XTR, Formula R1, Martha SL, Juicy Ultimate? Any suggestions. Any experience? Looking for lightweight XC brakes that are easy to take care of.
Shimano. Spares are a bit sparse, but mostly not needed as they're pretty reliable
Shimano. Power + ultimate reliability = win.
I'll say hope - if you never want to buy another brake as they are infinitely rebuildable and in my hands anyway totally reliable.
Shimano are fine until they break - which might take a while but then you find how hard it is to get spares.
Hope - reliable in my experience but simple to repair or maintain if needed and sparees are always available. Hope will do full rebuilds for a very reasonable price.
Hopes also seem to have longer lasting pads but this is very subjective info.
Ditto
Thanks all. Thought about Hope and the new race brakes look great but not an option right now. Purely cosmetic but I think that the union jack covers look a bit naff. Not keen on the blue anodising and the silver levers look a bit overbuilt. Still, they always get rave reviews so maybe I should ignore the cosmetic issues.
XT servo FTW
Juicy ultimates are poor. My cheapo juicy 3s are better than my ultimates.
Agree with TJ on the Hopes. I have also found they are a lot less prone to piston stick than Shimano. And they are not blue - standard is silver IIRC.
Mono Mini Pros are gunsmoke, although the new one will be black.
I really rate my Elixirs, Avid XX for the ultimate brake?
Hope.
Marta Mag.. running some on my Genius and they are even better than the Marta SL's on my other bikes... I didn't think you could get much better.
Shimano. +1
Shimano FTW.
Hopes - they just last forever and keep looking good forever too.
Maintain with a bottle, a tube, a spanner and a torx key. No stupid little bleed nipples or anything.
GB
Avid XX
I'm using XTR's on the Epic these days and fine them excellent - much better than the previous Hope Mini's.
Everyone rates the Shimanos for some reason. I have them (XT 09s) because of this and don't think they're as powerful as the Formula K18s and The Ones I have (the latter are scary good!). They're not faff free for me either. Saying that, I have some 06 Deores and they're fantastic - not done a thing to them.
You probably guessed it but I didn't say it - really rate the Formulas if you can get them cheap - K18s and K24s are no more from 2010 so they may be cheap somewhere and The Ones are amazing.
Shimano LX or XT, Powerful and reliable.
I also use Hope Mono Mini's which are great also and easy to maintain/replace pads.
The Avid Juicy 7's on my Enduro have absolutely awesome braking power but have been a real bugger sometimes to replace pads on the trail. Amazing stoppers though.
I've also got Avid 3's which are new on a commuter, still bedding in and seem OK.
Avid XX for the ultimate brake?
Silly money though? That's assuming you wouldn't describe R1s or the new Hopes in a similar way (kind of in the market for the next lightweight disc brake king to replace my aging B4SLs, now they are actually lighter than what I already have, but baulking at the cost).
I liked my K18s - munched through pads very quick and had to rebuild the levers ( known prob - now sorted )
I liked my Hope Minis / Mono minis - pads last amazing and dead easy to service / rebuild in event of a crash BUT seem to be more susceptible to heat fade I found....
My shimano deores = amazing - my shimano 4 pot Xts = sublime and teamed with Hope M4 pads last forever...
I would get newer hopes if you want to buy british and have spares or stick with cheaper shimano as unless you crash you wont be rebuilding them....
Hmmm not much help am I - on balance I would go for shimano re cost but hope for the bling...
paul