i posted (and double posted) my plans to get some Zee’s for my bike as i’d seen them selling online for about £80-90 per brake which makes them a bit of a good deal.
i just got off the phone to my LBS and they want £110 per brake and cant match the online prices…leaving me a bit disappointed, as i’d rather get them from them but not at that price as it would be out of my budget…
LBS did however suggest the SLX as well so its got me thinking now over what to get.
ideally i definitely want a Zee on the front but maybe having a Zee on the back as well would be overdoing it.
if i decide to go for a different brake at the rear should i go for the SLX or should i choose the XT?
doing this would also reduce my costs which would be a bonus and seeing as the wife is going to kill me…spending a bit less may actually reduce the time it takes for her to give me a bollocking and the number of death stares i’ll get!!
any advice from SLX/XT brake owners would be appreciated.

I have SLX on two bikes and don’t feel the need for any more, one set replaced some Formula The Ones if that makes any difference.

Deore, SLX and XT have very little functional differences nowadays. Deore -> SLX gives you tool-free reach, which is pish. SLX -> XT gives you bite-point adjustment, which sounds nice but makes little difference in reality. Other than that it’s just materials that vary, giving pretty minimal weight differences as you step up.

Zees are another story though. If you think you need/want them, then that’s what you should get.

Slx rock!
Seriously I went from old deor to new SLX wow! What every one says is true, they feel so plush nice adjustment. Amazing power, true one finger braking.

I’ve got XT in the past and don’t think they’re as good as the SLX. Just ordered a pair of Deore from Merlin for £69 which get good ratings.

I’ve got XT but they aren’t massively different in feel from my GF’s new deore’s

I got my XT’s super cheap from germany otherwise i would have gone the deore / slx route based on what was the best deal.

Bought some SLX’s and as above never looked back they are awesome value for money at a pair for around £100

now this has really got me thinking and in a bit of a dilema…
do i go for:
Saint front and XT/SLX rear?
Zee front and XT rear?
XT front and SLX rear?
XT front and rear?
SLX front and rear?

my budget is around £170

go for the Zee’s via the online store, I did a while ago. they are an amazing brake, I’ve not had any issues with them at all. Awsome stopping power with complete control.

Why are you thinking of different brakes front and rear, my OCD-ometer is close to exploding even thinking about it.

Buy SLX if you are on a tight budget and don’t need the extra power of Saint or Zee. Just size up on rotors if needs be.

slx work brilliantly buy them from Merlin and use the difference to buy some bling

My mate rode his 222 in Morzine for a week on XT’s. He seemed really impressed with them. You might not even need the Zee’s on that basis.

I’m not as good a rider as him and had RO’s on my alpine 160 – I’m glad I did, they were definitely more powerful and didn’t fade as quickly. We both commented on that during bike swaps…..but if you’re a better rider than me and don’t allow them to over heat SLX / XT are probably fine for just about everything. TBH – I’d have probably been okay on the XT’s for a week…not as if I’d have known any different if you know what I mean.

Oli.

I’ve just got a bike with the M615 Deore, they’re every bit as good as the M675 SLX on my other bike

Yeah I wouldn’t bother with anything above Deore personally, unless you really need to adjust the cable mounting angle to get the routing right. Tool-free reach adjust just means two more knobs to break and I’ve never missed bite-point adjustment (running SLX myself but only because the new Deore’s weren’t out yet when I built the bike).

deore brake..

make an adjuster out of a bit of cut off aluminium and the right size allen key.. epoxy onto the adjuster.. job done 🙂

I think they’re pretty much as powerful as the XT on my other bike.. They just don’t feel quite as well made.. and the split pin is a bit more fiddly to use than the allen bolt on the XT caliper. there isnt much in it though.. 🙂