XT M739 v STX RC V Brakes ?

[widowmaker]

I was looking for a set of XT M739 V brakes and levers, I have found a set of STX RC v brakes from another unfinished build.

Having never ridden a bike with STX RC v brakes how do they compare to XT in terms of performance.

 

[hamster]

You wouldn't be able to tell the difference in the dark.

 

[d8mok]

The XT ones would be far more noticeable ……….

They would rattle

 

[widowmaker]

I guess I'm getting a little bit of a snob, always going to XT

I have weighed a set of STX RC with pads and they seem heavy at 230 grams, a set of Avid Single digit 7 are 175 grams.

 

[d8mok]

To be fair I think XT M739 are best brakes they made for the money. But they all rattle unless you get a almost unused pair.

 

[enigma]

The stx ones look a lot like the original lx, and the reason I went xt on my rim brake bikes, was if they are set up well, I found you get no sharpness to the initial bite, no squeaking, which may also be pads of course, ( I use ritchey or kool stop cartridge pads.. ) and the levers are the nicest levers, prior to this, as a lad at college back in the day I bought some avid levers, which are very similar and certainly much better than the stx ones, significantly cheaper than xt ones, still are I expect.
So depending on use, I agree in terms of ultimate stopping no difference, maybe a little less refined... but I couldn't use the stx levers as I cannot stand them...! I think the avid levers came with the 1.9 basic avid v brakes of the late nineties..

 

[widowmaker]

Thanks for the wealth of info/experience. The stubby STX levers are not a natural shape for me, difficult to explain why though.

I'll slap on the NOS Avids and go from there.

 

[madjh]

I don´t like the system to adjust the brake pads. They don´t feel like the XT (probably because the brake pads are quite different or something like that, or the brake levers etc all in all STX RC was not as good as the XT). But if you find the M600 or LX, they are near the same as the XT but without the paralelogram. Nice quiality, not plastic in some places etc And they are cheap.

 

[Chopper the ex Copper]

I guess I'm getting a little bit of a snob, always going to XT

I have weighed a set of STX RC with pads and they seem heavy at 230 grams, a set of Avid Single digit 7 are 175 grams.

You actually worry about the weight of one and a half slices of toast? Youll weigh 400 grams more by virtue of not having a forest gump before going for a ride, but worry about 55 grams...

Im a hard test of brakes because of my weight and I've always found STX brakes to be very good. Up until now STX RC gear has been inexpensive because the snobs weren't interested, but that seems to be changing of late.

 

[widowmaker]

I'm not worried about 55 grams did I say I was ?

It was purely an observation compared to a set of Avids I have. They are the only v brakes I have (recently) felt off the bike and the STX RC were heavier than I expected.