on sintered pads and a hs1 rotor. Just a chirp, nothing to worry about
What about Fig2 on picture. This looks like mine adapters from 160 mm up to 180 mm and up to fi 203 mm OMG!! In Gazelle S8 ultimate. I recommend you brake discs from China. I bought two of them with 2 mm, and they work perfectly, and are 4 times cheaper than big brands with huge margin on this product!
Has anyone ever had a properly tightened rotor bolt come loose? I dont use the Shimano shims and even put a dab of grease on them and never had any even become slightly loose. Would be interested to hear otherwise.
properly tightend bolts dont come loose. Make sure to use loctite and tighten them in the correct way with correct nm. If they still come loose maybe some parts bended. In that case I d go for new screws. if that doesnt work u might wanna try a centerlock adapter depending on your hub.
Hi LoveMTB, would there be any merit to using the thicker E-Bike rotors on a regular MTB? I was thinking it might resist warping better.
Seeing as I can't find Shimano rotors, I've been using SRAM anyways! Good to see solid competition, and EU made is a bonus!
The Galfer pads are really good especially the emtb purple ones . I have them in TRP DHR EVO and are brilliant and silent
Best pads and rotors in my opinion
When i think about something, often you have a vid about it... Today it was the thickness i needed cause of brake rub. thanks.. Also wanna know about galfer pads and thickness.
very cool never knew they existed I have been using the Shimano XT rotors never tried the SLX version though. I do have 1 bike with sram centerline rotors
Galfer pads are great but my Galfer rotors got crooked and rust in winter period
Have you heard of or tried Ashima Ai2 rotors? They’re made in Taiwan and the claimed weight is super light. Excellent for XC. Just ordered them and waiting to try them out. They’re even lighter than Magura’s Storm SL.2, which by the way are excellent rotors.
@@LoveMTB Will soon find out if the lightness of these rotors have any drawbacks.
@@LoveMTB Just installed Ashima. They suck. Zero power compared to my Magura Storm SL.2. Luckily they weren’t expensive so I can flip them asap. Lol
Been using the Galfer waves on my trail bike for a while now and they seem just as good if not better than the SLX ones on my XC bike and better value.
Give a try at Galfer pads they have quite a good reputation, also they offer different type of pads.
Greetings from Spain!
how do you compare duration with thickness? you're assuming the material is the same in all disks, in reality probably is not that way
These videos are so useful and demystifying the Shimano product coding has really helped me (and many others). I wonder if I could draw on your experience: i have 6100s on rt66s 180/160 and would like a little more power on occasion. What do you think would make the biggest difference? Upgrading and/or upsizing rotors? Or going for a 4 pot? Id wanted to try the m6120 callipers (no banjo fuss) but theyre out of stock everywhere in the UK. Cheers!
@@LoveMTB Thanks so much for the advice. I'm still using the Shimano resin-g03s, I think? Would the metal make a difference? Or those expensive fins...? 😂
I agree, go try a 4 piston with a thicker rotor like TRP. They make a 2.3mm rotor, never warp and increased cooling as well. Check out my video on them, you'll be pleased if you use them.
@@LoveMTB Yes: I think you're right. I probably want to try the 4-piston, partly for power, partly because I heard that the Shimano 4-pots give a bit more modulation, and partly, no doubt, because of peer pressure and marketing...Cheers for the content!
Good info. Interested in the eMTB line
Is there a galfer size 203 in 1.3 mm for Sram disc brake for me to buy?Thank you and more power to your channel sir!
How about Galfer brake pads? Have u tried ?
If yes how r perform?
Ty.
What’s your opinion on SwissStop rotors? :)
I has access to this brand at my work but didn’t give it a try yet..
Besides performing better, the Galfer rotors are actually available to buy. So they are definitely better in the sense that you can find them vs Shimano being MIA on virtually everything these days.
First thing I swap in my new bikes. Try them !!
Ironically, it seems your pad alignment is off per the image shown in the video
@@kevincruz7790 could be but I have a video on how to align the rotors properly 😊
How do they compare to the XTR version?
XTR=XT minus the color black. I would prefer the Galfer.
@@LoveMTB but there is some weight difference in comparison from the xtr to the Galfer (which are the ones I have) thinkness is the same from both?
Nice rotors. Might try them once I’m done with Magura Storm SL.2
Confused about bedding in. wouldn't that happen during regular riding as well?
@@LoveMTB Thank you, that makes sense.
soo for my e-bike xclass 52v 180mm i need 2mm not 1.8mm ??
How do you like them compared to the xt?
Either a toss or I prefer these, my daughter loves the Galfers in comparison
@@LoveMTB good to know, I think I’ll order a set with their pads. Thanks for the response and the video🤟
Dude, I put the rotors and pro pads my super caliber and what a difference! Fyi I did link your video on my channel. Thanks for the recommendation🤟
Hi,
Have you tried the new Goodyear mountain-Peak tyres? Are they really that lightweight with 29x2.4, 120tpi at 770g? They also have more gravity oriented tyres, but i was thinking about the trail/XCish ones.
Would you consider to make a video about them?
@@LoveMTB oh nice looking forward to it!
Thanx for good content
Going to try Hayes D series for my Hayes Dominion A4. Nothing wrong with my cheaper snail rotors, I just want to see the comparison between expensive vs cheap.
For Hayes, try the TRP 2.3mm thick rotors, you'll be super impressed.
Could a thicker rotor kinda act as a bite point adjustment?
Hi, can you use any brake oads on galfer rotors? Plan to buy 203 gafer rotors to put on my enduro bike
@@LoveMTB ordered 203 rotors front and rear, with the purple brake pads, for my shimano deore 4pot brakes
Cool. Well done Sir
I think that comparing the Slx RT66 disc with the Galfer disc does not make sense because these are discs from different price ranges, Galfer is of course much more expensive than the Slx and it is normal that it will be a better disc in all respects except for the price,but overall a very nice overview and useful information about the Galfer watch face, thanks.
Unfortunately we have been observing a drop in quality for some time parts produced by Shimano, as you rightly noticed, Shimano discs are also already produced in China, a great, great pity that Shimano goes this way because I have been their customer since the 90s, but if Shimano maintains this trend of producing everything in China, and probably Yes, it will also have to look for an alternative to Shimano in my bicycle garage, as a curiosity I will say that today the store accepted the complaint of the newly purchased XT m8000 derailleur, the new derailleur had a play on the cage 4 mm each way, it's a joke I guess. If this is what the quality of the XT group at Shimano looks like now, I get off this train and get into another one. Regards
Yes. Agreed. I immediately removed on both bikes, Shimano SLX calipers + CL rotors (China) and Sram guide R's (even smaller + 😄worse) and replaced with Magura MT5 + MTX Red pads.... Galfer Wave 223 fr and Magura Storm HC 203 rR.
One question that arose is whether you will use Galfer Discs on all your bikes and stop using the Shimano ones or will you only use them on one bike?
@@LoveMTB So it is convenient to buy the 180mm discs since they are 2mm thick... will they last longer?