On One have got the Elixir brakes at what looks a bargain price, has anybody bought any and are they any good?

I bought a pair, i think they are great, and usually i’m hope thru and thru. don’t know how long the pads are going to last but light, powefull and ok modulation

I like them, but:

1) The factory bleed is usually awful. Factor in the cost of a bleed before deciding whether they’re a bargain.

2) The contact point adjuster is worse than the factory bleed. It unwinds itself after a while.

(both of the above could just be me being crap)

yup i didn’t have either issue, but mine are only 5 rides old.

I’ve also been looking at these.

Would be interested to hear how they compare to Hope Mono Minis.

Been looking for something more powerful/reliable (Hopes keeps springing leaks at the reservoir)

they are less reliable generally then hopes, but i have never had 1 single problem with hope brakes in 5 years, but I run these over hope tech minis

I have the CR Mags which went thru a set of pads in 3 months very light though! 🙂

Also been looking at these would they be better than XT’s from Merlin which are similar money?

Happy with mine – bleed from new was shocking (bought last year on special from Wiggle) thought that was a moot point as both hoses needed a trim anyway – and I had a bleed kit anyways having owned J7’s before…

GHill – Member
I like them, but:

1) The factory bleed is usually awful. Factor in the cost of a bleed before deciding whether they’re a bargain.

2) The contact point adjuster is worse than the factory bleed. It unwinds itself after a while.

(both of the above could just be me being crap)

+1.

I finally sorted this out 6 months into owning the brakes (using pliers and the threat of a hammer!)

Very good brakes other than that. 6 months use in a pretty wet Welsh summer and I’ll need to change pads soon.

Is it worth upgrading my Juicy 3’s to these?

damo2576 – Member
Is it worth upgrading my Juicy 3’s to these?

I’ve got Juicy 3s on my FS and there is a noticable difference in power between the two, but that may be due in part to 160mm rotors on the 3s compared to 185mm on the Elixirs/

Having said that, I’ll upgrade the FS when the Juicys wear out.

Elixirs are a massive step above juicy 3s. Much better power and modulation. Much better feel imo.

I’m thinking about these too, but I’d be interested to hear how they would perform in comparison to formula R1s or RX/K24 in terms of performance and reliability since these are the others I fancy. Also considering Shimano XT

Been using mine for about a year and a half. Lots of riding, two trips to the Alps, few trips to wales, general larking about, etc. etc.

They seem to be reliable. Very very good brakes. Look bling. The pad adjust is a bit silly, you have to take the lever off the bar to use it. Apart from that they are very good. If they got nicked I would either replace them with the same, or with shimano xt\xtr (I’ve never used shimano hyd brakes and want to know what the fuss is about).

I run these on 3 bikes – love them. Compared to my old Mono Minis they are a big leap in power and I never need more than 1 finger to break now (from XC riding in Wales to doing the Mega this year)

The bite point adjuster requires a nack to do but I’ve not had any problems with the unwinding. The bleeding is a bit fiddly but the power & modulation is awesome.

One thing I have noticed is, they tend to show up cheaper pads – I was happy to use SS/anything on my Hopes but not with the Elixirs.

edit – Realman you don’t need to take the lever off the bar, you just need to hold the outer cable end in place whilst rotating the adjuster

And compared to Hope M4s?

I have some too – brilliant brakes and a small benefit of carbon levers – they don’t get cold like metal ones do!

I’ve been looking at these to replace my XT’s – do you know if Avid supply piston kits, spare seals etc in case of needing to rebuid, rather than just replace the caliper??? THX!

Damo – compared to the Mono M4s I used to run on my 223, the Elixirs are significantly more powerful. Not sure how they compare the the newer “tech” models though.

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/screaming-vibrating-makes-riding-unpleasurable

Contact adjuster unwinding? You are holding the hose fitting still while you wind the adjuster right? If you twist the hose with the adjuster then yes it will unwind. Stop the hose twisting and no problems in my experience.

always found elixirs a reeeeet pain! constant fiddling just to get any pad clearance, constant rubbing issues this causing lots of noise 🙁

just get some shimano xt from merlin – fit and forget, loads of power, superstar sintered pads last a lifetime, and pad clearance is awesome!

try finding parts for Shimano though.
I’ve just fitted some Elixir CRs (with ally levers), £200 from Merlin – seemed like a bargain to me.
they look the dogs, which is the most important thing right? although the red bits look a little pink in low light.