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Submitted by
K. L.
a Cross Country Rider
from Calgary
Date Reviewed: October 17, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything super technical | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Came stock on bike | | Strengths: | Reliable
Durable (5+ years!)
Simple | | Weaknesses: | Need three hands to set up
Out-classed by v-brakes (except for durability) | | Similar Products Used: | Deore, LX, Avid, v-brakes, hydraulic | | Bike Setup: | Who cares?! | | Bottom Line: | I've got two sets (8 years old!) that I tried putting on my bike after my v-brakes broke but can't find the proper cable holders. Too bad. V-brakes are more powerful and easier to set up but I was one-finger braking just fine with cantilevers. If you want two free sets drop me an email - I hate seeing these things just sit there.
The old XT levers (one-piece with trigger shifters) kick ass over my LX v-brake levers. I'll give em for free if you want em. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Azza
a Weekend Warrior
from Essex
Date Reviewed: February 19, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | heales cycles | | Strengths: | Light, powerful, lasts for ever. | | Weaknesses: | none at all | | Similar Products Used: | onza, Avid | | Bottom Line: | I have used these brakes sinse Shimano released them back in 1996. I still have the same set of brakes in use on my hardtail. I have used them for XC, Duel, Dual, BSX, Downhill when other brakes have come and gone these puppies still shine through. you'd me mad not to at least have a go with some for a while. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim
a Cross Country Rider
from Robbinsville, NJ
Date Reviewed: January 26, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | mercer county park | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | jenson | | Strengths: | none | | Weaknesses: | i just could not take the noise anymore. i tried everything i could to shut these brakes up. thank god i got a set of xtr brakes for christmas. do not buy there brakes unless you got a good set of ear plugs. | | Similar Products Used: | lx, xtr | | Bike Setup: | khs alite 4000 | | Bottom Line: | the worst mountain bike product i ever owned. these brakes are the worst. pay a little more and get the xtr. you will be happy you did. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mike b
a
from Sodom in the North
Date Reviewed: December 21, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | boggs | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$5.00 | | Purchased At: | park cyclery sf | | Strengths: | good xc brakes
| | Weaknesses: | bushing slop | | Similar Products Used: | xtr vees
many, many center pull cantilevers | | Bike Setup: | ibis alibi xt | | Bottom Line: | why is there a photo of very old xt cantilevers at the top of this page?
why do riders who are free riding, downhilling, hucking and the like moaning about how bad these brakes are? all of you ought to be running discs if you're doing that kind of riding, and you know it.
with that said, these brakes are just ok. i would'nt buy another pair. mine are vintage 98 or 99, i don't really remember. all i know is that the bushings in the parrallel push mechanism wear quickly and cause the pads to wander hither and thither on the rims. one has to be care to keep the pads properly adjusted, or you will find them creeping up into your lower sidewalls. this is not good. my mechanic tried installed the kit that shimano devised to alleviate this problem, but to no avail.
now that i have installed a rigid fork on the ibis, these brakes squeal INCESSANTLY under hard braking. i find this very strange and annoying because when i was using a suspension fork on the alibi, i did not experience
this problem. rest assured, previous reviewers, it's not because of the shimano pads--i have no idea what the problem is nor does my lbd. thank god almighty that i have relegated the ibis to commute status--and will be re installing her sx-r soon, becuase i would never be able to stand this dreadful racket out on the trail.
all in all, these brakes have worked for me, albeit in sort of a so-so way. i will reiterate how i would not purchase another set
these screamers again--my xtr's have not given me any of the problems the xt's have and seem to feel so much better at the lever. when the weight of disc brakes come down to an acceptable point, i will begin to use discs.
two stars for value and three overall--these brakes work, but the problems you will encounter along the trail while using them are completely unacceptable for a component costing this much money. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Clay
a
from Malaysia
Date Reviewed: December 20, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Look quite good. | | Weaknesses: | Where do I start?
Difficult to set-up. Tension adjustment is a joke. Keeping centred is a pain.
They are even worse in wet weather.
Pads do more they just squeal - they can out-right scream!
They do not work. | | Similar Products Used: | Dia Compes. Shoe heels, hedges and a few other options with the XTs. | | Bottom Line: | These brakes do not grip when you grab the levers. They should not be called brakes, but speed moderators, because that is all they do, which is not what anybody on a mtb wants or expects from the stop handle!
I was supposedly upgrading from Dia-Compes to these XTs. I was very disappointed and luckily got the shop to trade them to some new Dias.
The only vaguely good thing about about these brakes is that the pads really squeal (have Shimano realised that is everyones comment yet?)at any speed (speed is the volume control - higher speed at braking = major screaming)at the front. I am convinced this was done so as to warn the riders in front who are actually slowing down that some poor sod using XTs is either about to run into their rear, is going to pile into a tree or over-shoot the cut-back ahead! Don't even start about the flying over the drop off!
Do yourselves a favour - learn from the mistakes of others (like myself) and buy another brand.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott Frazier
a Cross Country Rider
from Alpine, UT
Date Reviewed: September 11, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Green Valley Loop, St. George, UT | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | local bike shop | | Strengths: | Can get these integrated with Shimano shifters, to save a little weight. | | Weaknesses: | Only average stopping power
Modulation only pretty good
Poor adjustability | | Bike Setup: | Retrofitted my old Proflex Beast from Magura HS 22 hydraulics. | | Bottom Line: | Any v-brake is great compared to the old cantilevers they replaced, and Shimano is to be applauded for leading this revolution.
However, I've found the XT v-brakes sadly lacking compared to the Avid 7's on my year-old SantaCruz Superlight. In this comparison the XT v-brakes have poor modulation and adjustability (reach is not adjustable and power adjustability is difficult). Also, stopping power seems better with the Avids.
My two sons have LX v-brakes on their bikes and these have performance very similar to the XT v-brakes, not nearly as good as my Avid 7's. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Seung
a Downhiller
from San Francisco, CA
Date Reviewed: July 23, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | Lombardi Sports | | Strengths: | Brakes well and linearly. Predictable stopping power. | | Weaknesses: | Makes the loudest screeching noise ever! The brake vibrates and is generally embarassing to brake. | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale F1000, all XTR parts except the damn loud brakes. | | Bottom Line: | Don't buy because it's just not good overall. A brake shouldn't be so complex that it has rattling parts. It quickly degrades to loud shaking status from new. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sam Hewitt
a Downhiller
from Surrey
Date Reviewed: September 28, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Mine | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | With bike | | Strengths: | VERY very good canits. Worked like a dream, set up b4 I used them and they were great. ALSO very flashy and nice colour. Cool pads and u can pull as hard as u like without braking them. | | Weaknesses: | Cantis.
They did look ok but again, old style. Took AGES to remove | | Similar Products Used: | Apse V brakes, Usual cantis, LX cantis, Shimano deore Vs | | Bike Setup: | Not with Cantis, I use Vs now, only a bit better and more more squeely | | Bottom Line: | Good cantis if you can get them about $20. I like but others dont. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tyler
a
from Sandy
Date Reviewed: April 15, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | all | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | smooth operation | | Weaknesses: | the squealing sound scares the hell out of me.
| | Similar Products Used: | many canti's | | Bike Setup: | k2 5000 | | Bottom Line: | decent stopping power... they wear a little to fast and under rough condition they squeal like no other... I'm just going to bite the bullet and go to some Avids. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
gabriel
a Cross-Country Rider
from fort riley ks
Date Reviewed: September 17, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
dinosaur vall/ tyler state park | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
good looks, stops good setting them perfest is hard | | Weaknesses: |
When i brake the only thing i hear is REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
( THE SRUELING SOUNDS LIKE A LITTE GIRL RUNNING FROM A RADID DOG) | | Similar Products Used: |
first Vs and old cantis | | Bike Setup: |
CANNONDALE KV900, DD60 | | Bottom Line: | OK FOR THE MONEY, BUT ID GO TO THE XTR, CAUSE IN A YEAR YOU WILL WANT TO UPGRADE | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nick Reis
a cross-country rider
from Novato, CA
Date Reviewed: February 26, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
Definitely an improvement over canti brake systems. No more sore forearms
on the downhills. The trade off seems to be when the brakes are wet they
are a mite touchy on the modulation. The rim dries and the next thing you
know the brake bites and you got yourself an endo if you are on a steep
section. The pads that come with the brakes are okay but you'd do better
with some kool stops or another after market pad. The shimano pads wore
out in one good wet muddy ride. Just the same pads are cheap and the brakes
worth the money. Four flamers cause they aren't perfect but I still love em. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan the Man
a weekend warrior
from Ontario Canada
Date Reviewed: December 30, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Man these braks suck ass!!!
You can't ride with them and they dont even stop you when it's wet. There a waist of money.
I wouldnt reccommend them.
get a set of maguras or something
1 Big Flaming Dead Cow! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jesse
a
from downhiller
Date Reviewed: November 3, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Man these braks suck ass!!!
You can't ride with them and they dont even stop you when it's wet. There a waist of money. If they fit your bike you should get some Dia-Compe DP7 there only about 20 to 30 bucks and they stop you on a dime in any kind of weather. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a weekend warrior
from WA
Date Reviewed: August 22, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I don't have the XT brakes but I do have a set of XT pads on my Alivio cantis. Due to the size and profile, these are the hardest pads to set up that I've ever used. They're also filthy when it's wet. However, they do work reasonably well in the wet and they're the bes dry pad I've ever used, bar none. I'd use something like Kool Stops in back to keep the rim clean, but once you get them adjusted they are the best front brake pad out there. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
chris schutz
a weekend warrior
from Anoka,minnesota
Date Reviewed: July 21, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have had these brakes for years now, and I havent had any trouble with them yet. I have broken almost everthing on my bike but my brakes have always worked really well, I have gone through it all with them like winter,summer,water,mud, downhill, and sand everthing I can think of and they have never failed me yet.
if you are looking for a bike or brakes I suggest you get these they will last and work forever.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt Richards
a cross-country rider
from Brick Nj
Date Reviewed: July 17, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
XT is an excellent set of brakes. They never let me down. Especially when I'm going down a slick mudd vertical drop. My brakes are two years old and i hardly have to tune them up. I've tried everything from tektros to xtr this is my favorite brand. Now I'm riding all XT and it never lets me down. They are totally perfect in every way, and I highly recomend them. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Danny Yap Chee Yen
a cross-country rider
from Malaysia
Date Reviewed: March 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I used to use a set of the older version of Shimano DX brakes and there's a big difference when I started using the XT brakes, it must be the M-system brake shoes. I find that the Shimano XT brakes gives me a consistent braking power........especially in the wet. The bite from the brake is great...however if the brake is out of alignment, the braking power will fade. A toe-in inspection is required regularly, and aligning the brake shoe is a difficult task.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Marvin
a cross-country rider
from Louisiana
Date Reviewed: March 4, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These brakes do the job. Much better than my Altus canti's. I got the whole set for $20 and they work great. The m-system pads are much better than the ones on my altus and these give much more braking power. Even though they're not as good as v-brakes they're still really good canti's. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mtnbykr
a weekend warrior
from seattle, wa
Date Reviewed: November 30, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
i've ridden these for 2.5 years, they definitely need some help. immediately i replaced the crummy pads with some ritcheys, and added avid tri-dangles front + rear. overall these brakes have been ok, the tri-dangles have helped a bunch, but man they just don't grip when they're wet. and they're a pain to adjust. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gus hallman
a cross-country rider
from Minnesota
Date Reviewed: May 26, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I like the XT brakes. I think that these are the most decent of shimano's brake set except XTR. The brakes almost work as well as V-Brakes if you have then correctly aligned. I say Buy them | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
a cross-country rider
a
from slovakia (central europa)
Date Reviewed: December 2, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
it stops good but sometimes it screams.
i thing that shimano's new models of breaks are better.
shimano is one of the best firms for components but (my opinion) your brakes are not the best. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chuck Fan
a cross-country rider
from Madison,WI,USA
Date Reviewed: November 4, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Excellent as far as canti brakes go, but seriously outcalssed by newer V-brake in every way except for price | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
manuel
a cross-country rider
from lima peru
Date Reviewed: October 29, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
i tried to buy the shimano xt v brakes, but they don't fit on my gt lts 2, 1996 bike. The problem is that the regular xt brakes don't stop the way you need when you go downhill | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Herr Glum
a cross-country rider
from Albany, Oregon
Date Reviewed: October 12, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I don't really like these brakes.
Adjusting the pads is a pain in the ass.
Also the rear setup flexes far too much.
Go for Magura or Avid, throw these in the garbage can. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andreas
a weekend warrior
from San Francisco, CA
Date Reviewed: June 24, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Good stopping power - better if you combine them with some nice levers like
the speed dials. The pads are fairly good, too.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David Fang
a cross-country rider
from La Jolla, CA
Date Reviewed: May 31, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I find these to be very good brakes. They don't cost too much and stop pretty
well. Like most Shimano brakes in the past, they are not the easiest to set up.
If you get them, you might want to consider getting new pads. The Shimano ones
are O.K., but there are better ones. | | Overall Rating: |
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