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Submitted by
titmouse
a Weekend Warrior
from Lawrenceville, GA USA
Date Reviewed: September 4, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Fort Yargo, GA | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | REI | | Strengths: | Used for rear brake (upgrade from V-brake system) - Good stopping (Note: power braking provided by front system due to physical laws of nature). | | Weaknesses: | Adjustments - pain in the butt! Once adjusted properly (like everything else), brakes work adequately. | | Similar Products Used: | Tektro IO disc, standard V-Brake systems. | | Bottom Line: | Good all around brakes - if you are a weight weinee, then you should look else where. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
lew242
a Cross Country Rider
from China
Date Reviewed: August 7, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | local | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | LBS China | | Strengths: | Good stopping power, good modulation | | Weaknesses: | Stock rotors
BB7 cost a little more but have much better rotors.
Small rotors always get too hot and fade on big hills. | | Similar Products Used: | Some Shimano low-medium end disk brakes. About the same price as these but worse. | | Bike Setup: | hardtail | | Bottom Line: | These brakes are perfectly OK in my opinion in terms of the caliper.
to use the brakes you need:
1. Good levers such as sd7
2. Good (preferably braided cables)
3. Better rotors than stock, maybe better pads too.
4. Some idea of how to maintain things properly
5. Ability to read instructions as how to set them up properly.
6. The knowledge that touching the pad or rotor surface will contaminate the pad or rotor with oil from your skin.
It seems to me that lots of people have no idea what they are doing with these brakes, as they are all coming to these from v-brakes as their first disk.
BB5's need to be maintained, and set up properly, that means you have to change the pads when they become contaminated or sand them off. You also need better rotors than stock, these need to be removed and cleaned properly in Isopropyl alcohol and or detergent and water probably once every 500 miles or so depending on the conditions.
Would I buy these again? No, because avid juicy and BB7 come with much better rotors and bigger pads.
To call them worse than v-brakes is nonsense.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sabreth
a Downhiller
from Keizer, Oregon
Date Reviewed: July 23, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Black Rock Mountain | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Shilo Bicycles | | Strengths: | Simple and effective for medium duty riders. | | Weaknesses: | Not the best stopping power; constantly having to make adjustments to them. | | Similar Products Used: | None (first set) | | Bike Setup: | 2005 Haro X2 Xtreme | | Bottom Line: | These brakes are good for introduction to Disc Brake Systems. They are simple and easy to maintain and adjust. These came on my Haro and for my uses they have been decent; however now that I am getting into more mountain riding (all mountain and downhill) they don't have the power or modulation required. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
joogoosen'
a Weekend Warrior
from VA
Date Reviewed: July 22, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | came with bike at LB | | Strengths: | Came with bike, Avid is a good company | | Weaknesses: | SQUEALING Like NAILS scratching a chalkboard, Seems to easy to loosen tension between lever and brakes | | Similar Products Used: | Avid BB7 | | Bike Setup: | GF 29er Cobia, Ergon GX-2 carbon barends, Avid BB7's mech disc brakes, upgraded saddle. | | Bottom Line: | These were too much of a hassle if you ride in dusty or muddy conditions...It came with the bike, and as most of these reviews point out, worked pretty well at first...after that it was painful just to try to brake coming downhill, especially trying to stop before hitting you wiped out pal...they eventually told me to just keep going and not to try to stop, they'd rather be run over than hear the damn brakes!! | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Apex
a Weekend Warrior
from Kingston, ONT
Date Reviewed: July 8, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | CB | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | JJ | | Strengths: | Great value, good stopping power for a cable brake once you get them dialed in. | | Weaknesses: | no modulation, hard to set up right, if pads or disc get contaminated they won't stop | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes | | Bike Setup: | Gary Fisher Hifi | | Bottom Line: | This is a follow up from a past review of the BB5's. Since my last review I have finally been able to get them set up right and realized why at times I had no stopping power, it was a simple case of contaminated pads and disc. Even touching the disc with my hand would contaminate it enough to not lock up, but having a bottle of alcohol in the house helps, just pop the pads out, sand them down with some 300grit paper, wipe them with alcohol same with the disc and they are solid stoppers all over again. They certainly don't have the nice feal of some hydro's nor the stopping power, but for the price of the BB5's they are great value. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dean minett
a Weekend Warrior
from langley,bc canada
Date Reviewed: May 20, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$60.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | Affordable, excellent stopping power when time is taken to set up properly. | | Weaknesses: | Finicky for setting up. | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | '96 Super V Avid BB-5's, M580 drive train, Control Tech seatpost/stem, Sun Singletrack/XT hubs. | | Bottom Line: | I was hesitant to go to disc's over V's due to a lack of experience so I picked up the BB-5's new as a first disk set. I was also a little hesitant because of the mixed reviews for stopping power. It took me about fifteen minutes to dial them in, and I must say that my first impression was poor. They wouldn't stop at all. After breaking them in properly these things stop my 200lbs of body and 30lbs of Super V like I've never stopped before. Way better than my SD-7's. Set up properly these brakes are great especially for the $60.00 I spent! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason
a
from Kansas
Date Reviewed: May 1, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Haven't found any yet. | | Weaknesses: | They don't stop the bike. My rear hasn't worked right since day #1, and it isn't a setup issue. Possibly a pad was contaminated and i have new ones on order, but I for my first set of disc brakes, i have to say that v-brakes are MUCH better.
When i got this bike a year ago the BB5's had good reviews. Since then it appears people have discovered the truth. | | Similar Products Used: | None. | | Bike Setup: | Trek 6000 | | Bottom Line: | My daughters barbie bike from target has better brakes than these. My LBS guy sold me on disc brakes after years of v-brakes only.
He told me i will never go back to v's. Man was he wrong. It is so bad that i am thinking about selling the bike eventhough i love the frame, just so i can get linear pull brakes!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter
a Weekend Warrior
from Renton, WA, USA
Date Reviewed: April 27, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | tiger mountain | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | came with bike | | Strengths: | huge stopping power, smooth, easy to adjust once you get the hang of it. 185mm rotors must help a bit. :P | | Weaknesses: | debris always seems to get stuck on the brake pads causing some nasty grinding sounds after riding in water, sand and what not. i have to remove the pad and use light sand paper to get it to go away. | | Similar Products Used: | non, first experience with disks | | Bike Setup: | Marzocchi Phantom 29er | | Bottom Line: | I'm pleased with disk brakes, I was a bit skeptical at first but now I'm sold. I'm not even sure i would buy hydraulic disk brakes when these work so well. great product, Avid sure does have it right. I'm sure the bb7's are even better. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Weekend Warrior
from Maxwell AFB, AL
Date Reviewed: April 18, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | OEM on Woodstock 707 | | Strengths: | No fluids to mess with. | | Weaknesses: | PITA to set-up. There's the Avid manual technique. The business card technique. And various combinations of those. I've yet to get them where I'd like, but they do stop. | | Similar Products Used: | None - first time I've had discs | | Bike Setup: | Avid BB5s with 160mm rotors and Avid FR-5 levers. I'm 220-240 pounds. | | Bottom Line: | I'm a heavy guy. I'm guessing once I do get them set-up right, the 160mm rotors may prove small.
Setup shouldn't be such a tedious affair.
I wouldn't buy them. But they are good enough for a budget OEM disc spec. If just buying a new mechanical disc set-up, it appears the BB7 is the way to go. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Trevor
a Weekend Warrior
from Silverthorne, Colorado
Date Reviewed: April 6, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | peaks (Frisco to Breckenridge) | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | Mountain Sports Outlet | | Strengths: | Works | | Weaknesses: | needs fiddled with from time to time | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Specialized hard rock | | Bottom Line: | BB5's came stock on bike I purchaed mostly for commuting in Colorado mountain winter/snow conditions. The bike sees some use during the summer for biking up and down the bike trails on abandoned ski slopes. Bike/brakes has over 800 miles. After numerous futile adjustments I am replacing the pads with Kool Stop to see if performance improves. I have tried surfacing the pads and profiling the rotors to no avail. They rarely make noise but stopping distance is 2-3 times what is was when they were new. The brakes seem to be worth the money but the pads have always seemed lackluster. If I had a do over I would have purchaed an upgraded bike with hydraulic brakes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian
a Weekend Warrior
from Oklahoma
Date Reviewed: April 3, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Came with bike | | Strengths: | Simple, better that using a stick in the spokes | | Weaknesses: | When they get wet you might want to use that stick to stop | | Similar Products Used: | V brake | | Bike Setup: | trek fuel ex 5.5, juciy 3s, panaracer fire xc's, egg beaters, rest is stock | | Bottom Line: | went from v brakes to disk and hoped to get an improvement in stopping power but that didnt happen. I live in Oklahoma where there are not just an abundance of long downhill sections and these brakes worked fine...until i ride in wet conditions. Once wet, the brakes lose all stoping power, are very loud (i understand the are disks but still...),and the stock roters are not very self cleaning. Overall, unless they come on the bike, or you stay on the road, i would spend the $20 extra and get the bb7s. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Charlie
a Weekend Warrior
from Minnesota
Date Reviewed: March 31, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Hillside Park | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$74.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Cheap, easy to adjust, and they can stop you in a heartbeat. | | Weaknesses: | Must be used with Avid FR5 or Speed Dial levers, otherwise its like using a light switch to brake (either on or off) | | Similar Products Used: | Cantilever and V-brakes | | Bike Setup: | Diamondback Response, only the seat and the seatpost are stock. | | Bottom Line: | I am 6'6" tall 250 lbs, and the BB5 brakes stop me and 30 lbs of bike without breaking a sweat (or my wallet). they modulate well (as long as you use Avid levers), and they stop! (sent me over the handlebars the first time I grabbed them hard) Just keep them adjusted and they will serve you fine.
Great product! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sam Van Dellen
a Weekend Warrior
from Chicago, IL
Date Reviewed: March 3, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Strengths: | Cheap. Black. Effective. | | Weaknesses: | They really do need to be adjusted pretty damn well to work really well. The pads are a bit small. | | Similar Products Used: | Avid bb7, Sram 9.0, Hope Mono M4, Avid Juicy 5, Avid Juicy 7, Shimano Deore Mechanical, Shimano Hone, Magura Julie, Magura hydraulic rim brakes, etc.
| | Bike Setup: | Cane Creek levers, BB5 brakes w/203mm rotors, QBP housing and cables. | | Bottom Line: | So, being both practical AND aesthetically motivated, I decide to move the bb7's off my cargo bike and put the bb5's on (the bike is VERY black). Retarded? Maybe, but that's ok. Every week I deliver 5-600 pounds of magazines with this bike and a trailer, and I have NEVER had a need for more power. Now, granted, I'm a mechanic, and I set these brakes up all the time, but it's not THAT hard. The 203mm rotors obviously help with the stopping power, and if I wasn't using those, I'd switch back to the bb7 (especially since they're now made in charcoal), but even with my 200 pound self, 300 pounds of magazines on the trailer (per load), 35 pounds of bike, 35 pounds of trailer, and 20 pounds of bag, I still find it EASY to stop, and a damn sight quicker than I could with anything else. If you're so broke that you CAN'T spend the extra $20 on bb7's, buy these. They really can work great if you have the patience and know-how to set them up properly. I'd buy them again in a heartbeat. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kyle
a Weekend Warrior
from Austin, Tx USA
Date Reviewed: February 23, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Price? They came stock. Otherwise, none. | | Weaknesses: | Unreliable, squeaky, cheap. | | Similar Products Used: | BB7s | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Disc w/Kenda Navagals, Manitou Minute 3 fork, XTR pedals, BB7 brakes. | | Bottom Line: | These were terrible brakes for me. They came stock on my bike and I was back to the store within two weeks because they were squeaking whenever I rode. The store fixed them up for me, but a quarter of a mile into the next ride I had the same problem. Back to the store, another fix. Back on the trail, same problems. I eventually had them replace, at no cost, the front brake with a BB7. The difference was night and day. Over the next month I rode with the BB5 on the rear and had to tape it up with electrical tape. Try riding with your friends and having to stop so you can tape up your bike, pretty lame. It's a good way to get a bad nickname.
A month later I had to replace the rear with the BB7 because the 5 was so unacceptable. Note though, I never had any stopping problems. The brakes were ok on that part, stopping was slow, action was weak and squishy. Overall the 7s are in a different league than the 5s and well worth the money. The BB5s were, without a doubt, the worst component on my bike and the worst component I've ever dealt with period. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John R.
a Cross Country Rider
from salinas, CA, U.S.
Date Reviewed: February 12, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | blueskycyclig.com | | Strengths: | cheap, combo pack including, rotors, brakes, cables, and levers. | | Weaknesses: | started squeaking in the back and became kind of loose. | | Similar Products Used: | first disc brakes ive used | | Bike Setup: | specialized hardrock comp with manitou nixon elite and new mavic rims | | Bottom Line: | these breaks are great for me because i am 16 and i dont have a job yet so money is scarce. i was able to buy the brakes, rotors, cables, and levers for 50 bucks. it was a very good price for this setup. i started having a little trouble with the back break but i think it was just installed poorly. these breaks have great stopping power and suit my needs. i go on trail rides and the occasionl drop or jump and i have never needed anything more. these breaks are cheap but are not crappy. look into them.. they are good brakes | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Zachariah
a Cross Country Rider
from Palm Desert, CA
Date Reviewed: January 21, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Hurkey Creek Park (24hrs/Adrenalin Course) | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Cannondale OEM | | Strengths: | Easy & flexible adjustability, Reliable stopping power, One-finger braking. | | Weaknesses: | Front pads always out of adjustment, noisy Roundagon rotors, high-speed fade. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano XT, Hayes Sole(not very good), CODA(even worse). | | Bike Setup: | 2006 Cannondale F600 Furio hardtail w/ Headshok Ultra Fatty DLR; MAVIC XM117/DT Swiss wheelset, Thomson Elite seatpost, SRAM X.7 shifters/RD, SRAM PG990 Cassette, FSA/ISIS crankset/BB, Fizik HP Ti saddle, Crank Bros Smarty clipless pedals, Avid BB5/FR-5 brake levers. Amounts to a 24lb XC hardtail. | | Bottom Line: | Make sure the BB5 disc brakes are combined with either the Avid Speed Dial, or 155gram/pair FR-5 V-brake levers......or else suffer from almost NO MODULATION. The Avid levers simply go best with this setup, hands-down. Everything else(levers) are either ON, OFF, or too HARD.
The BB5 is a great system to start on mechanical disc brakes- but as your skills rapidly improve, you will demand more precision, adjustability, and even more brake modulation. That is why I am ready to upgrade to the Avid BB7s, with the larger, 185mm rotors(superb heat dissapation). | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gabriel Porras
a Racer
from Costa Rica
Date Reviewed: January 4, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Cartago | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Ciclo Carlos Mata | | Strengths: | Easy to Maintain. It breaks pretty good. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale, everything with XT. | | Bottom Line: | If you know how to use the breaks you won't have any problem with pads. I use to do long downhills and the breaks work good every time If you know Costa Rica. You know that MTB is MTB here.
If you want a better pads, you will have to buy the Kool Stop brand. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Griffin
a Downhiller
from Carlisle, MA
Date Reviewed: October 9, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Heartbreak Ridge | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$880.00 | | Purchased At: | Came on Bike (wheel works) | | Strengths: | great for xc | | Weaknesses: | when pads wear hard to adjust outer
get to hot and fade
pads too small | | Similar Products Used: | juicy 5 (friends bike) | | Bike Setup: | '07 Rockhopper comp disc w/ RockShox revelation 426 | | Bottom Line: | started off casual but as i got better the brakes got worse, get hydraulics and if your afraid of bleeding your brakes get bb7 for the extra $20-$40, just dont get these usless all you do is just do xc/flat trails. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris Southworth
a Cross Country Rider
from Landenberg, PA
Date Reviewed: September 10, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Fair Hill, MD | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$60.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Cheap, easy initial install | | Weaknesses: | A nightmare to keep adjusted, poor stopping power compared to BB7's. | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes hydros, BB7's. | | Bike Setup: | Wife's bike | | Bottom Line: | These are just plain awful brakes....period. For the relatively small amount of extra investment, go the BB7. The 7's are way easier to adjust and have a decent amount more stopping power, due to better and bigger pads. I bought these for my wife thinking I'd save a couple of bucks, but these have been much more of pain than they're worth. If considering mechanical brakes - the BB7 is the CLEAR winner. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a Weekend Warrior
from San Jose, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: August 28, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Flume Trail at Tahoe | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$999.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance (w/bike) | | Strengths: | Simple to maintain | | Weaknesses: | Useless and dangerous on long downhills; overheat and fade to no brakes at all after 250 meters of continuous descent. No high temp brake pad formulations are available for this model.... | | Similar Products Used: | Avid BB-7, various V-brakes | | Bike Setup: | Iron Horse Azure Sport 2007 | | Bottom Line: | These disk brakes have smaller pads than the BB-7, or than most hydraulic brakes, so they get hotter. Also, the only pads available for them are Avid's organic pads. These have little intrinsic friction against steel, but a few stops on the flats will "wear them in", i.e, transfer some material to the rotors, after which they have plenty of friction.
But on a long descent they get so hot that this boils off, and suddenly you have no stopping power at all. And they stay hot for a while...I had to walk down the last 2000 vertical feet on my last ride. I've replaced them with BB-7's which can be had with high temp brake pads. The BB-5's are safe only on flat rides or short hills. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Dalton
a Cross Country Rider
from MO
Date Reviewed: August 18, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | cable operation is simple- no bleeding or leaking, works well when setup properly | | Weaknesses: | setup process can be aggravating until you get it right | | Similar Products Used: | various V-brakes | | Bike Setup: | Trek 6000 hardtail | | Bottom Line: | OEM BB5s on new Trek 6000. my brakes came very poorly setup from the shop, required adjustment before almost every ride and made frequent, loud noises. after screwing around with it for a month and getting no love I tried the suggestion from a previous reviewer below: loosening the caliper bolts, tightening the pad adjuster all the way in, squeezing the lever and retightening the caliper bolts. had to also adjust the cable after this, but the brakes have worked perfectly ever since, with no noises or adjustments needed. bike now stops strong, consistent, and quiet, i will not upgrade these brakes for a long time.
As a separate note, the bike came with cheap Tektro levers which really suck. I found a pair of the Avid FR-5 levers online for $15, which is MUCH better and makes the whole system feel like it's higher quality. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave Wright
a Cross Country Rider
from Greenville, SC, USA
Date Reviewed: August 6, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | PMSP | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$56.00 | | Purchased At: | Carolina Triathlon | | Strengths: | Inexpensive, easy to set up (though evidently not for my LBS), decent modulation | | Weaknesses: | Low power, fade under heavy use, occasionally makes odd noises | | Similar Products Used: | None; first disk brakes | | Bike Setup: | 26" wheels, brake is on a Mavic Crossmax SL, Avid adjustable pivot levers | | Bottom Line: | This is a follow-up to a review I posted shortly after mounting these brakes. They have seen a fair amount of use and service since then. Power did improve during break-in, but still didn't get to the power level of the replaced V-brake.
Looking very closely at the disc and pads during activation, I realized that the LBS had mounted the calipers incorrectly. They were twisting the disk instead of just deflecting it slightly. Careful remounting of the caliper took care of most of the squealing.
These brakes do fade when used heavily, which is a bit disconcerting. A little perspective on that may help. I weigh 180 (~215 including bike and typical riding stuff). This past weekend's rides at Tsali included negotiation of some 10% - 20% downslope tight switchbacks during which I lost maybe 100' elevation. Speed had to be kept down due to many moderate rock & root drops and the narrow twisting trail line. I was completely relying on this BB5 front brake. During these descents I noticed an amount of fading that was not confidence-inspiring. By the bottom I was squeezing a good bit harder than at the top, and had to wrap all my fingers around the lever because there was no longer room between the lever and grip. I prefer to brake with a couple fingers on the lever and a couple on the grip.
I ride descents like that from time to time, but not every day, so my plan is still to stick with the BB5 for a while. There is a good chance that I will go to a 180mm hydraulic brake in the next 6 - 12 months. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ciobica Vladimir
a Weekend Warrior
from Radautzi, Romania
Date Reviewed: August 3, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | >:) | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Strengths: | very good brakes...good stopping power...very good modulation | | Weaknesses: | let's be honest at this price...these brakes are very good ...yes they make noise ...and yes they are a bit hard to mount but once o have set them up corectly ..there a fine friend
| | Bike Setup: | Fun Works Dirt Diggler...Marzocchi...Avid... | | Bottom Line: | good brakes for the money...i have the 7" rotor...on the back ...and i use the bike mostly for street ...and i am very happy :D | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Fraser
a Cross Country Rider
from Melbourne, Vic, Australia
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Tanglefoot Track | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Cycle Science | | Strengths: | Reasonable Build Quality, Ok stopping power IF setup right | | Weaknesses: | Painful to setup correctly, Brake Pad life, Brake Pad availability, Brake Pad cost, Squeeeeeak... | | Similar Products Used: | XT V-Brakes, LX V-Brakes | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale Furio | | Bottom Line: | These base model brakes came with the bike. Took it back to the shop twice to get them to fix the squeeeealing noise... still want quite right.
Once (and only once) these are setup correctly, they stop fine - well, better than V-brakes anyway - and for as long as the pads last, which is not long.
There's only an pad adjustment on one side, so getting them setup right can be a pain. In comparison, the Avid BB7 (which I have literally just replaced the front set with) was easy-peasy to setup.
I was lucky to get more than a few months out of each set of pads (front and rear) - not sure if this is normal for mech disc brakes, but the co$t starts to add up, especially at A$30 a pop for a set.
Oh, and the tiny fiddly clips that hold those pads in? VERY easy to lose.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
brad buob
a Weekend Warrior
from thunder bay ontario canada
Date Reviewed: July 26, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | all over | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$800.00 | | Purchased At: | freshair experiance | | Strengths: | (abouve price was whole bike) wen it locks up it locks up | | Weaknesses: | rather useless wen any kinda mud or forign materials come into contact with rotor | | Similar Products Used: | hayes mx1 , hAYES HFX9 shamano xtr (shifter brakes) | | Bike Setup: | 05 norco tactik 8" bb5's stock except grips, rims s-Type (camo), and tires | | Bottom Line: | thease brakes work well wen properly maintained and adjusterd (rotors need 2 be cleaned frequently) the bb5's have crazy stoping power on an 8" rotor but are rater useless wen mud gets into rotors. thease brakes would be best suited for clean dry places but are of great quolity for the price paid. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul Cohen
a Weekend Warrior
from Fort Lauderdale, Fl USA
Date Reviewed: July 13, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Razorback, Ocala | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$60.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | For the money you can't beat it. Long wear, great bite and modulation. | | Weaknesses: | Finicky, if you do a long ride with alot of braking you will need to adjust next run. Caliper grabs from one side so proper set up is a must. | | Similar Products Used: | Tektro IO, Hayes HFX-9 | | Bike Setup: | IronHorse Warrior Pro FS; Gt avalanche 3.0 disc HT | | Bottom Line: | I had these on both my bikes and I love them for the cheap way to get excellent braking! Anyone who says they make alot of noise or don't grab is because they did not set them up correctly, which is an art all in it's self. If you loosen the mount screws, turn the back pad in all the way, then back out 2 clicks, then squeeze the brake lever, tighten the screws, then back the back pad out another 2 clicks, they should be perfect and give you excellent braking no matter what condition. Never any noise. I replaced the stock pads with kool stop ones because i love those pads. but if you're a poor college kid like me, you cant beat it, although the hayes hfx-9 carbons i have recently acquired on ebay for $70 shipped. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Calica
a Weekend Warrior
from Brooklyn, New York
Date Reviewed: July 13, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | prospect park | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$34.00 | | Purchased At: | pricepoint | | Strengths: | Simple, easy to maintain, weight and looks good. | | Weaknesses: | Maybe my stock avid fr-5 levers but none so far. | | Similar Products Used: | hayes hfx-9, avid's juicy 7. | | Bike Setup: | 2008 Specialized FSR xc, Rock Shox Tora 302, Deore front and rear, avid bb5 with fr-5 levers, but mostly stock. | | Bottom Line: | This brakes are awesome, you have to learn how to set them up good...if you do you will be very happy and plus with the price I paid for them, you cant go wrong. Some people complain about there stopping power, |
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