[Closed] I have used Saint Brakes. I cannot return.

So only 260 for 2. You know your going to 😉

Pinching the rim between your fingertips would be better than BB7's.

^^ hardly.

I've had a lot of luck with BB7s. 110kg down the Pleney you need brakes that work, and they do. But they are ultra fussy.

Get some xt's from crc half the price and can't be that much different can they ?

If you want Shimano four-pots, get Zees instead perhaps? About £90 an end instead of £125+.

antennae - Member
If you want Shimano four-pots, get Zees instead perhaps? About £90 an end instead of £125+.

ticsmon - Member
Get some xt's from crc half the price and can't be that much different can they ?

Discuss. I'm unsure of th finite details of the others but I don't want Zees and then keep thinking "shoulda, woulda, coulda Saints".

Hardcore hardtail, aggressive riding and hard, fast braking into corners with very little "feathering" malarkey.

It's the BB7's that made me this way.

Zees are Saints, without the reach adjusters

What you really want is a DH bike, go on you know you want to.

What was better about the saints ? I can 1-finger lock sticky Hi-Rollers in the dry with BB7s. How can you need more power ?

Had the new style saints for a year untill they failed both the front and rear returned under warranty I got sick of waiting none in the country ? Master cylinder problem on both Gwin had same problem apparently and quite common with the servo wave offerings.

So traded them in for hope v4 much much better IMHO. Plus parts to buy are much more user friendly than shimano don't even get me started on the price of finned saint pads !

Once you've felt the power of the 4 pot, you can never go back 😉

i had em on my ventana when i weighed 23 stone.
they stopped me, very rapidly too. i like em.

With 203 rotors and speed-dial plus sticky DHF, the BB7's slow me down and do A job well.

Problem is as my speed/ability has increased, I have lost a lot of confidence in being able to throw myself into a corner. They're fine for tomahawking though.

welshfarmer - Member
Zees are Saints, without the reach adjusters

If true, that might be the clincher. For now.

Edit: Internetz agrees. Zee wins. For now. It's 14 days to payday.

Got a set on my Hemlock true eyeball popping braking

Go for zee, they are teh awsumz

I have XTR trails on my Bronson, but in Portugal the other week I swapped bikes with our guide for an afternoon and his Saracen Myst had Saints on it - I couldn't believe just quite how much more power they had. It took me a few runs to dial into them as I kept locking the rear at inopportune moments!

Although I have used the reach adjusters on mine, it was only when I first set them up so I don't think you'll miss the ability to do that tool free.

Saints at £225 for both ends in my [url= http://www.summittosea.co.uk/shimano-saint-hydraulic-mtb-disc-brake-pair.ir?cName=cycling-cycle-components-accessories-tools-spare-replacement-parts-brakes-hydraulic-systems ]LBS[/url]

They also have [url= http://www.summittosea.co.uk/shimano-zee-hydraulic-mtb-disc-brake-pair.ir?cName=cycling-cycle-components-accessories-tools-spare-replacement-parts-brakes-hydraulic-systems ]ZEE[/url] at £185 for both ends.

Love my Zee's - more power than SLX/XT but with better modulation. Heavier than Deore but who cares. Got mine from Tweeks for £180 I think.

Basically Saints let you stop sooner.

So compared to others you can brake later, (planned or panicked) 🙂

I had a go at the Bikefest a year ago on a mates bike with normal brakes - I overshot most of the corners as I was used to my Saints.

Buy SLX

I run 203/180 rotors.

The heart says – It’s new bike bling, buy them, your life will be better, undoubtedly.

The head says – the levers/calipers are only parts of the system, the DH bike you tried them on will sit solidly on the ground and have better braking traction than your hardtail, the tyres may have been grippier, the pressures lower, better brake pads, bigger discs, air density pressure on the day more beneficial. All in all many variables that may (or may not) reduce the awesomeness of Saints on your particular setup.

That said, it’s new bike bling, buy them, your life will be better, undoubtedly.

Saint are a bit OTT for a hardtail, no?

Problem is as my speed/ability has increased, I have lost a lot of confidence in being able to throw myself into a corner.

Me no understando. Increased ability should equal more confidence to throw yourself into a corner, not less.

I had a set of The Ones (by all accounts very similar power to Saints) but i really didn't like them - they were great for stopping really quickly but that didn't suit how i ride. When i got tired on long descents (DH bikebtw) they were a liability as i couldn't control how much pressure i was applying and usually ended up slowing down far too much. I'm one of the few on here who prefer Avids over any other brake i've tried. They seem to suit how i brake and fade at a similar rate to me 😀

Andy, the tyres were Geax ultrashit squirrely model and the bike was a coil shock Labyrinth.

Euro, my lack of faith in my brakes affects my confidence.

Thanks for the insight everyone, for me it's about braking hard and late because, as above, I am inclined to tomahawk into corners and hope the brake kicks in.

I am not rich however so I think I'll choose Zee and then when I get that DH bike-2 years time ish- see what the story is.

Very helpful, you lot.

Hope E4 FTW!

XT M755s. Where it all started. Current saint is an updated version of those...

Current XT M785 is a big step up in power from previous M775 one IMHO.
I like 'em so much that I've got 'em on all three bikes, just the rotor size varies.
Weekend before last, we rode Fort Bill (10 laps of WC DH), Ben A'an, Devil's Staircase/Cairan Path and the Dudes Enduro trails. M785 XT on a 203 rotor was plenty enough of a brake.

currently on XT's and a mate has Saints. both on similar trail bikes.

put it this way, when i can afford them i am buying saints, sooo much more control its ridiculous!

I've got Saints on the DH bike and SLX on the hardtail. Very little difference in performance.

The Saints cost twice as much but I got sucked in just like yourself. They are awesome brakes.

The SLX's were £120 F&R with rotors on Planet-X and they're faultless.

SLX M675 £50 on CRC.

NOW WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO!

Saints are now completely off the table and I'm at a loss to distinguish between Zee and SLX.

The question to answer is "If you never used your brake until the last moment, which would you rather depend on?" Hora sez SLX

I've had most, apart from xtr,of the new shimano brakes and the saints I have on my yeti asr 7 are way way more powerful and modulate better. Slx aren't even in the same ball park

I have some lightly used saints that I am thinking of selling. If you are interested, drop me an email (in profile).

Im a gear queer but I tried SLX brakes once. Ordered mine same day.

Stops my 15.5stone. So well that I never think what my brakes are doing. And thats from a nervous rider..

No offence. I wouldnt buy used shimanos. No idea if theyve been bled with the right fluid correctly

Differences? Apart from the obvious 4 pot, Zee have dimples on the levers, but SLX have toolless adjustment - that's about it, isn't it? As said, zee have better modulation in my experience but still a bit more power than slx and even saint if one of the magazines is to be believed.

neverasktheinternetanything

Now I'm farting around reading user reviews like a tit.

Are SLX/XT/ZEE comparable in terms of service intervals? Can I just use Aztec rotors or is there spectacularly expensive peripherals involved?There is a significant reason why I've stuck with BB7'S for so long.

Thanks LabMonkey, I'll only buy new brakes so I have some backup if there's a problem.

I have both SLX and Zee's on my various bikes. Zee's are quite a bit more brake than the SLX, although both will stop you pretty quick.

My Hope v2's are still more power and modulation i reckon, although much bigger/heavier.

the new shimano brakes and the saints I have on my yeti asr 7 are way way more powerful...........Slx aren't even in the same ball park

Someone needs to set their SLX's up properly. Saints might have more overall power but you can't fault the SLX. Remember we're talking about fitting them to a hardtail here.

Since you mention rotors, part of the reason my Saints were so expensive is that I went for the Ice-tech rotors. The alloy part of the disc melted and the whole thing fried in less than 5 days in Morzine. It's the only time I've bought posh rotors and they went back for a refund asap. I replaced them with Superstar rotors (cheapest rotors I've ever had) which work perfectly.

Remember we're talking about fitting them to a hardtail here

I think that's beside the point. It's a hardtail that gets to go down Ft Bill Red so the stopping power is key. Not braking in rockgardens on my Five.

The bike is not gonna go to France, the brakes might.

I can 1-finger lock sticky Hi-Rollers in the dry with BB7s.

Most brakes can do that in the car park. However, when you are going fast down something really steep approaching a hairpin you can get far more front wheel traction, that's when you find that locking the wheel in a car park means absolutely nothing. There are times when you need much more than that. It's as much down to capability for heat dissipation as anything else.

I used to be able to lock both wheel easily enough on my mate's British Eagle with XT cantis. Meant nothing.

If BB7's are so shit, why are they one of the disc brakes loads of Tandem users recommend?

Got some Formula RO's on my Alpine 160....during a week in Morzine last year I tried my mates XT equipped 222. We both agreed that the RO's were a lot more powerful - they also didn't fade half as fast as the XT's (which for me was an issue - crap rider - not so much a problem for my riding buddy!). I got them as a set from CRC about this time last year. Had been looking at the Saints at that time when these came up cheaper, with better reviews and allegedly more power. Not tried the new Saints or Zee's but the RO's are more powerful than the older Saints and the Hope M4's that I've run in the past. Oli.

Dangerousbeans they're not shit, they're brilliant in the right application. I've used them for 3 years and my set will go on the Mrs' Kona.

On this bike, they're not right anymore.

Funny how no one has mentioned the Guides advertised right next to this thread.

🙂