SRAM has released a Technical Bulletin concerning possible excessive vibration or resonance that some Elixir equipped bikes have developed. So far the bulletin which was issued in January and this week was made public to dealers, is more of a heads up to dealers due to the fact that it seems not all frame and brake combinations are affected. It is also noted in the bulletin that the issue is not consistent across the same combination of product meaning you and a buddy could have the same bike, and only one of you could have an issue. The service bulletin covers all currently available models of the Elixir brake.
Hit more to see what measures SRAM and Avid are taking to fix the issue…
To help combat the unwanted vibrations and concerns of excessive pad wear, Avid has introduced a revised rotor for the affected brakes and or frame/brake combination’s. Obviously the new rotor has zero cut-outs to eliminate the possibility for pads to catch the leading edges, and cause said vibrations. SRAM is also sending out new sets of organic compound disc brake pads that are to be swapped out in conjunction with the new rotors. It is imperative that the rotors and pads be replaced at the same time, or the stock sintered pads can contaminate the new rotors. In addition SRAM has issued further detailed instructions on set up and bedding in of the new pads and rotors including:
- Making sure pistons are smooth and clean
- Ensure all mounting points/hardware/bolts are clean and torqued properly
- Ensure all frame suspension pivots are properly torqued (there should be no slop or “play” in frame
- Be sure to bed new pads in properly: To safely achieve optimal results, remain seated on the bike during the entire bed-in procedure. Accelerate the bike to a moderate speed, then firmly apply the brakes until you are at walking speed. Repeat approximately twenty times. Next, accelerate the bike to a faster speed. Then very firmly and suddenly apply the brakes until you are at walking speed. Repeat
approximately ten times. Important: do not lock up the wheels at any point during the bed-in procedure. Allow the brakes to cool prior to any additional riding.
Having been an early adopter of the Elixir brakes, I was concerned at first that the new rotors were going to be substantially heavier (it is hardened steel after all) than the previous G2 rotors that came stock with the Elixir brakes. After a trip to the digital scale, I was happy to see that the G3 185 rotor was less than 20 grams heavier than the 185 G2 rotor, and that is fine by me. After installing the new pads and rotors on my Elixir CR equipped Gary Fisher Roscoe, I was floored by the difference the new rotors and pads made. After a season of hard riding on the stock brakes, I have to admit the feel of the rotors did concern me. True to form though, SRAM came through in the end with a solid (pun intended) fix to the matter.
When pushing the limits of technology to create the best parts available there are bound to be set backs along the way – but it’s nice to see a company like SRAM that admits their shortcomings and truly helps until the customer is satisfied. If you are having issues with your Elixirs, instead of contacting SRAM, hop on in to your local bike shop and let them take care of you. If they haven’t heard of the issue, tell ’em BikeRumor sent you!
