2013 Zee

Pros:

• Inexpensive
• Good power
• Able to use finned Shimano Pads
• Good Adjustability
• Easy Bleeding

Cons:

• Inconsistent “biting point”
• Need allen key to adjust lever position
• If you like your brake lever close to the handlebar, you’ll have to take the break off and pump it a few times because the lever seems to gradually move itself in in the close position.

2013 Saint M820

Pros:

• Great power
• Full and tool free lever adjustability
• Easy bleeding
• More consistent power and “biting point”

Cons:

• Expensive
• Can’t buy individual parts (i.e. bladder, seal kit)

Bottom Line

Both the Zee’s and Saint brakes work great. Bleeding is quick and easy, and they both come with Shimano’s new finned brake pads that distribute heat better than the standard pads.  If you are an average rider who gets out to the park on weekends or even hard-core riders who race over the summer months, Shimano Zee brakes are an excellent choice. They are very adjustably and offer good stopping power. If you are racing every single weekend and are serious about it, then maybe spending the extra money to get the Saint M820’s might be worth it because of the increased consistency in power and strength.

In Depth Review

After opening the package from TBS Bike Parts, I was instantly excited to put my new Shimano Zee brakes on my bike. After riding a week or so with my old Avid Elixers, I realized that they weren’t giving me the stopping power that I needed. I had never really cared much about my brakes until this past year. As long as they worked moderately well, I was fine with it. Racing changed that though. As odd as it might seem to non-bikers, good brakes actually make you faster. It allows you to slow down quicker in turns and also makes it easier to drift in the steep corners. I wasn’t getting that luxury with the Elixers.

Zee First Impression: I put the Zee’s on my Demo 8 and they looked great. I couldn’t wait to hop on my bike and try them out. After riding around in the parking garage, I noticed that compared to the Elixers, they seemed to feel like they needed to be bled, but once you pulled the levers, they stopped quite quickly. My brother who had been using Shimano Saint since the beginning of the year assured me that it was just the way that Shimano brakes felt. I was quite annoyed that they didn’t feel like I Imagined or wanted them to feel, but I was still excited to actually use them on the trails.

Saint M820 First Impressions: I wouldn’t have gone with Shimano Saint brakes if they didn’t come on the bike that I’ve been riding for almost a month now. They felt quite similar to the Zee brakes, but they seemed to catch and lock quicker and easier than the Zee’s. I also didn’t have to take the brake off and pump the calipers together every day. For the most part, the levers stay where you leave them.

First Days With Zee’s: Unfortunately, we had a sudden down pour at Silverstar and my first day on these breaks were in muddy, cold, and wet conditions. After getting the first couple “adjustment runs” as I call them, I was ready to see what they could really do. My brother and I decided to go down one of the steeper trails on Silverstar called Downtown. The brakes worked great compared to the Elixers. They weren’t squeaky or loud in the rain, and my previous issues about them being soft and not being able to stop was put to rest. Compared to the Elixers, the bike stopped much quicker and there wasn’t as much of the tires slowing down before they started to skid. As the park dried out, the brakes continued to feel better and better as I got used to them.

First Days With Saints: The same was true with testing the Saint brakes at Whistler. It was muddy, really cold, and wet. I found that I couldn’t bring the levers in as much on the Saint’s as I could with the Zee’s, but It was far enough for me, plus didn’t need an Alen Key to do it. I found that the second adjustment, the free stroke, on the Saint that the Zee didn’t have didn’t actually do much. The Saint’s seemed to grab and stop quicker than the Zee’s and had equal if not more power.

Dislikes Zee: Over time, I noticed that every day I had to take the brake off the rotor and pump the lever to bring the lever out. Now I like the lever pretty close to the handlebars unlike most people. If you like your brakes close, you’ll have this problem. Even after multiple bleeds, the calipers seem to push themselves back into the brake housing if you like your brakes close to the handlebars. If you keep the levers out, they work great and you don’t need to do this.

Dislikes Saint: Unlike the Zee’s, taking the brake off the rotor and pumping the lever to bring the calipers closer together didn’t work. I read on a forum that you had to bleed them without the bleed block and the calipers pushed slightly together or shave down your bleed block. I tried doing this and it worked. The brakes were perfectly set up how I wanted them. I have also just recently broke (ie: hitting a tree at high speed) my rear brake lever and unfortunately, I have to buy a whole new brake. Nobody sells the individual lever assembly.

In conclusion, both the Zee’s and Saint brakes work great. Bleeding is quick and easy and isn’t required as often as Avid brakes. I will have a video showing you how to bleed Saint brakes, but the procedure is exactly the same on the Zee’s. Both Zee’s and Saint M820’s  come with Shimano’s new finned brake pads that distribute heat better than the standard ones, but they are quite a bit more expensive. I have also been experimenting with Brake Authority brake pads and I will soon be comparing those to the standard Shimano pads in a future post. If you are just a normal rider who gets out to the park on weekends or even hard-core riders who race over the summer months, Shimano Zee brakes are an excellent choice. They have great power, good adjustably, and they have good stopping power. If you are racing every single weekend and are serious about it, then maybe spending the extra money to get the Saint M820’s might be worth it because of the increased consistency in power and strength.