This choice is a little unusual. Normally, when I give a nod to a component group, it’s to the entire group and not just one component. However, on this occasion, I want to take a look at Shimano’s SLX 4-piston brakes.
I’ve been on a bunch of different brakes lately: some SRAM, Shimano Deore XT 2 and 4 piston, XTR 2 and 4 piston and the aforementioned SLX 4-piston, plus a no-name set. The reason I’m picking the SLX 4-piston brakes is that I’ve realized these are the best brakes I’ve ridden for the money. Yes, the Deore XT 4-piston are more powerful, but the XTR 4-piston brakes aren’t as powerful as the SLX 4-pistons.
These are the brakes I was riding on my Ripley AF while riding in Idaho some weeks ago and they impressed me because I never had the sense that I needed more brake than I had. I could brake way late, almost into the turn and I never found myself overshooting my turn-in.
The SLX 4-piston brakes can be found online for as little as $170 for front or rear. That someone could upgrade their brakes for as little as $350 (plus labor) is the best argument for a component upgrade that I’ve seen in ages. When I think about how many mountain bikes I see with 2-piston brakes, what I’m thinking about are all the bikes that could be more easily controlled.
I’m riding mine with 180mm rotors. When I consider the riding I typically do in the Seattle area—my beloved Tiger Mountain in particular—I’d have ordered 203mm rotors if I wasn’t satisfied with the power they exert.
I’ve often written that the best bikes and best components disappear beneath you. Their operation should be transparent to your experience. This goes to our expression of something being an extension of our bodies, be it bike, paintbrush or electric bass. When a bike part calls attention to itself for substandard performance, that’s the sort of thing that will pull you out of flow. I didn’t think about those brakes until I began thinking about problems I was having with other brakes in my quiver.
Final thought: I’ve got another bike I might order a set of these for.