Shimano BR-M666 SLX Disc Brake Review - BikeRadar

Hot on the heels of new XTR and XT is the revamped SLX brake that has many of the features of its top-end brethren but with less bells and whistles for a more affordable pricetag. After being blown away by XT’s performance, SLX faces a lot of pressure to continue the impressive run.

Both pricing and weight remain roughly flat compared to the previous SLX brake (about £120 per end, excluding mounting hardware, and 990g a pair – 490g rear, 500g front – with full-length hoses, all mounting hardware and 160/180mm rotors), but everything else is changed. The result is a shift from the radial master cylinder of yore to the new compact double-barrelled inline setup and an emphasis on improving power and heat management.

Oversized calliper pistons place more even pressure on the pads, and a swap to full ceramic construction (older ones were aluminium cups with smaller phenolic inserts in the centre) adds further heat resistance. Cooling-fin-equipped disc pads add more weight but are designed to dissipate heat faster than standard pads.

On XT and XTR versions – where heat management features are combined with new Ice Tech rotors (steel/ aluminium/steel disc sandwich) – the heat and brake fade resistance make a difference on the trail, but with SLX it’s harder to determine emphatically without a lab test. But, even on long descents we never had any issues. Standard pads are available.

Read the full review here:
Shimano BR-M666 SLX Disc Brake Review - BikeRadar