Looking to replace the crap stock Shimano brakes on my Genesis Longitude. They were fine for a while but seem to have developed the common “micro-leak” problem.

The bike is mainly used for local bridleway bimbling and bikepacking so top performance isn’t really an issue. I was tempted to splash out on something really decent, but then noticed Planet X have SRAM Guide Rs (as in Guide R plural, not Guide RS) for £34 an end, which seems pretty damn good. Reviews suggest they’re not mega-powerful with great modulation but TBH they don’t really need to be. I just need them to work, keep working, and not eat pads (and not squealing like a banshee for the first hour of every ride).

For that money new they’re a bargain. Just do it!

I run mine with 200/180 rotors on an enduro bike and they’ve never wanted for power and been completely reliable. The standard organic pads won’t last amazingly in the winter so when they wear out the Uber bike race matrix
Pads are a great option.

They don’t include bar clamps but still a bargain, these are the ones with the new bleed port btw

Good spot on the clamps!
I tried a set of the older Guide Rs on a demo bike a few years back and they really impressed me. Far more so than the lower end Shimano offerings.
Only complaint was that pressed steel levers are very easy to bend in a crash, but they can be bent back!
I’d 100% take them over anything else you can get for that price.

I’ve had the opposite experience to submarined. I thought a pair of deores I had on my Camber pissed all over the Guides that came on my Enduro, the first thing I changed on the Enduro was the brakes.

I’ve been quite unimpressed with the Deores I had about a year back (replaced with Guide r’s which are more powerful,
More consistent in feel and modulate better), and a set of slx brakes on a mates bike. Sometimes they work ok (in an on/off way), but sometimes they pull to the bar the first time you pull them until they pump up again.

Yeah I noticed the lack of clamps. Can’t be more than a couple of quid I thought… wait… £20 for an alloy clamp and a bolt?! PX actually have Matchmaker clamps for £8 which would do. Bit rubbish but I guess £42 an end is still pretty good.

No adpaters either, but I’m sure I’ve got some, and PX have them for £2 anyway.

Anyone want to buy about 950ml of mineral oil and a Shimano bleed kit? Sigh.

Is it actually possible to bleed Avid/SRAM brakes in one attempt and have it last beyond one ride yet?

I hated my old Avid Elixirs.

Yes. The guides are very reliable – I’ve bled both the old style guides and the new bleeding edge ones. Each time I’ve ended up with a nice solid lever and not had to bleed the brake again whilst I’ve owned the brakes.

They ballsed up elixirs – the lever master cylinder design was basically impossible to get a perfect bleed on in the real world. Sure I found a video about it once in which the issue was explained.

For that price… It’s a no brainer.

When I got my Enduro last May my immediate thought was to change out the Guide R brakes.

They are the only thing left on the bike that hasn’t been tuned or swapped out, they simply work.

I still don’t love them and now everything else has been sorted I’ve started to look at some Code RSC but am yet to press the button.

So in short, get them.

Uberbike Kevlar and Race Matrix pads are both good. If you want more, Trickstuff Power pads properly bedded in are a proper upgrade.

Is it actually possible to bleed Avid/SRAM brakes in one attempt and have it last beyond one ride yet?

Not had a problem with the X9 Trails on my full-sus.

I use Uberbike Race Matrix in those too, they seem alright for the price.

Ordered the Guide Rs – cheers for the feedback.

“dmorts

Subscriber

Is it actually possible to bleed Avid/SRAM brakes in one attempt and have it last beyond one ride yet?”

Yes. But the problem is you have to follow the instructions and do the job well and that defeats most people. (that sounds meaner than it is; avid’s instructions have some steps in that sound pointless and loads of people just skip to what seems like important bits or do them formula-style which is similar but simpler)

It’s not a good system for all those reasons and it’s really susceptible to failures on top of it but it does, sort of, work.

Better value than SRAM brakes at £68 for a pair…..

Going brake-less and using wind resistance?
Spending £900 on trickstuffs
Either the above options, or anything in between will offer more consistent baking-per-£ than the SRAMS….

I think if someone told me I had to have SRAM brakes on my MTB I would give up!

YMMV

I think if someone told me I had to have SRAM brakes on my MTB I would give up!

Such a normal, reasonable response. Have you tried the new stuff or are you happy with your head in the sand?

I quite like Shimano’s basic brakes without the cam/variable power thing that comes in Deore level upwards levers. They seem a lot more reliable and consistent:
https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/shimano-br-mt400-disc-brake-set-721585
Also, the Deore level 4 pots are quite good
https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/shimano-br-mt501-disc-brake-set-721660

My Guide Rs were ace on my old bike.
I thought they were plenty powerful enough and had better modulation than Shimano. I did a fair few uplift days and enduros and never had issues with fade. In a year and halfm the didn’t need bleeding either.

If I was after cheap, reliable brakes for bridleways, I’d go for the Clarks M2 brakeset though. £40 will get you a set! I bought some as a stop gap on the Stooge. They lasted 2 years, didn’t need bleeding and easily matched my Deore m615 for power and feel. Replacement pads are cheap and they get 4.5/5 reviews from hundreds of buyers.

tomhoward – the internet is no place for moderate rational discourse….

And we have just given up trying with the current gen Guides on the Wife’s bike fitting Shimano’s, so whilst the response was a bit over dramatic, i stand by the spirit!

Insanely good value at that price I’d say.

I prefer mine (with 200/180mm rotors) to the XTs on my other bike.

better value? Clarks m2 are in my watch list after previously being recommended on here. currently £47 for both ends including clamps and rotors. Have been down to £34 or so

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRAKES-Clarks-M2-Hydraulic-Disc-Set-Front-Rear-160mm-Mineral-Oil-Bike-Cycle/352033462910?epid=27022875398&hash=item51f6d45a7e:g:7ycAAOSwv0tVbwlG:rk:3:pf:1&frcectupt=true

Also, the Deore level 4 pots are quite good
https://www.bike-discount.de/

Set is just over £100 on Rosebikes. Couple of weeks delivery though.

Only real problems with Guides are the swelling piston problem (old pre new bleed port models only) and as NW says, they don’t really lend themselves to people not needing to read the instructions because they’ve bled so many brakes etc.

Overall I’ve moved on from them for now to Magura but at that price (and assuming price is a driver) they would be in my list too.

bloody hell, i was going to sell mine but wont bother now there worthless.

I put the clarks on my fatbike to replace the shocking cable brakes that came with it. They were around 33 quid for a complete set and I just couldn’t justify spending more

I kind of wish i had now

They are OK but not in the same league as Guide’s or SLX, XT’s etc

I’d rather stick my c0ck in my front wheel than trust Guide Rs on steep sustained descents. They weren’t terrible in Whistler Bike Park but they’ve never stayed on my bikes for more than a couple of rides. Not even worth selling them as they are completely worthless because everyone is trying to sell them.

I have level T’s which are fine (big rotors on my whyte), are guides a higher model than those?

Brakes always provide such contrasting opinions! Some interesting alternatives ways of stopping yourself though 😆

+1 for Clarke’s for less than 50quid a full set with rotors etc……

Looking to replace the crap stock Shimano brakes on my Genesis Longitude. The bike is mainly used for local bridleway bimbling and bikepacking

They weren’t terrible in Whistler Bike Park

Thanks for your positive review, looks like I’ve made the right choice 😀

Those Clarks look great for the money though, will definitely consider them on other cheap builds. Unbelievable that you get a full set of brakes with rotors and everything for that money!

I bought some of those Clarks M2 when they first came abour years ago, but still haven’t managed to get a bleed kit for them 🙁

Really good for the money though when they were in use. They are in my spares box now.

I have level T’s which are fine (big rotors on my whyte), are guides a higher model than those?

yes they are.

A friend had level T’s on his bike, they were fine for your average Uk trail centre, but failed massively when he took them somewhere with proper altitude – finale ligure

Bloody hell, that was quick. Ordered Wednesday night, arrived Friday lunchtime. Can’t fault Planet X or Yodel on that front.