Strengths: Work with all types of brake setups, lightweight, durable and just stop whatever ride mounted on great!
Weaknesses: Can't really find any, had my two sets for a while now. Since 1998?
Bottom Line:
Only broke one of these levers in the past 6-8 years I have been using them. Took a 9-12 foot steep (drop-off/descent section) sideways and sliding at a race in PA a few years ago during a rain storm. Landed on the left side and slammed down, got up a few minutes later when I could breathe normally and finished the race. The lever cracked about a week later. Asked SRAM about buying a set of levers at the next national and they gave me a replacement set in exchange for my damaged set. Great levers, great customer service.
Similar Products Used: Avid, Shimano, kool stop, etc.
Bike Setup: First set is on a Gary Fisher Ziggurat (alum/carb) full SRAM XO, Bontrager wheelset. Other set is on my Team Sugar from a few years ago, still use it all the time.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Cam
a Downhiller
from Sydney, NSW, Australia
Date Reviewed: July 1, 2006
Strengths: Very light, strong for plastic, good leverage
Weaknesses: Way too much flex!
Bottom Line:
Good for the price, but has to much flex when pulled. Plastic on brake levers just does not work.
Strengths: ADJUSTABILITY...NO LATERAL FLEX...LITE WEIGHT...POWERFUL... PLAY WELL WITH GRIP SHIFTERS...LOOKS...
Weaknesses: NONE!!!
Bottom Line:
THESE LEVERs ALONG WITH THE ULTIMATEs,FLAKs and KOOL-STOP PADs ARE BEST COMBO!!! THE MODULATION IS AWESOME!!! I LIKE THEM MORE THAN MY SD-7s WHICH ARE FANTASTIC IN THERE OWN RIGHT... THE WEIGHT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AVID SD-SL BKs+LRs = 630gms.. AVID ULTIMATE BKs + 9.0 LRs = 490gms...GO THINK!!!!!!! Ive GOT THE BEST IN Vs, WITH AWESOME LEVERS!!! AND THE BRAKING POWER EQUAL TOO HEAVY A$$ DISKs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
........TIME TO GO RIDE FOREST RIDE......................... ..................................PEACE.....................
.......................GET A SET AND SEE 4 YOURSELF.........
Submitted by
Carlos
a Weekend Warrior
from Florida
Date Reviewed: March 7, 2005
Strengths: Good looks
Weaknesses: Flexes too much
Bottom Line:
I had before the direct curve brakes and threw them away because they flex. Also found the levers flex and will change them. People I have met with experience with these levers recommend me to replace them right away. They are good for recreational riding.
Bike Setup: 2002 Trek Fuel 100, 2005 Manitou Minute Two, 2005 Fox Float RP3, Avid Arch Rival
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Andro Galero
a Weekend Warrior
from Butuan City, Philippines
Date Reviewed: February 17, 2005
Strengths: -lightweight (only 154g pair) -improved and more powerful brake performance -i'm the only biker to have sram levers in our club -affordable
Weaknesses: -looks bulky -a little flexy
Bottom Line:
took my bike to my favorate trail this morning and my brakes became smoother and more powerful. it also looked better with my sram x.o grip shifters. i'm now planning to change to sram 9.0 brakes... its just hard to find sram products in our country.
Weaknesses: A bit flexy, but no performance is lost.
Bottom Line:
I raced with these levers 6 years ago(when then first went to there current design) and loved them. I thought i would try something different. Well, I am back with them and this time it's to stay! They are some of the lightest levers out there and yet they have the best power of any I have tried! I would highly recommend them, especially when teamed up with avid Ti brakes.
Strengths: light, cheap,very confortable,easy adjustments,looks great with xo shifters, powerfull.
Weaknesses: flexy
Bottom Line:
well, im used to ride xtr levers for the past seven years and i tought they were great levers.... the minute i mounted the sram 9.0 i forgot about xtr. my brakes are much more powerfull than avid mechanical disks now. i was really shocked by the difference in brake power from the xtr levers. just one finger is all i need now.
Bike Setup: s-works dual suspension sram drive terrain.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
weather expert
a Cross Country Rider
from iowa
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2003
Strengths: GREAT feel. smooth. infinitely adjustable. gripshift compatible. dig the looks.
Weaknesses: no complaints.
Bottom Line:
the reason for me to buy these levers is simple enough--they are essentially the only levers that work well with twist shifters. other brake levers are a tad short for twist shifters. you can still use two fingers to stop, but not all of us like holding onto the twisting shifters when we brake. these sram levers are just long enough to give you the option to brake without your hands on shifters.
these are excellent levers. unlike avids, these sram levers give a smoothed out, modulated feel. the blades are very comfortable to grab and my fingers have never once slipped. the levers are also infinitely adjustable--even though i didn't use it much, it is possibly a great feature for others.
the levers use small gauge hex bolts to affix to handlebars. at first it feels strange but i suppose it's to avoid overtorquing the bolts (remember the lever body is grilon).
Submitted by
Loehr Young
a Cross Country Rider
from Athens, GA. USA
Date Reviewed: June 17, 2003
Strengths: Light weight, great feel, easy to modulate with just one finger (for my hands anyway), look way cool!
Weaknesses: None for me, I love'm.
Bottom Line:
I actually have 3 mountain bikes that all have these levers on them. I have been riding one set since about 99' and have had not one single problem. They do flex like the other guys are saying but to me it makes them easier to modulate. I have them on one bike with XT V brakes, one with Avid mag, and my new one has the 9.0 brakes to match and all work great.
Bike Setup: Leader LD-515 hardtail (if you're not familiar w/it, go to leaderbike.com), Judy XLC shocks (1999 only), Avid MAG-V brakes, Rapid-fire 7-speed shifters.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Alex
a Weekend Warrior
from Colorado Springs, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: October 8, 2002
Strengths: Feels good with plenty of room for adjustment, great modulation and are also light weight.
Weaknesses: A little bulky in appearance, not feel, bolts are odd sized.
Bottom Line:
These levers just feel good with great modulation in a very light weight package, probably not best for DH, but for XC and general fun, they do better than most for the price. Stopping power is strong, but with alittle flex as others have mentioned, but also nice and quiet without the clicking sounds. I Looked at XTR, but they don't seem to be worth the cost for what you get, Avids kick ass and I foresee a pair of SD-7's in my near future. Don't usually care for SRAM, but their 9.0 levers are real and I'm very happy with them for now.
Similar Products Used: Shimano Alivio, Deore, LX, Avid 1.0
Bike Setup: Hardtail, Deore-LX-XT-XTR mix, Psylo SL w/remote lockout, egg beaters, SRAM 9.0 levers, Rock Shox Seat Post.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Vancouver, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 24, 2002
Strengths: Strong. Powerful. Decent modulation. Adjustability. Good feel.
Weaknesses: Bolts are odd sizes, hard to find replacments. Bodies are pretty flexy, but this contributes to durability and good feel. Bulky.
Bottom Line:
Good lever. Strong, I've smashed mine many times and not had a problem.
Kinda cheap looking though, bulky too.
I like them, but when I get money I'm probably switching to Avid levers, as they have the same feel minus the flexiness and bulk.
XC riders use these, but I REALLY test them. I use them with the best cable discs money can buy. I can stop every time, and believe me, you need good stoppers riding here.
Not a bad product, would prefer a little less flex, and a little less bulk. These things are BIG.
I paid $40 cdn new for mine, that's about $25 US, so they get a 5 for value. For the stuff I don't like they get a 4, otherwise they're pretty decent.
Bike Setup: Shore hardtail, Avid discs, cro-mo cranks, big wheelset.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
James
a Cross Country Rider
from Lake Oswego OR
Date Reviewed: May 30, 2002
Strengths: Lightweight composite. look's as good as it works.
Weaknesses: none yet
Bottom Line:
wow these levers, work realy good (boy howdy) went down a hill by the house and my computer was a saying 48mph. getting close to the stop at the bottom, I hit the breaks with the same force as I did with my old levers damn near almost went flying. I wasent ready for the sudden breaking force.(personal note, easy now) WOW! These are great, dics like stoping for a fraction of the cost. lock up can be achived with a one finger pull. got to get some of these for the wife.
