All

Damn, this is a huge loss to the whole MTB community. I was lucky enough to ride with him; he is one of the chillest guys one will ever meet. Shred in peace Kelly.

Iused to ride downhill and bmx and moved over to xc and road cycling a few years ago. For me this really is the perfect bike, although I did change the cockpit, seat and post to make it suit my endurance riding style. I have used it for everything from road racing(yes I did a 200k race in just over six hours on this thing) to long distance xc and bike park riding. Putting a 50mm stem when playing around at bike parks and it jumps and shreds down technical downhill sections like it was nothing, even keeping up...

IMO the Shimano XTR Trail BR-M988 are the best brakes money can buy for your mountain/trail riding rig. Some people dont like how they feel on/off when you pull the lever but they are just used to not stopping. I have rode various types of brakes from X0's, Hopes, V-brakes (haha), X9's, etc and these are simply they most reliable, easy to service, and not to harsh on the wallet. I will be willing to try different brakes on other peoples bikes but on mine you will only find shimano. These are consistent through desert high heat, mtn snow low...

After reading the other dude's review I figured I should give these brakes some props. I've been running them for two seasons now and I've bled the rear once, and haven't had to bleed the front yet. I have them on my downhill bike and they're plenty powerful for me, I don't even run a 203 rotor in the rear. They slow you down well with good modulation and unless you're a newbie who brakes really hard or you're a heavy dude, the power is certainly sufficient. The difference between these brakes and the CR's is not power, but only...

Five stars, especially if you are not into bleeding brakes and look to ride a set that requires minimal if any maintenance.

Been using this brakes for Downhill for almost 2 years now and I don't think I ever bled them. My setup is 203mm on the front and 180mm on the back and they really have an amazing modulation and stopping power. Of course they are not as powerful as the Codes, but I even ran an 180mm rotor on the back and don't lack power with the Elixir. On the adjustability side you only get the lever reach adjust, but for me it has been enough and don't really miss any other adjusting option offered in higher models. Weight wise...