When it comes to E-MTBs, you can’t help but notice that the motors are getting ever more powerful and the suspension is more and more potent. But where does that leave the brakes? Disproportionate brakes aren’t just a dampener on the fun, they’re also a risk. Here’s where the brand new SRAM Guide RE brakes enter the scene, that SRAM has launched next to the EX1 drivetrain. So what distinguishes these E-MTB specific brakes from their regular counterparts and how do they perform?
Brakes surely constitute one of the most relevant life-saving parts on the bike, but until now E-MTBs have tended to have ‘regular’ mountain bike brakes, which have frequently featured disproportionately small disc brakes, too little power and too little reliability. It won’t come as any surprise to hear that E-MTBs tend to have a higher average speed and a heavier weight, so more powerful brakes are consequently a necessity.
Although heavily reliant on proven technologies, SRAM have still managed to create something entirely novel with the Guide RE brakes, which also feature the familiar Guide R lever technology – with the decisive R standing for reach that can be adjusted without the need for tools.
For the brake calipers, the Americans relied on the 4-piston calipers as seen on their CODE brakes. Stemming from the disciplines of gravity and downhill, these calipers have proven time and time again how deftly they regulate heat and how resolutely they’ll bring a bike to a stop. As a result, you’re getting optimal power and modulation that can withstand use on the trails.
Adding more longevity, the brake pads are sintered to reduce heat build-up for extended use. And as we’re used to from SRAM, the Guide RE brakes are MatchMaker compatible, therefore keeping your cockpit tidy when teamed with SRAM shifters and a RockShox Reverb dropper post. The Guide RE weigh in at 415 g with 160 mm rotors.
SRAM Guide RE on the trail
We’ve had opportunity to test these brakes on a range of E-MTBs already and we’re stoked: the new SRAM Guide RE brakes are top! Taking their share of power from the downhill-orientated Code brakes, the Guide RE can dish up a serious portion of braking power – even putting their sibling, the beloved Guide RSC to shame. The brake lever taken from Guide R is ergonomic and there’s a generous range of reach adjustment.
The huge disc brakes and sintered brake pads struck us as more than capable of handling the extra load of an E-MTB, creating a direct and powerful biting point – although this comes at the cost of modulation. It is noticable that the brake lever has been designed without the ‘SwingLink’ system, which reduces the stroke of the brake lever and generates better modulation, making these RE brakes a touch more aggressive than the other Guide models like the RS, RSC and Ultimate.
But ‘SwingLink’ or not, the braking sensation with the Guide RE was more than suited to how today’s crop of E-MTBs ride, so we’ve forgiven SRAM for sacrificing that particular technology.
In our eyes, SRAM have carefully cherry-picked the ideal components from their portfolio, and warped them into a brake set that’s finely-tuned for E-MTBs. Going by the name of Guide RE, these more than deserve their spot on an E-MTB and retail at an irrefutably fair price.
The SRAM Guide RE brakes are available from September 2016 with a retail price of € 145 (each).
For more information head to sram.com
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Words: Robin Schmitt, Christoph Bayer & Moritz Dittmar Photos: Victor Lucas
