SRAM GUIDE Brakes

[LukePurdon]

Thanks I appreciate the lesson????

[B20]

I am looking to get myself a pair of good breaks and the Sram Guide R brakes have just fallen into my price range with a great sale on CRC, any advice/reviews on the Guide R brakes in particular?

They are fantastic brakes.  I upgraded my Epic with this.  I am 90kg and love single track.  No failure or turkey gobble.  160mm rotors front and rear.

Since the Spez top teams use them, they can not be bad.

[JXV]

any advice on rotor size? I am a 87kg guy with a large frame pyga oneten. I was thinking 160mm in front and 180mm on the back?

180 front and 160 rear will be enough...or 180 both ends. Your weight shifts forward on braking so the front wheel gets more traction under braking than rear. This is why it is normal to fit same size or bigger rotor on the front.

 

I am similar weight. Went with 203 front and 180 rear with XT brakes for my 29er trail bike and I have to be careful.....

[hayleyearth]

So I joined the SRAM Guides (RSC) club quite late. Been running them for 2 weeks (use to have Hope M4's) and OH BOY ...WHY did I wait SO long?

 

I feel much more comfortable in tight corners and to ride up to a berm or switchback etc etc.

 

It is amazing to have brakes that actually do what your fingers are doing on the lever.

[raptor-22]

160mm front and back is enough for the guide brakes. Larger rotors increase brake torque but reduce modulation and feel.

 

Larger rotors do tend to run cooler on longer descents.

 

So if you are super quick on the descents and brake a lot then larger rotors.

If you average xc marathon type rider then 160mm is fine.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

160mm front and back is enough for the guide brakes. Larger rotors increase brake torque but reduce modulation and feel.

 

Larger rotors do tend to run cooler on longer descents.

 

So if you are super quick on the descents and brake a lot then larger rotors.

If you average xc marathon type rider then 160mm is fine.

If you're a heffalump like me though, it's 180mm minimum... 

[NotSoBigBen]

If you're a heffalump like me though, it's 180mm minimum...

 

I have always used 160/160 on all my bikes and I'm not a light oke (even when I was over 100kg's), on my 'dale HT I have 160/140 ( just cause I had it and it looked 'cool'). I do what I guess what would be referred to normal riding and no 'trail' stuff (not 100% sure when it becomes trail though). Includes some of the blue at Thaba and Rietvlei, I have never felt like I didn't have enough braking power or 'brake fade' that I can recall ever.

 

Just wondering if I may be missing out on something not having dinner plate size rotors?

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

I have always used 160/160 on all my bikes and I'm not a light oke (even when I was over 100kg's), on my 'dale HT I have 160/140 ( just cause I had it and it looked 'cool'). I do what I guess what would be referred to normal riding and no 'trail' stuff (not 100% sure when it becomes trail though). Includes some of the blue at Thaba and Rietvlei, I have never felt like I didn't have enough braking power or 'brake fade' that I can recall ever.

 

Just wondering if I may be missing out on something not having dinner plate size rotors?

it does also definitely have to do with what you ride. If you're on jeep track, mostly, and with no huge ass hills that see you holding your brakes for 10-15 min at a time, then the smaller rotors would do just fine. 

 

As for me, I ride "trail" trails, hardly any jeeptrack if I can help it, and I am by no means a smooth / accomplished rider, so I need to have something that will work whenever I need it to. In some areas I may be on the front brakes the whole way down, just because it's either a new trail to me, or it's above my comfort level or I'm just plain tired and can't concentrate sufficiently to let them go... So the 203mm at the front REALLY helps in this regard, especially if I run out of talent. 

 

However - going on the weight thing - a bigger rotor has hardly any extra weight over a 160mm, so even if I were gram hunting, the extra 15-30g that a large rotor has over the small one is a price that I'll be prepared to pay for that safety... 

[droenn]

180/160 here for me with the Guides RS. Have had them for a while now - no complaints thus far.

 

I like the type of single track you find at jonkers and the gspot - these brakes are working out great for me, so much modulation and lots of stopping power when needed.

[Skylark]

Can anyone confirm yet if there are seals/rebuild kits avail from Sram for the Guides?

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Can anyone confirm yet if there are seals/rebuild kits avail from Sram for the Guides?

Just found this - reading through it now

 

Edit to incl link

 

https://sram-cdn-pull-zone-gsdesign.netdna-ssl.com/cdn/farfuture/YaN9F4nAWyg-pSL1YvfhHr7nBBA-1cCRaibWs75-XFM/mtime:1404405835/sites/default/files/techdocs/2015_avid_spc_rev_a.pdf

 

https://sram-cdn-pull-zone-gsdesign.netdna-ssl.com/cdn/farfuture/KpuPHY_EQysNbi30gj_QfpTRpuMcYyKJ49VpmNjOGKU/mtime:1416521816/sites/default/files/techdocs/gen.0000000004885_rev_a_2015_guide_rsc_service_manual_english.pdf

 

And the answer is yes, you can. 

[raptor-22]

Can anyone confirm yet if there are seals/rebuild kits avail from Sram for the Guides?

 

 

give Cape Cycle Systems a call and find out

[Barry Stuart]

Best goddamn brakes I've ever owned, more feel than I ever had on my Shimos and even more stopping power than my Codes. I used to think my bike was a bit pants in the corners but a change in front tyre (High Roller to Panaracers) and the addition of the Guides has changed the entire feel of the bike. I love these things.

[droenn]

aww yeah and the cockpit integration with my sram shifter and reverb dropper is clean