It seems that Shimano have decided that we need our lever blades need to be sacrificial and bend or break with any real impact. I've bent one and broken the other in first two months of riding the M8100s. Shimano make replacement blades, but they're pretty much impossible to get and cost two thirds the price of a whole new lever. I've seen these pricey Flo substitutes https://flomotorsports.com/products/copy-of-beta-brake-lever-1?_pos=1&_sid=94256db3b&_ss=r
Can anyone suggest other alternatives?
Bumpety bump crash whollop
Good luck, they're out of stock everywhere, as usual, if you want to replace it you might have to buy an entire brake lever unit, about 45 quid a pop, but easier to source than the lever itself!
You can just get a cheaper lever as well, like an M8000, or every the M7100/7000 SLX ones.
Cheers argee,
So you reckon there is no compatibility issue with going for those other lever blades?
The lever blades aren’t compatible, I’m on about the entire brake lever unit, so thee we entire bit that fits to the bars unfortunately
I’ve tried in the past to fit m8000 blades to m8100 brakes, they’re different thicknesses so not compatible, the design of this is crap, t by thin the blade to basically have inherent weakness and failure points in a crash, stock is non existent, SJS Cycles is always the best place, but they have no stock, also remember the right and left blades are different, so you have to order them separate, bloody shimano!
I've also suffered from weaker M8100 blades (broke 2 in 6 months after years with no failure before) and here's what I found;
- SJS Cycles have the blades listed but stock is hard to come by
- M7000 and M8000 are interchangeable with each other
- M7100 and M8100 are interchangeable but not with the '000' series, which are thicker*
- The only discernible difference within each series is that the XT versions have dimples on the face of the blade.
*the '100' series lever body is about 1mm thinner at the pivot area, so a '000' won't fit. However, if you take an '000' lever you can file around 0.5mm off each outer face and persuade it to fit in place of a '100'. Note this involves removing material from a critical safety part so do with that info what you want.
- Left and right are the same blade - the only difference is the included spring, so as long as your original spring is OK, the blade is interchangeable.
- Fitting the spring back in is a complete PITA!
I’ve had 3 break in a year, 2 of the crashes were going uphill in rocky terrain and snapped like a twig on basic light ditches, don’t think I’ll buy them again, don’t like Sram, magpies plastic lever bodies are just as bad, not sure where I’ll go next
Also snapped mine, swapped a snapped M8100 out for a M7100 that I bought off AliExpress. As above -
– M7000 and M8000 are interchangeable with each other
– M7100 and M8100 are interchangeable but not with the ‘000’ series, which are thicker*
https://www.aliexpress.com/i/4001069584347.html
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275090756756
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275090756416
Shipping from Taiwan so I wouldn't expect delivery any time soon but both appear to be in stock. Personally, at that price, I'd probably just get a whole lever and save the hassle of fitting the blade
I might have a spare lever going once I've tried replacing something. Email me on iainjagger at gmail dot com
Must admit, reading the above I'm tempted to return to hope.
Must admit, reading the above I’m tempted to return to hope.
Christ it's not that bad!