SRAM guide brake review

[WaistDeepGroomers]

Guys at Art's did a fairly in-depth review of the Guide RSC brakes on the site:

http://www.tetongravity.com/story/bi...e-brake-review

I assume Kidwoo will find multiple technical errors in the report, but thought I'd share it in here regardless.

[gravitylover]

I love mine. Put the Guide RSC's on my Fatboy at the beginning of the summer and they outperformed my 965 XTR's in every circumstance and condition. They feel great and have more power than I need even with all the traction of a fat tire.

[kidwoo]

I assume Kidwoo will find multiple technical errors in the report, but thought I'd share it in here regardless.

Nah. I quit reading at "sram__brakes"

[thewon]

^^^^^^^^

[stuckathuntermtn]

Sram and FSA just look like they're peaking over Shimano's shoulder and taking notes.

[JeffreyJim]

Whats funny is industry opinion of these has been shit. Just look at the SRAM pros...most have gone back to their old brakes. Having tried a set I thought they felt a bit funny. A step in the right direction but a ways off SLX/XT/Saint/Zee etc

[jono]

Do I get bonus points for making it to where we all agreed that power was more important than modulation?

[stuckathuntermtn]

I just looked at it since I'm pooping and it looked like standard schlock.

[shirk]

We need to get a set of these into puresniffinggravity's hands asap for in-depth review.

[stuckathuntermtn]

^^^that needs to happen!

[Roxtar]

Whats funny is industry opinion of these has been shit. Just look at the SRAM pros...most have gone back to their old brakes. Having tried a set I thought they felt a bit funny. A step in the right direction but a ways off SLX/XT/Saint/Zee etc

Really? I have yet to read a negative comment.

My Sram rep asked me to try a set. He knows I'm an XTR guy who thinks Avid was the evil spawn produced by the devil and a tobacco lobbyist.

I'm very impressed to the point of actually considering keeping them on my Bronson. My first ride on them was a trail called Rio En Medio, a very technical DHish trail. At the end, I was impressed with the performance but my fingers were tired from the braking. (It's a 5hr ride). Being used to the light touch required of XTRs, the Guide's more gradual action requires a stronger pull to lock up. I've since gotten used to this and have developed an appreciation for the modulation. Perhaps this is due to short term memory loss of how much I loved the XTRs and will revert with my next sip of the blue Cool Aid.

The fact that I am actually considering them over the XTRs is a very strong statement, however.

[jm2e]

No point in considering them until some time has passed. SLX brakes brake well. Other brakes might brake better, but SLX does the job adequately. And given the cost, it'd be hard to consider jumping on to an unknown lover. None of this matters without the TIME TESTED RELIABILITY of SLX brakes and their ever so slightly more fancy older siblings. They work. They keep working. They're easy to bleed. They're easy to get the fucking caliper lined up with the fucking rotor.
So, for now, I don't give a fuck how well Avid or any other brakes do with power or modulation or sexy looks or whatever. Make a brake that doesn't hurt to buy and that I can leave on my bike for thousands of vertical meters of descent. Then I'll consider.
/blog

[Roxtar]

No point in considering them until some time has passed. SLX brakes brake well. Other brakes might brake better, but SLX does the job adequately. And given the cost, it'd be hard to consider jumping on to an unknown lover. None of this matters without the TIME TESTED RELIABILITY of SLX brakes and their ever so slightly more fancy older siblings. They work. They keep working. They're easy to bleed. They're easy to get the fucking caliper lined up with the fucking rotor.
So, for now, I don't give a fuck how well Avid or any other brakes do with power or modulation or sexy looks or whatever. Make a brake that doesn't hurt to buy and that I can leave on my bike for thousands of vertical meters of descent. Then I'll consider.
/blog

Wow, how long did it take you to dump your Hayes 9s for the SLXs?

[stuckathuntermtn]

SLX with big rotors and metal pads ftw

[thewon]

yup, agreed. SLX. had a set once. still went back to bb7, but if i ever go back to hydro.....

[gravitylover]

Really? I have yet to read a negative comment.

My Sram rep asked me to try a set. He knows I'm an XTR guy who thinks Avid was the evil spawn produced by the devil and a tobacco lobbyist.

I'm very impressed to the point of actually considering keeping them on my Bronson. My first ride on them was a trail called Rio En Medio, a very technical DHish trail. At the end, I was impressed with the performance but my fingers were tired from the braking. (It's a 5hr ride). Being used to the light touch required of XTRs, the Guide's more gradual action requires a stronger pull to lock up. I've since gotten used to this and have developed an appreciation for the modulation. Perhaps this is due to short term memory loss of how much I loved the XTRs and will revert with my next sip of the blue Cool Aid.

The fact that I am actually considering them over the XTRs is a very strong statement, however.

Yeah that's how I got them too. He asked what I was riding and when I said XTR and don't ask me to try another Avid brake he laughed and said "ahh, I've been here before. Want some new brakes?"

Oh I'm keeping them for sure. I think I'm going to keep the Bluto he's bringing also

Ehh, maybe a little bit more finger strength involved but the difference in control is significant. Short term memory loss? What...

[thewon]

more finger strength? oh the horror! are people going to start subbing their riding out to others to ride for them? lol!

[Roxtar]

more finger strength? oh the horror! are people going to start subbing their riding out to others to ride for them? lol!

My point was that there is a noticeable difference in the amount of pressure required to lock them up compared to XTRs. That could be a good or bad thing depending on how you like your brakes set up.

[thewon]

I know, i was just busting ballz

peace.

[kidwoo]

That's kind of the whole appeal of all the shimano brakes though.......laziness.

I can't even remember the last time I got arm pump from brakes. Even on 5 minute survival drags straight fall line down a 2k descent. Fresh as a daisy.......and awesome.

[jqualls]

I have mixed feelings right now with the XT's. I have had problems with two different front brakes. First brake started leaking fluid out of the caliper and was warrantied no problem Shimano went above and beyond taking care of it. Now the brake they sent me lost all power on the descent a few days ago. I have been having problems with it loosing power between rides and the lever pull increasing between rides. I tried bleeding them and rebleeding them and then the last ride the front completely lost all power half way through the ride. Hopefully they will take care of this one also.

[kidwoo]

I have mixed feelings right now with the XT's. I have had problems with two different front brakes. First brake started leaking fluid out of the caliper and was warrantied no problem Shimano went above and beyond taking care of it. Now the brake they sent me lost all power on the descent a few days ago. I have been having problems with it loosing power between rides and the lever pull increasing between rides. I tried bleeding them and rebleeding them and then the last ride the front completely lost all power half way through the ride. Hopefully they will take care of this one also.

I know you've already bled them........but you need to bleed them. Like 'shimano bleed' them. Those things are such a bitch to get all the air out. I've had two sets of xts that until I figured it out would just go completely out temporarily after a hard leaning turn at speed. It's terrifying.

Do you have the plastic bleed cup that goes in the lever? Get one if not. They're like 17 bucks or something. But reverse bleed, gravity bleed, do lots of lever flicking. Let the bike sit with the system open for half an hour then go flick the lever a bunch and bleed them again. They can be a bitch when they start doing that because there are lots of little nooks and crannies in the system where bubbles can hide out.

[thewon]

Shimano's are so easy to "bleed", you don't even need to bleed them. Caliper down lever up. Remove lever cap, tap line, and pull lever till all bubbles are out and then top off fluid. Voila! Done dozens that way and never had to "bleed" them.

[kidwoo]

Shimano's are so easy to "bleed", you don't even need to bleed them. Caliper down lever up. Remove lever cap, tap line, and pull lever till all bubbles are out and then top off fluid. Voila! Done dozens that way and never had to "bleed" them.

I've owned 6 pairs of the current iterations. Everyone's familiar with the base process. You've had one set right? Sweet. I've had two that never did what I'm talking about. Lucky us!

It doesn't always happen that you get a clean bleed with the basic approach.

[thewon]

I've owned 6 pairs of the current iterations. Everyone's familiar with the base process. You've had one set right? Sweet. I've had two that never did what I'm talking about. Lucky us!

It doesn't always happen that you get a clean bleed with the basic approach.

been a shop guy for a coupla decades so I've worked on many many. I've owned a few pair (slx,xt,xtr) but never had to touch my personal ones cept for pad replacement.