The Sram "Level Ultimate" is the new flagship cross-country brake. It combines the proven technology of the Guide brake with lightweight construction for racing use. The two-piston brake boasts carbon levers and small parts made from titanium.

According to Sram, the brake is also suitable for "light trail riding". We interpret this statement a little differently and send the lightest Ride employee (65 kilograms) out on the trails. To be on the safe side, the wheels are fitted with 180 millimeter discs, as our form of cross-country often involves a lot of Elevation loss.

Mounting

Fitting a disc brake really doesn't require any great technical skills. If you have the right tools to shorten the lines and a bleed kit to hand, it can be done in just a few minutes. We didn't need the latter, even though we had to shorten the lines.

Cross Country Plus

We have gotten to know and love the big brother Guide over the past two years. The lighter level has broadly similar braking characteristics. It is slightly less sensitive in terms of modulation and its braking power is not quite as high. For a cross-country brake, however, it still bites hard. In the first weeks of testing in the lowlands, the Level showed itself from its best side and decelerated flawlessly.

So it was time to put it to the test in the Alps. We weren't sure what Sram meant by "easy trail riding". Anyway, we put a trail weekend in Davos on the test plan. On the first day we covered 4,000 vertical meters downhill, and almost as many again on the second day. The Level Ultimate didn't let itself be impressed at all on the first day and remained absolutely stable even on long descents. On the second day, we went all out. A supposed single trail with an altitude difference of around 900 meters turned out to be a pure gravel road. It was steep and the pace was high. Continuous braking was the order of the day, which brought the levels to a boil. The pressure point slowly moved closer to the handlebars, but the brakes remained firm until the last 30 meters of altitude. Only in the last two bends was there hardly any braking power left. This endurance test meant that the lever travel was significantly longer for the rest of the day. But after a break of around 40 minutes, we were already on the next mountain and on the next three descents, each with a good 1,000 meters of altitude difference - on single trails, mind you - the Level braked perfectly again.

Conclusion

The Level Ultimate is a reliable cross-country brake that can withstand the odd "tough trail ride". However, if you weigh significantly more than a racer and, like us, like to destroy a few thousand meters a day on the downhill, you should look to Sram's Guide brake to be on the safe side. However, racers and recreational cross-country bikers can go for it without any worries, because with the Level Ultimate you get a lot of brake for fair money.

www.sram.com