[29ERCAT]

Looking for a all mountain and x.c. brakeset....at this time my pick are the avid elixir and the shimano xt,I was thinking xtr but I read a fair number of bad reviews
I'm looking for good performance and low maintance brakeset,I'm 160lbs
thx:thumbsup:

 

[General Hickey]

Low maintenance? BB7's it is then.

 

[Zendog13]

Like Hickey said...BB7 if you want loooooow maintenance and good power. But then they are mechanical discs. If you want hydro's the the Juicy 5's are a safe bet. More than enough power, good feel. Steer clear of the Shimano's I would say. A lot of people , especially in warmer climates have boiling over probs. Elixirs seem good and have a better feel than the J5's plus you can tune them to your liking much more easily. Unfortunately at the shop I have found a fair number of them to need bleeding or at least the need to remove some excess liquid straight from the box. This may be early production models and the kinks could be ironed out by now.

 

[29ERCAT]

I run bb 7 now,and I love them....just was thinking trying hydros.I dont mind doing a bleed to get them rolling but I dont want this to turn into constant maintance...I'd rather be out riding.
How do hopes and formula fit into the mix....
thx

 

[onespeedpaul]

maybe try a size or two larger rotor and some new pads with your BB7's? as easy as a new pair of rotors, pads and spacers/adapters :thumbsup:

 

[Jerk_Chicken]

Enjoy putting your money down on the recommendations in this thread.

 

[29ERCAT]

Enjoy putting your money down on the recommendations in this thread.

as in what model brake are you referring to......

 

[Jerk_Chicken]

You have people recommending the Juicy, which has hundreds of posts of problems, persons like myself not included, then you have those talking about how Shimano brakes overheat and people talk about it. Any brake can overheat, but Shimano doesn't have a huge record for that. Then you have Elixir recommendations, again, they are too new to fully judge, along with the fact that there are a few bugs to deal with in them.

BB7's low maintenance? That's ridiculous. They are it, as far as mechs go, but if you think they're low maintenance, that's ridiculous, considering such things as pad wear, uneven pad wear, warped rotors, overheating, and wear over time and knobs falling off is low maintenance.

 

[29ERCAT]

You have people recommending the Juicy, which has hundreds of posts of problems, persons like myself not included, then you have those talking about how Shimano brakes overheat and people talk about it. Any brake can overheat, but Shimano doesn't have a huge record for that. Then you have Elixir recommendations, again, they are too new to fully judge, along with the fact that there are a few bugs to deal with in them.

BB7's low maintenance? That's ridiculous. They are it, as far as mechs go, but if you think they're low maintenance, that's ridiculous, considering such things as pad wear, uneven pad wear, warped rotors, overheating, and wear over time and knobs falling off is low maintenance.

point well taken,but my bb7 have been bombproof....and its good to hear what other have to offer

 

[Renovatio]

I have Juicy 7s 160mm, excellent power, modulation is good, bleeding isn't too bad..Avid has a youtube video detailing it all.

My friend has Stroker Trails, great brake, lots of power, modulation is a hair better than the J7.

Honestly, every brake has their share of problems. You only hear reviews when people love them or hate them--a lot of the time its hate. So take the plunge, you probably can't go wrong between Elixers or XT...or Strokers:thumbsup:

 

[huck*this]

Might be overkill but I run Stroker Aces on my Enduro SL and love them. Awesome power great modulation just don't grab the brake real quick with a snap of the lever or you will go flying. Adjustable reach levers, extra long levers, 4 pot calipers.

 

[TLL]

The new XTs are really a decent set of brakes. I had a set on one of my bikes and could not get them to overheat (I weigh 250#). Take all that talk of overheating with a grain of salt. The levers are solid and the brakes modulate well.

XTRs are for racing or stickboy riders.

 

[29ERCAT]

Might be overkill but I run Stroker Aces on my Enduro SL and love them. Awesome power great modulation just don't grab the brake real quick with a snap of the lever or you will go flying. Adjustable reach levers, extra long levers, 4 pot calipers.

dont remind me....I passed up a set of these at a swap meet a few weeks ago for $150.00,I'm still sick over it

 

[DGB]

I have XTs and J7s and I find the XTs the better of the 2. Slightly better power, better modulation and feel and no problems in over a year on them and no maintenance, other than check the pads, required in that time. Can't comment on the Elixirs.

 

[Hack On Wheels]

Shimanos are great! I personally love Hope brakes, partly due to the feel (the old mini lever fits my hand perfectly), partly due to the lovely machining, and partly due to the performance. However, as I can't always afford those my next brakes are a set of the older Saints. I've borrowed bikes with Shimano brakes, I have a number of riding buddies that ride Shimanos, and I've read many great reviews of Shimano brakes. I've never heard anything saying that they are prone to overheating, and certainly not any more than other brakes.

I do have a pair of Juicy 5s as well, and they are alright, but they are by no means a great brake. They sure felt better than the old Hayes Mags I had kicking around, but in comparison to the Hopes and Shimanos, they aren't very special. I haven't had too many issues with mine, just minor stuff, but I'm not very keen on Avids anymore.

I would say Hope brakes, if they feel good for you, and failing that I would very strongly recommend the Shimanos. For AM just about any of them should be fine I would think, LX, Hone, new SLX, XT, XTR, Saint.... the new Saint might be chunkier than you want though, I'm not sure of its weight.

 

[Hack On Wheels]

Come to think of it, I also have friends who swear by Magura, though they like the Shimanos as well.... I'm not sure how easily available the Maguras would be for you. Convenient availability of spare bits is always a good selling point in my opinion.

 

[Markenduro]

Have had hope mono m4, bb7 mechanical brakes, original xt4pots and now have a mix of 2007xt ans 2008 slx on my bikes.

Hope; very good when they are working but prone to going very wrong with little warning as the pads wear down (had mine lock solid onto the rotor on one ride as the pads came out too far and moved in the calliper)
BB7: best mechanical brakes you can get but need constant adjustment as the pads wear
Shimano: fit them and forget about them until the pads need replacing

As for the overheating I run 180mm front/160 rear on both my 29ers and 203mm front/180mm rear rotors on my hardcore bike, fit the bigger rotors and they will have more power and dissipate heat better.
I ride in the midlands, UK and the ground conditions are pretty grim in winter with a mix of sandy soil and clay mud which wrecks most things including brakes and drivetrain in next to no time at all.

 

[Energetik]

I run BB7s currently, and can't say that I have no complaints, but they are still great brakes.
I used to true my rotors every couple of months, and I burned through several sets of pads over a season, but that's likely due to my riding style more than anything else.

The main complaint I have is that they seemed flexy, and the levers flexed a bit too (avid SD7s). I determined that some of that was cable/caliper flex, and the hydros I rode on a demo bike (deore/lx's) didn't do that.

This was on a xc style hard tail. I wasn't always riding 'xc' though. YMMV. Best bet? Try a few if you can, and go with what YOU like. We are all recommending stuff that we like, and have experience with. So its all subjective.

 

[jmallory]

Just installed Formula K24s 180/160 in place of Juicy 3s and love the new brakes. Much more power and good modulation. Very happy with Formula brakes. Just make sure to get the right length hoses b/c new ones are very hard to find right now...

 

[29ERCAT]

as luck would have it...I picked up a mint 2008 xt brakeset on e bay tonight,now its time to A/B it with another brand for some winter fun......
I'll be on the hunt form a set of hopes,formulas or maybe a set of martas....