SRAM Level T Brakes: Customer Review

Here in this review, one of our customers Jason Martinez writes about his new Sram Level T brakes mounted up on his fat bike. Let's see what he thinks!

SRAM Level T Disc Brakes: Great grip, a little squeaky in the cold.

Overview

When looking brakes, I about lost my mind. There are just so many damn options. You’ve got Shimano, Hope, Sram….the list goes on. Since this was my first bike build, I decided to play it safe. I just got the brakes that normally came stock on the Salsa Beargrease GX Eagle. The Sram Level T’s are about a mid-level XC hydraulic brake. More stopping power then the standard Level’s, but less than the higher-priced Level TL’s. While the Level T’s are meant to be paired with Sram’s Center Line disc rotor, I went with Hope Floating Disc’s (in blue, to match my Hope hubs).

I didn’t install these myself, but the tech who did didn’t mention any issues. Sram parts are on just about everything, so instructions and tools (like brake bleed kits) are everywhere. You can probably borrow what you need from the buddy who does all his own maintenance (everyone has at least one friend like this). These brakes are on the heavier side, so if you’re looking to save weight, it would probably be worth moving up to the lighter TL’s for another $20 or so.

Performance

The performance so far has been good. Plenty of bite (especially in the front), and the levers, while small, are easy to find and pull, even with my 45NRTH Sturmfist 5 gloves on. I do get some squeak when riding in the snow, but that might just be the brakes and discs breaking in.

Final Thoughts

My only other recent experience was with some Shimano XT brakes, and while they had acceptable performance, they weren’t nearly as comfortable in the hand for long downhill sections. They also required more force to pull the lever than the Sram Level T brakes. Sram also makes plenty of adapter brackets, so you can increase or decrease the rotor size if your frame can handle it. All in all, these are great, affordable brakes that I recommend as a good starting point for XC and trail riders.