6 Bolt vs. Centerlock Brake Rotors

If you have a mountain bike that was made in the last 8 years or so there is a good chance that it has disk brakes unless you got it somewhere like Target or Walmart. And if your mountain bike has V brakes then it's time for you to get a new bike! Mountain bike brake technology hasn't changed too much over the years except for maybe streamlining designs and making brakes lighter and cool better. And there are still hydraulic and mechanical brakes to choose from with each having their own advantages although hydraulic is the overall winner and is what you should be using.

When it comes to rotors there are 2 main types to choose from, 6 bolt or centerlock. There are other types out there but they are not nearly as common. The rotor part itself that comes in contact with the brake pads works the same way on each but it's how they connect to the hub that makes the difference. In our opinion one is not better than the other but it's more of a choice for you to make or not a choice depending on if you already have your bike or hubs.

Even though each type works the same there are still some considerations to be made when deciding on what type to use. So if you are shopping for some new wheels or building your own you need to decide what type you want to use. The most commonly used version is the 6 bolt rotor and because of that there are a lot more choices for rotors than with the centerlock type. The 6 bolt rotor attaches to the hub using 6 bolts (duh) where the centerlock attaches directly to the hub and locks using a special key. The rotor is riveted to the hub mount itself. Centerlock hubs are a Shimano design where 6 bolt hubs are made by many manufacturers although it's possible to use other brand rotors with centerlock hubs with an adapter. The 6 bolt rotors use a standard Torx wrench to attach them to the hub.

In general, 6 bolt rotors are usually lighter than centerlock rotors so if weight is super important to you then that's something to consider even though the weight difference is not huge. But on the other hand, centerlock hubs tend to be lighter than 6 bolt hubs but of course there are not nearly as many to choose from so I'm sure you can find some lighter 6 bolt hubs out here if you wallet supports it. Centerlock rotors are easier and faster to remove and are centered more accurately on the hub since you don't have to worry about trying to torque the 6 bolts evenly when installing the rotor.

So as you can see there is no read advantage to either one that makes it a no brainer when it comes to choosing the right type for you so you are probably better off making your decision based on what hubs you go with. You should also research your options for rotors if you do go with the centerlock version because you may not be able to find exactly what you are looking for compared to the 6 bolt options.

Posted by Jim Bernstein