Hi,
Im after a new bake brake, from experience, which one is better (for XC use) Shimano XTR M951 (http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=830) or Avid Arch Rival (http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=1182)?

Four hours and nobody else has bothered to reply so here goes. They're both excellent!

I have XTR on one bike and Had Arch Rivals on another (all now a mish-mash of discs and Vee's).

The Avids are quieter and easy to set up but they clog up more in mud because of the arch. XTR are, in my opinion, the better of the two and my personal favourite.

There is a good v-brake test in WMB this month and performance wise it was 9 and 8 in favour of XTR. Value wise, 8 and 7 in favour of Avid.

Having said that, the test was won by the Avid Single Digit SL (9 and 8)

Expense wise - Woolly Hat Shop sell the Arch rivals and Speed Dial 7 levers for £60 a set post free which is where i got mine and is a very good deal. They even threw in all the cabling too.

Of course i'm still happier with my M4 Monos but they are a tad more expensive...

Thanks alot, i think ill buy the xtr

theres not much point in me putting a word in for arch rivals then!
i have them, and have used and abused them for 3 years with very few problems. they were my brakes before discs on the mtb, and now stop me on my commuter bike. they are under the mudguards, and so are exposed to all the shit on the roads (which IMO is worse than you get on the trails - salt etc). sure, there is a bit of rust etc, but thats after 3 years use. they require v little looking after and are REALLY powerful for Vs. as for mud, they do get clogged a little easier than XTR.
hope you like the XTRs, they look fantastic!