Market: With the Guide, Sram launched a powerful all-round brake last year. This did not completely close the gap to the competitors. Now the successor and the premium version of the Guide, the Guide Ultimate, has been presented.
'Ultimate' should be familiar to die-hard Sram fans. A few years ago there was a brake with this addition, the Avid Juicy Ultimate. Back then it was the brake that everyone wanted to ride. Excellent design, braking power at its finest and carbon levers - in the world of disc brakes, it was pure sex. Sram now seems to want to tie in with this time again and awakens the 'Ultimate'.
Externally there are only minor differences to the normal Sram Guide. Especially on the handlebars there is little that is new. Only the carbon lever lets you guess which beast is working here. These in combination with titanium screws ensure the first weight loss of the brake. The big innovations, however, are on the brake caliper. The S4 brake caliper was scrutinized and optimized in particular with regard to heat management. With three small but fine changes, the heat generated under maximum load could be reduced by 20 degrees. This is achieved on the one hand by a new brake piston with a plastic insert and on the other hand by installing a stainless steel heat shield between the brake pad and the brake caliper. Furthermore, the recess on the back of the rubber has been enlarged, which has significantly improved air circulation.
But not only the heat management is at the highest level. Probably the biggest highlight seems to be the new 'Bleeding Edge' bleeding system of the brakes. A small component is attached to the brake caliper and the system can be bled and filled.
By inserting the component, a non-return valve is pushed aside and the hydraulic system is released. The system can currently only be used on the new Guide Ultimate, but shows the direction in which the service process will develop.
The brake discs are also new. For the first time you can also see brake discs with spiders at Sram. The two-part component is said to be 20 grams lighter thanks to the aluminum spider and also has better heat dissipation.
The total weight of the brake including screws and disc is 360 euros, similar to the price. You will have to shell out 300 euros per brake plus the 80 euros for the Centerline brake disc.