SRAM G2 R Disc Brake and Lever [Rider Review]

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for.

SRAM offer a wide range of their G2 brakes. From budget friendly G2 R brakes all the way to the top of the line materials on their G2 Ultimate's. Our friend, Bill, just slapped on some G2 R brakes. See what they think!

Overview

I used the SRAM G2 R's on my winter aggressive hardtail build and so far they've fit the bill perfectly. I have a full suspension trail bike that I love for summer, but I didn't want to deal with suspension in freezing temps. Fatbikes are popular up here in AK, but I'm not really tryin' to slog thru fresh snow to a glacier. I wanted to ride the same trails I do in the summer (jumps, banks, and all) and I don't mind waiting a couple of days for it to get groomed or packed down.

So I landed on NS Eccentric Alum 29 frame with 3.0x27.5 studded tires 45NRTH Wrathchilds. I'd run these tires before on my full squish before, and I knew they gripped ice like a MF (that was before I blew my rear suspension in freezing temps) and the slack geo seemed like it would give me confidence on the DHs. Feeling good going fast is cool and all, but you also gotta know you can stop so...

For brakes, it was a toss-up between mechanical and hydraulic. Nothing seems to work quite as well in colder temps, and I have a lot of friends who swear by the reliability of BB7s and are leary of the effects of freezing temps on hydraulic fluids. I also planned on riding this bike a bit in the summer, and would definitely prefer hydraulics for that so I dug a little deeper. Velo News has a killer article on disc brakes in cold weather and there wasn't 100% consensus but DOT fluid brakes (SRAM) generally performed just fine compared to mechs; mineral oil brakes (Shimano) Not so much. So I decided to take a chance with SRAM.

I have Level Ts on my trail bike which honestly never felt like they gave me the braking power I wanted. They would do OK with new pads and a fresh bleed, but as the pads wore down I felt like they'd quickly lose power. I tried metal pads but they were super loud, so I've just been going thru 1 or 2 organic pads per season. For my new bike, I decided to do a bit of an upgrade and try the G2 Rs. I'm super stoked I did. I believe they come with metal pads, but they've been quiet even going through snow and mud. They also have way more stopping power than the Level Ts (not that it's fair to compare an XC and Enduro brake).

Installation was easy, and a spare olive was included so you can cut the excess hose away for a nice clean cockpit.

I didn't even perform a bleed afterward. The tool-less reach adjust is a bit unnecessary IMO. I really don't mind using a hex wrench for the one time I set up my reach...and the G2s adjustment dial is plastic and feels cheap. That said it works and I don't think I'll be breaking the dials anytime soon.

Final Thoughts

I have about 150-200 summer miles on the bike so far and 45 winter miles and it's been a blast. These brakes definitely have me planning to upgrade my Level Ts to something similar...maybe the G2 RS or RSC. If you're like me and unfamiliar with SRAM's naming convention, R= Reach Adjust, S=Swing Link, and C=Contact point adjustment. Those extra perks are tempting, but I think the G2Rs are a great balance of cost v performance and I'd get them again in a heartbeat too.