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Avid Elixir CR preview
July 2, 2008Published by acadianI've been using various Juicy's on all my bikes for a few years now and have developed a very close bond with them. They are simple, low maintenance, reliable and super easy to bleed and in my opinion were perfect but I guess not perfect enough for the tireless designers and engineers at Avid. I was pleasantly surprised to see Avid launch a totally new brake at the Sea Otter Classic this year the Elixir R.
Miles ShovelPick just recently gave you a good overview of the Elixir R brake earlier this week. Seeing how the Elixir R did not feature Avid's popular pad contact adjustment, I knew there had to be another Elixir model in the works. Well here it is the Elixir CR. Just like the Elixir R the CR model gives you more control, usable power and comfort, but with the addition of a super sweet in-line Pad Contact adjuster and optional Carbon lever. Both the Reach adjuster and Contact Pad adjuster have detents and are tool-free. Each click of the Reach adjuster equals 1mm. The Contact Pad barrel has 24 clicks which is about 2 full turns.   The Elixir CR will be replacing the now discontinued Juicy Carbon. Like mentioned previously, the Juicy Carbon are pretty sweet brakes, but not perfect. Some of the master cylinder internal parts, like the rubber seals, had a tendency to wear out prematurely. Not something noticeable to the naked eye but if you bleed your own brakes you've probably noticed some small rubber particles come out the master cylinder every now and again. Over time, this causes sealing and drag issues. The Elixir uses a rolling bladder design, which means the secondary seal on the back is now static and only the front one moves. This reduces drag and seals don't wear out as quickly.  To better manage heat, Avid engineers designed a bigger grooved piston. The grooves allow for additional air flow in the pocketing behind the pad. The pads also have a new shape; therefore older Juicy pads won't work with the new Elixir brakes. I've mentioned this in a previous article but thought I'd mention it again - the pistons rolls in a seal and doesn't actually travel through a cylinder bowl. The seal open up and the piston will rock out, then and as you release the lever the seal pulls the piston back in.  The distance between the push rod and center of the lever pivot has been reduced to give you an effective longer lever. This gives you a slighter softer feel at the beginning of the pull so you don't have to work as hard to create more power toward the end of the pull. So less initial bite and more control throughout the throw of the lever. The Elixir R and CR share the same features, the man differences are the Contact Pad adjustment, Carbon lever blades and Banjo Adjust on the caliper.  The two piece caliper has a bigger top opening allowing for top loading of the pads. The Elixir caliper uses a threaded pad retainer bolt which can be removed using a 2.5mm hex wrench or your RockShox rebound knob. Elixir brakes come with a Bleed Block which has many uses. You can use it while traveling to keep the pads separated. You can use it during the bleeding process to keep your pistons in; just remove the pads and insert the Bleed Block. Last but not least, it can be used to open your pre or post bleed refreshments. I was told intensive R&D was perform wish I was part of that R&D group ;o) Worth mentioning is that the bleeding process is the same as Juicy's and you can use the same bleed kit.  What else? Aftermarket Elixir CR's will come with carbon lever blades while the OE brakes will have the choice of aluminum (as seen in the pictures) or Carbon levers. The power of the Elixir sits halfway between the Juicy and Code, but with better modulation than the Juicy. Convex CPS Hardware washers are now made of stainless. Being harder, they are less likely to deform over time. Carbon lever blades will be available aftermarket. Juicy Carbon blades will not fit Elixir's Breakaway lever with a few mm of reverse throw to prevent damage in the event of a crash The hose stop on the Elixir CR act as a swivel. This means no more winding up of the housing when cutting your lines and tightening the compression nut. DOT 5.1 fluid for better heat management/resistance Price and weight: Elixir CR w/160mm rotor and Carbon Blade: $204 US per wheel Elixir CR w/185mm rotor and Carbon Blade: $208 US per wheel Elixir CR w/205mm rotor and Carbon Blade: $212 US per wheel Available: August 2008   Initial impressions: I got a chance to ride the new Elixir CR brakes and holy powerful batman are they ever strong!! Compared to Juicy's, they have less initial grab but overall have more usable power. The lever feels similar to Juicy's; stiff and crisp. The tools free reach adjuster is a nice feature,especially if you need to do on-the-trail adjustments.  They were silent and no sign of brake shudder. The conditions were dry and the trails we rode were pretty dusty, so they might sound (or maybe not) differently in the wet.  Another great brake from Avid! I'm a bit sad to see the Juicy Carbon go away, but Elixir CR improved look and added features makes, without a doubt, a solid replacement. www.sram.com |
Comments
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andybrown
(July 5, 2008 at 3:45)
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they look like sick brakes!
The contact adjustment is sweet, looks really easy. also it looks like a sweet brake overall.
sexy, i think ill buy one.
i need sum new brakes cuz my hayes suck the nuts, deffinatly gonna get these!!!
i feel that they are a very bed design, especially saying they are a mix between code and juicy, i cant wait to see some idiot come down the mountain with a snapped master cylinder, or at least a smashed pad contact knob
new bits are looking good for next year.
they are okay, but they could make the caliper better looking!
instead of making them look like a hayes
eksakly! it is only formula and hope ho makes nice calipers
and gator, there like 8 piston brakes
but 8 pistons is just overkill
anything with a bottle opener built in has me sold
They don't get much better then that...
What do they use for brake fluid?
I'm surprised if it's anything but DOT 5.1.
They look awesome! I want some!
Elixir is lighter than carbon and is not the version who haves the carbon lever WOOOW
and no Ti hardware. if you get Juicy carbon ti bolt kit, they they will be even lighter.
avids, easy to bleed?! not the 7's,pain in the tits!
if you have the Avid Bleed kit, they are super easy to bleed.
i think these are sick and the bottle opener is just f*ckn hilarious! good job team avid!
They look pretty awesome yeah, nice that brakes are not only being made for raw braking power but also better feel and sensitivity. Can't wait to ride them on my Session 88 next year 
so they have more power then a juicy7 lighter and are less expensive right???
yes. they are in between a juicy 7 and codes.. as for less expensive.. i dont know. i think they might end up around the same price
the prices are right above the weights for all who couldn't find it. looks like i got some new brakes for my demo build next year
i have juicy sevens so im a believer in avid but these look freaking amazing!
i want that G3 rotor on my bike
cool stuff, very compact
i am courious if they managed to reduce the lever wobble that appears by the time you use, it looks promising
i am courious if they managed to reduce the lever wobble that appears by the time you use, it looks promising
when i first saw the reddish bit on the lever assembly i thought it was tape, then i watched the video. good timing for this review...im looking for some new stoppers
ill think of them when im ut for new brakes
they look gay. why does everybody have to have something new! i love my hayes purple's! best brakes ever!
I reali like the new style rotor, looks MINt and good price too!! |^.^
my avid juicy 5's get weak after one run at whistler that the lever hits my handlebar. then i let it sit for 5 minutes and its back to normal. i dont like it!
get them bled properly maybe^^^^
i might just have bad luck or something cuz iv had two pair and theyve broken instantly. but those brakes look pretty cool
they look like ok breaks but im kinda of worried about durability of the lever and the connector it's really small making me wonder if it's able to take a beating and still work lol can any one help me out on my opinion
those l;ook sick whats the price value at?
when do the brakes come out to buy?
It will be available in August 2008.
Such a nice brake! I want them!
Such a nice brake! I want them!
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