Avid Elixir - Explanation please?

beardwithabike
beardwithabike Posts: 195
edited January 2013 in MTB general
So I have an Elixir R brake... and I was trying to benchmark it in the series of Elixir brakes. But Im getting confused. I went on the SRAM website and it seems that the order from worst to best is:

1,3,5,7,9 ... so where does the R fit in?? Am I being daft?

Comments

  • ilovedirt
    ilovedirt Posts: 5,798
    They don't make the Elixir R any more, it was somewhere around the Elixir 5, not that it really matters...
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  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    what was the brake on?
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  • beardwithabike
    beardwithabike Posts: 195
    Bought it from a guy online so not sure.

    Looking at getting something else so this is likely for sale.
  • Briggo
    Briggo Posts: 3,537
    beardwithabike wrote:
    Bought it from a guy online so not sure.

    Looking at getting something else so this is likely for sale.

    Why, what's wrong with the elixir R
  • gingerrob25
    gingerrob25 Posts: 65
    I've got a set and there great, they have carbon levers as well. The pads are expensive though...
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  • lawman
    lawman Posts: 6,868
    The r's aren't made anymore, but the 7 is an updated model I think.
    Briggo wrote:
    beardwithabike wrote:
    Bought it from a guy online so not sure.

    Looking at getting something else so this is likely for sale.

    Why, what's wrong with the elixir R

    Because Avid brakes are for the most part absolute sh!t and Shimano walk over them...
  • Northwind
    Northwind Posts: 14,675
    Elixir R was effectively replaced by the 7.
    Uncompromising extremist
  • dmorton
    dmorton Posts: 244
    gingerrob25, Get pads from Superstar - http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/index.php?cPath=21
  • Briggo
    Briggo Posts: 3,537
    lawman wrote:
    The r's aren't made anymore, but the 7 is an updated model I think.
    Briggo wrote:
    beardwithabike wrote:
    Bought it from a guy online so not sure.

    Looking at getting something else so this is likely for sale.

    Why, what's wrong with the elixir R

    Because Avid brakes are for the most part absolute sh!t and Shimano walk over them...

    They stop me perfectly well.
  • rockmonkeysc
    rockmonkeysc Posts: 14,774
    I have Elixir X0's. They work well when properly bled but are a bitch to get set up right. They are going on ebay soon to be replaced with Shimano Zee. I'm also replacing my Juicy 7's with Deore.
    Avids generally are ok but not worth the effort of keeping them working well.
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  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    I've got a set and there great, they have carbon levers as well. The pads are expensive though...

    R's generally didn't have carbon levers - that's the CR, the C being for carbon...

    I had some Elixir XXs which were utterly horrendous, just didn't work satisfactorily for a product costing 1/3 as much! XTRs are better in every way!
  • richardjiles
    richardjiles Posts: 137
    I agree with Avid being absolute shit, I had a pair of elixir Rs and they gave me nothing but fucking problems
    now I have one of the cheapest models of shimanos 2011 brakes, they are so much better than those expensive elixirs
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  • richardjiles
    richardjiles Posts: 137
    Briggo wrote:
    lawman wrote:
    The r's aren't made anymore, but the 7 is an updated model I think.
    Briggo wrote:
    beardwithabike wrote:
    Bought it from a guy online so not sure.

    Looking at getting something else so this is likely for sale.

    Why, what's wrong with the elixir R

    Because Avid brakes are for the most part absolute sh!t and Shimano walk over them...

    They stop me perfectly well.

    So does the brake on my childhood bike, classic back pedal brake.
    Point is most brakes will stop you, doesnt mean they are any good when comparing
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  • Briggo
    Briggo Posts: 3,537
    richardjiles wrote:
    Briggo wrote:
    lawman wrote:
    The r's aren't made anymore, but the 7 is an updated model I think.
    Briggo wrote:
    beardwithabike wrote:
    Bought it from a guy online so not sure.

    Looking at getting something else so this is likely for sale.

    Why, what's wrong with the elixir R

    Because Avid brakes are for the most part absolute sh!t and Shimano walk over them...

    They stop me perfectly well.

    So does the brake on my childhood bike, classic back pedal brake.
    Point is most brakes will stop you, doesnt mean they are any good when comparing

    Dont be stupid. If the brake is able to stop/slow me going down Jacobs Ladder for example at speed, not overheat and does the job well with plenty of feel and doesn't just slam on and you can feather the brake then that's what it needs to do, why spend more money to replace it if it isn't broken just because the Shimano unit can do the same job but somehow better, even though the Elixir R did what I needed to do well...

    However if they break or fail and a big if as the Elixirs have been bombproof for 2 years running now with no maintenance done on them then I might look at the newer units like Shimano Deores/SLXs etc.
  • richardjiles
    richardjiles Posts: 137
    Briggo wrote:
    richardjiles wrote:
    Briggo wrote:
    lawman wrote:
    The r's aren't made anymore, but the 7 is an updated model I think.
    Briggo wrote:
    beardwithabike wrote:
    Bought it from a guy online so not sure.

    Looking at getting something else so this is likely for sale.

    Why, what's wrong with the elixir R

    Because Avid brakes are for the most part absolute sh!t and Shimano walk over them...

    They stop me perfectly well.

    So does the brake on my childhood bike, classic back pedal brake.
    Point is most brakes will stop you, doesnt mean they are any good when comparing

    Dont be stupid. If the brake is able to stop/slow me going down Jacobs Ladder for example at speed, not overheat and does the job well with plenty of feel and doesn't just slam on and you can feather the brake then that's what it needs to do, why spend more money to replace it if it isn't broken just because the Shimano unit can do the same job but somehow better, even though the Elixir R did what I needed to do well...

    However if they break or fail and a big if as the Elixirs have been bombproof for 2 years running now with no maintenance done on them then I might look at the newer units like Shimano Deores/SLXs etc.

    Mine always squealed, everyone on the mountain could hear it. Cleaning wouldn't help it.
    And as it aged it would leak oil onto the pads, I gave up about then. I still have them they are on my Kona.
    Kona Fire Mountain Deluxe 09 - Pics out of day
  • 97th choice
    97th choice Posts: 2,222
    I 'had' elixr r's on a boardman, they were a pig to bleed as testified by myself and two LBS'. The rear piston ended up siezing as well, and they squeaked.

    I thought the CR had some sort of bite point adjust over the r which was reach adjust only?

    New bike has avid 1's. They work ok for now but still squeak.
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  • bazza333
    bazza333 Posts: 86
    I've never had any compliants with Elixir R's and they are no better or worse than the M596's that I also run. However I would say that the old Juicy's are total rubbish. Not only is their performance poor but you have to remove the caliper to change the pads.
    My 2010 Boardman came with R's and they had carbon levers as standard but R's on other bikes usually have plain levers. I also thought CR's had the bite point adjustment.
  • mrmonkfinger
    mrmonkfinger Posts: 1,452
    bazza333 wrote:
    My 2010 Boardman came with R's and they had carbon levers as standard but R's on other bikes usually have plain levers. I also thought CR's had the bite point adjustment.

    bingo.
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  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    All Avid's feel like they should be Juicy 3's, all Shimano feel like they must be XTR.

    Sure Avids stop you, but the feel and progression and lever affort are all inferior.

    Avids seem to squeal more, my theory on that is that it's the CPS washers making the mounting too flexible (certainly not as stiff as direct bolted like Shimano).

    Why am I saying this before I sell those Juicy 3's on ebay......
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • mrmonkfinger
    mrmonkfinger Posts: 1,452
    The Beginner wrote:
    Avids seem to squeal more, my theory on that is that it's the CPS washers making the mounting too flexible (certainly not as stiff as direct bolted like Shimano).

    Easily fixed with a few flat washers, no?
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  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Maybe, the flat washers will still be more flexible than a single rigid adaptor.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • BlueAdvocate
    BlueAdvocate Posts: 266
    @ing squealing, vibrating sh!t.
    Constantly have to whip the pads out and clean around the pistons, its the only way I can keep on top of the vibration.
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  • stevieboy308
    stevieboy308 Posts: 67
    and the lever gets closer to the bars as the pads wear
    http://www.youtube.com/user/stevieboy308/videos
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    BlueAdvocate wrote:
    @ing squealing, vibrating sh!t.
    Constantly have to whip the pads out and clean around the pistons, its the only way I can keep on top of the vibration.
    That's nothing to do with them being Elixirs, that is caused by poor setup or poor maintenance.
  • Quiet corner
    Quiet corner Posts: 83
    Have to agree with the above. My boardman came fitted with these and from the off they were squeally and horid. I re set these up and have not had an issue since and that was 3 years ago. Maybe i got lucky?
    On another note whats the best product to clean and keep the pistons running smooth? Have neglected these a bit.
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    I use a small and carefully applied amount of dot fluid on my pistons occasionally, just take out the pads and pump the lever to push them out a very small bit then apply it to the sides of the piston only.

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