The over riding one of these two has been supply. A year or so ago (not long after Avid got bought out by SRAM) the UK importer changed, these boys have really never been able to get their head around Avid. They were essentially a "nuts and bolts" supplier who started taking on "premium" brands. Now they were getting it together, then the owners sold the company in a management buyout who had the backing of an investment bank. Since then supply has been shocking. We struggled all of last year to get spares. Dispite lots of talk I see nothing changing in 07.

Next is quality. It's simply not what it used to be. My own first gen Juicy7's are still perfect, no rusting on any of the bolts or fixings, in the last 4 years they've been bled once, and they have never let me down. Sadly the same could not be said for the Juicy range last year. Who has a set of 05/06 Juicys that have not got rusty bolts/fixings? Very few of you i suspect. When SRAM took over they immediately went on a cost cutting exercse with the brakes, trying to maker them as cheaply as possible and it eventually started showing. Sure they bought the prices of them down, but personally I'd rather pay a bit more and get the better product.

In the latter part of last year we in the shop started seeing more issues than we're happy with, and due to the supply problems they took an age to sort out. So, in the end we felt we could no longer stand over them, we won't sell a product we don't have 100% faith in. So, sadly, goodbye Avid :-(

So why Shimano? Well it's not cus they Sponsor the team. That came about after we decided to run with them for 07. In the last year or so the brakes have evolved, they've got better and got a hell of a lot cheaper. They are easy to bleed, easy to setup, easy to fix if they go wrong, parts are easy and cheap to get (1 Avid lever is about £50, two Shimano levers about the same!), best of most Shimano brakes now come as a one size caliper and use different adaptors to fit different size rotors for front or rear fitting. Meaning they are extemely adaptable.

So, there you have it. RC no longer stocks Avid brakes (although we will continue to stock spares, adaptors, pads, bleed kits etc. and to offer support on the brakes we've sold in the last year or so.) We now stock Shimano!

We've set up the Shimano systems to make them as easy as poss to understand and buy. there is a simple pricing structure (one price regardless of rotor size) and our systems all come fully setup, fully bled and with everything in the box you need to get you going. Installation is free too.

Pricing is XT at £200 a set and LX at £160. In all the normal 6 bolt rotor sizes. More here. I'll be sorting Saint and Hone systems too soon.

Cheers.