Review: Epic Bleed solutions universal kit

I do like getting goodies through the post and when they come with a packet of Haribos even better! The goodies in question is a universal bleed kit from Epic Bleed Solutions along with a hose cutter and a bleed block kit.

Like every part of our bikes, the brakes need maintenance to keep them working correctly and judging by the regular posts on most forums many people regard brake bleeding as some kind of dark art! In reality, it's pretty easy to do with the right tools for the job and good instructions (even the dreaded Avids and Formulas).

I have been using Epic Bleed Solutions kits for a couple of years now and in that time have bled Avids, Formulas, Hopes, Tektro and Shimano all with the minimum of fuss, as long as you follow the guides and don't try and take shortcuts! Their website has how to videos and guides as well as a blog offering tips and updates, customer service is excellent with Alex Mansell responding quickly to any questions either by e-mail or via Facebook and for that reason alone they get a thumbs up from me.

The universal kit contains everything you need to bleed Avid, Bengal, Clarks, Formula, Giant, Hayes, Hope, Magura, RockShox Reverb, Shimano (including 2012-onwards) and Tektro. So if you have more than one type of brakes on your bikes the universal kit is a no brainer at £19.99 compared to the genuine Avid kit at £22.49 from Chain Reaction and if you have a Reverb as well it makes even more sense.

Here's what you get in the kit

• 2x Locking syringes
• 1x EBT/aspiration syringe
• 2x Venting tube
• 1x Injection tubing with locking adaptor
• 4x Brass bleed adaptor
• 1x Shimano 2012-onwards master cylinder bleed adaptor
• 2x Tube clamps
• 2x Cable ties
• 1x Elastic band
• 3x Torx screwdriver bit

The only extra tools you need is a driver for the torx bits and pad separator to push the pistons back(or a flat blade screwdriver/tyre lever).

The bleed block spacer kit is used to prevent contamination of the pads by replacing them and comprises of 5 blank credit cards for you to cut up, a tube of super glue and an elastic band to hold it in place while you bleed your brakes. My first thought was I could just use a bit of wood why do I need to spend £4.99 on some bits of plastic? But in reality I end up wasting loads of time and feeling like Goldylocks looking for a bit that's "just right"! So unless you have the correct bleed blocks for your calipers it makes sense to use one of these kits.

I was pleasantly surprised by the hose cutter as I was expecting it to be the same as the superstar one I had previously, which had done the job but broke after a few uses. Although a similar design it is much more robust and seems to be made from better quality materials, time will tell but at £5.99 it makes shortening your hoses a doddle.

As for the Haribos, I was very disappointed to see they where super mix and not tangfastics, a point I will be raising with Mr Mansell!

Overall these are a worthwhile addition to your toolbox and with a little practice, you could become the local brake guru! Judging by a recent post on the Moredirt forum offering payment in beer in return for a bleed, you could be a very merry guru indeed!

You can check out the full range of bleed kits and accessories by clicking on the link here www.epicbleedsolutions.com

Photos: Adam Gerwin Wheeler