Developed to work seamlessly with the Ball Bearing Disc Brake, its the most affordable way to add Avid quality and compatibility to your disc or rim brake system. Compact length lever allows 1 or 2 finger use. 155g
Submitted by
Spawne32
a Weekend Warrior
from Blackwood, NJ, USA Date Reviewed: May 21, 2009
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$13.00
Purchased At:
jensonusa.com
Strengths:
Awesome forged aluminum quality, sturdy, smooth lever action that isnt sloppy. Easy to adjust.
Weaknesses:
Levers are a wee bit too short for users with grip shifters.
Similar Products Used:
Avid SD-5 Vpull brakes
Bike Setup:
2008 Olpran Patriot 18"
Bottom Line:
I bought a budget bike online, an olpran patriot mountain bike, because quite frankly i cant afford anything more, the bike was beautifully built with quality shimano and prowheel equipment on a 6061 aluminum frame. I love the bike to death but the winzip brand brake system that they used was absolute junk and the spring tension mechanisms broke in less then a week.
I ordered a set of avid sd-5 vpull brakes for the front and rear to go along with a set of avid FR-5 levers to replace the cheap plastic ones that came with the bike, and these things are fantastic. I have never seen such quality parts for such a cheap price. I just wish these levers were a tad bit longer because the reach is too short with all the grip shifter length.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Zachariah
a Cross Country Rider
from Palm Desert, California USA Date Reviewed: December 17, 2008
One of the lightest mechanical disc levers Avid produces. Only the Speed Dial Ultimate, is a whopping 5g/ea. lighter. The keys to getting great BB7 modulation are listed below:
1) Allow a 1mm gap from pads, on both sides of the brake rotor. Or, the same thickness of a credit card. Turn the inboard/outboard pad adjusters until this clearance is reached.
2) Pre-load the cable-end stop by 1/2" to allow immediate braking, once the lever is pulled. The BB7 allows more than enough lever play, in stock form. Shorten this by pre-loading the loosened cable stop cam of cable slack, then torque down. The result is the cam makes a 1/8 turn less, before braking occurs. This translates to more lever power and controllable modulation.
3) Adjust lever reach by allen screw adjustment at the lever body. This fine adjustment should let your braking finger grasp the lever at the first knuckle, for best stopping power.
4) Use Avid brand Cables(ie; Avid Flak Jacket/Full Metal Jacket) for smoothest cable actuation, and longest life. They both have a special coating and nylon sleeve, that ensures braking smoothness, translating to increased power.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave S.
a Weekend Warrior
from Franklin Date Reviewed: March 5, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Winnipesaukee River trail
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Cheap, not too heavy, look nice, extremely light effort
Weaknesses:
None I can detect.
Similar Products Used:
About a million different Shimano, Tektro, cheesey Promax
I'm heavy and this setup feels like it could stop a cement truck. I'm just a trail rider, but our trails have widely varying terrain and some rough surfaces. Nothing rattles this setup. Modulation is absolutely awesome, and one-finger application is the norm! I hope someday to upgrade to discs, but until that day I plan to stick with these components. These levers are cheap and work great, what more can you ask for?
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Submitted by
Rich
a Cross Country Rider
from Columbia, SC Date Reviewed: November 30, 2007
Favorite Trail:
FATS
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
On bike
Strengths:
You pull the lever, and the bike stops.
Weaknesses:
None for me.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano LX, XT
Bike Setup:
Karate Monkey 29er with BB7 disc brakes
Bottom Line:
Despite being dirt cheap, these levers work great. I've read the complaints about durability, and if my lever broke, I'd be upset too. However, after two years of riding (and plenty of spills) mine are holding up just fine. I'm building another bike right now and was considering getting some 'nicer' levers, but I think I'll just stick with these and enjoy the saved money some other way.
Bottom line: these are simple levers that simply work.
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Submitted by
Pedals Fastly
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin, Texas Date Reviewed: September 17, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
blueskycycling.com
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher Marlin
Bottom Line:
I upgraded my Avid Single Digit 3 v-brakes to SD7s and these levers cam with them free. They have a hight quality feel to them and modulate smoothly. They are light, but have a substantial "heavy" feel when you pull the lever (if that makes sense). I understand these usually get fitted with disc brakes, but they work very well with my v-brakes.
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Submitted by
Iliy Vozhzhov
a Weekend Warrior
from Volgograd, Russia Date Reviewed: August 2, 2007
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
With bike
Strengths:
Good looking, comfortable
Weaknesses:
Aluminium levers
Similar Products Used:
Acera
Bike Setup:
Avid BB5
Bottom Line:
Black coating from levers rub away, and my fingers become black because of aluminium. Backlash on one side more than other
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ben
a Weekend Warrior
from concord, ma, usa Date Reviewed: July 27, 2007
Favorite Trail:
great glen
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$13.00
Purchased At:
jensonusa
Strengths:
hardly any resistance on a previouly very resistant setup , looks great on my bike
Weaknesses:
none
Bike Setup:
k2 attack 1.0. not much is stock any more. i got the levers with an answer handle bar. they look good together.
Bottom Line:
these levers greatly improoved my riding ability because now i can brake with one finger and stop fine (as long as the brakes work well) the levers are the perfect distance from the handle bar. Braking takes much less effort now and you should seriosly consider them if you are planning on purchasing any noew levers.
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Submitted by
Doug
a Cross Country Rider
from Wilmington, DE Date Reviewed: February 3, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Double Horseshoe
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Came with bike Fisher Bike
Strengths:
Very light, Very Cheap, Pretty simple
Weaknesses:
Simple and not much customability, Levers bend fairly easy
Similar Products Used:
Cane Creek DC, Cheap Shimano
Bike Setup:
Fisher Rig, Eggbeaters, New Levers pretty stock otherwise
Bottom Line:
What you get considering what you pay for these are decent levers. I've fallen pretty hard with the bike pretty often (i tell myself its to stay humble) and can remember a couple times it went down on the side that bent. Take my advice with a grain of salt considering I fell on that side but my levers have definitely bent. They kind of slightly curled like a loose soft taco but are still fully functionally but probably weakened. They make a little noise on washboard bumps and roots but I've found this to a lesser degree with my new levers. I like the "stance" on them and since they fit pretty well out of the gate I did not need much adjustability from them. I'm rating these based on what you would expect for such cheap ($) levers and I think they are very good.
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Submitted by
Saber Haghvirdy
a Downhiller
from Iran / Tehran Date Reviewed: September 10, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Shafaq 3
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At:
From friend
Strengths:
Works great with the BB7’s andhas no power loss due to its stiff non flex material .generates much power out of your finger. Easy to install line in it. Completely agronomical .Light weight.
Weaknesses:
Watch out for crashes and don’t tighten the bar bolt very much. Give the lever some play room around the bar to prevent lever breaks on crashes. As it has a non-flex material it will brake with low forces easily broke one and know many friends who did same.
Similar Products Used:
Promax X3 / Tektro
Bike Setup:
kona Stinky 06
Bottom Line:
Use them with the BB7’s or any other brake and see improvements they will generate you extra power out of your fingers. You wouldn’t need more than one finger on them . And if you want to set them up with BB7’s and 8” rotors be careful when touching them!!
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Submitted by
Mike Griffin
a Cross Country Rider
from London Date Reviewed: September 4, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Brecon Beacons
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Came with bike
Strengths:
Very light and simple.
Weaknesses:
Brittle. Snaps very easily.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano Deore LX, Shimano Nexave
Bike Setup:
Dahon Zero-G (hardtail) with various upgrades.
Bottom Line:
Lever breaks too easily. It depends what sort of riding you're going to be doing. If you want to go on the rough stuff, these levers are just too brittle. I had to retire from a 100km MTB enduro after a small and normally harmless slip caused the bike to fall lightly against a rock: the lever snapped and it was game over. I need components that will last to the end of the race, and these levers weren't up to it. MTB components need to be robust enough to withstand a few knocks and it's obvious from the reviews below that these levers aren't.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Todd
a Cross Country Rider
from Garner, NC Date Reviewed: August 30, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
stock OE
Strengths:
Inexpensive
Weaknesses:
Crappy power generation.
Similar Products Used:
Avid Speed Dial 1.9 & titanium, shimano.
Bike Setup:
Stumpy FSR
Bottom Line:
The levers just didn't have a good feel and don't generate the power the old Speed Dial levers do.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
sean mankiw
a Cross Country Rider
from vernon Date Reviewed: January 15, 2006
Favorite Trail:
my back yard
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
nothing
Weaknesses:
broke after two months of use. my bike fell on a boardwalk and it broke so it wasnt seriously thrown.
Bike Setup:
2005 giant iguana
Bottom Line:
great for a city rider even thoe i dont know why they would want disks. but any who they are cheeply made. when they came on my bike i had to chip some paint off because even my mechanic wasnt sure if they were aluminum cause they almost look plastic. i guess that when this company makes them the little tiwanees kids take them out of the fire and cool them to quickley because they are brittle.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Justin
a
from Mill Valley, CA Date Reviewed: January 2, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Looks cool
Weaknesses:
I fell and i was off the bike and my lever hit a rock and it snapped
Bike Setup:
Hardrock w/ sweet stuff
Bottom Line:
They are very cheap and they look cool. After one of mine snapped i just bought another because they are cheap.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Paul C
a Weekend Warrior
from Boca Raton, FL, USA Date Reviewed: December 21, 2005
Favorite Trail:
All
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At:
Blueskycycling.com
Strengths:
Light, precise and well dsigned both mechanically and physically.
Weaknesses:
None...
Similar Products Used:
Shimano EF-29
Bike Setup:
GT Avalanche disc w/ Avid BB5 discs
Bottom Line:
These are great levers. They are strong and precise. Very good designing. They also were dirt cheap! If you are a weekend warrior like me and don't need total adjustability, these are the way to go. U can adjust two way, barrel and lever. I like the lever adjustment because i was able to bring the lever closer to my hands (small hands) and not lose substantial brake pull distance. Then just used the barrel and brake bolt to fine tune. Pair these with any avid mech's, and they are a sweet combo!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Pittsburgh, PA Date Reviewed: November 15, 2005
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At:
Jenson USA
Strengths:
Lightweight, It does the job good
Weaknesses:
The Levers are a little weak
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
Custom
Bottom Line:
I liked them and everything went good until they broke, my bike flipped over and landed on a log, i was already off but just the force of my bike snapped the lever.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jon
a Weekend Warrior
from Grand Rapids, MI, USA Date Reviewed: November 6, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$21.00
Purchased At:
pricepoint.com
Strengths:
price, looks, simplicity, perfromance
Weaknesses:
slight play in the lever
Similar Products Used:
Avid 2.0L, SRAM 9.0, promax, suntour
Bike Setup:
Titus Racer X-100 with Avid BB7 disks brakes on FSA XC300 rims
Bottom Line:
These levers work really well with Avids BB7 disk brakes. They are cool looking and are really inexpensive. I love the simplicity of the design, no adjustment knobs or little cages to hold the cables. This is a great product and great value.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Will
a
from Canada Date Reviewed: April 23, 2005
I bought these leavers on Ebay for my new ride mainly because of there price, and also because they looked pretty cool. when I first put them on my bike I found that they worked pretty good with my discs, but they had a bit of play in them, but I think that just was how I set them up. Anyways though I put them on my bike last weekend, so I only have been using them for a week, when I managed to snap one! I was riding at my local skate park, when I fell jumping the spine and some how managed to break the leaver handle off at the pivot point with my thigh. This could have been the way I landed but still I think it’s pretty crappy, consider I’m no fat ass. I put another Avid fr-5 lever that I had lying around because I don’t use a front break, on for now, but if this one breaks I’m defiantly switching to a new lever.
I give the avid FR-5 lever a 4 for value because of its price, but I only gave it a 3 overall because I think it could be a lot stronger.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bob
a Cross Country Rider
from Osan AFB Korea Date Reviewed: December 30, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Bobs Trail
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$21.00
Purchased At:
Pricepoint
Strengths:
Simplicity. All metal. Nice lever shape. Work excellent with Avid discs.
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Avid SD 7
Bike Setup:
S/C Heckler Avid Fr 5 , Avid mech discs
Bottom Line:
Awesome. Work really well with avid mechanical discs. I was using a older set of Avid SD7. They were one of the few older componets I used when I built my Heckler up. They were getting old so I replaced them with the FR5.
I found on the SD7 I left the speed dial adjustment out. I felt I got better braking. The leverage must change a little when you adjust them. I decided since I did not use the speed dial to purchase the FR5. I used the pad adjustment instead of the speed dial.
The FR5 do not have the SD adjustment. They also do not have that little cage that you put the cable in. The cable goes straight into the lever.
The FR5 levers feel better with the discs. The lever pull feels like it was optimized to work with Avid mechanical discs. They do not rattle.
Awesome product. They work really good with avid discs. I would recomend these over the speed dial levers. The price is great.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Paul
a Cross Country Rider
from Fairfax, California, USA Date Reviewed: December 7, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Tamarancho
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At:
Online
Strengths:
Lightweight, simple, works well with X.O grip shifters.
Weaknesses:
None.
Similar Products Used:
Avid speed dial 5.
Bike Setup:
Turner Burner, Fox F100 RLT fork, manitou swiner 3-way rear shock, Avid mechanical disks, SRAM X.O rear derailleur and X.O shorty grip shift, XT front derailleur, Chris King headset, Velocity VXC wheels with lazer lite hubs, eggbeaters.
Bottom Line:
Great, simple, lightweight lever at a great price. I had the Speed Dial 5 previously and never really found the adjustability to be very helpful.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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