Submitted by
Carlos Mena
a Cross Country Rider
from Mexico city
Date Reviewed: May 14, 2001
Strengths: Looks, White color sets them apart form shimano or avid, light, adjustments, strong braking power
Weaknesses: A bit flexy, white color gets dirty easily but you just wipe the dirt off, not all of the adjustments are tool free, not sure about strenght.
Bottom Line:
I was somehpw afraid that these levers were not going to be a big difference, they did, they are longer than my old avids so I don´t have to move my hands , they´re a bit flexy but braking power is incredible and they looook COOOOOOOOL, I love sram product´s and i wont go back to a shimano drivetrain, kudos to sram
Similar Products Used: shimano xt levers, avid 1.9
Bike Setup: Mountain cycle moho cxs, manitou mars 1 fork, sram 9.0 sl drivetrain, race face turbine lp cranks( big ass 48 t chainring)thomson seatpost, easton carbon bar.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
david
a Cross Country Rider
from tahoe
Date Reviewed: February 19, 2001
Strengths: lightness and modulation
Weaknesses: reach adjust
Bottom Line:
these levers work well for the price. If they were beefier they'd be too bulky. why whine about not getting warranty action on some relatively inexpensive part that you snapped when you ate it on the bike path. Try getting warranty action out of shimano. What ever happened to reasons 7 and 5 in the reasons reviews are removed anyway. Rid the banter
Weaknesses: umm...color doesn't match with Rocket Shifters?
Bottom Line:
For me these levers are great. They work perfectly with Rocket half pipe shifters. The power adjustment and reach adjustment let you customise the shifters anyway you like.
Some people complain about a "plasticy feel." At first this was noticable, but then I asked my bike shop and they recomended switching brake pads. So I got some Kool Stop pads and now they work great and are very precise.
I recomend these levers to any one looking for a performance lever, without spending 100's of dollars.
These brakes work. A slight bit of flex but stopping on a dime is not a problem. These combined with the ONZA H.O.s is a great mix. After numerous crashes and spills (not due to braking) the brakes have never broken or became less effective. Adjusting pull leverage is easy just move or remove the orange tab. Never had a problem with them so I think they're a great buy. But like everything else it's all a matter of preference. If you need a set of levers that are easy to use, work great, and won't break your wallet, these are the ones to buy. If SRAM would reduce the flex in this design I would give it a perfect score. So until then it falls short by one.
Submitted by
woe
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Cruz
Date Reviewed: October 13, 2000
Strengths: Light, nice feel, quiet, good modulation
Weaknesses: Can't buy replacement arms. 2000 model looks kinda funny.
Bottom Line:
I got a pair of the '99 levers & really liked them. They were a major improvement over the Avid 1.0. I snapped a lever arm in a tumble & came to find you can't buy replacement arms. That sux. Soooo, bit the bullet & bought a pair of 2000's (no one has the 99's anymore). They are noticably superior to the 99s which I already really liked. Did I say quiet? I loooove quiet parts. Value rating of 4 cuz you can't get replacement parts.
Submitted by
John
a Racer
from Highlands Ranch, CO
Date Reviewed: August 10, 2000
Strengths: Light weight and very effective brake modulation
Weaknesses: none so far
Bottom Line:
These break levers in combination with the Avid 2.0s were a very nice improvement for me over the XTR/XTR combo I originally built the bike with. The XTR's just didn't give me the modulation needed to keep from skidding my Wildgripper Sprints on the somewhat loose downhills. Went to the new combo mostly for weight purposes but lucked into a big step up in performance also. Great product with great weight, I would reccomend it to anyone.
Similar Products Used: XTR rapidfire brake/shift combo
Bike Setup: Litespeed Tellico with all kinds of different parts (only the fr der. and cassette are japanese)
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jamie
a Cross-Country Rider
from Portage Ind.
Date Reviewed: November 6, 1999
Strengths: These levers rock .They stop me just fine remember were trying not to skid up the trail.just stop and they can do a good job of that.Nice size handel flex is just a little bit .
Weaknesses: none so far dont run them tight enough to break on a crash just turn same a my other levers they break to if to tight .
Bottom Line:
Good levers nice set with esp9 brake's . U S A all that needs to be said !
Similar Products Used: stx cants xt to small levers
Bike Setup: Trek y super light 300 . esp 9 shifters esp brake set
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Hanuman
a Weekend Warrior
from Oregon
Date Reviewed: October 21, 1999
Bottom Line:
nice levers, although they aren't super stiff. just personal preference but i really like aluminum levers. anyways, these are really nicely designed. w/XTR v brakes the stopping power is really tight. the key is to remove the 'pie' in the lever... it comes stock in position 1. there's also a position 2 you can place it. remove for max leverage. 5 flaming lava drops for now, we'll see how they hold up to abuse.
Weaknesses: the blade will snap off @ the Slightest hit(HARD OR SOFT)
Bottom Line:
ONE SMALL HIT AND MY LEFT LEVER SNAPPED IN TWO AND I GOT THE SAME RESPONSE FROM SRAM CUSTOMER SUCKVICE THAT THE PERSON A FEW POSTINGS DOWN GOT YOUR ASSED OUT(SO TO SPEAK).ALL I WANTED WAS FOR THEM TO FIX THE PIECE THAT BROKE OFF, NOT TO HEAR GO BUY ANOTHER PAIR .DONT BUY THE HYPE ABOUT SUPER TUFF GRILON ITS JUST THE OPPOSITE. AFTER HEARING SO MANY GREAT THINGS ABOUT THERE CUST.SERV. I AM NOW VERY PISSED THAT I HAVE TO WASTE MORE MONEY ON NEW LEVERS BECAUSE OF THERE POORLY CONSTRUCTED LEVER AND EVEN WORSE CUST,SERV..
Bike Setup: 95 Mongoose Rockadile,Answer/Manitou SX-R,SRAM:SHIFTERS,DERAILLER, BRAKES AND WEAK LEVERS. NYTEX CRANK ,RACE FACE RINGS,SLT-99 CHAIN, WTB MOMENTUM /LASERBEAM WHEELS,HEADSET.XT COG.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
P.D. Nick
a Downhiller
from Englewood, CO
Date Reviewed: September 7, 1999
Strengths: Very light, easy to adjust
Weaknesses: has way too much flex, fells like it's going to brake, and very expensive
Bottom Line:
This lever is way too over priced. It is not smooth and has a lot of flex. When ever I used I thought it was going to brake into two. It was impossible to make this lever a one finger brake. I finally sold them to a retard and bought XT SL's. I really think Grip Shift is horrible. They have only one good set-up, XTR rear derailleur and GS Plasma. The 9.0's are not good escpecially the 9.0 rear derailleur
Similar Products Used: Avid Ultimate L, Shimano XT SL
Bike Setup: K2 4000, Manitou X-Vert R front, Noleen NR-4 rear, full XT
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Galen Bowen
a Cross-Country Rider
from Quincy, CA
Date Reviewed: July 8, 1999
Strengths: Very light and inexpensive Very little pivot slop Look pretty good
Weaknesses: Leverage adjustment is kind of a pain Not crazy about the plastic lever feel
Bottom Line:
Very good, solid lever. Prefer the feel of a aluminum lever blade, but that's just personal opinion. One of the lightest levers out there, and such a deal!
Had my new bike built with all SRAM stuff. 9.0SL shifters, derailliuer, brake levers and brakes. Why? I liked their stuff and their past support has been excellent.Yesterday took a trip over the bars on my 3 week old bike and bang, left lever snapped off. Seemed odd, old Avid levers been down hard dozens of times, never broke.Called SRAM, ( a little challenge, they moved, new bigger company after aquiring SACHS, number changed, not listed on their web site). I explained that I broke the lever,( most likly 100% my fault ), and want to buy just the mounting clamp, ( keeping the lever, pie parts, adjuster and all bolts off the old one ). They said nope, no can do. I would have to buy a complete lever from a local bike shop, ( order, wait a lifetime and pay a million ), Not the answer I wanted. Maybe the original has a defect causing it to break, how did he know? Didn't care.USA company, pride thamselves on being to get every little part for the shifters, but brakes it's all or nothing. I don't like that, same as the big S stuff IMHO. He could have gave me other options.Why would I buy another whole lever, knowing If, ( when ) I have any trouble I will have to replace the complete unit.Over reacting, maybe, but SRAM has gotten their last $$$$ from me.....
Bike Setup: XL Gary Fisher Ziggurat with plasma shifters.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rob
a Cross-Country Rider
from N. Ontario
Date Reviewed: May 2, 1999
Strengths: -Light -Good looks -Verrrry durable, tough -Ease of adjustment
Weaknesses: -Fairly 'slippery' lever, it's hard to get a good feel for it sometimes, and fingers tend to slip around
Bottom Line:
So far I'm very pleased with these levers, they've taken hard hits and are no worse for the wear, you can't even tell that they've been abused in the first place. Again the only complaint I have is that the lever itself if kind of slippery and it's hard to get a positive feel sometimes. Otherwise an excellent product!
Strengths: light, good looking, durable even on impact
Weaknesses: could be stiffer
Bottom Line:
Great looking and very light. I did a header over the bars and the handlebar drove into some rocks. It put a small gouge in the lever it hit so hard--no effect on the lever though--been working fine ever since. I have some 7.0 levers on my other bike and they work just as good--just don't have the 3rd optional cable pull position--and don't look quite as cool. The 9.0 could be a little stiffer, but really they modulate well with V-brakes. Very good, light levers.
