They work just as well as the more expensive brakes of this type. Hardware will not corrode, efficient braking system if using rim brakes.

V-Brakes / Direct Pull brakes always are a pain to setup correctly. Patience is key.

I have been running these brakes for years with no problems. I have had to replace the pads once in 5 years and they were still not too bad. I replaced the pads only to freshen things up. V Brakes/direct pull brakes are always a pain to set up when it comes to the pads, Patience is key and will pay off. The brakes still work like a champ and the only time I can hear anything, be it squeal or otherwise is when it is humid outside. They do work great in wet and muddy conditions. These brakes are as good as some of the more expensive brakes out there.

Great stopping power, easy to set up. Even easier to realign.
They don't squeak, even in the wet. But they sure to stop

Hm... they don't come stock on bikes.

These brakes are the cheapest way to get near disc performance in the dry, i love the way they feel in your fingers, you can stop with a single finger on each brake, coming down the hill at 40-50kph. I've used mine with jagwire ripcord tefloned f/r and teflon housing. The sd7 levers feel almost as close to hydros in terms of ease of pull. I'll be upgrading to kool stop replacement pads this week, can't imagine they'll be better. Kudos to sram.

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None that comes close. Only cheap v's and juicy3, promax hydros.

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Terrific braking

Front unit squeals

You can't truly appreciate these brakes until you try them off road. I was not used to so much modulation--I liked brakes that were grabby. The modulation on these makes me use them more for cornering. They are strong, however. I hit some roots that sent me skidding of the trail. The former bmxer in me grabbed just the back brake. This was enough to stop me.I was talking to a frame builder about putting a disk mount on my '95 frame. These save me a lot of weight and money.Oh, I listened to everyone else here and put Kool Stop Mtb pads on the brakes. These have a more "grippy" feel than other pads, this is probably what makes them so good.

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Cane Creek

Looks good, cheap

Installed on a tandem with travel agents, the rear brake lever could bottom out and the front took too much effort. No bite, scarey unsafe compared to my antique Peterson self actuating cantilevers. The bearing surface is too loose also. Would not use on a tandem or a rear mountain bike brake.

Switched to Kool Stop Mountain salmon brake pads and the brakes worked!! Very difficult to bottom out and the brakes now had great bite with little effort.

Changed to Avid Single Ultimate and the brakes improved even more. Less brake lever travel.

Would consider Dura Ace vs. Avid Ultimate for tandem

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Shimano Deore XT and XTR
Peterson self actuating cantilevers.
Avid Single Digit Ultimate

Excellent power and feel. Quality product with attention to detail. Well engineered.

Not much bling value - I guess that's what the SL's and the Ultimates are for.

These perform at a high level and without fuss. They are easy to set up and they seem to work best with the Rim Wranger pads with my set up. Excellent stopping power - true to the name it's a one finger deal. Avid has got these dialed in - put them on and go.

At the price point these are at they are the true value in the line up. They are good enough for the life-style hard core rider at a very affordable price.

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Shimano XT, XTR, Avid Ultimate.

Work flawlessly with almost no effort involved

None

A great pair of brakes well worth money best v-brakes i've every owned

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avid arch rival

Pads, low weight, mechanically sound in every feature

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This gleaming review is probably old hat since the product has a 4.86/5 rating as of this writing, but I need to say that these brakes are amazing. As a degreed mechanical engineer, I can appreciate every single feature, from the chamfer at the bottom of the locating pin to the oversized springs that reduce the aging of the component. I'm not sure if Avid is a publicly traded company (probably not), but if it is, it would be a good stock to pick up!

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promax v brake

Great stopping power, great modulation, durability, looks and most of all design.

None

I'll add my positive critique to the chorus. I've been using the SD 7s for sever years now and trying to figure out why the SD 7s are head and shoulders above the rest. My conclusion is its simple and straight forward design. They work extremely well and are very affordable.

I've had a pair of Avid Ultimates sitting on my shelf for quite some time because I really can't justify swapping them out. I know I wouldn't be disappointed with the Ultimates, but I'm so happy with my SD 7s that I don't see the need to switch.

I've looked hard for the review that claims Avid Ultimates are worth the switch from Avid SD 7s. I haven't found it yet. I think this is one of those cases where a company designed and built a "lower end" product too well - from a marketing standpoint. In other words, Avid rim brakes have become their own competition.

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Tektro, older Avid SD 7s, Shimano Deore et al.

Great stopping power in combination with Tectonic KoolStop pads and Shimano XTR brake cables.
Very easy to adjust.
Lots of control in braking power.

No weaknesses noticed.

These are among the best V-brakes one can buy, and they are much cheaper than e.g. Magura's.
Great stopping power, even during the toughest rides here in the Belgian Ardennes they've never put me in trouble.

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Avid SD3's who came with my bike.
These brakes sucked big time in comparison with the SD7's.