Latest Product Reviews

The Good:

Excellent Modulation
Good power Ergonomic lever Durable

The Bad:

Get super spongey when pads wear to 50%

The sram Code R came stock on my aluminum Santa Cruz Nomad 4 s-kit. I have been riding the bike since October of 2017 and have definitely put it through the wringer. The majority of the riding I do is pedaling to the top and riding down, although I can't wait to take the bike to some chairlifts. Most of the trails I ride are technical, steep and awkward instead fast and flowy so having good brakes is very important. From the first ride I was stoked on how well the Code R preformed. They have very good modulation, meaning that it is easy to stop without skidding. This modulation is really helpful when riding in the Read More »

The Good:

strong brake force, adjustable, easy bleeding and rebuild, light weight

The Bad:

stuck pistons, the lever gap changed by temperature,

The Good:

I really like the modulation of Sram brakes these are a great example lots of lever feel. This means it's really easy to keep the wheels from locking up. They're pretty powerful and they'll stop you when you want. If you're a heavier rider I'd recommend going for something burlier though. The contact point adjust is nice to have because you can always make your brakes feel the same, it's not a necessity but I got it because I work in a shop.

On the trail they performed awesome, the extra modulation makes it easier to brake late into corners and the power makes them easy to trust.

Bleeding them is also really easy thanks to the bleeding edge tool.

The Bad:

In my experience they had some fade in hotter conditions. Anything over 90 degrees and after a moderate descent I could feel some fade. They are slightly noisy but I don't mind.

The Good:

Power - Enough to use on DH, Enduro or long descending trail rides.
Reliability - Through several crashes and hits, these brakes continue to perform like they did on day one of purchase.
Availability - Replacement parts and pads are available at most if not all bike shops even in the most remote locations.
Ease of Maintenance - These are by far the easiest brakes to bleed, repair, and replace by using simple hand tools.

The Bad:

The only bad thing is that there always seems to be a need to pump the brakes a few times before they grab at the correct location, like there is an air bubble in the line no matter how good you bleed the brakes.

These are the standard, no matter what company you prefer, they will always need to compete with Shimano for power andreliability. There is nothing more consistent than the Shimano XT and the price point is good enough to cover most if not all aspects of Mountain Biking. With the introduction of the Shimano XT 8020, these can cover the enduro/DH riding style. There is not much trigger feel as the brakes bite with 80-100 power within the first few cm's of pulling the lever. Something I've gotten accustomed to and require in my riding style. However, there is a downside to these brakes is that there always Read More »

The Good:

When they are below 80 degrees they work ok

The Bad:

When the levers are above 85 degrees once you pull on the brakes they are on till you cool them down.

The Good:

Great brakes with good feel and plenty of power when needed and not overly grabby like some Shimano’s can feel.

The Bad:

On really wet muddy rides the brake can feel a little sponge after, but a few blasts of disc brake cleaner to get the pistons moving again and they soon feel good.

The Good:

can stop a truck. lot of tweaks that make it work on every condition.
can be sensible, progressive as you wish. don't need extra disk centimeter, 185 rotor are enough for enduro

The Bad:

the alignment are tricky with the caliber.
don't see magura at race event ( I have done the last EWS in Olargues for instance) where SRAM is prime and helpful.
the lever is the part to have in spare definitely because to be light it is the part that break easily.

The Good:

Such a fun bike. Descends like a boss and climbs pretty good. You won’t buy this bike to climb. Point it downhill and hang on!!

The Bad:

Nothing crazy. Just check all the bolts before first ride.

Pivot's Mach 429 Trail was born from cross-country roots with a hint of some big bike influence. During a previous Vital MTB Test Sessions it wowed us with its incredible sense of efficiency and playful, spritely, rocket ship feel, but it often fell behind when trail conditions got hairy. New for 2019, Pivot has redesigned the frame with a ground-up approach and a clear focus on making the bike more capable. They've tweaked the name as well, and it's now simply referred to as the Trail 429. So, what's different? What's better? We break down the details and give our impressions from an adventure on Moab's ultra Read More »

Zerode's 160mm travel Taniwha enduro/all-mountain bike represents one of the best mountain bike frame production efforts built around a gearbox drivetrain system. Is it all it's cracked up to be? Where does it excel and where does it struggle? Does it live up the Māori monster inspired New Zealand name? After more than three months of use in dozens of locations, it's time to fill you in on the all the juicy details. Highlights Carbon frame 27.5-inch (650b) wheels 160mm (6.3-inches) of front and rear wheel travel Single-pivot suspension with 216x63mm shock Collet-style pivot hardwear Pinion C1.12 Read More »