SRAM guide brake review

[stuckathuntermtn]

Nothing, it's just an awesome and hilarious website, and should sometimes be taken with a grain of salt.

[D(C)]

So now that people have been riding these for a while, what's the verdict? Are they worth considering over Shimanos?

Also, RS vs. RSC?

[toast2266]

So now that people have been riding these for a while, what's the verdict? Are they worth considering over Shimanos?

Also, RS vs. RSC?

They're fine. Not necessarily better than Shimano, but fine. Guides are a bit less powerful, but have considerably better modulation.

The contact point adjustment is fairly useless - you don't give up much by bumping down to the RS.

[jamal]

I've had RSCs for about a month now, and have put them to some good use, including a day riding a lift.

Once I got reach and contact set where I wanted them I haven't touched either dial. But it is nice to be able to make each lever engage at the same spot. I didn't pay for them though so can't comment on if it's worth it over the other models.

So far so good. Little more power than my old 2-pot elixir 9s, which has taken some adjustment on my part to avoid locking the rear tire (but I am on skinny xc race stuff). The organic pads are still holding up, and are more consistent than the set I tried on the old avids. Those would fade on long descents and wore out really fast, so I went back to metallics. The extra pad size is probably helping a bit there, or maybe the compound was updated.

Can't say much else so far. They're an improvement, and I have more confidence waiting until the last second to hammer on the brakes hard. The other day I was on a trail where you hit 30mph or so and then have to nearly stop for tight switchbacks.

[BushwackerinPA]

running Guide R with metalic compounds and they working really well.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

I'm a fan. Running Guide-R on my Knolly Warden. Have run them at the bike park and one enduro race at the same bike park. Little to no fading with metallic pads.

Before this I had run every avid from elixir 5s to XO and was fed up. Thought Shimano XT was the end all for trail brakes and I would never run any else. The Guides changed my mind on that. Far greater modulation than the XTs.

[D(C)]

Thanks. I picked up some secondhand Guide RS and am pretty happy so far. They have similar lever ergonomics and modulation to the Elixirs they replaced, but Shimano-like power.

Regarding rotors, are the Centerlines a worthwhile purchase? I'm currently using the Guides with my old HS1 rotors. I guess I will know when it gets wet out whether it's the calipers or rotors that make turkey gobble noises.

[Gunder]

I switched to the Guide RSC from Saints and I would never go back. Way better modulation, and while they may not be as power as the saints where, they stop better as the power is better managed.

[toast2266]

Regarding rotors, are the Centerlines a worthwhile purchase? I'm currently using the Guides with my old HS1 rotors. I guess I will know when it gets wet out whether it's the calipers or rotors that make turkey gobble noises.

I've run guides with centerlines, HS1's, and HS3's. I don't notice a huge difference between any of them.

[BushwackerinPA]

yeha I have a bike with SLX brakes and one with Guide brakes both running metalical compound and both on HR2. Guides feel so good that its hard to go back to the SLX.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Wow.