Long DH, brake fluid heats up, lever loose modulation.

[Loll]

This is on Avid Elixir 7 SL brake. Will bleeding the brake helps or should I just toss these crappy Avid brakes altogether?

Basically I was told the fluid heats up and cost the lever to have less travel distance before the piston contacts the disc. This only happens on long steep downhills where I drag the brake more.

Any advice is appreciated. If bleeding will cure this, it will save me a few bucks.

[Shytie]

How long has it been since you bled them?

[Loll]

close to 1 yr. bike was purchased last year but i had this problem for a while already

[Shytie]

I'd do a bleed, or have one done, before you plunk down money on new brakes. If you do it yourself, you can do some "tuning" of your brakes to your needs/wants too.

[Loll]

Unortunatly i already spend 200 bucks on slx disc brake. The cqble for the back is too short. So now i am faced with either bleeding existing brake for 45 bucks, or have the shop replace slx brake cable for labor of 45 and new cable for 54. Thats a good 100 bucks more.

I m tempted to just bleed the existing avid brakes and install the slx on my other hardtail

[Shytie]

They told you a new hose would be $54?

[nvphatty]

braking technique is a key when riding long steep descents. You mention dragging them which can lead to loss of lever regardless of brand/type.
As a suggestion try on off on off type braking which will not build as much heat compared to a constant drag.

[PitchCrew]

You will be Happy with the slx. Bleeding won't make a crappy brake any better.
Put the SLX on your good bike for sure.
just be ready for one finger braking all the time.

[Loll]

bad riding technique, may be. But this is a very very steep section of the hill when most hikers are barely walking down. Is steep and off camber, filled with babyhead size rocks everywhere.

I find a moving track stand a good way of describing decending it. May be if on a DH bike with 2.5 tires it is better. But me on trail bike sort of equal dragging brake most of the way down.

And yes, the SLX apparently takes a special cable. One shop quoted 54, another quoted 46, and one shop simply doesn't have it at all.

[PitchCrew]

I have a large bike. When I emailed hayes about a short brake line they sent me one free off charge. I just gave them the exact measurment. I know shimano isn't hayes but worth a try