My wife’s Specialized Epic Comp 29 FS bike came with Magura MT-S Brakes. And they have gone through pads like they are going out of style. And after a few crashes they needed a new levers. Well they are ok brakes not great, so I was hesitant to spend $120 on a new brake lever blade and then $30 on pads for them. Shimano has an amazing XT Brake kit with readily available replacement parts. They have tons of stopping power and adjustability. Not to mention so far , 100% squeal free! As an FYI replacement XT lever blades are $19. Shimano is great in their product support. But bake to how these XT BR-M785 brakes work…
The levers are designed for 1 finger use. The levers are not large though, so if you have small hand you might want to move them inboard.
The levers have tool free adjustable reach and the free stroke adjustment changes lever stroke to pad engagement distance.
The calipers house two 22mm ceramic pistons for great stopping power. Tons of modulation, its not on or off like many disc brakes. Smooth transitions from feathering to oh-my-god-slamming.
The XT brake pads have cooling fins, which is just kind of cool. They are secured with a bolt and a retaining pin.
Lets not forget I paired them with squeal free XT Ice Rotors . Super light and no flex because of the rigid spider.
Bottom line, these brakes are great, worry free, easy to install and confidence inspiring. I am jealous. I am going to put a set on my hard tail!
Shimano says: http://bike.shimano.com/content/sac-bike/en/home/components1/mountain/deore-xt-silver.html
FEATURES
- New short stroke Servo Wave mechanism
- Quicker engagement
- 25% higher lever input
- Lless Free Stroke for aggressive riding
- Reach Adjust dial for position adjustment
- Integrated design brake lever for 1-spec shift lever
- 2-finger brake lever