Avid Speed Dial 7 Brake Lever

4.49/5

(65 Reviews)

Write a review

Weight : 176 grams

MSRP : $19.99

Where To Buy

Store	Price

Product Description

Avid 2008 Speed Dial 7 levers work with linear pull brakes (Avid,Shimano V-brakes, all mechanical discs, etc), and helpTo provide smooth, efficient and powerful braking. Left Lever Brake Lever Actuation: Long Pull Brake Lever Use: Left Intended Use: Mountain Bolt can be reversed on bar clampTop or bottom Right Lever Brake Lever Actuation: Long Pull Brake Lever Use: Right Intended Use: Mountain Bolt can be reversed on bar clampTop or bottom

Review Options: Sorted by Latest Review | Sort by Best Rating

Reviews 1 - 15 (65 Reviews Total)

| Next 15

User Reviews

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by Pollution Warrior a Cross Country Rider

Date Reviewed: April 3, 2013

Strengths:    Great modulation!

Weaknesses:    None

Bottom Line:

I've known about these for a couple of years, but always thought they were just a gimmick. I decided to buy a pair after researching them though and I am super impressed. I have BB7's already, and these levers give the already awesome BB7's a great, silky smooth feel (assuming you have sensibly routed high quality cables and housings). The combination of these levers and the BB7 is impossible to beat for the price, and is probably just as good as much more expensive hydros. You won't regret buying these. Your friends with expensive hydraulic brakes will be jealous.

Expand full review >>

Similar Products Used: Avid FR5 (not bad but not nearly as good either)

Bike Setup: BB7 disc brakes, Alligator 185/160 rotors

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by Cormac a Cross Country Rider

Date Reviewed: May 15, 2012

Strengths:    Good feel to em once you get em dialed in. Light weight

Weaknesses:    a bit difficult to get dialed in.

Bottom Line:

I struggled to get these dialed in right. But after doing some searching online I found some info to guide me in the right direction. I was just being an idiot about the whole thing. Even with direction I still struggled. Anyway, finally got em set and not gonna mess with em again. I have enough modulation for me to be happy. There isn't much low speed tech on my trails, but where there is I have no problems with it since installing these levers. They look pretty cool for mech brake levers too.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Rum Village

Price Paid:    $20.00

Purchased At:   pricepoint.com

Bike Setup:   SS Cannondale Trail SL4 29er

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by geneiusxie

Date Reviewed: May 1, 2012

Strengths:    Very nice levers, at least doubled my braking power over the stock Tektro levers, now 2 fingers can stop me even at 25 mph.

Weaknesses:    Speed Dial feature could have more range, sometimes there's a scratching noise at certain points in the speed dial adjustment, they could've used tighter tolarances, but at only $20, that's to be expected

Bottom Line:

At $20 on amazon, this is the most important upgrade on your new bike besides the front derailleur

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by arinb224

Date Reviewed: April 22, 2012

Strengths:    They are light, and smooth to the touch
Amazing braking power
They look good, are are really cheap.

Weaknesses:    Pretty weak material in my opinion.

Bottom Line:

I set these up with some brand new BB7 disk brakes and loved them. The braking power was phenomenal; it definitely increased my skill and performance on the single track (I'm a noob). However, I had two crashes in one day; the usual if you will, nothing crazy. On the first crash, my right lever bent, on the second, my left one broke. I was shocked to see that happened with such a light crash. I'm considering getting these again because the old levers I replaced them with are trash, and anything else is too expensive for the time being. Comparing them with the s*** levers I have on right now, I would say these brakes increase the stopping power significantly. Definitely look into the other reviews; I don't know if it was my luck, or the material of these brakes that caused them to break/bend.

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by David C a All Mountain Rider from Montreal, QC

Date Reviewed: February 14, 2012

Strengths:    Light, cheap, cool look, powerful, fully adjustable, reversible left/right, bend zone levers, works like a charm.

Weaknesses:    None so far.

Bottom Line:

I bought them for the New Year, very easy and quick to install, I've followed this online tutorial for setting them up with mech disc brakes : http://www.twowheelblogs.com/avid-bb7-disc-brake-set-and-tuning

Follow the tutorial all the way and you'll get perfectly tuned brakes with an hydro feel lever. Speed Dial adjust (leverage ratio adjust) really helps to get both front and rear levers to feel the exact same. Levers are reversibles (can be used left or right) and have a custom clamp bolt to allow threading from top or bottom, in case you ever strip the threads. They are quite light, feel solid and you can say goodbye to friction. Can be used with either 1 or 2 fingers, both feels really comfortable. I've ride them about 5 times so far into freezing temps (winter time here) and didn't had any problem with the levers being stuck because of the cold. For $20 the pair, you can't go wrong when choosing a leverage ratio adjust lever set. The big advantage of those levers really is the Speed Dial adjust, which makes both levers feels the same. And quite light, but still strong.

Expand full review >>

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $20.00

Purchased At:   JensonUSA

Similar Products Used:   Koshy Power Curve and Tektro MT30 (no leverage ratio adjustment)

Bike Setup:   Full housing, universal style, braided. Front BB7 MTB, rear MX2, both 203mm Hayes V8 rotors, mix of galvanized/steel cables. metal ferrules.

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by HaxEJxuK a Weekend Warrior from Malvern, PA

Date Reviewed: January 31, 2012

Strengths:    - Easy to set up even for a noob(I am)
- Smooth action
- Feels it has little more braking power
- Light for price
- Price is pretty cheap that most places sell it for $20

Weaknesses:    - I expected too much from reading all the reviews.

Bottom Line:

Front brake of my stock brake which is BB5 felt it's not stopping fast enough or not as fast as it used to. I've tried many things to get improve/get stopping power back and read review about SD7 that it improves braking power. Before I spend lot more money on new brake, I decided to try this after reading many reviews.

This is great lever! It feels better, more adjustable than stock(of course) and it feels stopping power has been improved although it might not be. The reason I say about braking power is that when I was installing this, I had to loosen up everything and doing so got rid of any slack so it could just be that readjusting all the cables might have improved braking power.

Still, knowing everything I know about this lever now,I would still buy it again if I had to buy another lever. Not just based on little increased braking power(again, I can't say it for sure) but feel of it and adjustability along are good enough reason for me. Just don't read all other reviews and expect Oh this lever will stop me so fast I'll OTB. :)

If you want to improve modulation for mechanical brake or feel of it in general, get this lever! Great lever!

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Valley Forge Park

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $20.00

Purchased At:   www.amazon.com

Similar Products Used:   One that came with my bike.

Bike Setup:   2012 Hardrock Sport Disc 29, Time ATAC Alium Pedal, Phenom Comp Gel Saddle, Wellgo MG-1 and Speed Dial 7

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by Too_Fast_46 a Weekend Warrior from Grand Rapids, MI

Date Reviewed: September 8, 2011

Strengths:    - Speed dial gives the perfect range of leverage
- Smooth action
- Built in return spring
- Surprisingly light
- Lever shape is just right
- Fair price

Weaknesses:    None so far.

Bottom Line:

I was hesitant to buy these because I thought my stock levers worked just fine; man was I missing out. These levers with BB7's gives you the ability to adjust from full modulation to full lock-up. It is truly surprising how a few clicks on that magic red dial can change the feel of your brakes.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Pontiac Lake

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $20.00

Purchased At:   Pricepoint.com

Similar Products Used:   Standard Tektro levers

Bike Setup:   Sette Reken: Avid BB7's with Jagwire Hypercables

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by Jakob a Weekend Warrior from Vic, BC

Date Reviewed: September 2, 2011

Strengths:    Feel, look, adjustability, price and the weight is decent.

Weaknesses:    Possible future bendage.

Bottom Line:

Love these. Super cheap in price only! These are superior to others due to the adjustable leverage. The build is great-no slop, attractive, textured handles. These appear to be shaved down dramaticly compared to my old SD 5's which means lighter weight but also less stout, which is fine for me cuz I'm not doing any hard-core trails and I use bar ends that help protect these from direct impact.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   dunno

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $20.00

Purchased At:   Jenson

Similar Products Used:   XT, Tektro, SD5

Bike Setup:   old 92 RM Team Comp rigid for street/city.

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by ProjectDan35 a Cross Country Rider from Pascoag, Rhode Island. USA

Date Reviewed: December 6, 2010

Strengths:    Great adjustability, look's great, easy to set up, works with many brakes, NOT just rim brakes!

Weaknesses:    None!

Bottom Line:

Bottom line. They rock! I have them coupled with my BB5's and they work great. The little red knob is the wonder of it all, adjust your modulation, and how much power it takes to lock up the wheels. I personally nearly have the knob screwed out all the way, for tons of power. They looks great too, metallic charcoal!

Expand full review >>

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $19.00

Purchased At:   Pricepoint.com

Similar Products Used:   Avid FR-5

Bike Setup:   2010 Rockhopper Comp, spesh captain sport tires, odi rogue grips with blue locks, carbon seatpost, sd 7 levers, sun ringle zuzu pedals, alligator serration rotors. etc.

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by eggroller a Weekend Warrior from Bellevue, WA

Date Reviewed: April 14, 2010

Strengths:    Quick adjustment for pad engagement (Speed Dial)
Excellent leverage
Lightweight
Solid construction
Replaceable lever
Inexpensive

Weaknesses:    none, yet

Bottom Line:

These levers are the missing link for my BB7s. I had some 1997 Shimano XT combination lever/shifter on the bike before upgrading to these levers. Now that I have the Speed Dial 7 levers on the same brakes with the same old cables...wow. I would go so far to say that they feel better than all of the hydraulic systems I listed in the Similar Products section!

Buy these and get the BB7 adjusted correctly...you won't be disappointed!

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Black Diamond, WA

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $19.00

Purchased At:   Tree Fort Bikes onli

Similar Products Used:   Shimano LX hydraulic
Magura Julie hydraulic
Avid Juicy 3 hydraulic
'97 Shimano XT

Bike Setup:   On-One Inbred 456
Avid BB7 185mm front/160mm rear
Rockshox Revelation 426

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by BokorSolo a Weekend Warrior from Prince William, VA, USA

Date Reviewed: December 25, 2009

Strengths:    Cheap, adjustable knob on lever is functional and looks cool, light weight enough.

Weaknesses:    None.

Bottom Line:

Great deal. Pair these with some BB7s or you favorite set of v-brakes and you got a super adjustable combination of braking awesomeness. If you still are kicking it with the mech brakes these are the best. They are a great deal, buy the SL version if you are big on saving weight. In my opinion (I own and use both) there is no difference between the two products. Best in house for value and performance for sure.

Expand full review >>

Duration Product Used:   1 Year

Price Paid:    $14.00

Similar Products Used:   Avid FR-5, Tektro 4.0

Bike Setup:   XC Single speed.

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by dat a Weekend Warrior from NY

Date Reviewed: May 3, 2009

Strengths:    Great feel compared to the sd3's I had. More powerful braking. Very adjustable. Lightweight. Easy install.

Weaknesses:    Lightweight- is a strengh also but I can see how they could break on a good spill.

Bottom Line:

These work great and give a great adjustable feel. For a $20 spot it makes a huge improvement in braking.

Expand full review >>

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Price Paid:    $20.00

Purchased At:   pricepoint

Similar Products Used:   Avid SD3

Bike Setup:   01 schwinn rocket

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by MTBng4fun a Weekend Warrior from orange couty, CA USA

Date Reviewed: September 2, 2008

Strengths:    Great adjustability. Can adjust the reach and pull force. Lightweight.

Weaknesses:    The "bend zone" is a bad design concept. I took a spill and found the lever was bent up. It is light weight, but the thin-walled body is not durable enough. While riding through the trails in the San Gabriel mtns., the rear brake started acting up. After the ride, examined the brake lever and found that it had smacked into something. The body split open where cable slit was. The barrel adjuster fell out. It is lightweight, but not durable at all.

Bottom Line:

The product did not last one month. All it took was one ride through some demanding singletrack to bend one lever and bust the housing on the other. I received some Cane Creek levers and upon examination, the housing wall is almost double the thickness. Awesome! It is heavier and doesn't have the "Speed dial" feature, but after using the Cane Creeks, who cares. 4 chillis for value. $25 for levers with features (beneficial or not) not found on other levers. 1 chilli for durability.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Old emerald

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $25.00

Purchased At:   Jenson

Similar Products Used:   Various other levers

Bike Setup:   Turner Burner w/ Fox vanilla forks, Manitou Swinger rear shock, XTR derailleurs, Avid BB7 F&R.

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by BigK a Racer from Philly, PA, USA

Date Reviewed: June 4, 2008

Strengths:    -Great Feel
-"Tunable" modulation
-Improves stopping
-Last year, hit a tree hard enough to spin the bar, crack the shifter, and crack a rib. The lever didn't break.

Weaknesses:    -none that I can see

Bottom Line:

Bottom line: I had one of my bikes at the shop about a year ago. When handing the bike back to me, the mechanic said, "These are the best feeling disc brakes EVER. Not just the best feeling mechanical discs but, the best feeling discs, period! Everyone in the shop tried them and said the same thing." I think that says it all.

I let someone borrow one of my BB7 equipped bikes yesterday. When he returned the bike he said, "I have BB7's on my bike but they don't feel as good and stop as well as yours. Those levers are the best I've ever used. I'm getting rid of my Paul's."

Lastly, I put these on my kid's xc bike (she's 8). She can stop the bike with one finger.

This is a cheap way to improve an important part of your setup.

Expand full review >>

Duration Product Used:   2 Years

Price Paid:    $25.00

Purchased At:   Pricepoint and LBS

Similar Products Used:   XT, XTR, Other Avids, Cane Creek (dc), Tektro

Bike Setup:   I have 4 bikes with these levers- 2 with BB7's, 1 with Avid SD SL, 1 with XT

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by Jason a Weekend Warrior from Fort Frances, Ontario

Date Reviewed: April 6, 2008

Strengths:    Light, easy to adjust reach, compatible with both V-brakes and mechanical disc brakes

Weaknesses:    None so far

Bottom Line:

I used these with V-brakes all last season and they were noticeable stiffer than the SD5s on my commuter MTB. The modulation is smoother, the response is more crisp and I just felt more in control with them.

This year they're on my new El Santo and paired up with BB7s, and so far they're just as nice. Definitely money well spent and a worthy upgrade over SD5s (which are already really good themselves).

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Sandilands

Duration Product Used:   1 Year

Price Paid:    $25.00

Purchased At:   eBay

Similar Products Used:   Tektro, Avid SD5

Bike Setup:   Salsa El Santo, Reba Race, XT shifters/deraileurs, Race Face bars/FSA stem, Race Face Evolve crank w/ X-type BB, Avatar saddle/Thomson post, Avid BB7s, XT hubs/717 rims.

Reviews 1 - 15 (65 Reviews Total)

| Next 15

Review Options: Sorted by Latest Review | Sort by Best Rating

Avid Speed Dial 7 Brake Lever

Where To Buy

Product Description

User Reviews

Related Speed Dial 7 Forum Posts

Shimano Deore:

Shimano Hydraulic Disc: