Video: AVID - Chasing Trail Curtis Keene

May 21, 2013 at 0:02
by SRAM  

Enduro racer Curtis Keene has ridden trails all over the world. From dry, desert rock to deep forest singletrack, Curtis says it's all about getting after it and experiencing what's out there. Avid brakes help Curtis ride fast and win races - but more importantly they put powerful, reliable performance right at his fingertips every time he rides. So he can think less about his bike and more about Chasing Trail.

www.sram.com/avid

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Member since Apr 1, 2011
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57 Comments
  • 43 13
 "reliable performance at his fingertips everytime he rides."

Lol! After they have warrantied literally thousands of Elixer brakes for reliability issues SRAM thinks we will believe their marketing bs?

Change the Elixer name if you've really made them reliable, because the word Elixer will always bring to mind the image of the most unreliable, inconsistent, and mysterious brakes ever in mountain bike history. Don't touch that reach adjustment...something bad might happen...

Even with some of the new ones I haven't been able to swap out brake pads without taking some oil out, then you typically will have to re-bleed them to get them to work properly. So frustrating to work with compared to Shimano, hope, magura, etc.

And the modulation sucks compared to Shimano, and until SRAM finally went to four pistons for Elixers they were all under-powered.
  • 10 6
 Agreed. haha a guy who races for the shop I work at got his race bike from Cannondale with Avids on it, he immediately swapped em out for Maguras.
  • 21 4
 After finally riding a bike with the new XTs everything feels underpowered..
  • 14 16
 If they are so bad, then why are they (IMO) more widely used then shimano, i think its just you've had a bad experience with them, no need to completely hate on the whole company
  • 3 1
 Curtis is a real bad mofo in the trails. I would love to try riding enduro with him. Already know no chance keeping up. I did a few dh runs with him and wowee!!! No joke he fast. See him practicing for a race, real perfectionist. Every turn and section must be dialed or he flip out lool ya I saw that bike toss, but he won the race in the heaviest rain I ever seen at any race before. Would like to see him catch a few wins on the euro enduro circuit. In the US he tough to beat.

On a side note is it just me or wouldn't enduro be the ultimate Olympic event? They have xc already just add enduro, dh, 4x and I start watching the Olympics. Already have world wide audience and teams. Olympic committee harder to deal with than the UCI.
  • 13 0
 Sorry Liam,
I've owned 4 separate sets of avid brakes. 2 codes 1 old 1 new, and 2 sets of elixir brakes. All of them were underpowered and felt like I was squeezing a wet paper towel. An every single set developed some issue before I went through a set of pads. I only ride Shimano now, I have saints on my demo and new xtr on my stumpy and they continue to blow my kind with the power, modulation, and reliability I've experienced. And Shimanos customer service at races is second to none.

Shimano > Avid
  • 11 0
 @Protour: *Elixir Razz
  • 4 1
 Protour they are shit brakes but best to get the spelling right if you are to express your (correct) opinion about them
  • 5 1
 so true, my elixris work one day then I hit the trail on them the next and they don't.. scary stuff
  • 3 2
 I ride 3 sets of avid brakes and I love 2 of them. My code set are great. The night amount of modulation and more than enough power and Im not a light rider at all. My elixir 3s are powerful enough and have plenty of bite with enough modulation to keep them usable. However...my juicy 3s are a different story yeah they're reliable but they have no power and no modulation at all
And another thing, if avid brakes are so crap as you say, then why has Arron Gwin, the fastest rider in the world specifically chosen to run them and not just because they're on his team sponsor list? Think about that one
  • 7 0
 My CR's have not given me a problem yet. I need to rebuild the levers this coming winter as per regular maintenance. I love them, though I wish they used mineral oil. . .
  • 6 0
 biker - Avids are inconsistent. Some are good. Some are bad - as you have found out yourself. It's basically a dice roll. I would hazard a guess that Aaron Gwin can probably pick the good sets and ditch the poor sets. If you have that luxury or if you happen to get a good working set ---- good for you!
  • 4 0
 I have bougt a specialized status 1 with the Elixir brakes in january. I had to bring them back 3 times and now i am waiting almost 2 weeks for my rear brake to get repaired. No more Avid!
  • 3 0
 I try to keep an open mind about products, but I ALWAYS tell people to ditch their Elixirs for something else. I even dare say it's a coin toss because it's literally a 50/50 chance of getting a good and bad brakes. Sure, I haven't ridden the new any of the "new" ones; but fool me once shame on you and fool me twice, shame on me.....fool me a third time.....
  • 4 1
 I got me a hold of some 2013 elixir 5 for my trail bike, in the space of 5 weeks i had to bleed the rear brake a total of 5 times and the front one twice. The last time i bleed the rear brake was two weeks after its previous bleed, and what came out of the brake i can only describe as diesel. Thr fluid had magically changed colour. So in my experience the only thing avid brakes are good for is turning dot fluid to diesel.
  • 2 0
 I've loved my elixirs, so far I've had 5 sets (10 brakes) on 5 different bikes and I've only had a problem with one individual brake on after having it for a year and a half riding 3 times a week and I only had to bleed it once. I guess I got lucky
  • 2 0
 I've so far had three sets of these brakes and not an issue yet! Two of those sets are 3 years old and still running strong.
  • 1 2
 Sounds like you braking too much. Never going to ride with Curtis using any brakes. Most of the avids are made for racing not stopping. Scrub a little speed but no gustav power.
  • 3 1
 Every bike needs to stop @RodRamsey

I like to late brake and just scrub speed when I'm riding. My avid brakes have consistently failed on me, I end up dragging brakes on the trail long before the corner or drop just so I know I'll have the correct speed. Again,

Shimano > Avid
  • 1 0
 The only avid brakes I have ever liked were the Juicy 7's, but then again those were developed by Formula sooooo.....
  • 2 1
 I have to agree that my avids haven't been the most reliable (one lever simply stopped pushing fluid, and one calliper seized). But as for modulation and power my code R's have been the best feeling brakes I've ridden when properly bled. If you complain about the power of your Codes, or even Elixirs, chances are you they haven't been bled properly (there's way more too it than most people think).
  • 1 1
 i have to say i wont be jumping on the band wagon saying avid brakes are crap, i have elx's 3 on my dh bike for 2 full seasons, not a single problem, this from a budget brake. ive seen shimanos with many problems, like pumping, and sorts and this on their high end saint brakes, i think its idiotic to call avids shit, they dont get to where they are with shit products, they get there with compeitive prices and products to match, and surpassing standards in this market.....
  • 2 1
 Ya I agree with above. Lot of bad hype out there with avid. My avids are world cup xx and no major problems. Again I not a brake jacker so dont get issues. If you carry momentum and use brakes to scrub speed the avids are great race style brakes. If you scurrrd and need to stop constantly then get some beefy brakes. Avid offers lightweight high performance brakes for high performing riders.
  • 6 0
 No, no, no, no and no. And no again. I deny THAT kind of marketing with spite.


Elixir I rode (and many others) were inconsistent, spongy, problematic, issue full, tricky, unpredictable, dangerous, faulty, rubbish, annoying, difficult and simply not good.


Shimano on the other hand (XT to be precise) are...erm...simply...erm...working. A winner!
  • 5 0
 I have 2013 avid elixir 9 and its the only set of avid I have owned and ridden I have to be honest I have no complaints with the power although they do squeal a bit but mostly due to wet and damp conditions but hey cross my fingers i am 40 rides in and no issues to speak of!
  • 7 1
 If that video really was just entered in the chasing trail contest... I without a doubt just lost.
  • 3 1
 Thing is they are a pain to bleed properly, and might need one out the box. But when that's done, they work perfectly. I have some Code R's on my downhill rig going on 2 years of abuse and still standing strong. Also have some of the lower-end Elixir's on my trail bike that I will upgrade eventually to a higher end model, either some XO's or Elixir 9's. Nothing but satisfaction from me!
  • 1 0
 I have a really old pair of Juicy 7's that are totally reliable and still work great. Better than my hope m4's. I also have a pair of Elixir 5's, they work great as well and I've never had an issue with them. I got 20 days in whistler bike park last season and 65 days the season before that, so My Avid brakes have passed the bike park test.
  • 5 1
 I've been running the same pair of Hayes Mags since 2002.
  • 1 0
 This reminds me of my usual ridind day:1.Wake up 2.Cofee shop 3.Ride 7 miles on normal roads with cars and stuff. 4 Hit the trails. 5. ride back home. I Love this sport it´s simple and easy to enjoy!!!
  • 2 0
 anyone who has worked in a shop in the past 5 years has watched avid brakes go to hell. which is a shame because for a while they were bomb
  • 6 2
 well i think avids are great! in my experience
  • 4 0
 Wow a lot of bltching going on around here.
  • 2 1
 I rode 1st gen elixir cr, new style Code and I'm now on a set elixir x9... They all performed flawlesly. Maybe it's just luck, but so far all my experiences with avid brake were great.
  • 10 7
 Sweet video- annoying campaign. Avid sucks. Shimano for life.
  • 2 0
 Sweet video, really?
  • 1 0
 Agreed.

50% of video - "philosophy-of-life" bullsh*ts
less than 50% - riding on the local trail (where the old-man-in-straw-hat ripping too)

I would like to see how it would cope on Megaavalanche, not from where you might as well use Cantilevers...
  • 3 0
 It's not like we WANT to worry about them brakes, but...
  • 2 1
 "Avid brakes help Curtis ride fast"

They've made my day Big Grin

That's way I prefer Magura Louise BATs, Hayes Mags or Grimeca Sys8 - they works.
  • 4 1
 for sure they help him to ride fast

a non-braking brake don't reduce your speed, that's what make you riding fast, but it's not really safe ! Big Grin
  • 1 1
 So clean, it makes me sick. Look at me having my very special coffee at my very special cafeteria and then I go and ride my favorite smooth trail in my clean outfit with my carbon bike.
  • 4 5
 That was the weakest video of the month, PB/Specialized/Avid/Keene. Over a minute of Curtis derping around and riding sidewalks and streets? Slo mo when unnecessary? Sped up when unnecessary? Try again. Lame.
  • 1 0
 Such an inspirational video...not for the publicity...for the ride itself...loved it
  • 1 0
 Curtis Keene doesn't worry about his brakes NOT because he's riding Elixirs, but because he doesn't use any !
  • 2 1
 That looked like super fun! Very nice..
  • 1 0
 My Elixirs are awesome...
  • 1 0
 pumped to finish and submit my Chasing Trail video.
  • 1 0
 Brakes....All they do is slow you down! Razz
  • 1 0
 Lame. He's fast I'm sure, but that video was manipulated big time.
  • 1 1
 Are theyTLD moto shorts he was rideing in ?
  • 1 0
 Holy fuck he is fast.
  • 1 0
 shi-ma-no
  • 1 0
 Nice riding
  • 3 5
 Looks like he's having a nightmare getting that 29" through those tight turns.....
  • 6 1
 Did it really? Or are you just a Avid 29er hater? He handled the corners just fine.
  • 1 0
 Joke. That's typically what the 29" haters always say.







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