How does it par with or is the difference really noticeable? (Providing all in good bleed)

Avid Elixir 5 to shimano slx / xt
Avid elixir 7 to shimano xt / xtr

Im 65-70kg rider in AM bike(s) and preparing the bike for alps riding.

Cheers.

Elixir R to latest SLX

SLX more outright stopping power but the Elixirs felt more progressive. Now I’m used to it I prefer the more ‘instant bite’ feel of the SLXs.

SLXs do not squeal when wet! I tried everything to stop my Elixirs from squealing horribly in the wet, searched every forum etc but couldn’t stop it. Some people dont suffer from it but I’ve read of a lot that do

Shimano > No brakes at all > Avid

Shimano > No brakes at all > Avid

Agree.

..so.. As i understood.. Worth the change (upgrade) right? … (Hopefully the future buyer of my elixirs wont find this thread 🙄 )

Given how cheap the SLX Brakes are from Rose Bikes, it’s a no brainer. Quieter, more reliable, more powerful braking for very little cash, nicer levers, just better all round.

5 sets of avid brakes so far all of them absolutely perfect, had far more trouble with hope brakes randomly falling to pieces, if you know how to bleed and change the pads on elixirs PROPERLY they are bullet proof. running 2013 X0 trail brakes at the moment, so much power they could stop a car let alone a mountain bike.

Mmmmm, am I loosing the battle before I start?. I have volunteered to bleed a mates elixirs in the morning 🙄 They feel terrible, so hoping that might make the difference…………

Worth the change? I would say, most definitely for performance and reliability reasons. Don’t think I’d use Avids again. If for no other reason than I’m a serial bike tinkerer and if I get the urge to bleed my brakes Shimano use good ‘ole mineral oil. None of yer paint obliterating DOT stuff.

The advice to me when I asked about, before buying a bike, was to go Shimano on the basis that you can generally get bits anywhere should you need them in a hurry.

Went from SLX to Elixir 3 and I’m so much happier with the avids. Lack of any spares for shimano really pissed me off as did how fragile the pistons were. Weird feeling tiny levers, bite point way too far into the lever travel and no real power advantage were the the straws the that broke the camels back! The bleed ended up being fiddlier than avids as well.

The newer shimano look crap as well, much prefer the lower profile look of avids or formula.

Elixir 5 to XT

1) they actualy work when you pull the lever, not 50% of the time (they’d been back to fishers to bleed, and still did it).
2) more imediate power, but not more overall (the elixirs you could brake gently, shimano’s start powerfull and thats about it)

You get used to shimano’s, but they’re definatley not for people who like to drag their brakes.

How the chuff do you break a piston? Did you try and force them appart with a screwdriver or soemthing stupid?

Went from SLX to Elixir 3 and I’m so much happier with the avids. Lack of any spares for shimano really pissed me off as did how fragile the pistons were. Weird feeling tiny levers, bite point way too far into the lever travel and no real power advantage were the the straws the that broke the camels back! The bleed ended up being fiddlier than avids as well.

The newer shimano look crap as well, much prefer the lower profile look of avids or formula.

Completely disagree with the bleeding part.

Avids are horrible to bleed. And Ive bled most of their models. Shimano are a doddle to service, set up and bleed. IMO.

They do perform and feel different so maybe worth checking out a set of a friends bike before you go ahead.

Ive gone from Elixir R on my Enduro but when I built my BFe my bike shop mates were going on at how I should try Shimanos so I put some Deores on it. Now I have SLX trails on my Enduro.

The only problem with the Shimano was my fault, the Deores were from Rose and the hoses needed swapping over. When I swapped them for some reason I pulled on the lever and squirted brake fluid everywhere. I put it together and it worked but that leaver has more throw on it than the other one. I really should fix it, maybe when the weather warms up.

New XTs are head and shoulders above anything else I’ve tried. Took a short while to get used to the power/feel (coming from Hope Tech M4, old XT and Juicy Carbons) but can’t see me changng all the while they perform the way they do.

Set up properly Elixirs are my favouritest of all the brakes.

They are however an arse to bleed, I have to have the laptop with me watching the Sram video step by step…it’s becoming second nature now, I think I could nearly recite the procedure!

having had the delight of using Avids every day for six months whilst guiding i can honestly say that Avid, in comparison to Shimano, are crap.

the number of times i took bikes off the trailer to find the bite point had disappeared because the bike had been upside down. this would happen too if the bike had been laid down. very disconcerting.
i ended up carry an elastic band with me to pull the levers in each time i loaded my bike onto the trailer.

also didn’t like the way the lever would “click” out of position and you would find fingers searching around for a lever that was just out of reach whilst hurtling down hill into a tight corner.

bleeding avids is a nightmare. and why use an oil that is full of bubbles? seems like a bad idea to me. they take a LOT longer, IME, to bleed properly that a set of Shimanos; and Shimano are not such a faff.

i can not remember the Shimano equipped bikes ever suffering any problems in the six months.

i’ve one set of Avids in the basement that came with the GF’s Boardman. we used them for two weeks of alpine fun and they cooked on the last day. they were a PITA to bleed (and i had to buy a fancy kit to do so) and i couldn’t get them feeling “right” so rather than throw good money after bad i bouhgt her a set of 2013 SLX. again, another two week alpine jaunt with much longer descents and not a squeal, missing bite point or boiled brake in that time.

am getting the GF another Boardman as her one got half-inched and i’ve already got a replacement for the Avids it come equipped with. (this time my old SLX).

_tom_ – Member

Went from SLX to Elixir 3 and I’m so much happier with the avids. Lack of any spares for shimano really pissed me off as did how fragile the pistons were. Weird feeling tiny levers, bite point way too far into the lever travel and no real power advantage were the the straws the that broke the camels back! The bleed ended up being fiddlier than avids as well.

The newer shimano look crap as well, much prefer the lower profile look of avids or formula.

how did you break/damage a piston? generally you don’t need spares for Shimanos because 1) they do not break (have a set of 2003 Deores that i have on my hack bike – previously on my HT used in the alps – that haven’t missed a beat in all that time) and 2) the pistons and lever bodies are cheap enough to replace as a whole.

oh, and if you found the bleed more difficult than the Avids you were doing it wrong….

Then shimano it is.. Its just a question now between slx and xt, i believe there is hardly a difference as reviewed by different users on different forums. Whatever is cheaper.. Thanks to those who reply the thread. And thanks to the one who pointed me to rosebike as well 🙂

My piston cracked when I was trimming the hoses, following a pdf from the shimano site. It broke when I was pushing them back out, had somehow seized so needed a fair bit of force. I had the pads in and put a screwdriver between the two (something that i always do with avids) and it cracked, leaking oil everywhere. Tbh the other one was fine but I had no faith in it after that.

As for the the bleed, maybe it was just the Epic kit that wasn’t much use. Either way I won’t be bothering again, much happier with avid and ive never had major problems with my juicy 5s either 🙂

Edit -double post!