View Full Version : What Lever - Sl, Ultimate or XTR
greg9
03-11-2006, 02:19 PM
Hi
After purchasing a Juicy 7 and hating it :( I am now looking to purchase a 203mm Avid BB7 with Nokon cabling but am stuck on what lever to purchase. Ive narowed it down to three the XTR, Speed dial SL or Avid Ultimate. Both the Avid's look to be quite good with the speed dial function - does this alot in the fine tuning of the brake? The XTR looks good but it doesnt seem that adjustable? I like little lever travel will this effect it? Any way the Ultimate looks super nice but is only availble in pairs I believe?
Help mucho appreciated! ;)
Cheers
Greg
Gunner
03-11-2006, 02:44 PM
don't get sl in my experience...not sure bout what other people will say but I run one now and used to run two untill I snaped it off by pulling back on it :rant:
I had hitt it once or trice before, not to hard, but it could have caused its inevitable demise...who knows
I havn't ever used xtr but it sounds like that is what everyone is going for...im planning on buying a set eventually...
felix
03-11-2006, 03:02 PM
XTR levers have this speed dial thing, too. It's just not on the outside of the lever.
Specialeded
03-11-2006, 03:31 PM
Get some cheap avid levers. I have the ti's currently and have used basicaly all the others. Get the Speed dial 7's cheap and preform.
free_rideman
03-11-2006, 03:39 PM
Don't get anything too expensive, including the nokon cables. They are more hasle than anything else. Just get some xtr cable hosing and that should do.
The levers you need are the avid FR 5.
http://www.sram.com/en/avid/levers/fr5/
they are cheap and they are built very well. Plus they have the best lever feel out of the bunch that I tried.
Cryo-Cube
03-11-2006, 04:04 PM
hassle? No the nokon system is fine. I do agree though that they are not need on the front (but nice to have).
ultimate levers are way to expensive imho.
CoppellStereo
03-11-2006, 05:12 PM
don't get sl in my experience...not sure bout what other people will say but I run one now and used to run two untill I snaped it off by pulling back on it :rant:
I had hitt it once or trice before, not to hard, but it could have caused its inevitable demise...who knows
I havn't ever used xtr but it sounds like that is what everyone is going for...im planning on buying a set eventually...
mine snapped when it fell over while it was in the back off a truck, but they do feel/work amazing!
BuschBeer89
03-11-2006, 08:42 PM
all you really need is a juicy 5 lever. everything else is overrated and pointless. I have an extra one lying around (from the step of 2 i bought) that i would sell u really cheap.
PM me if interested.
raimund-aut
03-11-2006, 08:45 PM
The Ultimate is surely great but extremely expencive. But the XTR is better then all other Avids.
jaimer
03-12-2006, 12:40 AM
xtr
Ra964
03-12-2006, 01:38 AM
i use sd-7 it`s great, i use-it with a deore v-brake, very litle flex nice modulation and you can hit-it a lot, i wouldn`t buy a fr5 because it has a fixxed place for the knob and can brake your cable....and it seems that it has lesser strenght, not very good for a disk lever
pan man
03-12-2006, 02:56 AM
uhh xtr cables are a waste of money, might as well get just plain cables. DO the nokon or irc housing. I'd probabaly do ultimate levers if you can find them for cheap.. ebay?
Sondre
03-12-2006, 03:34 AM
Go Nokon ; )
I`m using the SL lever now, its not great ... Think I`ll buy an XTR soon .
If it's a front brake, dont buy with 203 mm disc.
I use 160 mm disc and it is not bad.
A friend uses 185mm and it's very good, he says sometimes it has too much power and stops the wheel redundantly.
So in my opinion 203 mm wouldn't be so efficient.
Go Nokon ; )
I`m using the SL lever now, its not great ... Think I`ll buy an XTR soon .
Your sig is hurting my eyes..... badly.
carnagr
03-12-2006, 08:19 AM
I agree. Hungover + your sig = ouch.
Fast Fashion
03-13-2006, 03:28 AM
XTR period. Don't buy the nokon cables they are total garbage. Run standard cables with a little jonny snot(SRAM grease, comes in a big white syringe) or just run the pre lubed XTR cable that comes with the levers.
the Avid SD levers are also total crap.
tomacropod
03-13-2006, 04:48 AM
^^
what dolphy means to say is the the Nokon housing, while lovely, is overkill for a front brake. I use Nokon on the rear brake and it's wonderful and an avid flak jacket on the front. Works good.
The avid SD levers aren't too bad but they do develop play in the bushings sooner than other levers. The SD ultimate levers don't have bushings so don't have this problem.
- Joel
alain_yong@hotmail.com
03-13-2006, 08:48 AM
XTR period. Don't buy the nokon cables they are total garbage. Run standard cables with a little jonny snot(SRAM grease, comes in a big white syringe) or just run the pre lubed XTR cable that comes with the...
Jonny Snot was originally designed as a plastic to plastic lubcricator. Dunno what the affects are going to be for your housing. I guess it could be OK since the housing is lined with plastic anyhow.
MikeTheBike
03-13-2006, 12:52 PM
Beware of all current Avid levers. They recently moved all of their production to Asia and they're quality control has dropped horribly. A friend at my LBS recently ordered six pairs of painfully overpriced Avid Ultimates only to find that the aluminun was lower grade, they had no bushings and the edges of the aluminum castings were still rough. They returned them and got their money back.
Maybe Heatsink could look into making Avid replicas? I guarantee they would sell like crazy to trials riders, DH guys and even many XC guys.
XTR levers definitely. Ultimates are too nice (i.e. too fragile) to use for trials. SD levers feel horrible, I would rather use Shimano deore. Nokon housing is a waste of money.
Matt Staples
03-13-2006, 01:54 PM
my xtr lever is cracked.:ugh:
i wouldn't let that change your mind though, i do weird things to bikes
ultimates are really nice, not worth the price tag. ebay some xtrs and enjoy good brakes.
ChrisB
03-13-2006, 01:59 PM
XTR levers definitely. Ultimates are too nice (i.e. too fragile) to use for trials. SD levers feel horrible, I would rather use Shimano deore. Nokon housing is a waste of money.
have you used Nokon housing?
va_tick
03-13-2006, 02:23 PM
I just picked up a set of avid flacks for housing b/c that all my shity bike store carried...are the somewhat similar in performance to the nokon's....if not they should be better the regular housing?????
flak jacket is shit, id never use that crap again. $3/foot regular bike shop housing and cable is sooo much beter than that flak jacket shit.
tomacropod
03-13-2006, 10:59 PM
^^ I disagree with that too. the flak jacket I've used (old and new style) is heaps better than shimano/jagwire black housing and comes with shitloads of little ferrules and caps and stuff.
- Joel
Specialeded
03-14-2006, 02:13 PM
Wow so much worthless talk about cables...
LBS cables, cut to proper length and some lube and who cares.
slctrials.com
03-14-2006, 10:06 PM
I like my ultimate lever about 100000000 times more than the xtr I used to run, I don't know if I'd pay the money for it cause Im poor and got the ultimate for free??? Performancewise Id say ultimate fo sho!
Boumm
03-15-2006, 08:17 PM
the 3$/foot cable is really nice for me. I havnt tried any others, but they do a great job.
You really should try em, if never you dont like them youll have spent a max of 10$. Try to set them well tough.
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