The one and only time I noticed anything remotely lacking in these key attributes was while descending a trail named Lithium in Jackson, Wyoming. If you’ve never ridden Lithium, you need to, and you should know that the first half is steep, dry, technical, loose, and long.
If there was ever a trail to test brake fade, Lithium is it. And only here, after miles of hard braking on insanely steep looseness, did I feel that the XO brake had lost some power due to heating up. They still had a smooth feel to them but they required a harder pull to achieve substantial braking power.
It should be said that this brake set isn’t marketed as a DH product, and Lithium is a DH trail. I was more then satisfied with their performance, it’s merely that I noticed a difference in power with the prolonged heavy use. So if you’re mostly riding DH trails, I would recommend jumping up to the 203mm rotors, or using the Avid Code brake system to help with heat dissipation and keep fade to a minimum.
The XO carbon fiber levers feel different on your braking finger than an aluminum blade; they are very smooth and comfortable. The levers’ reach is fully adjustable (as is the pad contact point), so dialing in the exact fit and feel you want is very easy and takes only seconds to adjust.
I found the arc of the lever to feel natural and comfortable all the way to a full squeeze. Bottom line: these things feel great in your finger(s) even after a full day of riding.
Installation of the XO brake was extremely straight forward and easy. Basically, it was: Attach to bars, Run cable appropriately, Attach to frame or fork, Align calipers, Go ride.
I have the 2011 X9 shifters along with a RockShox Reverb switch clamped to my bars, too. Unfortunately, I don’t yet have the Matchmaker set up to clean each side up, but even with all of these components on the bars, it doesn’t look too cluttered. Everything fits together extremely well.
At the other end of the system, the rotors and calipers have shown their strengths over the past few months. I have only recently had to replace the pads, which was a simple procedure thanks to the top-loading feature of these brakes.
Pushing the piston back into the caliper was also a non-issue, and I have not yet needed to perform a bleed. When that day comes—and that day doesn’t feel like it’s going to come anytime soon—I’ll be sure to update this review and tell you how that process goes. (I have always had great luck bleeding Avid brakes, so I’m not overly concerned in this department.)
Another bonus is that these brakes are quiet; I haven’t had them howl or squeal once. This could be due to the fact that I live in the desert and they have only been wet a handful of times, so take it for what it is worth. But I haven’t had any issue with noise.
The rotors have stood up to a few botched corners and landings, and haven’t warped at all due to over heating. Adjusting the calipers on the rotors is very easy, and achieving a drag free ride takes only a few seconds upon the initial install. Since then, I haven’t had to adjust them once.
As for weight, at 333g with the 160mm rotor, the XO system is on par with other companies’ top-shelf brakes (+/-20 grams). The fit and finish of this product is absolutely top notch. Every piece looks manufactured to perfection, and the subtle graphics are killer. With four available color-ways, you’re likely to find a match for your sick new ride.
In fact, it’s worth mentioning that the design of the whole system is really clean; both at the bar and at the wheel, everything is kept small and streamlined.
The Avid XO brakes offer substantial performance, simplicity, durability, and aesthetics. But how do they compare to other top-shelf offerings?
Honestly, I don’t have a substantial amount of time on many other high end brakes. I’ve ridden Formula F1s, RXs, Shimano XTRs and XTs here and there…and I personally like the overall feel of the XOs better. Power and modulation is equal to or better than anything else I have ridden, and the XO’s weight is comparable to all of the other high-end brakes. To me, +/-20 grams isn’t much to sweat over. If, however, those grams are causing you to sweat, maybe it’s because XC racing is your thing, and you should swing for Avid’s XX components.
If, however, you are considering a new brake set for your XC / Trail / AM bike, I would take a serious look at the XO.