Are SRAM XX disc brakes worth the upgrade? Currently have Avid Elixir R brakes fitted.

I can't imagine their performance is going to be hugely different since the brake lever and calliper are if the same design on both, so is there much of a weight difference? Avid R have alloy lever whereas the XX have CF, also the XX calliper looks to have slimmer mounts = lighter

Opinions? (been offered a pair of XX for less than £ 190, brand new)

Weight difference would come to be about 160 grams for the set. Other than that, they won't brake better, and are more finnicky since they are made out of magnesium. If you are getting a warranty, might be worth it if you're stuck on the weight, but I would spring for a different company's brakes.

wow - are they really that light?

my weighings show (inc hoses):

Shimano XTR M975 F/R 230g/249g
Avid Elixir R F/R 251g/260g

.... weights quoted on t'web for XX is around the 280 g which includes the disc rotor so gotta be under 180 g!

I think that quoted saving includes the disc itself so it's a full system weight, I believe the XX is 140mm rear (the ones I looked at where) which is about a 20g saving over a like for like 160mm.

What discs are you running, saving 50g each on a 160mm disc is easy.

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2x Avid G3 160mm 105 g

Claimed weight for the WC version is 276g for a front
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/avid-to ... disc-brake

288g for standard as the WC claims to save 12g.

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I don't care how light they are, these are terrible brakes in my opinion.

I'm much happier with XTR, Hope, or R1's.

I don't know anyone that likes their XX brakes. I don't care what they weigh, brakes have to work.

Agreed.....
I recently rode a bike on XX back to back with one on XT's the way I described it was that Avid made all their brakes (even the XX) feel like Juicy3's while Shimano made all their brakes (even the sub Deore) feel like XTR.

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.... well I couldn't resist .... you may laugh at me when I post "how to fix XX calliper from sitcking" type post!!

these are 2012 models, the reviews I read were for 2010 models and all of them were quite bad.

fingers and toes crossed it was not a bad buy....

well, FWIW I did like my XX brakes, they braked just fine and I like the ergonomy of the lever. They make a lot of noise but I dont care, I now run XO brakes and I like them too.

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I found they braked fine, modulation isn't that good, but subjectively they just don't 'feel' right in terms of lever pull (distance and effort) versus response.

The noise they make isn't particularily 'nice' either, on the bike I rode it was a sort of rasping noise.

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my xo caliper every ride have to adjust especially the rear. previously i had a hayes stroker trail. no issue. friend just changed to XT ice - fantastic stopping power.

My old xx brakes were fine, once the first defective ones were replaced. They turkey gobbled, though, and the rear would juuust barely rub if I was coasting on a heavily crowned street.
Now I'm on XTR, no turkey gobble, even though I'm still using the same xx rotors. Feel is lighter at the levers, pads retract a little further so they're easier to set up with absolutely no rub.
Sram has made improvements to their brakes, but they have a loooong way to go before we trust them again. They can't just start making the brakes they should've been making all along.

avid brakes suucccckkkk I cannot even count the number of XX brakes I have had to bleed. It is so sad because I am such a fan of sram's other offroad offerings. Shimano disc brakes all the way down to deore work a 1000 times better and never seem to need work.