I'm in the nice position of buying new brakes and I want the new XTR. They will be going on a Stumpjumper FSR EVO, intended use is gravity enduros and Mega style events as well as bigger british rides such as snowdon and the lakes, so bigish icetech rotors. Cool fine pads don't bother me.
Race = slightly less power, need tools for reach adjust, lighter, look cleaner
Trial = more power, less clean looking and a bit heavier.
Does anybody have experience of either? What would you go for & why?
Trail on my BFe.
not sure why weight would be an issue TBH.... nice brakes, cant fault em.
Hope V2's !!
I ve got the trails on my bike and i cant fault them. If your not bothered about the finned pads and like the cleaner lines of the race then go for them. Once your levers are set once that should be you
Trails here. Flawless in operation, and they look awesome btw, very clean lines & smaller compared to the XT. Not enough weight difference to bother thinking about the race option, unless you are a massive weight weenie. In which case you wouldn't have the ice tech rotors either as they are fairly heavy.
you dont have to run finned pads either, I dont (mud magnets)
Sounds like your usage is more trail than race - the race are really XC race rather than downhill race.
I have the race brakes and they are fantastic, but sounds like the Trail might suit you better.
Hardly any weight differences and the level adjustment on the trail is probably worth it.
Thanks so far fellas.
mtb matt - is the reach and bit point adjustment plentyful on the race, and do you think they will powerful enough with bigger rotors?
Hope V2s are a little too much for my use, although Hope is tempting for their support/spares/ability to re-build...
As The Right Honourabke Sir Jeremy of Clarkson would say, what you need is "POWERRRRR!!!!" 
I've got both on different bikes.
Sounds like you'd benefit from the extra power and modulation of the Trail.
mtb matt - is the reach and bit point adjustment plentyful on the race, and do you think they will powerful enough with bigger rotors?
I used them with 160mm front and back. Fine for everything I threw at them, including 30min+ non stop alpine descents.
But if I were you, I'd go for the Trail. Doesn't sound like weight should be your first concern really, where as it was mine.
Rate my race ones very highly & not had any issues with overheating (being a brake dragging mincer at times). The ice tech rotors seem to work really well too.
A bit more fiddly to set up than the trails but fantastic once they're done.
I think I'm leaning toward the trails then... thanks!
I'm not sure about the modulation differences though - don't they both use servo-wave tech?
No just the Trail.
The Race gets a power upgrade over the 970 series via larger caliper pistons, while the Trail gets the same larger pistons and the Servowave. Feel at the lever is totally different as a result.
I see...thanks sillyoldman.
I've pretty much decided on the trail in this case, perhaps I can even get away with a size smaller on the front rotor with them. At 72kg I reckon 180 F&R should be good.
I have the race brakes and think they are excellent, I have them on a very light build though. If I was using them on a more DH orientated bike or the ype of riding you have described I would go with the trail.
I'm 87kg, I've got the M985 XTs (basically the same as the Trail XTRs without the same level of bling) and I doubt you'd need bigger rotors than 160. I'm running 180/160 but I don't think I actually need to run the larger front one, and certainly the rear is more than powerful enough in 160mm. Also I can't imagine you'd boil the brakes in the UK anyway, Shimanos are almost impossible to boil.
ive gone with xtr trail 180/160 on my new nicolai helius ac29er.
massive power and low weight. superb. just hope [no pun intended] they're as reliable as Hope.....
In my experience of Hope brakes, the Shimano ones will be vastly more reliable...
I'm sure the Shimano are uber reliable, it just bugs me big time that they don't offer spares such as caliper piston seals! My old XTs need just that.
I'd probably go for larger rotors simply for the reduction in effort as I'm buying the bike with big intentions; I'm 100% certain 160 is all I would need for the UK. 180 for the Alps with ice tech rotors should be bullet proof, I think 160 may be pushing it a bit if I was ever using a lot of back brake.
Ah I hadn't noted you were planning to do a lot of riding in the alps. I'd probably go for 180 too, just for UK riding I reckon 160 is ample.
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