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Shimano Deore XT Servo Wave Disc Brakes
James - 17th February 2008
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Just before Christmas we showed you some of the new offerings Shimano had up their sleeve, including bringing Servo Wave technology to their hydraulic disc brakes. Servo Wave has been around a while but its only now its made it to disc brakes, in theory the idea is very simple and should prove effective.
Basically Servo Wave is a leverage link located in the lever, a very small movement of the lever brings the pad into contact with the rotor, and once the pads touch the power increases much faster, resulting in a claimed 20% increased power over the usual systems. Manufacturer claimed weights are 128g for a pair of levers, and 223g for a pair of calipers.
Our review set came with 180mm rotors which were smaller than the 203mm (8") we'd taken off, but despite this they still offered the same amount of power, the Servo Wave system providing useful modulation at slower speeds while also throwing down the anchors when needed. The system is available in 160, 180 and 203mm rotors, in both six bolt and Centre Lock.
We've been testing these brakes for a couple of months now, and while the system is good on paper it does take a lot of getting used to. I've only ever used the method where the lever travel equals the pad movement, so adjusting to a variable leverage rate can be very confusing. I handed the bike over to a few of the locals to try out, and while some loved the different modulation characteristics, others hated them.
Of course this isn't fixed in stone, it's just as easy to run a Deore XT caliper, with a regular, simple XT lever.
The lever itself is easy to use, comparable in comfort to some of the aftermarket options available with a nice wide blade, and the reach and contact adjustments are available on the lever, as with nearly all of the disc brake systems nowadays.
The rotors have a very simple design, they have a triangular head with the usual Torx screw, also included is a set of tab washers designed to ensure the bolts don't release; we've never had a problem with using Loctite but tab washers do offer another safe guard.
The general consensus was that it is really a try before you buy item.. Markus Stoeckl set the land speed record on a bike with a set of 203mm Servo Wave brakes, they have the power, modulation and looks to be a winner, but just have a go beforehand to decide between Servo Wave and regular levers; don't jump straight in after new technology because you may come to regret it.
The Shimano Deore XT Servo Wave system retails for £100 front and £105 rear. 2007 marked the 25th anniversary of the Deore XT groupset, and this is surely the revamp Shimano needed in order to compete with the wide range of brakes now available, definitely worth a look if you want low maintenance, high performance hydraulic brakes on a budget.
Visit Ultimate Pursuits for the full range, or Shimano for more detailed information.
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