SRAM Level Disc Brake and Lever A1 [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. 

If there is one single mountain bike component that can have a massive impact on how a ride can go it's the brakes you are running. Overheating, brake fade, amount of power, and feel are some benefits from good brakes. Our friend John shares some thoughts on the SRAM Level Disc Brake and Lever A1. Check it out!

Overview

I purchased this SRAM Level A1 disc brake set for a conversion V-brake to disc conversion that I did on my 90's mountain bike. I've got to be honest, the main reason that I landed on this lever/caliper set up is that it was the cheapest set that I could find. I was going for an absolute budget conversion, and this set up certainly helped. I paired it with the cheapest 180mm disc rotor and disc specific hub that I could find and I was looking like I could make this conversion happen for pretty cheap. The first pleasant surprise with this purchase came during the build phase. The lever and caliper come pre-bled and loaded with brake pads already, making the whole brake system completely bolt-on once you add on the 180 mm post-mount adapter.

The fact that these brakes came pre-bled really helped keep my build cost down as I didn't have to fork out extra cash for a bleed kit, or take it to the local bike shop.

Once I got the build finished I was up and running with my new set up! I have been riding this SRAM brake set up for a little over a month now and I am very pleasantly surprised with how well this brake system works. I honestly was not expecting super high performance from this brake kit, given that it was the absolute cheapest that I could find, but the improvement is spectacular. It is hard to beat the performance you get from even the most basic hydraulic brakes compared to V-brakes. I am still running V-brakes on the rear of my bike, and even with only from disc brakes the improvement is huge. It just goes to show that you do not have to break the bank to get high quality brake performance on your bike.

The stock pads that came in the calipers have been working flawlessly and give a nice solid bit now that they have been thoroughly bedded in. Also the levers have an adjustable lever pull, so I was able to dial in my cockpit set up and get the lever in the perfect spot very easily. The kit also came with a good amount of extra bits to get set up with. It included a second barb/olive set, as well as the tiny torx wrench needed to get them on and off if you do need to shorten your hoses. I didn't end up needed them as the hose length was pretty good out of the box, but it's nice to know I've got some spares laying around. Also the caliper came with a plastic spacer to put in place when the wheel is out, which is nice to have for any sort of travel.

Final Thoughts

Overall I would say if you are on the fence about upgrading to hydraulic due to price concerns, this is the answer to your prayers. It gives you all the benefits of great hydraulic disc brake performance without the added price, and it doesn't take too much mechanical know-how to get up and running since everything comes pre-connected and pre-bled. I definitely buy this again.