shimano brakes

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JHZR2

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After riding my scott scale 29er with low-end Shimano brakes, compared to the avid elixir CR brakes I had put on my KHS 26" bike, I have to say that Shimano makes a quality brake.

On mine and my wife's bikes, running avid brakes (mine used to have mechanical), there have always been pull length and rotor noise that is notable and not to my liking.

The shimano brakes have a slightly longer pull than Id like, but it is not bad at all. They work perfectly. No rub, no noise, no drag on one side of the pad/rotor during wheel turning.

They really are good. I like them. I can only imagine that the XT disc brakes are even better.
 
I'm apparently the last person still using v's. I'll be doing this race in two weeks, for the fourth time, on a 26er with v's and every year more and more people run discs, I'd say 75% at this point, and obviously 29'ers are only about 25% now but on the rise.

http://www.cheqfattire.com/cheq40.html

Anyway, this might be the last year for this bike, and I'm glad to hear that the low end mechanical discs are getting better, because a decade ago they were terrible and have kept me away since. And realistically, with 3 kids under 5 I don't have enough time to ride to justify hydraulics on whatever new ride I buy.

Interestingly I rode my old beater in this race against Greg Lemond in 2007. He beat me by a little over an hour, none of which I attribute to bad brakes. Gary Fisher was also in that race, also beat me by over an hour, but in that case I think it's fair to say he may have had an equipment advantage.
 
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Originally Posted By: bepperb
I'm glad to hear that the low end mechanical discs are getting better, because a decade ago they were terrible and have kept me away since. And realistically, with 3 kids under 5 I don't have enough time to ride to justify hydraulics on whatever new ride I buy.


Maybe we have a disconnect. My "low end" 2011 model shimano brakes ARE hydraulic!
 
Shimano brakes are my favorite.
That is one thing I may change on my SX Trail down the road. It currently has Elixir's on it and they work well, but I have been eyeing some Saint brakes. I have had LX hydraulic and ridden XTR hydraulic and I love the feel of them more than any other I've used.
 
Sadly, that's probably it right there.

You sparked my curiosity... looking at Trek's lineup, the cheapest 29er with hydraulics is under 1000. I get them for half MSRP, so maybe next spring we'll get there.
 
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