Yup, I had Hayes Strokers on my downhill bike and they screamed like a 12 year old banshee at a 1 Direction concert. It got to the point where it was ruining my rides. Replaced them with hope.
+10000 for shimano brakes. I have a couple of sets of deores that are still going strong and have had XTs on two different bikes without issue.
I have also used avids a bit and thought they were good too but can be a bit noisy.
Hopes are nice if you enjoy spending money.
Had Hayes before, they were absolutely fucking horrid. Would never own again. I ended up throwing them in the bin. Hideous stopping power as well as mad howling.
Also, anyone used TRP HY/RD’s before?
Nope why would you?
Cos promising. Hydro modulation and power with cable setup and levers.
Best of both worlds / worst of both worlds, depending on your priorities.
Seems according to Blakey et al that the new Shimano hydro is the way to go for road/cross discs. The levers are so ugly though that they’d almost tempt me towards a cable/hydro hybrid, with the benefit of any road shifters. But I’ve seen way too many people say that once you’ve gone hydro you never go back.
The levers won’t seem so ugly in a couple of years when they’re ubiquitous. Function > form anyway hey Alex.
True. “Almost tempted”, but yeah, nah, full hydraulic seems the way to go.
Shimano RS785 vs Sram Hydro22 - any major differences?
shimano is better.
i’ll add because the above is a bit useless.
1, if you are complaining about aesthetics of shimano levers i dont know how you could consider sram.
2, the shimanos are a shitload easier to bleed and set up.
3, shimano 11 > Sram (sorry, not sorry)
4, i reckon they brake better.
Mountain bike direct currently have XT brakes for $125 an end. Non series hydraulic shimano for $45.
http://www.mountainbikesdirect.com.au/shimano-br-m785-deore-xt-disc-brake
http://www.mountainbikesdirect.com.au/shimano-m446-m505-disc-brake
That is cheaper than my first XT v brakes, back in '96.
I prefer the look of Sram levers and cranks over Shimano. Entirely personal though.
I’ve also heard that the Sram rotors suck, and DOT brake fluid is pretty nasty stuff, so Shimano wins there too. I was considering Sram for my new CX bike only because I’m used to it on my road bike - but sounds like for discs, Shimano is a no brainer.
i test rode the 685s on a wolverine and holy shit they are good. it was an instant ‘i want these’ moment
i’ve used spyres on 6700 and 10sp force levers and they’re good, but they’re no hydros.
When Blakey gets this excited about something I tend to listen…
Funny how everyone was all like ‘cantis are fine mannn’ until you try discs. Personally I’ll wait a generation or two until they become a lot cheaper, and lighter (Dura Ace brifters mehhhhhh 
)
Okay. I’m gonna chime in and give some comparisons, cos no one here seems to run the newer 4-pot Sram Guide/Trail brakes.
They shit all over shimano (except XTR) for modulation and have just as much power. XTRs are fkn nice and if I had the coin I’d defo run them.
I have M685 SLX brakes on my 29er cos they are so dependable, as other say they just work. However, as a brake on thetrail I much prefer the X7 Trails I have on my Tracer. Not only cos of their modulation and power, but also cos unlike Shimanos they also have no pad slop (which it seems only the XTRs don’t have the slop). I’ve also found that the Trails don’t need the constant bleeding of their older 2-pot cousins. I’ve had 18months without a bleed on the Tracer.
As for hydro road, I am hearing of a lot of the OEM callipers spec’d on Giants and Spesh bikes being warrantied. So maybe not as awesome as all that.
So yeah If I was gonna go out tomorrow and buy some brakes I’d be looking to get some Guides for the trail bike, some Spyres/Spykes for the backpacker, or some Force Hydros for the cross bike.
Sorry not sorry. 
Goddamn it, you know I will now have to get this for my Wolverine
Wait, not Shimano? Why? If you’re going to contradict Blakey I want to hear some reasons!
shimano don’t have a clutch mech that works with road levers. (xtr di2 maybe?)
why, I don’t know, they’re leaving money on the table.
agreed, i got a saint mech about a year ago and the clutch as been on for all of that year, absolute must, no chain slap, dont have to wrap a tube around my chainstay, and its quiet as the dickens.
This sounds more like muppets in the factory not having the right training rather than the product being poor.
Yeah, been thinking I’d like to get a set of Guides for the fat bike to keep matchy matchy.
Good to hear they are at least as good as XT, still reservations about DOT oil though.