Silver ones at Merlin for £180 (use EXTRA10 at checkout) including rotors?
Stock update:
Both the Silver and the Black ones are now back in stock at Rose.
Same price as previously.
Ordered mine for my new build yesterday 😀
Ordered mine from rose last Monday. Said out of stock but ordered anyway. Posted today.
Thanks for the update - was about to pull the trigger on the Merlin ones but you just saved me £60!
Couple of questions on these if I may...
Is the short lever long enough for X0 twisties? Don't have much option on inboard/outboard 🙂
I have Hope ISO > Postmount adaptors for my disk size (185/160) - should these work OK? No big deal if they don't I suppose, but it'd be nice to order all at once.
Is the short lever long enough for X0 twisties? Don't have much option on inboard/outboard
Can't see why no, there nothing inboard of your grip is there, and most people run their brakes 2"+ away from their grips now.
I have Hope ISO > Postmount adaptors for my disk size (185/160) - should these work OK? No big deal if they don't I suppose, but it'd be nice to order all at once.
Seems to be random, I've got a +20mm addapter form somewhere thats nearer +30mm so puts callipers way too high, but most combinations I've tried seem to work.
Can someone please explain to me exactly how to get this £10 facebook voucher?
You need apps to work I think so may depend on how you connect to Facebook.
I did it on a normal PC, friended them and an app popped up with a code.
I've cut'n'pasted this out to a txt file but I've yet to use it in anger
It took a while for me to find it.
"Like" them on Facebook, then go to their page. In the left hand column, click where it says 'Gutschein' (google tells me this translates to 'Voucher' - makes sense). Click OK to add the app, it'll give you a code. Worked well for me.
Is it a one time use?
I ordered a set of brakes with ice tech rotors on Wednesday evening and the website still says processing. Everything said it was in stock when I ordered, is this normal or are they not going to turn up for a while?
I got an email saying mine were dispatched this morning (I ordered black ones on Thursday last week).
Mine arrived yesterday. Ca
me with the finned pads too. Should think any one else who's waiting won't have to for long.
Are most people running shifters inboard or outboard of these brakes?
outboard
Are the levers not too short?
That DHL tracker thing has me hypnotised. Can't remember the last time I watched a parcel so closely.
They're almost here if anybody's interested
APF
I've always run my levers really far inboard, I had a right pain getting mine set up correct with dropper lever on LH side, even with XTR shifters that can be adjusted sidewyas, Ive now got one lever outboard and one inboard, but it works for me 😛
My rear brake arrived yesterday, still waiting for front.
Came with those finned pads too, which I wasn't expecting. They'll have to go back in the parts bin until holiday time methinks. Superstar sintered ordered.
oops read it wrong - brakes closest to grips
Are the finned pads a bit soft for winter? Is worth getting sintered like Ecky-Thump is doing and saving these til spring.
Possibly, I would imagine it's more the fact that it's unlikely you'll need the cooling fins in the cold winter... Might as well save them until the spring/summer. Perhaps by then, Superstar will be making finned pads. Who knows.
Not XT brakes, however ordered some deores from rose bikes and have also been tracking the progress intently.
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
Mine arrived this morning, just got to find time to fit 'em now.
APF
Just playing around trying to get good positioning with the shifters. That's definately harder than with the old XTs 😕
The old XTs mounted really well as brake>slx shifter>an inch of bar>grip
But I haven't managed to get these new ones comfortable yet as the brake sits where the shifter should be. Neither position on the SLX clamp feels "right".
Next step will be to experiment with swapping the shifter clamps over between L & R and reversing them. (Anybody tried this?) Shifter mounts inboard of brakes!!! Oh the shame 😯
ds3000 - can you let us know how you get on with the Deores? I'm very very tempted by those.
CRC have got the bleed funnels in stock now. £4.
[i]Shifter mounts inboard of brakes!!! Oh the shame[/i]
Eh? Surely that's the only way to have em? Or do you use 2 fingers on your brakes or something?
Anyone know if these brakes work with/fit the hope saw floating rotors?
julians,
I don't know about Hope ones but they work fine with Superstar floating rotors. Tips of the ally spider are extremely close to the caliper but they do fit.
Superficial,
I think you've misunderstood. Inboard = towards the stem.
I ran the old XTs with Shifters outboard.
i.e. brake lever > shifter clamp > an inch of bare bar > grips. This was great for single finger braking.
The issue I had with the new XTs was that the shorter brake lever necessitated bringing the lever further out to where the shifter clamp needed to be. Working around that, neither position on the adjustable SLX shifter clamp felt right.
I've found the solution for the new XTs now: Remove the shifter mounts from the shifter bodies on both sides and swap mounts over, refitting them so the mounts point outward rather than inward. This allows the mount to sit inboard of the brake lever but with the shifter body/levers remaining close to the grip.
i.e. reversed clamp > brake lever > an inch of bar > grip.
Ecky - sounds interesting. Needs a picture I reckon.
Anyone know if there are any matchmaker style clamps that work with shimano brakes and sram shifters?
Hope floaters do fit but only just!
I have 160s fitted and there work fine.
thebunk,
Quick diagram of what I mean.
Brakes in green, shifters in black.
Net result is that you can maintain same positioning of shifter lever and body by swapping the LH clamp to the RH shifter and viceversa (for SLX and above anyway).
[img] 
[/img]
I didn't have much trouble at all with fitting. The brakes are super powerful, so you definitely only need 1 finger braking. There's also lots of reach and bite point adjustment. Everything stacks together nicely, I can brake and use the shifters all at the same time in theory. Was in the Pyrenees a few weeks ago and they were brill.
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
That looks like you'd shift down every time you squeezed the brake...
Resurrecting the thread, just got a set of 2012 SLX's for total of £69!! Much Rose cheapness - voucher from FB and Brakes reduced to £35/38 each end. Woot!
thats great
Sorry - 2011 SLX, not '12. Still happy with 'em 🙂
Pyro, that voucher available to everyone? How do you get it?
Edit: And are the levers the wrong way around? Easy job to fix to UK style?
Yeah, certainly is! Go to the RoseBikes facebook page (
Hit 'Like' and then go to the link on the left of their page marked 'Gutschein' (Voucher in German)
It gets you to add a wee app to your FB page but then gives you a voucher code that's good for a tenner off (ten POUNDS not ten EURO as I think it was previously). Worked fine for me, I think some people'd had issues but worked nae wuckas.
Edit: Aye - brakes will be Euro way round so I'll have to swap them. But couldn't turn that saving down, since it's half what Merlin are charging for the same!)
Cheers Pyro!
Ordered some M785 XT's yesterday as my M775 XT's have given up. Nowt in stock at the mo but hopefully won't be long!
What would be the best to buy, SLX or XT? Bearing in mind it's £20 cheaper, are the extra features in XT worth it/something I would use?
Just got mine fitted - £125 delivered for the pair. They're brilliant and managed to shorten the hoses without needing to rebleed.
Resurrecting the thread, just got a set of 2012 SLX's for total of £69!! Much Rose cheapness - voucher from FB and Brakes reduced to £35/38 each end. Woot!
Sorry - 2011 SLX, not '12. Still happy with 'em
And are the levers the wrong way around? Easy job to fix to UK style?
Aye - brakes will be Euro way round so I'll have to swap them. But couldn't turn that saving down, since it's half what Merlin are charging for the same!)
It doesn't really matter which way round they are, as you will more than likely have to shorten the hoses anyway, so you can swap them over at the same time.
BTW, I got my 2011 SLX brakes from Merlin and these were the Euro way round, so you probably wouldn't have had the option of running long hoses either.
I'm very pleased with mine, although I paid a bit more than you did 😥 but, on the other hand, they were still a very good price compared to other suppliers at the time. (I suppose they've come done since the 2012 models were launched)
I also mounted the brakes inboard of the shifters and found the configuration so good, that I swapped them on my other bike too. I am now wondering why the manufacturers supply bike with the brakes outboard.
Euro is the proper way round anyway.... Confuses the hell out of my mates when they ride my bikes.
cp - Member
ds3000 - can you let us know how you get on with the Deores? I'm very very tempted by those.
Had 3 or 4 rides out of them now and they are excellent, bargainous to be honest. The best modulation of any brake I've used, Oro/mono mini/juicy3. I would definitely recommend, bargainous.
They are brilliant. Proper 1 finger brake's and plenty of power. For the price i am chuffed they blow my elixers out of the water.
What would be the best to buy, SLX or XT? Bearing in mind it's £20 cheaper, are the extra features in XT worth it/something I would use?
No-one?
I wondered the same but in the end figured that the XTs are such a good price, I might as well order them. The only snag is that they are currently out of stock so there's a bit of a wait at the moment.
What would be the best to buy, SLX or XT? Bearing in mind it's £20 cheaper, are the extra features in XT worth it/something I would use?
XT have forged levers - the SLX have stamped.
XT have free stroke adjusters.
I don't know if you would use the free stroke - I don't.
XTs are now back in stock, looks like mine are about to be shipped - cant wait!
Fitted mine yesterday on my EX8, had to shorted the hoses but it was thankfully very simple (used the guide as linked earlier in this thread), and been out for their maiden voyage today....
Wow, these brakes are awesome - so much power for so little effort (and I thought the M775s I had before were good)! Great price and quick delivery once they were in stock from Rose Bikes. Happy chappy 😀
EDIT: just realised they're now out of stock again, 19 weeks til more stock arrives apparently 😯 Glad I got in quick!
The irritating thing about the SLX brakes is the pad retaining clip requires pliers to remove. On the XTs it's an allen bolt. A simple thing, but it used to irritate the hell out of me on my old SLXs - you need to carry pliers on a ride in case you need to change pads.
I bet this saves no money at all, I'm sure Shimano just do it to differentiate the XTs from SLX. Well, you know what? It's worked. I've bought some XTs now.
The XT pin will fit SLX if you have one. Same caliper innit.
I use a rock if I need to change pads on the trail.
My hose has just given out at the doughnut end, any one know which is the best replacement kit ?
My rear XT brake came today, front was out of stock when originally ordered but now on it's way. So needing to cut the hoses down I have the inserts but not the hose clamp things. I have a vice, but will this damage the hose or can i push in the insert with my hands?
Interestingly, my XT's arrived today. The bag with the yellow bleed spacers and hose clamps were in with the front brake bag... so prob just wait till the front arrives 🙂
Yep as cp says, my clamp was also in with the front. I ordered while the fronts were out of stock, back one came 3 days ago, front today.
Thanks for the replies - will have to twiddle my thumbs and see what turns up.
Mine come today.....selling my slx for extra being 🙂
Does anyone know what the (real world) difference is between the xt's and slx varieties apart from the pad retention system?
wenanwhere - Member
Does anyone know what the (real world) difference is between the xt's and slx varieties apart from the pad retention system?
XT have a bite point adjuster screw, SLXs don't. XTs have a bulbous, ugly lever body covered in a horrible plasticky chrome finish, SLXs look neater and have a nicer finish.
I got the XTs, wish I'd got SLX.
I've got SLX, replacing with XT's that arrived Friday, will report, expexting to be the same just more bling, slightly lighter, supposedly stronger due to manufacturing process, also the pin that keeps the pads in uses an allen bolt instead of what appears to be a hair clip!?
Quick question to those who have shortened hoses without bleeding do the feel as good as original or do the need a bleed?
I was going to just chop before fitting but was told a bleed at the same time would be advisable, don't want to faff unless I need to.
I didnt bother bleeding and have been fine.
I've bled my rear one many , many times and it's now at Maddison getting disciplined. My front's been fine though. The internet seems to think that the sealing at various points was a bit iffy on some of the sets.
Cheers, I'm gona just chop it and keep my fingers crossed, can always bleed later.
Will keep my fingers crossed on getting a good one too.
If you were a Facebook novice, where you find the voucher code?
I've liked them through my wifes account, but it just offers me a chance to enter a draw.
What am I missing?
Have you accepted and installed their application (facebook app)? When you do that, and you click on the app within facebook (on the left hand side under applications), you'll go to a page with a mahoosive voucher code across it.
I finally got round to installing my new XT's yesterday... it's the first time I've ever actually cut hose to the right length on discs, as I had to swap the hoses over... normally can't be bothered!
From Rose bikes, they came with resin, non-finned pads as standard. Aluminium backed, they are crazy light! Felt really light in the hand.
Some facts and figures some folks may be interested in...
Summary
Brake pad weight, pair inc. spring - 11g
Front brake, no pads, about 150mm taken out of hose - 248g
Front brake, as above, with pads & retaining pin - 262g
Rear brake, no pads, again about 150mm taken out of hose - 264g
Rear brake, as above, with pads & retaining pin - 277g
Pics in order as above:-
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
Going to try and fit mine soon. If I need to bleed them do I need to use the funnel, if so any in stock anywhere? Or has anyone used a syringe instead successfully?
tri uk had them in stock a couple of weeks ago when i got mine, £3.99 and free delivery
Question, are all the resevoir caps shiny? Some look a matt/sand cast/shot blasted finish and others polished or is that just the light?
Just bought myself a pair, gonna swap my saints out for these and hopefully start ditching the extra weight my bikes eems to be carrying around.
Hmm, just convincedyself it was as cheap to buy these and sell my old brakes on eBay as it was to buy new pads but 4 weeks for stock 🙁