Shimano SLX Brakes [Rider Review]

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for. 

Good brakes are a massive confidence booster on the bike. If the rider knows that their brakes will allow them to stop on a dime, it allows the rider to explore new limits. Our friend, Thomas, just installed some new Shimano SLX brakes. See what they think!

Overview

My 2016 Santa Cruz 5010 was in need of a brake upgrade after my old brakes failed to slow me down during a recent ride on a local trail. Any long descent led to a white knuckle experience. The levers were squishy and just did not inspire much confidence which was a safety issue. The original brakes were 2 piston entry level Shimanos that had a squeaking problem that I could not solve even with a change in pads.

I finished that ride thinking about getting an entirely new bike. After looking at the prices of new bikes and experiencing sticker shock, I looked at just upgrading the brakes since I was happy overall with the rest of my bike. After extensive online research of all the different brands, two-piston vs four-piston, etc. I settled on the 4 piston Shimano SLX brakes m7120, which reviews said offered the same braking power and modulation as the more expensive XT and XTR models at a lower price point. The use of mineral oil and Shimano's easy brake bleeding process were also pluses. I turned to Worldwide Cyclery which had both front and rear brakes in stock and I had purchased from them in the past.

After receiving them quickly in the mail I opened the box and noticed that the levers were a big improvement since they are a one-piece design and have tool free reach adjustment. The calipers are a nice size and seem robust enough to handle abuse. The m7120 calipers came with finned metallic pads, which was a nice upgrade from the resin pads I had previously.

It was my first time installing brakes but the process was surprisingly easy as long as you had the right tools on hand (brake hose cutters, barb press tool, various size Allen wrenches, spare mineral oil, Shimano bleed funnel, small crescent wrench). I also needed zip ties since my rear brake line was still externally routed. The brakes were already prefilled with mineral oil and the olive was already pre-installed. After measuring the hoses twice and cutting them, I inserted the hoses into the levers and tightened them down on the nut. Everything was tight and there were no leaks detected. The mounts for the levers were different from my old brakes so I had to rearrange the location of my front shifter and seat dropper lever, which wasn't a big deal. Once everything was set up, I topped off the mineral oil with a quick funnel bleed and the lever feel was firm.

Final Thoughts 

On my first ride with the new brakes, the increase in stopping power was immediately felt. Enough so that I will hold off on upgrading my 180mm rotors to 203mm. The brake squeal was gone as well and the modulation was excellent and did not have the on/off feel that Shimano brakes are known to have. Confidence in downhill portions was greatly improved and actually had to worry about locking up the brakes with the additional braking power on hand. Overall it was a worthwhile upgrade that brought life back to my old ride.