The Official Brake Review Thread

Discussion in 'The Workshop' started by 07coiler, Sep 1, 2009.

  1. westcoaster

    westcoaster New Member

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    xt, hands down.
     
  2. nailknot

    nailknot Member

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    XT, simply the best
     
  3. dcrfx

    dcrfx Member

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    + on XT or SLX. I believe you can use them with your existing rotors (can someone confirm, I don't know for sure) as long as you're not changing rotor size . Get Ice Teck rotors for the full effect but then may be bumping your budget limit.
     
  4. WC-Rider

    WC-Rider New Member

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    Right here....^^
     
  5. speckledtrout

    speckledtrout Active Member

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    Yes, you can use them with your old rotors. I made the switch to shimano brakes on both of my bikes. I upgraded to the Ice Tech rotors for one bike but the other bike has my old avid rotors still. Both sets of brakes work great but there is a noticeable difference with the Ice Tech rotors.

    But just as important is the fact that they are the same avid rotors but no more turkey gobblin' going on!
     
  6. emr88

    emr88 New Member

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    XTs

    Another vote for XTs
     
  7. dburdett

    dburdett Member

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    +1 xt.
     
  8. XDEEDUBBX

    XDEEDUBBX Member

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    Thanks for all your suggestions. I guess everyone can't be wrong! plus at $120 a pop is a good deal, I can buy both of them and have them installed (not installing them myself) for just under $300! I read that the brake pads they come with have issues? Can someone confirm that? Even if so I can always switch them out.

    My number one complaint of my old elixer 3's were they were sooo noisy. I would literally have to sand them down (brake pads) a bit before each ride so that they wouldnt be so noisy, and I did notice a bit of brake fade. I'm, sure the XT's won't have this problem.
     
  9. Waldo

    Waldo Lebowski Urban Achiever

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    Strong, light, cheap - pick two...unless you're talking about Shimano brakes. OK, maybe not cheap, exactly, but a great value, especially when you can find a sale. Shimano's nailed it with the XT's & Ice Tech rotors.
     
  10. Bullseye

    Bullseye New Member

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    Anything that doesn't have the letters A,V,I & D on it.

    But yeah, XTs and SLX are awesome.
     
  11. emr88

    emr88 New Member

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    Unless you need to shorten the brake hoses, the install is a 10 minute deal you could do yourself. For me, it took longer to remove my ESI grips to get my old brake levers off then it did to install the new brakes.
     
  12. dmbfan028

    dmbfan028 New Member

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  13. dmbfan028

    dmbfan028 New Member

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    Another Vote for the XT's, simply amazing brakes. Been running them for almost a year without any issues at all, no adjustments needed or anything, cant go wrong!
     
  14. dcrfx

    dcrfx Member

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    Have not heard of an issue nor have had an issue. The pre-bled sets I've gotten all came with the metal pads (F03C). I tried the resin F01A pads and maybe just a slight decrease in stopping power but to me seemed a little better modulation.

    Will add, if you get any kind of grease, mineral oil etc.. on the rotors and pads they will squeal and be less effective. And new pads are not cheap. I learned the hard way.
     
  15. jae2460

    jae2460 Active Member

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    +1 on the XT's. My bike came with Avid Elixr CR's, which I believe was the Avid top of the line brakes in 2010, or close to it. I didn't have the noise problem that many people did except occasionally on long descents, but I had to align my calipers every other ride due to brake rub and the fricken things wouldn't align the first time--I would literally have to repeat the same steps over and over again, hoping for a different result until eventually they would align properly. Infuriating!

    I bought Shimano XT's about a year ago and I think I have aligned them 2 or 3 times, I don't remember, and when I align them--they stay aligned. Set it and forget it. I don't even think I've had my brakes bled yet and I ride 4-5 times a week. Maybe I have had them bled once. Plus, they're more powerful and allow true one finger braking with confidence.

    I don't know what you've heard about the pads that come with them, they're fine but they're expensive. I actually use cheap knock-off pads as replacement and they last a long time, work just as good and don't make any noise even though they don't have the cooling fin things on them: http://stores.ebay.com/TruckerCo-Hi...3504018&_sid=1065246988&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322 Yes, the pads are like $7 and they work as good as the $28-$35 Shimano replacements.
     
  16. XDEEDUBBX

    XDEEDUBBX Member

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    It was a review on MTBR but it could have been just one person. Bluesky is selling them for 119.00 right now! I will be ordering very soon! Thanks for all the help guys!
     
  17. wheeler

    wheeler Member

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    Yes.....that is why I have the H O P E product on my bikes :)
     
  18. WC-Rider

    WC-Rider New Member

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    XT's..... thee best
     
  19. J Money

    J Money Member

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    +1 on the XT's. I'm running 180mm front and rear with the Ice Tech rotors. They dominate the XO's I had as far as braking power. That's even going from 203mm.

    My father in law just made the same swap and agrees the XT's are superior.
     
  20. jae2460

    jae2460 Active Member

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    I just build up a singlespeed hardtail and threw my old Avid Elixir CR's on that bike...Wow...I need to buy another pair of XT's or maybe I'll buy SLX's although they don't seem much cheaper.
     

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