Well thankyou all for your help,this weekend i went with the Magura MT6 Brake.

All seems very nice and will need bedding on the next few rides.

I must ask,does anyone else out there know how to get rid off the irritating bit of play in the lever bushing?,the first 3-4 millimeters of pull on the lever is just taking up the play.Or is this something other people have also experienced,will i just have to deal with it?.

I think alot of the issues people get with Avids is from home bleeding and then not doing it properly. Also maybe they are riding in a way that exceeds the design paramters of the brakes. I see avids Elixir brakes as XC brakes. IO think they are O.K but when I bleed them I do spend at least 10 minutes de gassing they the master cylinder fluid syringe. I also do the same with the lever fluid. I think that helps. I sometimes spend an hour getting them as good as I possibly can.

however given the time comsuming bleed proceedure and the lack of individual spares for Avid's I do prefer Hope's brakes. Spare for older brakes are all available and they are very relaible. When my MTB was in regualr use I bleed those brakes maybe twice in 7 years. I like fit and forget components.

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I'm using hope x1 evo2 on all my rides with goodridge brake lines and sintered pads. If anything they have too much stopping power. I've just switched the front pads for organic on my lighter bike for a different feel. The modulation on hopes simply cannot be beaten. Every time I ride a bike without them I think the brakes are going to lock and send me over the bars. That's my experience anyway...

I'm not sure I agree with this one. Even with proper bleeding, the Avids tend to be quite high maintenance. Lever bleeds are a must multiple times every season, even with the best of braking technique. These are notorious in the shop world for being finicky and expensive in the long run.

If you go with Avids, make sure you buy a bleed kit as well. You will save a ton of money in the long term.

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