First Impressions: Avid Elixir-CR Brakes

After experiencing persistent problems with sticky pistons and the levers not returning properly on my Magura Marta SL brakes, I decided to give the new Avid Elixir-CR brakes a shot. These brakes came highly recommended by Steve at the local shop.

The first thing I noticed about the Elixir brakes is the smooth lever action, especially when compared to my old Magura brakes. There is an even and consistent feel through out the lever travel, which was lacking in the Magura stoppers. Another noticeable difference is the tool-free adjustment feature of the Elixir brakes. Reach adjustment is controlled by a black dial at the base of the lever and pad contact is controlled via a red barrel adjuster where the line runs into the lever. A key selling point here is the independent nature of each adjustment feature. Adjusting lever reach, for example, will not affect how the pads feel in contacting the rotor, so you can literally tailor the feel of your brakes to the trail conditions. Speaking of brake pads, the most noticeable difference between the Elixir-CR brakes and my old brakes is the absence of brake squeal. The Elixir-CR pads and 185 rotors are simply dead silent. There was none of the usual metallic grinding sound or the high-pitched squeal so common in mountain bike brakes.