Skip to main content

Shimano Saint M820 brakes


SHIMANO’S FLAGSHIP DH brake delivers vast amounts of smoothly controlled, reliably heatproofed power, but it’s not totally niggle-free.

The lever mixes an XTR body with the tougher SLX lever blade for smoothly squeezed control of the vast four-pot brake power. The Servo Wave cam increases pad retraction so the big calliper is still easy to set up rub-free and reliability is excellent.

The radical Stegosaurus-finned pads and pastry-crust radiator section on the Ice Tech FREEZA rotors reduce heat on long drags. The latter are overkill for the UK, but the brake-only option (234S) lets you use your own discs.

Some of our testers preferred the more abrupt feel of the previous Saint brake though, and the bite point adjustment is barely noticeable.

WEIGHT 474g
POWER 146Nm

PRICE: 327$






Popular posts from this blog

KONA SHRED

With a reputation for no-nonsense ruggedness and a background in the always progressive and punishing riding of Canada, Kona have been building hardcore hardtails for longer than almost anyone else. The Shred is the most expensive bike on test but it’s a proper trail tank.

Nukeproof Vector AM Comp Cro-Mo saddle

The Vector AM is pretty race focused, with minimal padding. There’s a deep (if narrow) pressurerelief channel to keep the blood flowing where it’s meant to. Used with bib shorts, we found it pretty comfortable for shorter rides and suffered no pain or discomfort in the central region. On steep climbs the slightly downturned nose provides a reasonable forward perch, while the svelte profile and smooth edges make it particularly unobtrusive when moving about on the descents. It’s quite stiff though, and can feel harsh on long rides or bumpy ground. We definitely wouldn’t want to spend much time on it without a chamois. It’s heavier than we’d expect for such a lightly padded perch too. There’s a lighter Pro version with titanium rails for $105, but at 241g it’s only 10g lighter. Weight 251g Price $67

GT Zaskar Evolution

While some bike models last just a couple of years, others change with the times to stay at the top of riders’ wishlists. In the second part of this series looking at the evolution of bikes that enjoy enduring popularity with UK riders, we turn to the GT Zaskar – a bike that was at the forefront of our sport for a long time and still has plenty of appeal today.

Cannondale Trail SL 29 SS

The fat aluminium tubes are a constrast to the skinny items seen elsewhere in the test, but this rigid Cannondale uses them to create one of the most old-school - and lightest - rides here.

Merida Big Seven 100

We've rolled up to our local woods, with a meandering blue trail, some natural wooded tracks and a bit of fire road chucked into the mix to see how the Big Seven 100 tackles trails that entry-level riders are likely to cut their teeth on.