Shimano ICE brakes

[patrikman]

Has anybody used these? Thoughts? Opinions?

The Juicy setup on my 69er has ruined it's last ride. Time for a change.

[naiku]

I just picked up a set of SLX M666 brakes off Craiglist the other day. Not yet gotten around to mounting them, but from everything I have read they are really good brakes. I did not get the ICE-Tech rotors though, just running regular Shimano rotors.

They feel like very nice brakes though, and I am looking forward to the jump in performance from my Avid BB5's.

[simple]

They are nice. No issues.

[mrothwell]

The XT brakes are some of the best on the market right now. I've got a set of the previous generation BR-M775, but I've been shopping for a new bike and doing a ton of demo rides with the 2012 XT brakes. They're awesome. True 1 finger braking, great power, great modulation. No 10 minute descents to test fade though. Totally recommended over anything else out there.

[kar_nut]

I have the M666 SLX brakes with RT76 rotors. Absolutely love them. I also have a set of the prior rev XT's and the M666's are a step above them. Better lever ergonomics, increased power and equivalent modulation. The XT's don't really add anything meaningful above the SLX's if you're looking to save some money. If you buy them online, just make sure you get a set with the metallic (finned) pads. Some places are selling OEM kits with organics.

I'm also a recovering Avid owner. Got tired of having turkey's chasing me through the woods.

[VR6ix]

I love my XT brakes! Oh, whoops, wrong decade... still awesome brakes, tho - the original 4-pot BR-755... wonder if I can retro-fit some of those fancy ICE pads to fit the old XT calipers, pads look very similar to Saint 4-pot

Never liked any set of Avid hydro's that I tried myself or on friends' bikes... Avid just isn't what Avid used to be back in the days of cantis and V-brakes and CNC goodness. Their hydros are way too grabby and I've never heard more alarming noises from a front brake other than Juicy's, and that's from multiple bikes including brand new!

I'm not a fan of Shimano shifters and thus shun most of their drive-train parts, but Shimano hydraulic brakes seem to be great. No plans to upgrade my bikes, but XT or XTR Trails or Saint 4-pot are on the short-list for sure.


In conclusion... ummm... look, bike porn?

[BsickPassat]

my chiropractor swears by the Shimano cyrogenic frozen rotors.

I'm fine with the Avid HS1 rotors.

[patrikman]

Thanks for the input guys. I need to borrow my friend's Fuel and check out his XT setup.

Is XTR a waste of money? I am a big guy so I am very hard on brakes, is the XT more than enough?

[patrikman]

the bike for reference:



I absolutely adore this bike, except for the brakes.

[mrothwell]

Thanks for the input guys. I need to borrow my friend's Fuel and check out his XT setup.

Is XTR a waste of money? I am a big guy so I am very hard on brakes, is the XT more than enough?

Everything I've heard about the xtr's is that they don't have any better performance than the xt's, they're just lighter. But I haven't ridden a set, they're a tad rich for my blood. So, waste of money depends on what you're after.

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk 2

[kar_nut]

Thanks for the input guys. I need to borrow my friend's Fuel and check out his XT setup.

Is XTR a waste of money? I am a big guy so I am very hard on brakes, is the XT more than enough?

They all(SLX, XT, XTR) have the same braking performance with the exception of the XTR Race which sacrifices the cooling fins for weight.

XT vs SLX adds:
- "freestroke adjust"- Allows fine tuning the amount of slack lever pull before applying the brakes. Most consider this adjustment to be either very subtle or completely imperceptible.
- Screw for pad retention instead of cotter pin.
- One piece caliper body which should be lighter, but most SLX's have weighed about the same as XT's.

XTR adds
- Much lighter wallet.
- Slightly lighter brakes.

[Gabriel J]

I used XT ice tech on my short-lived Yeti ASR5-carbon..I loved them! They just reinforced how much I dislike Avid brakes..For my current bike I'm using XTR and love them as well..I went for the weight savings and braggin' rights..

Shimano brakes are (in my opinion) much better than anything Avid currently offers so I say try anything else and it will be better. Shimano, Hope, Formula, Magura, Hayes..all have great options.

[naiku]

After a couple installation hiccups I have my SLX M666 dialed in and they are awesome. Get some, you won't regret it.

[M this 2!]

I have the XTR race. I've yet to have ANY neg issues. The rotors are the same on XT/XTR. the new aluminum hats are much stiffer than the previous model. there's also no creaking noises like the previous as well. my buddy just got a new Santa Cruz with the XTs. They feel great. there is a different feel of modulation between my XTRs and his (both '12s). it's like his lever has a more on off feel to it. not a bad thing, just a different feel.

on a weird side braking note, i had to do a 1 mile downhill carrying my 75lbs boxer in my left arm and thigh. he was overheated, tired and had bloodied a paw. i only had my rear brake to keep us in check. my NON-finned race XTRs didn't fade! the rotor got abit purple, but no fade. That's 250lbs with only a rear brake, being engaged the whole time.

[impact]

I have a set of m785 (2012 XT) on my commuter bike. Rotors are 160mm Avid Roundagons (came with the bike from the factory, because it is a road hybrid, the original brakes were Avid BB5). No Ice-tech rotors or pads for me, the brakes are plenty powerful without them.

I love how they can be set with the levers close to the bars, short throw and still offer lots of modulation. Perfect for one finger braking.

There were some reports of hose problems with early batches:

http://forums.mtbr.com/brake-time/xt...ue-785547.html

But most people love them:
http://forums.mtbr.com/brake-time/lo...es-734689.html

edit: imho, XTR is not worth it unless you're swimming in money...

[patrikman]

Cycling and biking has become a fashion nowadays as they are considered as the perfect fitness regimen by most of the people. Initially, it seems intimidating to many of us, but now the introduction of new and sophisticated bikes has changed this obsession of people.

I too admire terrapins.

[patrikman]

I used XT ice tech on my short-lived Yeti ASR5-carbon..I loved them! They just reinforced how much I dislike Avid brakes..For my current bike I'm using XTR and love them as well..I went for the weight savings and braggin' rights..

Shimano brakes are (in my opinion) much better than anything Avid currently offers so I say try anything else and it will be better. ........... Hayes..all have great options.

I had Hayes mechanical on my 03 Tassajara and HFX-9 on my 05 Fuel EX-7 and they have both given me thousands of miles of near quiet endless stopping power needing nothing but pads except for the occasional rotor mishap that we'll just call operator error.

After a couple installation hiccups I have my SLX M666 dialed in and they are awesome. Get some, you won't regret it.

I picked up the 69er on friday morning, broke them in while my oil was getting changed and then drove straight to Road America.