Morning all,

Still looking at a DH setup for my 160mm bike for lift assisted next summer.

Finding my old xt’s a bit weedy when I go to BPW so I’m thinking I’d be better with something more powerful for the alps.

I don’t like Avids, had bad experiences in the past trying to bleed them and with rubbing.

What’s the general consensus on other powerful brakes?

Looking at Saint probably, but anyone have any experience with others? Magura MT7 look a possibility?

SRAM Codes – Share nothing with previous AVID brakes so not comparable.
Hope biggest ones

As above, avids no longer exist, the brakes SRAM are making now are as good if not better than the current crop from Shimano. I’d be happy taking my guides to the alps, but codes have a bit more oomph.

Not tried the most recent saints, but the previous ones were pretty ace.

Not a massive fan of how hopes feel, but ymmv

Saints all day. Shimano know how to do brakes.

Formula R0’s. Fantastic power and modulation.

Saints, zee or guides.

oldtalent – Member
Saints all day. Shimano know how to do brakes.

That are disposable, leak and fail 😉 I certainly won’t be giving them any more of my cash
and now some XT’s that might have better modulation
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/shimano-announces-4-piston-xt-brake-caliper.html

Does anyone know if there is much difference between xt and saint levers?

Could I just buy saint calipers and some bigger rotors/mounts and put tue saint calipers on my m785 levers?

Magura mt5, love mine, 64 quid an end at the moment so you can buy 3 and take a whole spare one with you for the less than the price of most suggestions above.

Use mineral oil as well so open bottles don’t ‘go off’ and spillages don’t ruin frames!

Looks like the deal I got from mantel last week is now out of stock but you can still buy the set at a good price

https://www.mantel.com/uk/magura-mt5-set-incl-disc-disc-brake

Are you already on 200mm rotors?

Really unimpressed by the recent crop of Shimano brakes. The current Saint isn’t very nice, they are ironically probably the most unreliable now in terms of real world performance.

As an avoider of Avid brakes, it took me a while to commit to trying Guides. They have been on my bike for coming up 2 years now & i’ve never had to do anything to them other than change pads once in a while.

If I wanted something more powerful, i’d just buy a Code now, or the E-Brake they do (Guide lever, Code Caliper).

That are disposable, leak and fail I certainly won’t be giving them any more of my cash
and now some XT’s that might have better modulation

I can only comment on my 2 1/2 year old m820’s which have been utterly superb. My experience with 4 pot Hopes on the other hand, they have all the faults above + spongy inconsistent braking, but they can be repaired. Till they go all spongy again.
And avids/sram are a pita to bleed, so I wouldnt buy them.

I can only comment on my 2 1/2 year old m820’s which have been utterly superb. My experience with 4 pot Hopes on the other hand, they have all the faults above + spongy inconsistent braking, but they can be repaired. Till they go all spongy again.
And avids/sram are a pita to bleed, so I wouldnt buy them.

I have the same opinion of hope/avid. Admittedly I haven’t tried new SRAM brakes but I find shimano a doddle to bleed. I do like the fact they are mineral oil too so my big tub of oil doesn’t go off once open.

I’m really in a toss up between saint and mt7 at the min. Prob should have asked for opinions just on these two brakes really.

Yeah I have the pull twice should have warrantied ones, wholly uninspiring and too many others had the same ones, then the leaky ones etc.

And avids/sram are a pita to bleed, so I wouldnt buy them.

You mean the new SRAM brakes? Not many seem to have actually tried them, those that have seem really impressed.

Are you already on 200mm rotors?

No 180 front and rear. I’m thinking 203 front 180 rear on the new ones?

If you’re doing that anyway, why not try the bigger rotor on the current brakes first? Might be enough.

And avids/sram are a pita to bleed, so I wouldnt buy them

Only if you are a bit simple…

I hate (thanks Shimano & Hope) bleeding brakes. With the new SRAM stuff, follow a video, 5 minutes & it’s done.

But if you’re biased to not considering them over past opinion & will only pick Shimano or Magura, I would say Magura.

If you’re doing that anyway, why not try the bigger rotor on the current brakes first? Might be enough.

Because my current brakes fade and get inconsistent bite point on long descents. I want something inherently more powerful to start with along with bigger rotors.

I’m also looking at bigger forks (see other thread about 200mm on an sb6c).

My hands have always been a limiting factor for me in the alps, it’s a lack of proper conditioning on big descents and there isn’t much I can do about that.. I’m going to try press ups holding dumbells so the weight is through my hands like a handlebar grip plus get a finger board for hanging off to help build some more hand strength.. but I basically want to buy the best chance of helping my hands I can so I enjoy my trip fully.

Haven’t ridden lift assisted in nearly a decade so I’m starting early thinking about bike changes and getting my bike right for when I go.

Haven’t ridden lift assisted in nearly a decade

Why not test the current bike by taking it on an uplift day?!

Just watched the new SRAM video. Looks easy to bleed… but how is that different.to.the old avid bleed method bar ‘de-gassing’ the fluid? They were a pain in the arse to get right.

Haven’t ridden lift assisted in nearly a decade
Why not test the current bike by taking it on an uplift day?!

If you read my post properly matey that’s what’s spurred this on ready for my holiday. BPW makes my brakes feel weedy. Thu are fine for peak district rides etc.

Yetiman +1

Zees

Finding my old xt’s a bit weedy

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/shimano-announces-4-piston-xt-brake-caliper.html

I’d get Zees, but haven’t tried Codes.

Guides not up to the job IME, though riders who don’t brake much might get away with them.

I’m also looking at bigger forks (see other thread about 200mm on an sb6c).

Id look at setup first before buggering geometry and warranties

Imho put as big a rear brake disc on the back as you can fit – plenty of rear-brake-dragging to be done in the Alps!!!!

Got SRAM brakes on my YT, I was skeptical but they’ve been good….more squishy than Shimano but some would call that modulation.

I still prefer my latest XTs on 180 rotors, like hitting a brick wall!….modulation comes from using one finger braking.

If I had to lean on my brakes all day doing an uplift somewhere steep, I’d be looking at brakes which were powerful, reliable and easily repaired.

I know that SRAM stuff is apparently very good these days and that Shimano’s standards have slipped a little, but I too had endless problems trying to get Avid brakes running right. I’d probably go for Hope if it were me.

I have previous generation XT on one of my bikes, which has been superb for best part of five years. My other bike has brand new Hope E4s, but previously I’ve been a happy Hope customer for almost fifteen years. Despite the horrible brake fluid, they’re a doddle to fettle.

I still prefer my latest XTs on 180 rotors, like hitting a brick wall!….modulation comes from using one finger braking.

Does anyone still 2 finger brake?

only on the road bike!

Definitely step up to 200/203 front rotor. Go for a trick rotor like Shimano Icetech or Uberbike finned rotors and maybe some finned pads too. Maybe try a different pad compound too.

SRAM Guides. Forget your preconceptions of Avid. It all changed when they introduced the Trail brakes and then rebranded to SRAM, improving them as Guide.

Though if you like binary brakes, then SRAM isn’t for you. If you like brakes that aren’t going to be boiling on long alpine descents because they have a higher boiling point fluid and modulate properly, then check them out.

Do they use 5.1 then?

I think I boiled my Guides. They certainly don’t seem as tolerant of long descents as Zees, and when they started having issues it had more of an impact on the riding holiday than the typical Zee wandering bite point thing.

Is there any reason I can’t just stick a saint caliper on my xt levers? Is there a difference between the xt 785 lever and the saint lever that goes with the 820 caliper?

Can get calipers for £86

Considering a set of 203 rotors front and rear plus 1 saint caliper for the front?

Check if you frame can use a 200/203 rear disc, one of my bike manuals says do not use anything bigger than 180/183 on the rear.

You might find the lever throw a little greater using the Saint Caliper/XT Lever, but really I have no idea if its suitable. 😆

I was running Guide Rs for a week in the Alps, 203mm on the front. 180 on the back as didn’t have the right adapter. This was on a Whyte G160.

Front was good the whole week, rear felt manageable until we went to Pila in Italy, better after it was bled at lunchtime but trying to go top to bottom on a fairly steep 14.5km descent there wasn’t much happening with the back brake lower down. Really wished I’d got it set up both ends to see how it performed. Left me feeling pretty underwhelmed by the Guides even though they get a really good write up. I’ve got a fair amount of weight to slow down and gather rolling speed a lot quicker than the guys I ride with!!

Front was considerably better than it previously had been on 180mm rotors.

Formula RO for me. 200lbs and had no problems with them in Whistler last year. Owned mine for 5 years (I think) and only had to bleed a couple of times, just to make sure they were spot on, which they were.

There’s a nice cheap pair here: http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/calibre-dune-fat-bike-size-large-50

Not affiliated in any way. I’d buy them if I needed brakes for another bike.

If swapping brakes between Shimano models; do I have to change the hoses?