Avid Elixir 1 brakes or Shimano Deore?

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Avid Elixir 1 brakes or Shimano Deore?

23 posts & 14 voices | Started 3 months ago by I_Ache | Latest reply from jonostevens

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I_Ache - Member

I am guessing the shimanos are better takes because for the same price they don't include rotors or adaptors but I'm not sure which to get.

I have elixirs on one bike so it would be handy if i had them on the other bike too. I have the bleed kit and know how yo get them to work well and the pads should be similar which will simplify things.

The deores will match thereafter of the components on the build so will look good, they might be better brakes, an assumption due to price. But i don't know anything about them, I have never even used shimano discs which I admit is part of the draw, I dont know how to bled them or even if i need a specific kit. I have also heard that from dose bikes the leavers are the wrong way round. Could I just quickly swap them round without the need for a bleed?

Posted 3 months ago #
cp - Member

I've not tried either, but I seem to hear great things about deore, and less great things about elixir 1 and 3, and 5 to an extent.

Deores from rose will be set up euro style, so you'll need to swap hoses over. The massive xt from rose thread on here has got several links to guides on how to cut and swap the hoses without a bleed.

Posted 3 months ago #
I_Ache - Member

I will have a look for that thread thanks.

The Elixirs can be a little troublesome and do need regular bleeds to be fair but as a whole I do like my current Elixir Rs just really wondering if the grass is actually greener on the other side. plus the tart in my would really like a matching groupset.

Posted 3 months ago #
cp - Member

sounds like you should go deore

Posted 3 months ago #
nickswolves - Member

Having had the Deore on my old bike and Elixir on my new bike, I'd def go with the Deore given a choice. The Elixir's are fine and do the job ok, but don't feel quite as powerful.

Posted 3 months ago #
Sam - Member

Deore all the way.

Posted 3 months ago #
I_Ache - Member

Im erring towards them at the moment TBH the only other issue I have is that because they don't come with rotors I will have to use what I have available and they are mismatching. Hmm time for a new matching rotor, that will teach me to not be such a tart.

Posted 3 months ago #
alfabus - Member

shimano every time... i hate avid brakes.

Posted 3 months ago #
I_Ache - Member

So how quick are Rose normally?

Posted 3 months ago #
theflatboy - Member

from personal experience, shimano are just better than avid for brakes.

Posted 3 months ago #
cp - Member

I_Ache - if they are in stock, you'll get them in 3-4 days.

Posted 3 months ago #
pottsathome - Member

I put deores on the wife's bike and they really are amazing brakes for the money.

Posted 3 months ago #
I_Ache - Member

Well I hope its more like 3 and they come on Friday, that way I can put them on my BFe strait away rather than taking the Elixirs off my Enduro.

Posted 3 months ago #
stevewhyte - Member

I have Deore on my road bike, they have been 100% great, only thing i have done in 4 years is replace 1 set of pads.

Posted 3 months ago #
tomaso - Member

I've got the new deores on my bike since July11 and they've been great. I swapped the hoses and bleeding is as straight forward as you can get. They've been much better than the Juicy 3s they replaced.

They are however a bit sharp and take a little getting used to feel wise.

Posted 3 months ago #
relliott6879 - Member

I've got the new Deores and I think they're fantastic. Both the lever and caliper are far smaller and lighter than the old M525 Deore and they're plenty powerful. Bleeding is dead easy too. Reference the rotors, I'm using Shimano RT75 rotors on one set of wheels and Hope (unsure which model, the ones that came supplied with my old Mono M4/Mono Mini brakes) on the other, both work just as well as eachother.

Posted 3 months ago #
I_Ache - Member

Well I ordered the M596 Deore brakes and have had dispatch conformation today. I will hopefully be using my Avid adaptors with a 160mm G3 rear rotor and a 185 front Hope rotor. I will tidy this situation up in due course but all my focus is getting the bike working for now.

Posted 3 months ago #
I_Ache - Member

Received the Doere's and fitted them on Monday. I cocked up the leaver change/hose shortening a bit in that I accidentially tilted the left hand leaver and a bit of fluid dribbled out. Trying to be clever I squeezed the leaver as I was about to put the swapped and shortened hose in to try and get the fluid to come to the end and reduce the chances of an air bubble. Looking into the end I softly squeezed the leaver and some fluid shot out narrowly missing my eye, bollocks I thought but put them together anyway expecting the worst.

Any how I went out with them on last night and they were really rather good, the left leaver pulls back a little further thanks to there being less fluid but it worked perfectly. They feel like you expect anything Shimano to feel, they just work and work well. It was really easy to swap the leavers over thanks to DezB's instructions on the big XT brakes thread.

Posted 3 months ago #
philstone - Member

Just to throw a spanner in the works, I've been using elixir 1's for a couple of months now and they aren't bad at all - so far they've been fit and forget.

Posted 3 months ago #
I_Ache - Member

I have Elixir R's on my other bike and while they have good power and feel they certainly arnt fit and forget. But then I have never had a ~~disc~~ brake that was.

Posted 3 months ago #
FOG - Member

Deore, Deore, Deore, did I say Deore.
Four out of the people I ride with have had major problems with different varieties of Avid. OK 4 isn't a big sample but it is 100% of the Avid users in our group. The chief mechanical klutz of the remainder has a set of Deores that go back to'04 which still work despite minimal maintenance. I am sure there are many better brakes but for the price they are a steal

Posted 3 months ago #
bobbyg81 - Member

My Elixir 1s have been brilliant in the first couple of months. Good modulation and plenty powerful with 160mm rotors front and rear. They did need bled though. The factory bleed was shite!

Have a look at On-Ones site for mega cheap Elixirs!

Posted 3 months ago #
jonostevens - Member

I've got Deores on my Ghost. Well impressed, and couldn't believe the price when I googled them. Great value for money.

Posted 3 months ago #

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