Avid Elixir R vs Shimano SLX

[Pittstop]

Been looking at putting new brakes on my trail bike.

 

Am currently looking between the Elixir R or Shimano SLX brakes in my price bracket. Am looking for any comparisons people might have from personal experience.

 

Cheers

[Brian Fantana]

I have used my SLX brakes well over 12000km now and no issues. Bleed them after changing the the brake pads and off you go.

 

I have no experience with avid, so I cannot compare, but all I can say is that slx served me well so far.

[Bat-ass]

Had XT brakes... reliable, but have an on / off feel. I'm guessing the SLX's are the same.

Now got Avid Elixr CR's, which i think function exactly the same as the Elixir R's, but without the reach adjust. The Avids have an awesome controlled powerfull feel, but are a bitch to bleed if you dont know how. There is a trick to getting the bubbles outs. Google the youtube Elixir bleed video if you ever have to!!!But my vote goes Avid... if they are dialed in...

[HeartCoppi]

definitely Shimano

[Johan Bornman]

I have used my SLX brakes well over 12000km now and no issues. Bleed them after changing the the brake pads and off you go.

 

I have no experience with avid, so I cannot compare, but all I can say is that slx served me well so far.

 

Why on earth would you want to bleed them after changing brake pads? Do you do this on your car as well?

[Johan Bornman]

Been looking at putting new brakes on my trail bike.

 

Am currently looking between the Elixir R or Shimano SLX brakes in my price bracket. Am looking for any comparisons people might have from personal experience.

 

Cheers

 

The Shimano product is superiour in every sense. Even the one below SLX - the BR5-something is better than the best from Avid.

 

The Elixirs and its older cousins are inferior.

 

• 
   
  
• Their software (rubbers, pistons, seals etc) have a limited lifespan.
  
• The pistons clog up and then bind.
  
• They are extremely tricky to bleed and when I say tricky, I don't mean that there is a trick to it, it is just luck on the day. There is no one technique that works other than a vacuum pump that most of us don't have.
  
• The pivots are forever wearing out and the brakes rattle
  
• Brake Fluid isn't nice to work with.
  
• Those stupid spring clips that hold the pads in....need I elaborate?
  

 

Get the Shimano brakes, any model and be done with it.

 

Now, I know lots of you will tell me that in a million miles you've never had a problem etc. Well, either you're just lucky or you are ignorant of the gradual deterioration of your brakes over time. I see lots and lots of (especially) Elixir problems and zero Shimano ones.

[Brian Fantana]

Why on earth would you want to bleed them after changing brake pads? Do you do this on your car as well?

 

I bleed my brakes when I service my bike. That means that my pads are sometimes a little worn when I bleed the brakes.

 

So usually when I fit new pads they rub, as the calipers cannot go back far enough to accomodate the new "thicker" pads. A bleed sorts this out.

[Johan Bornman]

I bleed my brakes when I service my bike. That means that my pads are sometimes a little worn when I bleed the brakes.

 

So usually when I fit new pads they rub, as the calipers cannot go back far enough to accomodate the new "thicker" pads. A bleed sorts this out.

Life is too short for crappy coffee and bleeding brakes all the time.

 

The only time you need to bleed your brakes is if the system has air in. If you have Avids, this could be frequently, if you have other brakes, it may never be necessessary at all. There's no need to bleed just 'cause you change pads.

[The Drongo]

Been looking at putting new brakes on my trail bike.

 

Am currently looking between the Elixir R or Shimano SLX brakes in my price bracket. Am looking for any comparisons people might have from personal experience.

 

Cheers

 

There is no 'vs' in it mate. Shimano all the way. Fit - 'forget' (to a degree, that is )

[Brian Fantana]

Do you do this on your car as well?

Yes. I always refresh my brake fluid after I replace the brake pads on my vehicle.

 

I believe in preventative maintenance because I do many long trips over rough terrain.

 

Besides, my service booklet for my vehicle recommends replacing brake fluid every 50 000km which is a little more than what a set of pads last for me.

Edited August 2, 2011 by Stephan

[Brian Fantana]

Life is too short for crappy coffee and bleeding brakes all the time.

 

The only time you need to bleed your brakes is if the system has air in. If you have Avids, this could be frequently, if you have other brakes, it may never be necessessary at all. There's no need to bleed just 'cause you change pads.

 

Agree totally on the coffee.

 

Thanks for the advice on the bleeding, will leave the brakes alone for longer and see how it goes.

[Goodbadugly]

I have had Elixers, Juicy's, XTR's and now I have XT's. Cannot comment on the XT's because they are to "young". The XTR's I have had from 2007 with no issues. Not even a bleed. The only irritaring thing about them is that the levers are starting to rattle and the front rotor makes clicking noises where the disc is rivited to the aluminum spider.

The Juicy 5's where OK. The G2 rotors were not to my liking.

Now for the Elixers.

The G3 rotors I like. And 6 bolt.

The rest? I have a set of the entry level elixer 5's. Bleeding is a extremely tedious job. Do it again. And again. And again. Until you succeed(Not a given)

The caliper of the rear brake does not always retract all the way. So the play on lever may get less during a race.

The other stupid thing was that one of the 'master' cylinders did not function properly. Sticky.

The so called taper bore tech? I will have to lie if I tell you that I can feel progressiveness.

Pad live (metal) is good.

Then you get these fiddly little washers (one concave and the other convex) Supposed the help you to get the alignment 100%. If used for a while the concave one cracks (Looks cast to me). A stack of good old standard washers will fix this. These washers also tend to take up the exact same position to each other EVERY time. So as for a 100% alignment? Hmmm.

If you can get a set of Juicy's or Elixers for a REAL good price (with a good supply of Prozac and beer included) it might be considered.

Shop around in the classifieds for a good price on SLX/XT brakes. There is always a guy "upgrading" to something 5.5781 gram lighter.

[Monark]

I have SLX and after 3000km of no issues I will just replace them with the new 2012 SLX and then move these onto my new bike

[Pittstop]

Thanks for all the responses. Got a set of SLX brakes. And now almost ready to go.