Are expensive MTB Brakes & Bars worth it?

Your workshop needs a workbench like mine! Try FlexiSpot!
🌟 Use my code “24BDYTB50” for extra $50 off on the desk E7 Plus! Check the FlexiSpot to get more exclusive discounts! Trust me, it's a rare treat!
FlexiSpot E7 Plus Standing Desk: bit.ly/3yUytKI (US)
FlexiSpot E7 Plus Standing Desk: bit.ly/4ca8yN4 (CAN)
BIKES
Grey Polygon Siskiu T6 - bikesonline-usa.sjv.io/ZQDPBk
Blue/Yellow Polygon Siskiu T7 - bikesonline-usa.sjv.io/Py7r6Q
Parts Seen in the video (affiliate link):
HIGH BIKE
Red Maven Ultimate Brakes - collabs.shop/ojovsn - Code "SagaMTB2024" for 10% off
OneUp Carbon Bars - collabs.shop/3cgu7z - Code "SagaMTB2024" for 10% off
OneUp Thick Grips - collabs.shop/tzujgy - Code "SagaMTB2024" for 10% off
Wireless Dropper Rockshox Reverb AXS - collabs.shop/atbe7n - Code "SagaMTB2024" for 10% off
OneUp Aluminum Pedals - collabs.shop/rlgbl6 - Code "SagaMTB2024" for 10% off
OneUp EDC Threadless - collabs.shop/0wi0xx - Code "SagaMTB2024" for 10% off
LOW BIKE
SRAM DB8 Brakes - collabs.shop/wrvean - Code "SagaMTB2024" for 10% off
OneUp Aluminum Bars - collabs.shop/uixgyb - Code "SagaMTB2024" for 10% off
Renthal Stem - collabs.shop/ts6abu - Code "SagaMTB2024" for 10% off
OneUp Stem - collabs.shop/oxmepv - Code "SagaMTB2024" for 10% off
OneUp Thick Grips - collabs.shop/tzujgy - Code "SagaMTB2024" for 10% off
OneUp Dropper Lever/Remote - collabs.shop/8iy1hc - Code "SagaMTB2024" for 10% off
OneUp Composite Pedals - collabs.shop/uyva5x - Code "SagaMTB2024" for 10% off
BOTH BIKES
SRAM HS2 Rotors - collabs.shop/hlegcm
Specialized Tires - click.linksynergy.com/deeplin...
Tools:
SRAM Mineral Oil Bleed Kit - collabs.shop/zo85fg - Code "SagaMTB2024" for 10% off
Shock pump - bikesonline-usa.sjv.io/Py9Kjz
Cassette Lockring Tool - amzn.to/3WQZOnT
Electric Ratchet - amzn.to/3UPZXZ4
Bike Repair stand with scale in arm - amzn.to/3ioCsXR
Breaker bar - amzn.to/3YuKoGB
Camera Equipment -
DJI Osmo Action 4 - amzn.to/3MD1xds
DJI Mic - amzn.to/40CpRSK
DJI Mini 4 Pro Drone - amzn.to/49tOrsS
Sony Alpha 7S III Camera - amzn.to/49z1ida
Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II Lens - amzn.to/3MDGdEW
My Riding Gear:
Smith White helmet - smithoptics.pxf.io/PayRoll
Smith Pink Helmet - smithoptics.pxf.io/9g0MJ5
Smith Riding Glasses - smithoptics.pxf.io/jrYnOP
Giro DND gloves - amzn.to/3UTjyZD
Chad's Party Shirts - partyshirtinternational.com/c...
Disclaimer: The links above may be affiliate links and earn me a commission.

[@ynie1]

Great video! Thanks for taking the time to isolate the parts and return the parts to stock after every test. I can imagine that takes a ton of time and effort

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Without filming the bike being returned to stock, it only takes like 15 minutes per bike haha. Man filming bike work takes forever 😭😅

[@coasteringkid]

It won't wobble! *Proceeds to wobble the desk violently*

[@EvansMTBSaga]

To be fair, it was standing on some soft foam tiles. On solid ground, no wobble. Other desks I've used will wobble for a second after something simple like typing on a keyboard 😂

[@stacystopmotion2604]

@@EvansMTBSagayou should probably have the desk on solid ground next time lol. Might make the desk more appealing

[@JaredRMorgan]

Great edit and those animations are insane. Happy to have helped contribute to the production of this one! Cheers to you! 🍻

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Thanks for helping film!

[@topspot4834]

Production is seriously insane, appreciate all the hard work you put into these Evan!!

[@kez2252]

OMG, laughed my ass off ar "ejecto seato cuz" 😂😂

[@benriley8631]

Same 🤣🤣🤣

[@GhislainLeduc]

man, these video are the coolest. It's so fun and well made! Tks for sharing!

[@SteveKimbo]

I have to say at the minute these videos are the highlight of my KZbin week. Your channel has come on loads since the start and I love it. You and Chad are nailing it 💪🤘 I replaced a 175mm AXS post with a OneUp 210, but ended up going back to the AXS because it's just better. Once you get used to the lack of effort to press the button there's no going back.

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Oh dang you went back! Last High Low season I had a Reverb AXS, but sold it quickly. I plan to hold onto this one for a while to see how it does long term

[@EvansMTBSaga]

I'm glad youre loving the series and thanks for the compliment. Keeps me driven for the next episode!

[@mattmtbaz3677]

Good to hear some back to back on the new aluminum bars vs. the carbon! A steeper black trail would probably make the Mavens shine too. Can you add tokens to the stock fork? A token, 2-5% more sag, and a 2-3 clicks slower rebound might do a lot.

[@ixcel83]

Excellent video! I was really hoping to bump into you at the bike fest! Oh well. There is next year.

[@nhguapo]

"The table doesn't wobble" as the tabling is wobbling. Haha. Great concept video with contact points. The axa post is a tempermental temptress. When it's good, it's the best. It needs a lot of TLC. It's easy to introduce air and I've had to send it back to SRAM a couple times. My Bike Yoke is way easier to reset or work on and is even faster going up.

[@EvansMTBSaga]

I've been wanting to try a Bike Yoke for years! I may hold onto the Reverb AXS this time and actually see how it does long term

[@user-uu2dq5md1h]

When you get the chance you should build a downduro bike that is an enduro bike with downhill suspension

[@Willy-ig7nw]

AKA “parkduro”

[@sety409]

It’s funny how nothing is standardized for bikes down to language.

[@udontseemebutiseeyou]

Nah, DownCross. It's not what you think, a DH fork on an XC bike. It's a DH fork on a cyclocross bike

[@daliks]

i got one and it is grrrreat.. singlespeed Torque with a Boxxer.. indeed a parkduro as Willy mentions

[@trent5317]

That dropper is quick! I didn't think there would be one as quick as I had on my old specialized stumpy, it used air pressure so you could increase or decrease it to change the speed, nearly got neutered a few times with it.

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Haha someone commented the same time as you about a Specialized dropper being insanely fast

[@phantomapples]

Just started the video! So hyped

[@EvanLownds]

Really liking this series! My biggest takeaway is the law of diminishing returns. Especially for a lower spec bike, upgrading is definitely a worthwhile investment of time and money. But a lot of people (personally guilty of this) get hung up looking at the best of the best parts and trying to completely optimize everything. For the average weekend warrior rider, the difference between mid level upgrades and ultra high-end upgrades is very minimal. Most people would benefit more from "rider upgrades" like how to corner better, line choice, etc than spending $2500 on top end suspension. I wonder if that's something you could work in somehow, attending a skills clinic or private coaching, change nothing on the bike and do a before and after run. Anyways, great work on the series!

[@herr_gigi8319]

Every Video feels like a mini Cinema Film, keep it Up🔥🔥

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Thank you so much!

[@jeehoonjones1389]

Nice job dude! I got a new flexispot desk a couple of months ago and its amazing!

[@alainbergeron1675]

From Montreal Canada! Love this channel Evan. Keep it up 💪

[@SomeGuyOnHisDreamBike]

Thank you so much for wearing a mask when cutting carbon ! Great content as usual :)

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Oh dude, a few months ago I didn't wear a mask, and ended up getting a whole bunch of carbon dust straight into my nostrils. It was so nasty!

[@AntiDEDok]

Wow! This men definitely puts so much work into his videos! Respect!

[@MTBQandA]

These vids are incredible! So much work has go to into this! But worth it! So entertaining!

[@Farhaz303]

Finally! been waiting for your upload.

[@olivermiddleditch2335]

Hey Evan, FYI for the future, the seatpost collar having a crack obviously isn't good, but shouldn't be a safety concern. With those posts, the air cartridge actually screws into the top and bottom of the bodies, so the collar shouldn't affect it. but good to replace it still and easy to do yourself.

[@pele4192]

Love this series just have to fix my bike

[@MorganGlassco]

Another great video. Enjoying the series

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Thanks Morgan!!

[@snat6299]

Love the Cheesy Chad😂 hi -lo is really good. I also think depends on the bike geo too. Rider+Geo=speed

[@jf8534]

I like how you keep your video going at the same time as paying the bills. What is that sander/grinder tool for the bars and fork you use? I take it you and the family are safe after that storm...

[@GokkunGuru]

That tool can be found at hardware/plumbing stores. It’s to remove the sharp burrs on the inside and outside of the handlebars. Alternatively you can use sandpaper.

[@Ahavah_MTB]

one of my cars got totaled from that storm and completely ripped my bike off of the rack

[@grantromriell4970]

I don’t think I need a desk that will distract me even more from being actually productive. Sounds like an awesome desk thought, lol

[@yali1408]

Hi what’s the name of the tool you used to sand down the alloy bars? Says rigid on side but can’t find it on google. Also is that just a standard pipe cutter you used on bars. Thanks.

[@danielvelasquez7708]

Yeah I am due for new grips any suggestions for the Marin San Quentin 2 2022, kept the original brakes, and am usually not a sram person with the DB8 I would love to try them out. This is an excellent video of explaining the difference between Maven vs DB8.

[@sciguyisanerd]

13:35 the specialized command dropper is significantly faster since it doesn’t contain a damper to slow it down which is probably why everyone hated them

[@benstanbrookmtb]

Nice video evan, i have a set of level tl brakes on my bike. They feel similar to my mayes db8s

[@Furious_TomTom]

The hope V4’s are still my favorite brake to run

[@Yes_Jeff]

good vid 👍

[@skillsandbuilds3987]

I have aluminum “one up” bars on my DH and Carbon “one up” on my trail bike. I prefer the carbon feel as well 👌

[@zugdsbtngizudsgbnudsdsoiu]

Dude youre so chill and production is suberb. Keep going.

[@thelifeofjessejames]

Those 1UP Thick Grips are my absolute favorite! I really liked the DMR Death Grips too but the 1UP is just slightly better imo

[@spejsoniasty]

Hi I need a new shock for my bike on my bike the dimensions are a bit specific, it's 210 x 50mm trunnion I have a question, do you know any damper with these dimensions?

[@owenhildebrand1297]

Fox and Rockshox should have a couple options depending on the shock model. Should be listed on their website.

[@mihaichiriac480]

210x50 is pretty standard, like RS SID , RS Deluxe+, Fox X, Suntour EDGE LOR etc

[@reneberndt7476]

A suspension upgrade comparison would be very interesting. So maybe start with two used Yaris and test stock vs SKF dust wipers and budget vs premium aftermarket damping cartridges.

[@kentao4]

Im so amazed at how well these are done lol.

[@CalebCaldwell-nm8ff]

I love the look of low bike! Great video evan

[@rileybox2498]

That squeaking when you were doing the brake stopping test is a result of oil or grease on the pads and rotors. Take a propane torch to the pads and the rotors and you will see the oil burn off. They will bite so much better after that.

[@EvansMTBSaga]

I will do that! But I always thought that SRAM brakes squeak a little

[@rileybox2498]

@@EvansMTBSaga Maybe they do, but that's not a "squeak a little" sound. That noise is oil or grease. Those brakes were barely biting if at all. The fact that you never even skidded when trying to stop proves that there was something wrong. Even though I think Sram brakes are trash, they should still at a minimum, skid.

[@MrSupermugen]

@@rileybox2498 🤣🤣🤣

[@Bengy22]

Evan are you still considering building up a lightweight emtb?

[@bobareturned]

What wheel did you get for next time?

[@Jackhalcott]

Imagine crashing really bad being rushed to the ER and you’re being treated by Evan. I’d probably think im dead

[@antoniomedina744]

My full power ebike came with DB8 brakes. I thought they stopped and felt good. My main complaint was that the pistons didn't retract well enough and rubbed the rotors... And I can't stand a noisy bike. I swapped them with pair of second hand Shimano MT520, just to feel them and buy higher end Shimanos if I liked them. They will stay in the bike until they break apart. I would say they bite with the same force as DB8, but with WAY less force applied. I don't feel arm pump anymore.

[@skillsandbuilds3987]

Great video Evan!

[@Ferrari255GTO]

I 100% agree that bars and stem are a CORE part of the setup on a bike, the slightest tweak on thoose are hard to ignore, went from 2 inches of rise to 3.5, and 5 milimeters shorter on the stem. It made an extremely notizable difference.

[@thinkaboutit3011]

I got 2 sets of mavens and the power is incredible but im having a pumping up lever issue it seems pretty common on the forums, if you pull your levers fast a few times in a row does the bite point go farther out?

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Yes it does. I didn't mention it in the video because I felt like it was my fault from a poor bleed. I actually bled them twice before I filmed the video but the problem persists. What forum? Did anyone find a solution?

[@thinkaboutit3011]

@EvansMTBSaga I have tried everything I have bleed them every which way I could think off after the factory way wasn't helping. I tried taking the pads out and using 2 rotors to cycle the pistons and push them back in to "massage" them and they got a little better but still not right it seems like the pistons can't retract fast enough. I have ridden one set for a few hundred miles and it is alot better then the set I have limited miles on but still bad. It's hard to control speed on steep stuff when you never know where the bite point will be! So frustrating because they are awesome other than that and I'm 240 pounds so I really want them to work. I forgot to add 3 set when to my local shop I bought 2 and did self install and the 3rd set was bought and installed from the shop the head mechanic tried everything aswell and even rebuilt the calipers and after that he ended up sanding a set of pistons down and they still were sticky per him. If you google sram maven pump up you can find a few posts on mtb sites. I have been asking everyone that has installed a set and so far everyone has this issue I'm about to try a warranty claim with sram and see what happens

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Dang man. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one. I'm gonna Google that and see what my options are. I bought them cuz they were red and the kit came with so many goodies. If I can't get them working right, I'll just sell them and go to my Codes haha

[@thinkaboutit3011]

@EvansMTBSaga I totally agree I live the look and such a deal with everything in the kit and they are crazy powerful just the bite point thing is impossible to get used to I think sram will figure it out soon tho they have too

[@juansanchez-tr1dq]

I appreciate the brake comparison, but it would have been even better if you had previously done a stock run just to establish a baseline. I get the one set of brakes was better than the other, but how do they compare to stock?

[@EvansMTBSaga]

The stock time is displayed above all timed runs. The text is a little small, but it's there

[@juansanchez-tr1dq]

@EvansMTBSaga, I meant the brake distance, but yes I saw the times!

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Oh yeah braking distance with stock brakes would've been really good to include. I didn't think of that, good idea for sure

[@bencika]

much better then the pinkbike series, a more realistic hi-lo :D no aliexpress parts

[@user-uu2dq5md1h]

Love your channel keep up the great work man

[@Keegan_22]

What’s up Evan I can’t believe Bentonville is so tore up because of the tornado. I hit a tree with my head and fell off a cliff into a river yesterday. Lol

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Haha yeah trails are closed all over. I smacked my head on a tree the other day. Luckily didn't feel a thing cuz of my helmet haha. Hope you're good after falling off the cliff! Sounds gnarly

[@davegravitt210]

Lol. EC90 carbon bars are 40-50$ 😂. I've had the same bars for 4 years. No issues! ☺️. Best brakes on the market. Hayes.

[@GokkunGuru]

Love this series. Always love the components on the high bike. Did you reuse the old shifter cable?

[@EvansMTBSaga]

I didn't mess with shifters in this video. Going to do drivetrain and wheels next episode

[@theboysneverstop]

what is that screen thing on your stem?

[@Looking_4_downhill1]

I was just looking into the mavens 🎉

[@mihaichiriac480]

Have a look into XT 4 pot, with ventilated pads and rotors. Perfect combo imo

[@sammus1412]

@@mihaichiriac480 XT's have nothing on Mavens... I have both and yeah XT are ok, especially compared to el cheapo stuff that comes on these bikes, but nowhere near Maven performance.

[@mihaichiriac480]

@@sammus1412 damn, now I'm also looking into mavens (way overkill for my usual rides)

[@sammus1412]

@@mihaichiriac480 they're way overkill for my usual rides as well haha if you're coming from XT's then the lever feel will take some getting use to but any SRAM brakes will, much firmer feel than Shimano.

[@GokkunGuru]

I’ve used low end and high end components and I choose high end everytime. Yes it costs more, but they are just more durable and performs like Day 1 much better than the cheap stuff. The cheap stuff get worse over time fast!

[@Daiwik_]

Hello I love ur videos

[@petedog9581]

Minimize arm pump by not death gripping the bars. Thicker grips encourage me to squeeze harder than I need to. ODI Troy Lee Designs are thinner and sticky. Carbon bars are worth the $ imo. I have Renthal FatBar Lite carbon on both on my trail bikes. They were $150 apiece for 780mm. That dropper looks like it could do some damage to that nuts with that speed. It reminds me of my 2013 Specialized Command Post. That thing would donkey kick you in the balls every time you were not paying attention. Great vid and demos.

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Someone else commented that thick grips cause arm pump. They didn't elaborate so I was confused. Thanks for explaining that. My go-to grips are Ergons, but I liked the OneUp colors for the sake of these builds. maybe I'll try thinner grips for the finale 😁

[@petedog9581]

@@EvansMTBSaga There is no science behind my experience, just something I noticed by trying different grips over the years. I also have the carbon bars, so a thicker grips aren't needed for chatter and small bump compliance. Great vids and keep em coming.

[@larrylamb3250]

Im 6ft and still ride a medium, its amazing, my trail full sus feels like a dirtjump while still being supp.e and supportive

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Yeah the sizing isn't set in stone. It's all about the vibe you're wanting from the bike

[@larrylamb3250]

Great vid, what do you think is the most important upgrade for a mid travel trail bike, i have a giant trance 2 2017 i got for only $700 I want to upgrade it but I have to stay kn a budget, any suggestions?

[@Ahavah_MTB]

@@larrylamb3250 if i were you i would go for contact points like in the video. like he said just get what you want and can afford

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Wheels would be a killer upgrade. I'm assuming it's a non boost front and rear end, so if you check Pinkbike, I bet you could find some insane deals on wheels

[@larrylamb3250]

@@EvansMTBSaga It is boost spacing front and rear, I will definately check out pinkbike for deals thanks.

[@aidanmarshall1301]

I have db8 brakes on my yt Capra and they are amazing

[@LajRa5]

I have DB8's on my Fezarri Delano Peak and I've like them so far. I think the brake test clearly shows the mavens are better but I wonder what the difference is riding on the trails between the two. My guess is the performance of the maven on a trail doesn't justify the extra $$ amount.

[@oldschooldude3500]

My boys signal peak has the db8 brakes on them. Overall the times I've road his bike I'm very happy they way the db8 brakes preform for what you get.

[@mellissanash7517]

Personally I would have gone with the Wolftooth dropper lever, which can be had for less if you know where to look and it's made in Minnesota. Plus, it looks bling.

[@EvansMTBSaga]

I'd like to try those some time! But when gathering all the parts, I just made a massive order with OneUp and that covered a lot of the parts I needed

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Haha right after I typed that, I searched the Wolftooth lever and realized that I own a gold lever from them. After using that for years, I prefer the rubber pad on the dropper remote compared to the gnurled medal that Wolftooth uses. Just a small preference, still a great option

[@mellissanash7517]

@@EvansMTBSaga that's fair.

[@PatrickFelingo]

"What is that!? How much did you spend!?" iconic

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Haha I love it 😅

[@GokkunGuru]

Sorry I meant did you reuse the old dropper cable?

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Oh yeah I did

[@bradenbeere571]

Yo! The dropper wouldn’t just deploy, as the collar doesn’t retain anything functionality wise, but you probably will get a lot more dirt in there

[@Truth_Spoken]

Another banger

[@diniconights]

Donut Media HiLow with Mountainbikes 😂😂 love it

[@highenergydogcare]

The ejecto seato cuz got me rofl

[@sath7626]

Stock db8 pads are crab. I use Galfer E-Bike or Trickstuff. Little more xpensive but way better

[@tomrichards6207]

Kinda skipped right over the seat post collar being cracked. How? Why? Common problem with that post?

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Dude I have no clue. The bike has a few other issues too which I'll get to next video

[@mrvwbug4423]

Arm pump after a 40 second run down a baby butt smooth Bentonville trail. That's more an indictment of the stock suspension than anything.

[@EvansMTBSaga]

I showed the surface. It's very rocky right now. Nonstop 2-3" rocks embedded in the hard packed dirt

[@caseypeploe1273]

What’s the red piece ontop of the stem at 2:45 ?????

[@EvansMTBSaga]

That is a OneUp EDC Lite. Top cap that lets you store a multi tool in your steer tube

[@Wzypt]

Great video! Production is top-notch. But Evan please, can you add weight in kilos under lbs? That would be very helpful as I wouldn't need to google it every time. Thank you very much! 😁

[@1998nathanr]

The arm pump is from the thicker grips

[@adamneulander]

Oneup lever seemed like an odd choice to me. Why that and not wolf tooth remote (which is available cheaper)

[@EvansMTBSaga]

I just made a gigantic OneUp order when preparing for the season

[@adamneulander]

@@EvansMTBSaga oh lmao

[@MB-jz3uu]

Lol just watched 2 fast 2 furious. Loved that reference.

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Haha I gotta go back and rewatch that. Was it worth watching again?

[@mrpimpsoda1]

Ejecto seato cuz! 😂

[@jjonesmtb]

I just pulled my db8’s off my new enduro bike!

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Yeah it's silly that DB8's are sold on high end bikes or ebikes. They're decent, but I don't think they have as much power as regular Code R

[@martinfirley2028]

In the suspension episode you teased a derailleur upgrade for this episode, when is the comparison coming? Next week will be about the wheels?

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Thanks for asking about this. After much thought, I decided to scrap the drivetrain episode because I couldn't figure out a compelling way to test it. So next week I'm combining the drivetrain and wheelset upgrade videos and shortening the series from 6 episodes to 5 episodes. There's always an option to upgrade frames after the finale though

[@martinfirley2028]

Great, looking forward to it!

[@mitch_smith]

I was in my LBS saturday and they said the maven had so much stopping force, ppl where going to smaller rotors and organic pads to lessen their strength. Absolutely insane.

[@millerbrenthlei]

Shimano mt201 seem to have more bite and would have done better on the braking test

[@Floridamarrr]

So what I find REALLY intresting is literally how mm’s of height and length can go a mile, for example my BMX, I tried one that was 2-3 mm taller than mine, wow, that made a diffrence, same goes for someone running the same mtb as mine, just taller stem, makes a mile of diffrence in feel

[@lightningshredder5605]

Less brake, more speed!😂

[@robertlemons482]

I would be interested in hi low bearing tests

[@snoogyboog]

OneUp v3 Post is very fast - not tested against Reverb, but is significantly faster than PNW Loam

[@TheArimatheus]

Why completely pull the fork if all you're changing are the contact points?

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Are you talking during the installation? If so, I do that because I have to pause to move the camera and lights with every shot

[@TheArimatheus]

@EvansMTBSaga ah, gotcha. I was like, "just throw some extra spacer rings on top for a moment while the bar/stem are removed." Makes sense now.

[@lordjaime1557]

no one really noticed the "ejecto seato cuz" reference 😂

[@zethjugos1250]

tried those new sram brakes. Those new levers are fatiguing on the arms...they look good coz they are low profile but it seems it has compromised leverage, making u apply more force than norma specially if u are used to shimano levers...

[@nobody_noob2694]

reviewers say its the dead stroke thats the problem. When the pads contact the rotor the mavens take less force than any other brake for the same power but they're the stiffest brakes until the pads contact the rotor wich is a huge problem.

[@EvansMTBSaga]

I felt the stiff initial stroke after I installed them, but it was gone after the first ride. I still prefer SRAM brakes over Shimano 😁

[@nobody_noob2694]

@@EvansMTBSagasame im a huge guide/code fanboy

[@EvansMTBSaga]

My friend gave me his Code RSCs. They're probably my favorite brakes. I love the ergonomics and power delivery

[@zethjugos1250]

@@EvansMTBSagayep, i like the codes, definitely one of the best

[@testdirver]

i would go for xtr brakes and rotors or at least xt with freeza tech

[@uncleenk]

I feel called out.

[@PuffinPass]

Interesting that you spent a quarter of the cost of the high bike and yet the high bike only shed .8lbs while the low bike shed 2.2lbs. Not that weight should really be a concern in the overall picture but that is pretty surprising. I suppose that could be chalked up to durability of the parts maybe?

[@EvansMTBSaga]

I'm still not sure why the High Bike is consistently heavier. I make sure to zero out the scale every time. I think the Reverb AXS and Maven brakes were heavier than Low Bike's parts

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Next video is the wheels so I expect High Bike to be lighter for once

[@shanea3956]

nice but i would have liked to see if the $400 upgrades were better than what came on the bike.

[@williammarshall5651]

Is nobody gonna talk about Evan's flat tire at 5:00?

[@EvansMTBSaga]

Haha that was filmed after the riding segment

[@professorhastig]

the budget solution would have been bigger rotors and better brakepads... still interesting, though.

[@Dirtdaredevil]

please be careful with that renthal stem, my friend had one that cracked mid ride and nearly snapped off

[@Chorge1972]

Why didn’t you use SLX 4 Piston brakes?! They cost plusminus the same as these aweful DB8, but have full power…

[@EvansMTBSaga]

I wanted to make the test kinda close. Both Sram 4 piston & mineral oil, but I think your idea would have been better. But then it's up to the cost. I wanted to keep the brake cost at $150 for Low Bike

[@razorree]

if you want best brakes - Saint or 4 piston XT, Srams are shit.

[@wave8600]

"look good, feel good"... Me having spent a month custom Painting my bike only to have to wait for a new bottom Bracket...

[@EvansMTBSaga]

That's awesome! If you're on Reddit, I'd love to see pictures of your build!

[@glen3509]

I don't see Thomson Titanium riser bars there😳