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Questions on New Elixir 5 brakes

Old 01-29-13, 12:33 AM
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Questions on New Elixir 5 brakes

i've looked through all of srams manuals on the elixir 5 brakes but it doesn't answer a simple question for me. If I purchase these brand new, will I have to install the brake fluid myself? I'm assuming so since cable length isn't known, and cable hose is likely not pre attached with fluid inside.

I've always used avid bb5's for the simplicity of use but now I have the opportunity of switching over at a great price. However i'll need to install them myself. Thanks for any help.
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Old 01-29-13, 12:33 AM
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https://www.sram.com/avid/products/el...c-disc-brake-0
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Old 01-29-13, 09:47 PM
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I've seen new Avid hydraulic brakes sold as pre-bled and ready to use straight out of the box.

Ask the seller how the brakes come.
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Old 01-30-13, 09:01 AM
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You can find the bleeding procedure in the Internet, but if you have no experience doing it, I would suggest to take the bike to the LBS and ask them to do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=IoaPUw5DliA
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Old 01-30-13, 04:01 PM
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elixir brakes suck. Buy some XT's instead
I'm a SRAM fan, but their hydraulic brakes are horrible compared to shimano. By the way brakes usually come pre-bleed w/fluid installed. Just make sure your hose lengths are right length.

Last edited by Elduderino2412; 01-30-13 at 04:04 PM.
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Old 01-30-13, 05:24 PM
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I checked out the video on bleeding those Elixir brakes and OMG it looked soooo complicated! I mean dang it looks easier to bleed the brakes on a car!! I don't know if all hydro discs are like that, but I did read some Elixir reviews saying that the bleeding process is complicated, and they weren't kidding!
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Old 01-30-13, 05:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Elduderino2412
elixir brakes suck. Buy some XT's instead
This, although any of the current Shimano line from Deore up are great.
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Old 01-30-13, 07:39 PM
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Elixirs aren't that bad. They will often come pre-bled though sometimes there is still an air bubble or two. Bleeding them isn't that hard if you have the tools but will probably be necessary eventually. If they come ready to go, there is nothing wrong with using them with a little extra housing length, provided it won't bind or hang up on anything.
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Old 01-30-13, 09:55 PM
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unless you have a XS frame, most likely you can install them with the stock housing length and then bleed them later.

like... next winter?
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Old 01-30-13, 10:28 PM
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Elixir5's are ok, there's some good points and some bad points. Personally, I don't particularly care for the lever feel on them or the avid rotors.
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Old 01-31-13, 01:04 AM
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Elixir's are only as good as the LBS that assembled/set them up/bled them.

If you live in a town where there are superb bike shops, with top notch wrenches (like I do), you will have very few problems with them. No "turkey gobble", no squeals, no immediate need for bleeds, etc.
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Old 01-31-13, 01:05 AM
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Elixir's are only as good as the LBS that assembled/set them up/bled them.

If you live in a biking town where there are superb bike shops, with top notch wrenches (like I do), you will have very few problems with them. No "turkey gobble", no squeals, no immediate need for bleeds, etc.
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Old 01-31-13, 06:55 AM
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Originally Posted by Dannihilator
Elixir5's are ok, there's some good points and some bad points. Personally, I don't particularly care for the lever feel on them or the avid rotors.
Can you expound on the "lever feel" you refer to? Just curious because the Trek MTB with XT hydro discs had a different feel to the brake levers than what I'm used to with mechanical v-brakes, so just wondering if was anything like you refer to. I actually really liked the feel of the levers on the XT brakes.
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Old 01-31-13, 10:06 AM
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The 5's I had on my Stab were ready to go out of the box. I liked them.
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Old 01-31-13, 05:28 PM
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Originally Posted by PatrickGSR94
Can you expound on the "lever feel" you refer to? Just curious because the Trek MTB with XT hydro discs had a different feel to the brake levers than what I'm used to with mechanical v-brakes, so just wondering if was anything like you refer to. I actually really liked the feel of the levers on the XT brakes.
They just don't feel right to me, feel on/off and just are not too welcoming to single finger braking for my hands. That said, I'm using shimano slx and was comfortable with them right out of the box.
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Old 02-03-13, 10:57 AM
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Originally Posted by Dannihilator
They just don't feel right to me, feel on/off and just are not too welcoming to single finger braking for my hands. That said, I'm using shimano slx and was comfortable with them right out of the box.
For me, the Elixir line just has a very vague feel to it. In other words, there isn't a very well defined bite point, even on well bled brake. As far as other aspects go(noise, stopping power, weight, adjustments), I think they work pretty well -- like dirtfarmer said, proper set up is key. I also think the CPS washer system is not ideal and probably leads to issues that users experience. Bleeding processes are very similar throughout different manufacturer's and all of them are straight-forward IMO -- having the right tools goes a long way.

So, if the price is hard to pass up, go for them. If Shimano(or the new Maguras) is in the same price range, might want to go that route. If you want a brakeset that you won't ever want to swap out, get Hope.
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Old 02-03-13, 02:45 PM
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I hate to point it out to two people who clearly know bikes from their elbows, but if one person's complaint is that they're too crisp and one says they're too spongy, it may just be all about setup.
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Originally Posted by sp00ki
Using a nicer sealed bearing headset vs a $10 set is like throwing a frisbee vs a dodgeball.
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Old 02-06-13, 09:40 PM
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Originally Posted by Grimlock
I hate to point it out to two people who clearly know bikes from their elbows, but if one person's complaint is that they're too crisp and one says they're too spongy, it may just be all about setup.
I'm actually extremely nit picky when it comes to disc brake lever feel. Having worked on them and tried them on demo's having felt them at both too crisp and too spongy. Spongy can happen to any brake. On/Off can be gotten over for myself. The thing I just don't like is the shape of the lever on the elixirs, can adjust it so it can be done, but the lever will get too close to the grip.
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Old 02-06-13, 10:51 PM
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I love reasonable explanations for reasonable opinions based on direct experience. I find nothing wrong with this post.
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Originally Posted by sp00ki
Using a nicer sealed bearing headset vs a $10 set is like throwing a frisbee vs a dodgeball.
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