At the end of the day, they are both great brakes, and it really does come down to personal preference. At $380 for the 5-piece kit, the SRAM NX Eagle is a value-forward setup that has basically the same technology that every other SRAM group has all the way up to the XX1. That leads to the snappy feeling as well as the feeling of lots of immediate power from the brake. SRAM recently released the two G2 RS and R brakes to follow their higher end siblings. But that also has its drawbacks, as it can provide too much power, more than a rider might have wanted at first. Both Shimano and SRAM have shifters that can downshift multiple gears in a single stroke. This article was written / authored by Liam Woods. One thing riders notice right away when riding Shimano brakes is how snappy they are; they have a ton of bite! SRAM Code RSC disc brake 229.00. The other brand is known to have a little more feel and modulation, making it easier to control the amount of braking power you want, although seemingly lacking some of the initial bite the other brand offers. I have personally been working on both brakes for the better part eight years, so I know most of the tricks. This is mainly due to improvements in the rear cassette, which is the next component we will discuss. When they first came out with this feature three to five years ago, they got locked up sometimes and they would get stuck and that was kind of annoying. With Shimano steadfast on 2x systems, the 1x quickly became a favorite among mountain bikers, and Shimano had to play catch up to SRAMs innovation. SRAM was so confident in the 1x drivetrains that they disbanded their entire front derailleur division after releasing the new Eagle systems. The lever itself is adjustable as well, allowing the rider to choose their preferred starting point. BRL 114 [Podcast], Marzocchi Limited Edition Fork Release, Bomber 58, Bomber Z1 Air, Bomber Z1 Coil, Bomber Z2, Bomber DJ. I've definitely been on the SRAM brake train for a long time and that was my preference. The SX is where you get into the serious business when it comes to SRAMs drivetrains. Then we also have to wonder why some $300 brakes have a silver Phillips head on the rest of an amazing looking brake. Starting from least expensive to most expensive: The Altus is the groupset that you will find on entry-level mountain bikes. This is because the higher-end components are made of more expensive components and more refined, time-consuming manufacturing. Shimano Zee brakes are going to be the budget version of the Saints. Come join the discussion about bike parts, components, deals, performance, modifications, classifieds, trails, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more! SRAM conquered the reduced gear-range problem when they introduced their Eagle 1x drivetrains in 2016. Shimano's Deore BR-M6100 Disc Brake delivers rapid and responsive braking performance to elevate your all-mountain riding experience. Compatibility. Trail and enduro - so with Shimano again XTR, XT, SLX four piston. You have three brake names, one for cross country, trail, and downhill. When you buy the Shimano Deore BL-M6100, you'll find a forged caliper and lever in the box, but they'll be separate, so you'll have to put them together yourself. BL-M6100. For example, I prefer Redline LikeWater, which is much thinner and does just fine at very low temperatures. Thats the takeaway here, they wanted to slot in a lower tier, but theres a minimum cost when you retain 90% of the design. SRAM vs. Shimano: The Ultimate Drivetrain Breakdown Review 2021 It's built on all the same technology that makes the Guide a leader in modulation and . The two brands use different ways to categorize their brakes for different disciplines. Uses existing Code pads. In the 1980s, Shimano introduced indexed shifting, which is now the basis for all mechanical shifters on bikes to this day. Claris and Sora are essentially identical except for the extra cog and lighter chainrings. Offering reliable braking performance at a wallet friendly price. I use Pentosin 7.1 for my Shimano brakes and that works great. The X3 is solely a 7-speed setup, with the X4 offering a shifter and derailleur capable of working with 7- to 9-speed drivetrains. Epic Bleed Solutions has an entire blog on Mineral Oil VS Dot Brake fluid, so I suggest you check that out to get a full in-depth answer. Offering the same four piston stopping power, the SRAM G2 RS and R go without the contact adjust to come in at a lower, more affordable price. $7556. Features - Sram DB8 Disc Brake New lever optimized for tool access Code-like power Uses existing Code pads Designed for use with Maxima Mineral Oil only Designed for use with SRAM Mineral Oil Bleed Kit only Product features Use: MTB Brake type: Disc-Brake hydraulic Caliper Design: two-piece 4-piston Pad: Steel-backed Organic We also did a video review and compared the SRAM Guide RSC brakes vs the Shimano XT brakes. You help support Gear Hacker by purchasing from our retail partners. The RSC model also features the tool free contact adjust like the G2 Ultimate and RSC brakes. Single chainring drivetrains are now the most popular option in modern mountain biking for many reasons. The updated SRAM Eagle family, ranging from SX XX1, also has cross-compatible technology, so you can easily mix and match components as you see fit. The 10-51t cassette does require Shimanos Micro Spline freehub, so keep that in mind when making the upgrade or switch. This list is long, so prepare yourself (listed from least expensive to most expensive): Weve included a helpful chart so you can quickly compare the weight and cost of each major groupset in the SRAM lineup. CLP Shimano Deore M6100 12-speed is here - BikeRadar Rock Machine Whizz modular alloy enduro all-mountain bike goes big: 140-180mm & more! 0:00 Intro0:55 Feel and Modulation3:45 Models Per Riding Discipline6:23 Price and Feature Comparison9:11 Mechanic Friendliness11:12 DOT Fluid vs Mineral Oil1. The SRAM brake line-up includes the Guide Series (RE, R, RS, RSC, and Ultimate), the Level series (Level, Level T, TL, TLM, and Ultimate) and the Code series (R, RSC). It's awesome. Bikerumor may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. SRAM brakes are inherently a bit harder for the home mechanic. I prefer SRAM brakes I have for probably the last four years. Personally, I have this on my bike and rarely use the index-finger shift, but it is always nice to know that I have some options. SRAM uses one model name for different categories and within that model there are different levels of high end down to entry level. Mineral versus DOT. Many riders have noticed a more refined feel to the shift in the Deore XT compared to the SLX. We inspire all people to enjoy our products in their everyday lives and where they take them. Shimano DEORE BR-M6100 Disc Brake Set - Bike-Discount Its cheaper than a new brake system and you might be surprised by how much more power you can get when upgrading to a 20mm larger rotor in the front or the rear. All the brakes from SRAM and Shimano work incredibly well. These are the controls located in the bike cockpit that enable you to change gears. The various drivetrain components are available in a selection of colors from gold to rainbow, offering serious customization to show off to your friends as you cruise past them on the uphills. This is where things get a bit crazy and hard to understand. Gravel. The XX1 Eagle drivetrain is $1,500 and, if upgraded to the AXS version, will cost $2,000a very pretty penny in the biking world. USD SRAM brought the 1x drivetrain back into the mainstream with the XX1 group. It would be impossible for us to pick the ultimate winner between SRAM and Shimano. FEATURES Intuitive and powerful braking Quicker brake engagement with shorter free stroke Really, everything on this drivetrain is as good as technology will allow it to be. The Shimano Deore XT M8100 two piston brakes have been on test for over nine months, alongside the matching 12-speed drivetrain. , so I suggest you check that out to get a full in-depth answer. AUD BRL Mountain bike chainrings have seen some change lately, from having two or three ringsalso known as 2x or 3x, which would be verbally expressed as 2 by or 3 byto now only one front chainring (1x/1 by). All the way out or all the way in you barely feel a difference and it's pretty pointless. As your legs press into the pedals, they add pressure to the cranks (the shafts that connect the pedals to the front gear). It seems like the general consensus is that there's not much improvement in performance going from the new Deore M6120 brakes to SLX (M7120) or even XT (M8120). This game-changer is something we all take for granted now. When I bleed the brakes I bleed them all the way out and then dial it in to feel. The technology is very much the same in the XT compared to the SLX, so youre really just seeing the weight savings. The XTR is Shimanos top-of-the-line group for mountain bikes. The shifter comes with a non-slip rubber face and 20% quicker engagement, as claimed by Shimano. Both systems can be customized via their individual apps. You will save a little weight from the Deore groupset with the alloy cassette. Riders with smaller budgets are afforded the ability to own a high-performing piece of kit without having to eat ramen for the rest of the year (weve all been there). If you have a brake and want to get some more stopping power without buying new brakes, I would suggest going with a larger rotor. From SRAM Code or Shimano Saint brakes for your downhill bike, SRAM G2 or Shimano XTR/XT four piston brakes for your trail bike, and SRAM Level or Shimano XTR/XT two piston brakes for your cross country bike, each brand makes something for everything. As mentioned earlier, all of the Eagle components can be mixed and matched to dial in for either performance or the desired look. For simplicitys sake, we only show the Eagle groupsets as they are the benchmark, and everything else is cheaper and heavier (basically). SRAM vs. Shimano Brake Buyer's Guide: The Ultimate Comparison [Video] While it takes more skill to get down, once you learn it, I think it's easier to make a consistent bleed on SRAM than Shimano brakes. These are big-box-store bike drivetrains and arent likely to be found on the more robust bikes. shimano fluid froze in the lines for me, yes it was one of the coldest days of the year (-40F) but i still had to get to work. SRAMs brake lineup is a little easier to follow in my opinion. There is also the fact that these two brands use different hydraulic fluids in their brake systems, and both say that theirs is the best for A or B reasons. Selle Italia grow 3D-printed saddle range with Watt 3D triathlon & endurance Novus Evo 3D road, plus all-new eco Model Y MTB saddles, Aleck Punks add new near-ear audio & rider-to-rider communication without blocking outside sound. Its specific to Shimano and really only available through a bicycle retailer. They provide adequate braking power and can be found on a huge range of bikes from 120mm light trail bikes to 160mm enduro bikes. So as you can see, there is really no way to choose a winnerboth companies bring incredible technology to the table with no signs of slowing down. EUR Yet both still have some drawbacks compared to the other, and there are also positives from each brand that the other lacks. This post isnt about how one brand is better, but more of a side by side comparison between SRAM and Shimano brakes. Shimano Deore BR-M6100 Disc Brake | Jenson USA There's a bunch of other ones out there but these guys are kind of the two big gorillas in the ring because they make really great stuff and they get a lot of spec so what are some things that I still think are good and bad from each brand? Service. The chainring has been updated for improved mud clearing and a quieter ride. CAD The Level TLM will be slightly more of the workhorse on the Level series. The Shimano Deore and SLX are their lower level and less expensive 2-piston brakes. Trail/enduro brakes usually move to a four piston caliper and you typically get some tool free adjustments. Another thing I love about the SRAM brakes is you can flip-flop them they are the same either direction so if you're a moto guy or say your buddy comes over and you're an American and he's Australian and he wants his rear break on the left side and he's riding your spare bike you can just take your SRAM brakes and flip the levers really easy. It is a call we dont want to make. They are available in a few colors to match your bike. Thats Shimano mineral oil which did that. Its similar to the XT but with an added R (which stands for racing). At this price point, we knew the user was looking for a longer service interval and absolute simplicity, SRAM MTB PR manager Chris Mandell told us. This is where things get a bit crazy and hard to understand. There is a decent difference between the two brands- they both have a little bit of their own unique feel so typically the what you're gonna hear right there the general consensus is that SRAM has a little bit more modulation or sponginess to it. Bikerumor Copyright 2013 2023. Cross country brakes will be the lightest version of disc brakesand typically feature only a two piston caliper. The DEORE BR-M6100 hydraulic 2-piston disc brake with 2-finger brake lever from Shimano fits seamlessly into the line-up of the new DEORE M6100 component group. Shimano does not use carbon fiber on their crank arms. But there's a hefty additional $150 CAD cost for SLX. Deore M6100 - Shimano Bike-eu Finally, the mountain biking family of drivetrains comes on a long list and with a more diverse range of groups. It will help us bring you more awesome content in the future! At the end of the day, there is a reason both of these brake brands are seen as the top two brands to choose from. Black SHIMANO DEORE Hydraulic Disc Brake Caliper 2-piston BR-M6100 SHIMANO DEORE - 2-Piston - ICE TECHNOLOGIES - Hydraulic Disc Brake Caliper The SHIMANO DEORE M6100 caliper features lightweight braking performance and reliable stopping power in all conditions. Enough reading, go ride your bike! Shimano also created the first electronic mountain bike groupset in 2014the XTR Di2 M9050, though it was still a wired system. And then this was like Shimano's answer to it, this was years ago, still kind of sucks, stills not that good, still as a Phillips head screwdriver instead of an Allen, and you still need some kind of tool. Thank you guys very much for watching I really hope that that was a valuable and helpful video for you if you are comparing these two brake brands um definitely let us know down in the comments what brakes are you running super curious to hear your thoughts and your opinions and experiences with both brands or if you prefer another brand. For an improved shopping experience, we recommend that you use the most recent versions of Google . The bleed fittings are totally different on these vs their DOT brakes, so the syringes cant get mixed up. In terms of adjusting the actual calipers, historically SRAM has not been the best at that. The Daily Driver range is called Tourney and is made for commuting or flat trails, not something youd want to take up a Forest Service Road (FSR) or into the bush. In fact, they say the DB8 should deliver about 10% less power than a current CODE brake, but feel very similar.. SRAM, on the other hand, offers carbon fiber on higher-end models. I thougth I would hate it, but in fact after the first ride, I didn't find any reason to switch them for the moment. SHIMANO DEORE Hydraulic Disc Brake Caliper 4-piston EUR Shimano vs SRAM - which is 'best'? - Singletrack World Magazine These also have four piston calipers and have the most amount of fluid packed into the brake to reduce any overheating that may occur. Hyperglide (HG) has become an industry standard for every 8-10 speed Shimano or SRAM cassette; Shimano 11-speed cassettes will also work on an HG freehub. I've ridden both of them extensively over the history of my mountain bike career and you just kind of get used to it. This is a weird product for them to make. These are most commonly found on budget bikes or recreational bikes. External tool free adjustments are removed for weightand the size and fluid capacity have been shrunk down to be as light as possible while providing just the right amount of braking power needed. JavaScript is disabled. USD It actually works and it works really really well between all the way on and all the way off or all the way one direction and the other it makes a huge difference in how for the lever actually pulls until it engages so you have a ton of adjustment there to dial in that on your break on the fly with no tool. So four piston for each one of those models. Test report Shimano Deore XT M8100 2020 two piston brake review 270.00. Maintenence is a valid point, but I really gotta think its about the money for them. Shimano DEORE BR-M6100 Disc Brake 1000mm front - Bike-Discount Only three parts of the drivetrain are sold aftermarket cranks, derailleur, and shifters. Even at Gear Hacker HQ, there is friendly debate over which company reigns supreme, and it comes down to the style of riding and the day of the week. As always, the Eagle is a 12-speed (11-50t), with the standard NX coming with an 11-speed cassette (11-42t). One thing is for sure when you buy Shimano brakes: you will have the ULTIMATE stopping power on a CONSISTENT basis. SRAM pad adjustment sets it above many brakes in that department. SRAM G2 Ultimate brakes deserve the nickname the mini-Code for how much power they pack into a small, compact trail brake. Upshift Cycles. Occasionally brakes are included in the groupset, but we are only discussing the drivetrain and. Brand: SRAM, Product: DB8 - Simple, robust, powerful brake for riders who prefer to work with Mineral oil. The technology behind the shifter has rapidly evolved throughout the years. Also it says MINERAL in big letters right next to the ports. Time for a bit of a history lesson. Features the BR-M6120 4-piston disc brake caliper Brakes are pre-bled Includes resin brake pads Shimano Deore M6100 Disc Brake & Lever Disc Brake & Lever UPC: 192790687209 Sku: BR0541 Their contact adjust on their Code RSC, G2 Ultimate and G2 RSC works really well. Weight is the main difference, with a minimum drop of 243g (0.5 lbs). By signing up for email newsletters, you agree to BikeRumor's, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). Fear no more, this video will help you through the buying process. SHIMANO Deore BR-M6100 Disc Brake Resin, Front. The cassette itself has a clean black finish. The 4-piston caliper instills greater downhill confidence and control. Robust 2-piston disc brake for XC and marathon racers: DEORE BR-M6100 from Shimano He's a key piece to the Worldwide Cyclery "All Things MTB" content creation puzzle. Adjusting the brakes is about the same now. +. What do you get as you bump up from the NX to the GX? Shimano didnt make it into the US market until the 60s. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. If you are looking to get XTRs 12-speed cassette, you will have to upgrade to Shimanos Micro Spline freehub to accommodate the larger cassette. Aviation hydraulic fluid is often rated to -60F, with a generous viscosity index, so Im not seeing it. product comparison With the advent of larger rear cassettes, theres now a need for different freehub setups. SRAM uses DOT fluid, and specifically new DOT5.1, but you can also use DOT4 in SRAM brakes. We will get more into personal preference further down, but thoe are the basics of what each brake offers. Videography/Editing: @makingemi Mountain. ** First, a note on mountain biking jargon: All of the components listed below as part of the drivetrain collection are known as the groupset, groupo/gruppo, or group. SHIMANO DEORE - Hydraulic Disc Brake Lever - I-SPEC EV. for most people it probably wont make a difference tho, they arent pushing the bike hard enough to notice a performance difference and having to do less maintance on a bike that sits in a garage for 9months/12 makes sense. One time I put a firefly on my butthole to make my farts glow. The price is what really caught my eye. Again, the trickle-down technology sharing only helps make SRAMs gear perform well across the board. So in a perfect world you'd be able to test both brakes back-to-back and see which one you kind of like and prefer but there's definitely no one winner. Description Shipping / Returns Product Question? This is because lots of your stopping power comes from the front and getting a larger rotor in the front increases the ability to stop even faster. The gold on the cranks does look really good, though! Basically what this means is that you will have more control over your braking force before they lock up. The Shimano XT two piston brakes (BR-8100) are the most common brakes on the market, working on bikes from your cross country race rig to mid travel bikes. The single rechargeable battery the Di2 system uses has 1,000-2,000km (621-1,242mi) of battery life. He has been writing about the latest bikes, components, and cycling technology for almost two decades. SRAM brakes take a little more work and have the use of syringes. So, are they rolling back years of design and marketing? SHIMANO DEORE Hydraulic Disc Brake Lever I-SPEC EV Shimano introduced the first electronic drivetrainthe Di2 systemin 2009 (for road bikes only). MTB. Whilst at times they have been powerful brakes, they lack the finesse . Mineral Oil: https://epicbleedsolutions.com/blogs/articles/dot-brake-fluid-vs-mineral-oilWebsite: https://www.worldwidecyclery.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worldwidecyclery/Facebook: https://business.facebook.com/worldwidecyclery/What's the Worldwide Cyclery YouTube Channel all about?Demystifying the confusing world of Mountain Bikes one video at a time. With that said, if you find our review helpful and decide to purchase an item we review, we would be very appreciative if you use our links to do so. The X9 is similar to the Shimano SLX with respect to quality; it is a 10-speed drivetrain with 2x and 3x cranksets while lighter than the X7 thanks to hollow crank arms. Visit our blog article for more information: https://www.worldwidecyclery.com/blogs/worldwide-cyclery-blog/sram-vs-shimano-brake-buyers-guide-the-ultimate-comparison-videoSubscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxZoC1sIG-vVtLsJDSbeYyw?sub_confirmation=1Shop SRAM brakes: https://www.worldwidecyclery.com/collections/sram?page=1\u0026rb_product_type=Disc+Brake+%26+LeverShop Shimano brakes: https://www.worldwidecyclery.com/collections/shimano?page=1\u0026rb_product_type=Disc+Brake+%26+LeverWatch our original SRAM vs Shimano brake video: https://youtu.be/GRqFVNV7ii0DOT Brake Fluid vs. I'll get into my thoughts and personal tips for bleeding each brake later. Note: SRAM brakes are run by DOT 5.1 fluid. You have three brake names, one for cross country, trail, and downhill. The SHIMANO DEORE M6100 caliper features lightweight braking performance and reliable stopping power in all conditions. Following in the path of the classic two piston Shimano XT brake, the Shimano XT four piston brake (BR-8120) offers some of the best performance to price on the market. Shimano Deore M6100 Hydraulic Disc Brake Lever and 4-Piston - REI Co-op Hopefully, this will make sense a bit further down. One of my biggest gripes and you're probably heard this from a lot of people especially if you do some googling on Shimano brakes. With quicker brake engagement and shorter free stroke, the SHIMANO DEORE BL-M6100 brake lever delivers intuitive braking so you can stay focused on the trail ahead. It does not even begin to consider weight-saving technology or corrosion resistance. What you can't use is DOT5 fluid. Shimano resisted initially, sticking to the 2x drivetrain, which has a greater gear variety. The whole setup is mainly made of steel. In the Level brake category you have four models, starting with the high end Level Ultimate, then the Level TLM, the Level TL and finally the Level T. The trail brakes follow a similar naming convention but are the SRAM G2 brakes with a four piston caliper, and within the G2 model there is G2 Ultimate, G2 RSC, G2 RS and G2 R brakes. The rear cassette is connected to the rear wheel via a freehub, which gives the pedaler momentum. I will stay with Shimano because they have always used mineral oil for as long as I have been into bikes with hydraulic brakes. I will say at the end of their article there is a poll to let the readers decide what fluid is the best, and out of 10,421 votes at the time of this blog, mineral oil is winning 61% to DOT fluids 39%. Shimanos entry level four piston brake, the Shimano SLX (BR-7120), can take a beating. They brought in several road-bike innovations throughout the years and brought the 112 group back to the mainstream in 2012, which of late has become the market standard. SRAM has directed the Guide Series brakes as their All-Mountain/Enduro brake line up and the Level series is directed more towards the XC/Trail riders. The brakeset comes with a 2-piston brake caliper that provides excellent brake control and is compatible with Shimano ICE brake pads. The SRAM Level Ultimate will be the highest end and lightest cross country brake model from SRAM, featuring just what you need and nothing you dont. Higher-end shifters also allow for faster gear changes by offering multiple gear drops with one thumb push. DOT fluid has to perfrom in all sorts of temperatures and conditions, but mineral oils operating window has its limits. Shimano did everything possible to lighten the XTR groupset without compromising quality or performance. You have lots of adjustment and you can really feel the difference with just a couple quarter turns. SRAM has the Code series: Code RSC and Code R. Again, it is possible to put what SRAM might consider a downhill brake like a Code on your cross country bike or Shimano might make their downhill break which is the Saint or Zee you could put it on a trail bike or a cross country bike they're all cross-compatible in terms of that or different personal preference. To get into this world of elite enduro riding, you are looking at a $1,285 investment for the drivetrain (excluding brakes). NZD. It's not to say that Shimano is bad in any way shape or form, I just prefer that I also like a little bit more modulation of the SRAM as well. There's obviously a ton of other great brakes out there: TRP, Hope, Magura just to name a few. CAD See more features Specifications Service Installation. We believe in the power of cycling to create a better world as we move forward. HmmmmIll bet Shimano will not introduce a brake that uses DOT fluid, Rock Machine teases affordable, adaptable alloy Whizz all-mountain bike platform with 140/160/180mm travel options, even eMTB versions, Weve got some tire sealant news for you. I have personally been working on both brakes for the better part eight years, so I know most of the tricks. Some of you guys may have had that problem but it doesn't really do it anymore. Just like any other mountain bike category, there is a bunch of cross over and you can run a more powerful brake on a smaller bike as many do, or a less powerful brake on a bigger bike, not that many do but you can. The X7 is a 10-speed drivetrain, again with 2x or 3x configuration, but it gets a clutch and the rear derailleur to stop the chain from popping off.