In the market for a set of new brakes and fancy the XTs. However on the CRC website, the options choice is quite daunting. No problem with the left, right, front, rear, but can anyone explain the I-spec A and I-spec B options? Also Merlin seem to have good deals on brake sets; anyone know of anywhere cheaper? Thanks.

Do your shifters mount to the bars? If so you don’t need to worry, its just the option to mount specially designed shifters directly to the brakes to make the cockpit less cluttered.

That’s fine and my shifters are bar mounted, but which option is which?

A-spec is the older (2013?) integrated brake/gear system, B-spec is the 2014 forwards integrated system (until C spec 😉 ), you can’t mix and match shifters/brakes between the systems if you want to use a single clamp.
So if your running 2013 shimano shifters you’ll need A-spec brakes to use the integrated systems together, it is a nice system to tidy up your bars after all, especially if you have a suspension lockout lever & or a dropper post remote on your bars too.

Bugger seems I’m incorrect, see here

The new I-spec ‘B’ shifters/adapters are backwards compatible to the old levers (with a special bolt included with them), but the old I-spec shifters/adapters are not forward compatible to the new levers.

In short, get the ispec-B ones!

Thanks everyone – so i get the I-Spec B levers which should have no problems with bar mounted shifters!?

Neither have any problem with bar-mounted shifters.

But if you come to change your shifters in the future (and want i-Spec ones) then you’ll need the iSpec B ones.

I’m in the market for some XT brakes too so have been looking around for a deal. Most shops are around the £135-£145 mark but Ribble Cycles are selling them for £105! (using promo code: CASH10). I doubt they’ll be the iSpec B ones for that price but i’ll confirm when mine turn up.

On the lookout for a CRC code now to get some ice-tech rotors with the money i’ve saved!

Tim – if in the market for Ice Tech rotors, check the German sites. I found them loads cheaper than the UK shops when I bought mine last year, even when you factor in a fiver for postage.