Shimano XT Disc Brakes

Long have shimano been known for making quality components for both road and mountain bike and generally at a very reasonable price.

In regards to the disc brake market, it can be fairly safe to say that Avid's range of mechanical and hydraulic disc brakes have a very large grip on the market and are featured on most brand new bikes from the largest manufacturer's. Also, as far as mid price range disc brakes, Avid certainly offer great value especially when compared to top end brake set's like HOPE and Magura, which can be more than twice the price.

That said, at the mid level price, you get what you pay for and when comparing an Avid brake to any of the top model brakes there is certainly a noticeable difference in performance, reliability and feel.

Since Shimano officially launched their new 'Servo Wave' XT disc brakes, late last year, I have been extremely keen to actually set some of them up and more importantly ride them to see how they perform. Previous versions of the Shimano XT Disc Brake set have been much more expensive than the new 2008 version, almost twice the price at $1000 for a set. The performance of the XT Brakes has always been great, with very light lever action and extremely smooth progressive braking, only the initial cost preventing people from heading down the line of a Shimano Brake set.

Since getting our first two sets of '08 XT Disc brakes they have both been fitted and bled with ease, one of the sets being fitted to my own bike. I have to say the performance achieved from such a cheap mid level brake system is phenomenal. The lever action is still very light and super smooth, and with no vibration during the breaking process. The lever has a nice feel whether set up as a single or twin finger brake, and the lever blade adjuster comes in to good use when setting up your position.

I have to say this is the easiest disc brake system to bleed I have ever performed, the front brake took only a few minutes to bleed from a complete dry system (no fluid in it at all) to completely bled and ready to ride. Also the bleed is a one step process, which means there is no specialist tools required, aside from some 'Shimano Mineral Oil' to bleed with (which the brakes come with).

If your interested in checking out these brakes and getting a feel for what they are like, i'm more than happy to bring my bike to the shop for a bit of a ride.

Overall, I have to say these new XT Disc brakes have to be the best value disc brake system on the market today at $599 for a complete set. Compared to my two sets of Hope brakes, the performance and feel is very comparable just without that UK handmade touch. Anyone considering looking at a good set of disc brakes to update their bike, look no further.

Raenier