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Brakes & Gears Etc

SRAM GUIDE RE BRAKES

The SRAM brand covers most categories when it comes to components, for trail bikes through to DH rigs. With wheels and a benchmark dropper seatpost in their line-up as well as transmissions and disc brakes, they have a comprehensive range of hardware.

After a love/hate affair with early Avid brakes we’ve come to really get on well with the performance and ergonomics of SRAM’s newer range of Guide models. The lighter weight Guide Ultimate has become a true favourite here and has been a regular pick in our yearly Dirt 100 line up.

This year, after an extensive period of testing e-bikes we’ve seen just what performs when it comes to hardware suitable for these heavier bikes. Brakes have proved a mixed bag on many or the test bikes and the Guide RE model from SRAM soon shone through, showing that it has been designed to deal with the increased weight and higher average speeds of the new wave of longer travel e-bikes.

It’s no secret that the Guide RE brake was derived from the downhill focussed Code calliper. In fact one of our favourite brake combinations in recent years has been the Specialized specific Guide RS/Code set up on the Demo downhill bike – a heavier duty Code calliper with a lighter weight ‘trail bike’ lever. A superb combination.

The modern e-bike is a very capable bike and can be pushed hard on steep and long, tracks a heavy duty brake is essential. We even found standard Guide brakes slightly overwhelmed on recent trip to the Alps on e-bikes, so these new stoppers were a welcome sight. We favour these and Magura’s MT5 and MT7 brakes as very much capable of controlling and stopping bikes such as these.

The Guide RE combines the tried and tested Guide R lever assembled with the 4 piston Code calliper. They use sintered pads, offer tool-free reach adjustment and SRAM feel that the switch to DOT 5.1 fluid deals with heat build up much better than DOT 4. More than anything we’ve found they are quiet, offer great modulation, heaps of power, and are reliable. The Guide RE brakes become our choice for any heavier bike, whether DH or e-bike.

PRICE: £126 each.

sram.com

zyrofisher.co.uk

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Selected for Dirt 100 2017

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