Bike shop confessed to a mistake today, the discounted 2016 model they thought they had reserved for me (in one of their other stores) got sold.
However, to make good they offered to sell me the 2017 model of the same bike for the same discounted price (a £1300 bike for £1000).
So far so good. I found the specs of the 2017 model and noticed two things, one is the crazy drivetrain, SRAM GX with a 36/24 chainset and 11-42 cassette – 24 x 42 lowest gear!
Second is SRAM Level T brakes instead of Shimano Deore.
Not too fussed about the drivetrain, I figured I could just stick an 11-36 cassette on there as I still want the range and the low gears (a personal fetish for so-steep-you’d-be-quicker-walking style climbs…).
However I’m a bit nervous of the SRAM brakes, in my experience Shimano sintered pads are the only ones I’d trust for relatively quiet all-weather braking. Past experience of SRAM brakes has never been all that great either, although the last set I owned were some 2010 Elixirs.
So… worth passing on the bike for the sake of some dubious brakes? Worth taking a discounted 2016 model but in the slightly weird purple and blue colour scheme below?