Strengths: Smooth, reliable - best of all there is not flex and you know how it's going to perform everytime you use it. Out lasted 1/2 dozen frames - BMX. Raced and practiced everyday. Set it up and forget about it.
Weaknesses: NONE!!!
Bottom Line:
There never has been a brake like this, not even Avid's other brakes. Sealed bearing and CNC'd arms are the secret. If you're serious about performance brakes and shun disc for there un-responsiveness, this is the brake system.
Similar Products Used: Tried them all, there is no comparision.
Bike Setup: Supercross, Mavics
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Submitted by
N.B.GAS
a Cross Country Rider
from LAS VEGAS, NV.
Date Reviewed: November 1, 2005
Strengths: STRONGEST V BRAKE EVER!..A TRUE WORK OF ART!..AWESOME FEEL!
Weaknesses: NOT!...NOPE!...NONE!
Bottom Line:
I HAD SD7s ON MY IBEX. BUT THEY WHERE THE ONLY USED PARTs ON THE BIKE....ITs TRUE, THE BLING GOT ME!...I HAD TO HAVE UM!
ASIDE FROM THE BLAH-BLAH, IF YOU CAN PART WITH $$$ GET UM! IT TOOK ME 4mos TO TALK MYSELF INTO IT!...Iam NOT ONE BIT SORRY,THEY DO HAVE THE BEST STOPPING POWER...MODULATION... AND LOOKs...
Similar Products Used: XTs.DEORE.TEKTRO QUARTZ.PRO-MAX.NONE OF THEM ARE SIMILAR! SD7s ARE BAD MUDDERS!...[BLACK OPPs= LORD OF DA BRAKES!]...
Bike Setup: 05'IBEX HT FRAME: MANITOU AXEL 100mm LO TA...SRAM X9 GS&RD, X-GEN FD,PG-970,PC-99,9.0 LEVERs...RACE-FACE EVOLVE XC CRANK BB,FLATBAR,STEM,SEATPOST...CANE CREEK AEROHEAT WHEELS,S-2 HEADSET...IRC MYTHOS XC...AVID FLAK-JACKETs...SELLE ITALLIA TRANs AM XO...OURYs...AZONIC X-TENSIONs...FAST&LITE!.......
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Submitted by
Digitalparrot77
a Cross Country Rider
from Warsaw, IN
Date Reviewed: May 22, 2005
Strengths: Light weight, unmatched stopping power
Weaknesses: non at this time
Bottom Line:
Whatever the price is just buy them. This was a major upgrade from the standard Brakes that came with my bike back in'96. They feel great and are extremly responsive to the touch
Submitted by
BRENT WIRUTH
a Cross Country Rider
from TULSA
Date Reviewed: August 23, 2004
Strengths: Great looking, excellent breaking power even when wet.
Weaknesses: i can not get them to stop squealling. i have tried every thing. they are toed in perfectly. tried different pads. the ear pearsing squeal is hard to take. I have been MTB'n for 11 years and have never had a problem until now.
Bottom Line:
these breaks look great, stop great, very light. some one PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO MAKE THEM STOP SQUEALLING!!!!! i'm sure i have already tried it.
Strengths: just amazing!! I had the Shimano XT.. no modulation at all and very hard to stop the bike. They lock the rear wheel all the time and made a horrible squeel. NOW IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT STORY, Black Ops are perfect. Modulation, strength
Weaknesses: Price
Bottom Line:
If you are serious about speed and downhills (cross country) and don't want the weight penalty of disc and want the best, just buy them, you wont regret it
Similar Products Used: Shimano XT crap, tektro (better than XT)
Bike Setup: SL, crossmax XL, XT group (except V-brakes, thank God), Thompson, Easton, Fox Float all the way, etc, etc
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Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Sunnyvale, CA
Date Reviewed: November 5, 2003
Strengths: Brakes come on smooth and predictable, no diving into the rim after first contact.
Weaknesses: CNC areas hard to clean, so I don't.
Bottom Line:
I spend too much on my bike, given my abilities. This is the best upgrade/purchase I've made. If you want disc brakes buy them, they work very well. If you don't want to hassle with all that comes with disc but still want the stopping power and smoothness of disc then these are the brakes.
Bike Setup: Klein Attitude Race, XTR drive train, Time ATAC carbon, Thompson seatpost & stem, Dean Ti handlebar, Mavic CrossRide, Marzocchi Z.2 Atom Race
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Submitted by
RAFI JULIUS
a Cross Country Rider
from JERUSALEM ISRAEL
Date Reviewed: September 1, 2003
Strengths: the best rim brake i found, and better than many disk's. they are light, sexy, amazing stopping power and modulation, simple to clean and adjust. and the best part is avids costumer service. are very nice together with xt 8 levers (same mat black).
Weaknesses: they don't know when to stop by themself, so the riders needs to look ahead.
Bottom Line:
if you are looking for a realy good product, this is the one. costumer service is excelent too: broke the little part that hold's the pin that insert's the fork, and avid send me 2 replacment part, fast, no questin's asked.
Favorite Trail: WHERE I DON'T GET SHOT BY TERRORIST'S
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Purchased At: LEVERS IN ISRAEL, BRAKES FROM BIKEMAN
Similar Products Used: rivel arch, xt, lx, promax, hayase.
Bike Setup: stp 400, mars elite, crossmax with stan's tubless system, xt-xtr 8 - great bike!
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Submitted by
Matthew
a Cross Country Rider
from Milwaukee
Date Reviewed: May 13, 2003
Strengths: Easy to set up and adjust, light, stiff as hell.
Weaknesses: A bit expensive.
Bottom Line:
Since Avid no longer makes the Arch Supreme, these are now the best rim brakes in existence. They stop better than most disc brakes, and they aren't nearly as complicated. Avid's got great customer service too. When I got the brakes the metal dust caps that covered the cartridge bearings were warped and bent. I sent an email to Avid's warranty department, and received replacements four days later. True, they're not the cheapest brakes in the world, but if you can afford it, they're the best.
As far as stopping power goes, they are a noticable improvment over XTR, but don't expect a night and day difference. The adjustability of the levers really let's you dial in the exact feel you want. They are the best non disc brakes out there, but if you require maximum stopping power spend your money on Avid's mechanical disc in the 180 mm size.
Bike Setup: ibis silk ti, xtr shifting, crane creek ti team wheels, geax sedona tires, moots ti stem, moots ti laid back seatpost, carbon straight bar,wtb ti seat, marzzochi marathon 80mm 2002
Strengths: Sexiest v-brake around, hands down, and the levers look so slick they make all other levers look like toys Light weight and very stiff The cartridge bearings make a noticeable difference- so play in the brakes or levers, and they operate very very smoothly Very adjustable, like all of Avid's stuff
Weaknesses: Hard to justify that price tag. You'd think that when you're paying enough to get a set of hydraulic discs, they could at least use Ti hardware. That much cash should get you everything the world has to offer in a v-brake.
Bottom Line:
Beautifully crafted, top of the line equipment. The levers have a huge range of leverage adjustability, and also a reach adjust, which is nice. The way they designed the barrel adjusters, they can't possibly slip around on you. (Not that I've ever had that much of a problem with that.) The lever blades are more ergonomical than other Avid's, but it's not that big of a deal. You don't have to remove your grips to take off your levers, which is cool in theory but I can't think of any reason you'd want to do that. I'd say these are great brakes if you love v-brakes and want the best- but the performance difference is not really that drastic over the SD-7's. Bottom line- the perfect v-brakes, but you pay for what you get.
Similar Products Used: Avid SD7, SD5, SD2, SD1, Shimano LX and XT, XT discs, Magura HS-33's, Avid mechanical discs, Hayes hydros
Bike Setup: Trials
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Submitted by
bonker
a Cross Country Rider
from Texas
Date Reviewed: January 21, 2002
Strengths: Lightweight Cartridge bearings No slop CNC Machining It stops your bike
Weaknesses: Steel hardware
Bottom Line:
WOW! I can truly say that these things are on par with hydraulic rim brakes. I once had Magura HS33's and the stopping power is almost the same. The sealed bearings make the brakes as smooth as can be. I am using the Ultimates with XTR levers. What a combination. I was stuck between the Avid Ti's, and Paul's Motolite. I'm glad I went with the Ultimates. The brakes are about 180 grams. I'm a weight weenie but I will sacrifice weight for performance in the brake division. FYI, if you buy them from Pricepoint, don't expect "Retail" packaging. Mine came in ziplock bags with all the stuff. No problems. These are THE v-brakes if it came down to what is the best.
