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Submitted by
andy w
a Weekend Warrior
from mishawaka
Date Reviewed: May 16, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Strengths: | quartz mt 11
no cheap plastic parts, good stopping power, flawless paint finish | | Weaknesses: | adjusting screws fall out, stock brake shoes lose pads easily, mounting bolts strip easily, mounts arent sealed... horse shoe guide fell apart after a wreck where i bent a rear wheel. | | Similar Products Used: | xt v, avid v | | Bike Setup: | custom steel frame, white bros x8 fork, xt crank/der/shifters/hubs | | Bottom Line: | i was a little weary of tektro products, and i bought these just as a temporary brake after i broke two left xts in a wreck. i ordered a set of xts from my dealer, but had to leave the state quickly, and never ended up getting them. ive now had these on this bike for the last 5 years and basically just have the v brake issues.... constant adjustment, adjustment screws falling out. the paint has withstood my years of abuse, and there is not a scratch anywhere.
the weaknesses i listed were mainly due to my riding habits, so i wouldnt hold this against the brand and would recommend them to xc riders only. these are definetly not all mountain/trail brakes. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Connor
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver, CO USA
Date Reviewed: October 11, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Still going after 6 years! Just read the review here and realized my rear V-brake is still going strong after 6+ years and thousands more miles. Front was replaced by Avid BB7...but not due to product failure. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Bike Setup: | 96 Trek 970/'00 Z-2 Atom 80/Avid BB7 front and Tektro Quartz rear V-brake. | | Bottom Line: | Don't know if they're still sold, but a great, cheap V-brake. Just locktite the leafspring screws and replace pads with Koolstops, and ride away. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nick
a Weekend Warrior
from Amherst, MA
Date Reviewed: October 10, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | The Notch | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | Price Point | | Strengths: | Price! Good stopping power, decent levers and return springs, no junky plastic and easy to install. | | Weaknesses: | constant adjustment needed, supplied noodles are garbage, brake pads are sub-par. | | Similar Products Used: | Cantilevers (UGH!), various shimano v-brakes on test bikes | | Bike Setup: | '95 Trek 930 w/ Tektro brakes, Magura Quake Air fork, Egg beaters & various other upgrades. | | Bottom Line: | I was looking for a cheap v-brake set to replace my horrible squealing rim-eating cantis, and these seemed to be the best bang for the buck out there. It came with all the supplies I needed, although I had to re-route the cables with a cable guide, but the install was nice and easy.
I was impressed with the performance, and they seemed equivalent to shimano v-brakes (Deore, etc) and greatly improved my stopping power and modulation. For once I was able to go downhill on singletrack without fear of flying into a tree trunk! The leaf spring design works well, and the levers have a nice feel to them although I wonder how well they will continue to hold up as there is no way to repair them if they do break. The brakes themselves are solid with little to no flex, and look good to boot!
However, one of the first things I realized is that the little plastic noodles supplied are absolute junk - go to your LBS and get some flexier ones (they gave them to me for free). Also, the pads, while they work ok, are not ideal esp. in wet weather, and have the tendency to occasionally lock up (did a nasty endo into pavement - ouch!). Also, the adjustment screws on the brakes tend to back out, requiring weekly fiddling - i might try some loc-tite or something cuz its annoying.
Overall though, they are sweet for the price despite some downsides, and an essential upgrade from cantis! I kind of wish i had dropped some more cash for some nice Avid SD 7's, but then im not sure if my old bike really deserves them ;) | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matiss
a Weekend Warrior
from Thunder Bay, ON, Canada
Date Reviewed: April 3, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$75.00 | | Strengths: | They will stop you. Easy to set up. Easy to adjust. | | Weaknesses: | Need adjusting a lot (like any v-brake i've seen) | | Bottom Line: | These brakes rock! I've had them for 5 years with no major problems. I feel sorry for all those riders with Shimano or generic brakes exploding on them. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John W.
a Cross Country Rider
from Red Lodge, MT
Date Reviewed: February 12, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Cottonwood Canyon | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | QBP | | Strengths: | Great performance, easy set-up, and unbeatable price!
| | Weaknesses: | Not adjustable for power/modulation. | | Similar Products Used: | Many V's from Shimano including STX-RC, Deore, LX, and XT, and Avids including SD5, SD7, and Arch Rivals.
| | Bike Setup: | Surly 1x1 with handbuilt (by me) wheels, WTB MutanoRaptor Race 2.4's, Cane Creek S2 Headset, Salsa SUL stem and ProMoto bars, Bontrager Race Crank/TruVativ BB/Salsa ring and bashguard, ACS freewheel, Rock Shox post, and the best part - Brooks Swift saddle. And of course Tektro Quartz Brakes. | | Bottom Line: | I'm very impressed by these brakes. While ther is no adjustment for power/cable pull at the lever (other than a setting for V or canti), for my type of riding (technical xc) they don't need it - power and modulation are fine. Not as powerful as the Arch Rivals, or as good of modulation as the XT's, but not that far behind and for a fraction of the price. If you're just looking for a good performing, inexpensive pair of V's, look no further. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
SGT. ROCK
a Racer
from Grande Cache, AB
Date Reviewed: December 9, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | Price Point | | Strengths: | Price
Good quality materials
Nice appearance | | Weaknesses: | Insufficient cable hardware | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano LX V's on three other bikes in my stable | | Bike Setup: | Giant ATX 890 | | Bottom Line: | I was skeptical about a complete V-brake system for $35 - a Shimano LX system would have cost at least twice that. I like LX brakes very much, BTW. I bought the Tektros strictly on the reviews here, and I wasn't disappointed. The Tektros look better than the LX's, and the arms don't have any more play, either. Good feel at the levers when installed and adjusted. I prefer non-parallel push brake arms - less rattly. The pads could be crap, but the good replacements I use are $3.00/pr., so who cares?
Only negative comment is that Tektro doesn't supply enough ferrules to complete the cabling. Neither did Shimano with the LX shifter pods I installed on the same bike,so again, who cares? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David Backman
a Cross Country Rider
from Sweden
Date Reviewed: August 4, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | Biltema | | Strengths: | Price, weight, looks. Can be made to work with handles meant for cantis. | | Weaknesses: | A lot of play in the bushings. Adjustment margin on return spring is small. On my bike they cause what seems like an unfixable brake squeal together with a ceramic rim. | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes hydro disc, Shimano LX V-brake, Shimano LX canti | | Bike Setup: | Marzocchi COMP ETA on noname hardtail aluminum frame, Shimano LX 7-speed drivetrain that just won't wear out... Bits and pieces I had laying around. | | Bottom Line: | Yes they are cheap, and yes they can lock your wheel(s) better than cantis. But so does a stick through the spokes. With luck (and some experimenting) maybe you can get a setup that works better than that. Expect to switch to other pads. They look quite nice. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Canberra
Date Reviewed: February 5, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Strengths: | Cheap,they work well for the price.Heaps better than canti's. | | Weaknesses: | Check often or lock tight in the screws for the "leaf" springs they will fall out. you need to adjust often.
| | Similar Products Used: | Tried avids on a friends bike, that convinced me to go with V's. canti's used previously. | | Bike Setup: | old hardtail, upgraded running gear to xt, m535 wheels, manituo x-vert shock. | | Bottom Line: | These are good for the price,I had canti's so these were a huge improvement.The leaf spring screws(front) feel out on a very steep and tight single track, hence no brakes as i virtually destroyed the rear pads trying to slow down.Ended up having to crash into some small tree's to stop.(yes i had my feet down as well!).I fixed them with locktight and no more trouble(1 year on).If i were to buy v's again i would probably shell out the extra $$ and go with avids.I'm riding steeper and more technical tracks these days so I'm upgrading again to magura hs-33's.I'm 6'2" and 100kgs so i really need to stop all the time. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JJ
a Weekend Warrior
from Cranbrook, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: November 7, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | "The one I haven't ridden" | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | they came stock on my bike | | Strengths: | Lots-good power, good looks, very light, good in all conditions. | | Weaknesses: | They sqeek a little bit in the wet but thats no bigy. | | Similar Products Used: | Other TekTro's | | Bike Setup: | A Giant hardtail frame, Manitou forks, TekTro brakes, Shimano brakes, Raceface bashring, ATi grips, Axiom sofa bed DH seat, Ryhno Litle rims | | Bottom Line: | These came stock on my bike. Theyre awsome. I use 'em' for trials, DJ/DS, aggressive single track, DH, urban and lots of rad stuff.
Get them-theyre worth it!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Todd K.
a Weekend Warrior
from Canton
Date Reviewed: March 29, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Coon Hollow Path | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | They stop, sometimes. Enjoyable to swear at when they start sucking | | Weaknesses: | The brake itself. | | Similar Products Used: | Avid disc brakes. | | Bike Setup: | Specialized FSR rockhopper comp | | Bottom Line: | These things suck. They have so much play in them and no matter how good the pads and cables are, they still suck. Squel liek crazy, dont stop half the time, they of course are bad in mud, most V's are. Im getting myself a pair of Avid Arch Rivals and see how those are. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sindron
a
from Canada
Date Reviewed: September 3, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Over power... They got exceptional stopping power. They look awesome and are really easy to adjust | | Weaknesses: | My only problem is over power, they bend the seat stay very easily. They don't screech. And 240g a little heavier than xtr (195g) and avid arch rival which are 196g. But the extra weight is worth it. | | Bike Setup: | XTR, Xt. Z2 Atome 80 | | Bottom Line: | For the price you pay they're really great and are well worth it. If i wouldn't have front mech disc i'd have these cause they stop just as good. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jimbo
a Weekend Warrior
from laguna beach, Ca, USA
Date Reviewed: August 9, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | The White Flffy Bunnies | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$44.00 | | Purchased At: | supergo | | Strengths: | um, they look pretty good, and are pretty powerful. ohhh shiny | | Weaknesses: | um, the two arms are uneven... hate that, screws up the look. | | Similar Products Used: | diacomp, shimano | | Bike Setup: | 1999 specialized FSR | | Bottom Line: | man, ge Discs they look alot nicer and are morepowerful too, except that they cost a hell of alot more though. oh yeah, don't e-meil me complaints | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mico Valera
a Cross Country Rider
from Dublin, Oh
Date Reviewed: July 21, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Alum Creek | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$15.00 | | Purchased At: | Used | | Strengths: | Damn good stopping power. Looks good and good value. | | Weaknesses: | Too much power for the novice. | | Similar Products Used: | Avid Arch Rival 50 | | Bike Setup: | Custom built K2 Zed, Tektro MT20 and MT1.1 (levers), STX RC
components. | | Bottom Line: | I built my bike on a very limited budget winning auctions on ebay and looking for mild used components spending no more than 300 on my rig. I came accross the MT20 complete set for $15. It's got rear wheel raising power that threw me of my bike while I was testing the raise on the rear wheel. Recomend practicing different stopping levels. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jon Jaimes
a Weekend Warrior
from Austin TX
Date Reviewed: June 1, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$44.00 | | Purchased At: | SuperGo | | Strengths: | Price, stopping power, easy setup, looks. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Bike Setup: | Sorrento Sport frame with 9.0SL drivetrain and SID. | | Bottom Line: | These are great brakes! Setup was easy. I love the little leaf spring, it's much better than those stupid little wire springs. Like I wrote under Product Strenghts, "Price, stopping power, easy setup, looks", what more do you want in a brake? Buy it! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim
a Weekend Warrior
from Richland,WA USA
Date Reviewed: May 28, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Strengths: | Cost. They are a great brake for the money. Easy to install and they have great stopping power | | Weaknesses: | The adjusting screws tend to back out, so they need to be watched. Small turns on the adjustment screws make large changes to the adjustment, took a while to get them adjusted. The levers seem to be a little flimsy (No problems yet) | | Similar Products Used: | None, first V brake set up. Had Shimano LX cantilever previous | | Bike Setup: | 92 Specailized Stumpjumper, Shimano LX | | Bottom Line: | I think the brakes are great, the best value upgrade I have done so far. I found that using blue thread lock has solved the problem with the adjusting screws backing out. I am very pleased with the brakes so far | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Downhiller
from newfoundland,canada
Date Reviewed: April 13, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | mini north shore | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | Freeride Mountain Sports | | Strengths: | very good for a v brake well built | | Weaknesses: | leaf spring addjustment keeps popping out squeals alot | | Similar Products Used: | dia compe dp7 formula mech. disk brakes | | Bike Setup: | 00 kona stinky with Z-3 Long Travel | | Bottom Line: | perfform well for v brakes but cannot perform as well as disks and they wont stop SQUEAKING! GOOD FOR THE PRICE | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Frank Juan
a Cross Country Rider
from Garden Grove, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: March 18, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Aliso Woods Canyon | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | Supego | | Strengths: | It was dirt cheap! Great upgrade from stock V-breaks or OLD cantilever brakes. Easy to install, even the most mechanicaly retarted can install it | | Weaknesses: | Pads are not all condition and wear out rims. I've had the leaf spring screws pop out during a ride and was dangerous since I had no front brakes! Adjusting just a littile bit can throw out the alignment. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano LX, Avid SD | | Bike Setup: | 2000 GT Aggressor | | Bottom Line: | They are ok brakes for the money. Expect to do some regular maintenance before and after EVERY ride! The reliability is questionable and the parts will be a pain in the rear to find. If your in the market for new brakes in the market, I strongly suggest get the Shimano LX. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy
a Weekend Warrior
from Reno, Nevada
Date Reviewed: February 28, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Downhill with the wind behind me! | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | Sierra Cyclesmiths | | Strengths: | Looks good, easy to install, STOPS!, easy to adjust, reasonable cost | | Weaknesses: | None yet | | Similar Products Used: | Old cantilever brakes | | Bike Setup: | '91 Rockhopper, Softride stem shock, Mavic Corvair rims, Profile bar | | Bottom Line: | Why didn't someone tell me that my brakes were old? This has to be the best way to upgrade an older bike. Seriously, heed the warning on the box that suggests that you try them out gently at low speeds. Just riding around the parking lot, I pulled on the front brake like I did with my old brakes and brought the rear wheel about 8" off the ground. I found the spring adjustment screws very easy to use to get the pads to return evenly. My old rims were pretty bad, so I put on the new Mavics. They have a machined rim, so that might help the stopping power. I haven't tried any other brakes of this type, but if there are better ones out there, I don't need them! If you have an older bike, go out and slap a set of these on...they're well worth it. They're easy to install yourself. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott Patterson
a Cross Country Rider
from Huntsville, AL
Date Reviewed: August 2, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Goat Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | It uses leaf springs instead of wire springs. They are stronger and seem to be much more durable. | | Weaknesses: | Adjusting the spring tension will change your pad alignment. | | Similar Products Used: | '99 Shimano XT | | Bike Setup: | Schwinn Factory Suspension with 2000 Sid XC | | Bottom Line: | The springs are the only thing that makes these brakes special. The odd "parrell push" system can make pad allignment a little difficult. You have to get your spring tension set exactly where you want it first. But since I got everything set up, I haven't had to do any adjusting. Unlike the XT's whose springs were always loosing tension. These brakes are for you if your sick of always having to mess with cheesey wire springs on other V-brakes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Wicked one
a Cross Country Rider
from Allen Park, Mi
Date Reviewed: July 25, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Highland State park. | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Very strong, different adjustment than the standard V-brakes. Cheap of corse, couldn't beleive the price. Easy to install for most novice bike mechanics. Don't squeak and wear out like shimano. | | Weaknesses: | Needs Gore-tex cables to work to the full potential. The cables they come with are fine, but they do tend to drag if the housings are not well lubricated. Nicer levers would be nice. | | Similar Products Used: | shimano canti's, xt v's | | Bike Setup: | 6061 t6 aluminum frame/hardtail, Manitou SX-r fork, Shimano drivetrain. | | Bottom Line: | They work well. Very strong and easy to adjust. You did something wrong if they don't work well. Or, you are biased to shimano v-brakes. They are cheap. Can't beat them for the price. I'm sure there are better brakes, but they work great for me. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dosas
a Weekend Warrior
from Santa Clara, CA
Date Reviewed: July 6, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Old Cabin | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | Inexpensive ($44 front, rear & cables from SuperGo) | | Weaknesses: | TERRIBLE QUALITY: one brake arm would stick when the bolt was tightened properly (bushings weren't pressed in correctly), the pad mounts twist so badly when brakes are applied there is no stopping power. TERRIBLE DESIGN: The cables drag where they exit the adjuster barrel (wrong exit angle), the 'clever' leaf spring that also acts as linkage pulls the pads out of alignment if you change the tension, and vice versa (takes many iterations to adjust brakes), psuedo Speed-Dial is really a cheesy flip-n-move 2 position leverage adjuster that doesn't stay positioned reliably. | | Similar Products Used: | XT v-brakes, Avid 20 | | Bike Setup: | Stumpjumper w/ Judy XC, XT groupo (My wife's bike). | | Bottom Line: | I installed these on my wife's bike before a week in Moab - she complained the brakes were much worse than the LX cantilevers/Avid levers I replaced! She was right! Lucky she didn't loose it on some of the steep slickrock or Porc Rim trail.
SuperGo took them back and gave full credit - kudos to them! Spend the money - buy Shimano or Avid. Can't afford it? Stick with a quality set of cantilever brakes!
These brakes belong next to the Barbie and GI Joe bicycles at Toys R Us (no offense to Toys R Us - it's a great place to buy video games or legos). | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Connor
a Weekend Warrior
from Denver, CO
Date Reviewed: June 22, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Simple, parallel push means easy wheel changes, price, powerful. No separate pivots to loosen up and sqeal like Shimanos-a simple and elegant solution to parallel push braking. | | Weaknesses: | Pads are harder on rims than my old Kool-stop canti pads. I find the same old bits of embedded aluminum I used to see in my Shimano LX cant pads. | | Similar Products Used: | Stock LX cantis with Kool-stop pads | | Bike Setup: | Trek 970/Judy | | Bottom Line: | Great price, great upgrade from cantis. These brakes are strong enough to noticeably bend the steel seatstays on my bike, and the brakeposts on my Judy (almost 1/8" per side). I don't notice the brake arms themselves moving/bending at all. Had to buy a Salsa booster for the fork just to use them to their potential. Haven't used other V-brake levers so can't compare, but they are well-finished and reasonably stiff and functional. Very strong, held up to a weekend in Moab with no squealing, great power and modulation. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Weekend Warrior
from Camp Hill
Date Reviewed: June 12, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | tuckahoe | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | leaf spring is strong, they work well in most conditions, decent cables w/ the set | | Weaknesses: | they eat pads in sandy/wet conditions, durability issues?, crappy lever | | Similar Products Used: | tektro 824's, cheap shimano canti's, avid single digit 25's | | Bike Setup: | who cares... it has these brakes on it for now | | Bottom Line: | I've been using these since early spring and don't have too many complaints. The parallel push makes pad setup fairly easy. The leaf spring stays strong if you don't crank down on it too much and keep the moving parts clean. They aren't sealed very well but the brass bushings seem to be wearing, not the brake arms themselves. And the fact that you can take all four of the arms apart, clean them, and reassemble them in about 1/2 and hour makes maintainance a non-event.
There is some flex in the arms. The levers are generally crap. But what do you expect for $45? Shell out a little more and get avid single digits (No moving parts means they won't break down) and matching levers (avid levers really are better).
minus 2 for wasting my time with the levers
4 for value (avids are only $30 more)
I'll repost with a scathing review when they break down. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Noah Koerper
a Cross Country Rider
from OR
Date Reviewed: June 8, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | ZigZag, Funnelcake, Extendo | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Cheap, reliable to an extent. I'm surprised that they work, they were so cheap! | | Weaknesses: | Hard to adjust, a bit funky in general. Of course, they aren't nearly Shimano caliber. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano Cantilevers | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Hardrock wTektro V's, and Rockshox Judy DH. Massive freeriding machine... | | Bottom Line: | These brakes are great for the cash. I got them for $20 by trading in some old stuff, and they are definitely woth the upgrade form cantis. They are low end, however. sometimes they are just enoguh to get by on the trails I do, and they are often difficult to adjust. I would reccomend that you spend just about $30 more and get a step up. Or you could always get XTRs. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Hookie Rider
a Cross Country Rider
from New Mexico
Date Reviewed: June 4, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | High Altitude Classic Race Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Definitly the Price comes to mind. They are also quite powerful, in fact I use one finger and nothing more. Capable of tweeking the seatstays and booster on my Litespeed with ease! | | Weaknesses: | None really, it would be nice to have some sweeter levers though | | Similar Products Used: | Canti's, canti's and more canti's. I have ridden several of my friends rides that use XTR, XT, and much lesser direct pull brakes | | Bike Setup: | Litespeed Hiawwasse, the only thing worth mentioning are these brakes and the frame! | | Bottom Line: | A great deal. Haven't had a single problem with them. The force generated by the brakes have impressed my wrench and my friends alike! I am putting these things on my Santana, minus the levers. Anyone interested in upgrading to parallel push direct pull brakes should jump on the band-wagon. Besides they look cool and they are painfully easy to adjust. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ben "Wah"
a Weekend Warrior
from Long Beach
Date Reviewed: May 11, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | SoCal Trails | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | looks good, funtional for 2 months then you'll start noticing some problems. inexpensive $40 complete kit | | Weaknesses: | doesn't work so good, hard to adjust, hard to find replaceable pads, one of the leaf fell out and the thing flexed like a mother. After a few sessions it springs out noticeably weaker, gotta keep adjusting it. | | Similar Products Used: | LX V, canti | | Bike Setup: | Shwinn Moab | | Bottom Line: | Am I the only one to see this Brake kit sucks! The thing is hard to adjust, the levers are weak. I fell on one of them and the thing is bent outward. If you like to ride rocky challenging trails with your buddies and you need stopping confidence this brake is not for you. If your just gonna cruise and ride occasionnal trails this might be for you. Sure its cheap, but pay a couple more bones for something more reliable like Sh. LX V or the Avids 4.0. Its worth it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rob
a Weekend Warrior
from Clevland, TN
Date Reviewed: May 1, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Great price, good lucks, sexy housing | | Weaknesses: | None so far | | Similar Products Used: | XTR V-brakes, Onza cantilevers, arch supremes | | Bike Setup: | Easton Kona, Judy race, XTR, Truvativ crankset, King, Syncros, Kore, blah, blah, blah | | Bottom Line: | Without a doubt the best brakes for the money. I work at a shop and can have anything, and i chose these. I was weary when i ordered them, but as soon as i set them up i was hooked... Sharp looking grey finish, Levers similar to Avids (a plus) but the clencher for me, was the cables and housing. If you don't know already, cables and housing dramitically change the feel of a brake. These come with some sharp, thick, beautiful housing. It has a textured feel to it, ribbed of sorts, anyway much better than other brands. The Cable was big and thick, study i'm sure. A joy to set up, designed wonderfully, the KOOL-STOP pads were also a plus, I'm sold people. the whole set is cheaper than one (1) XTR brake. That's impressive. GET THEM... Don't worry about all XTR, get what stops you... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ed Roberts
a Weekend Warrior
from Providence
Date Reviewed: April 24, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | 8A | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Cheap price, parallel push, something other than shimano, but most of all, the price | | Weaknesses: | my set didn't come with mounting bolts or noodles, which was sort of a pain in the A | | Similar Products Used: | old school canti's and U's (not very good), cheap v brakes (pretty bad too) | | Bike Setup: | front and rear on a k25000 with a judyXLC | | Bottom Line: | For the price, you can't go wrong. These brakes got plenty of power and coolness factor. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Big V
a Weekend Warrior
from Southern CA
Date Reviewed: April 17, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | One finger stopping power!
No squealing
unique "leaf spring" design works well | | Weaknesses: | didn't like the feel of the levers. | | Similar Products Used: | Cantis on my beater bike | | Bike Setup: | '00 Specialized FSR, SRAM 9.0 levers | | Bottom Line: | These came stock on my bike, and I figured I'd have to replace them pretty quickly...not so! I switched to a pair of SRAM 9.0 levers because I liked the feel better, but I've got no complaints about these brakes...plenty of stopping power, can easily lock up front or rear. Adjustment is easy, and no squeal at all so far. I can't compare them to XTs or XTRs since I've never ridden either, but I'm not in any hurry to replace my brakes. Five flamers. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Pat
a
from denver , CO
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Good price, progressive power.They do what there supposed to do. | | Weaknesses: | Cheap hardware | | Similar Products Used: | XT,Tektro,Avid,LX | | Bike Setup: | 1998 canondale f500,with SPOX wheelset,Truvativ cranks, everything else stock setup. | | Bottom Line: | Good value,but for tektro's top of the line brakes the hardware is cheap. Be careful when tightening brakes bolts, one of them felt like it was going to strip with only a little force. Also check the leif spring screws fot tightness, almost all were loose on mine. Be careful when tightening these as well. I'll give them 3 flamming turds for a good design but minus two for poor hardware(bolts). | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Quint
a Weekend Warrior
from Waco, Tx
Date Reviewed: March 27, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Cheap ($44 with levers and cables at Supergo)
Work great
Stay adjusted
| | Weaknesses: | Flex | | Similar Products Used: | Dia Compe Vc735 | | Bike Setup: | 99 FSR | | Bottom Line: | I originally intended to buy Avid's Arch Rival 50's, but
went with the Tektro Quartz MT 20's instead. These things
are incredible for the price. They use a leaf spring
coupled with a parallel push system and stay adjusted.
They do flex my rear seat stays though. The included levers
are too big (three finger) for my liking, so I still use
the stock Avid's. You can't go wrong with these. Hope the
leaf spring catches on with manufacturers. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rit
a
from Seattle, Washington, USA
Date Reviewed: March 18, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | CHEAP!!CHEAP!!CHEAP!! Budget system that works well. Easy to install, doesn't squeak, no need for toe in, and they stop hella good in the rain..... | | Weaknesses: | would be hard to find a replacement spring if they broke or got worn out, the levers are copy-catz that don't work as well as avids, but avids are $40 just for the levers. | | Similar Products Used: | shimano LX | | Bike Setup: | Univega Alpina 600, quartz brakes, control stix, zoom micro adjust seat post, alloy caged pedals, Enduro 2, everything else is stock | | Bottom Line: | You cant beat the price no matter what. I got mine for $44 for the whole kit including cables. The levers are copy-catz of the avids, they don't feel as solid as others but are still worth the price. I recomend them for riders on a budget that want good brakeing power. A must if you still have cantilevers. These things are easier to install than cantilevers, and if you have trouble installing them, maybe you shouldn't be installing them yourself, go get some help, proper set up is esential for safety. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
garan
a Cross-Country Rider
from fincastle va
Date Reviewed: December 29, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
explore park | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
dont flex, work great | | Weaknesses: |
none | | Similar Products Used: |
xt,avid arch 5.0,tektro 824 | | Bike Setup: |
univega ds 900,ritchey prolite,tahoma,control tech,manitou sx | | Bottom Line: | work better than xt, cheap- pricwe | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
DEW
a Weekend Warrior
from Arvada, CO
Date Reviewed: December 27, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Golden Gate | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Cheap, effective, simple | | Similar Products Used: |
Avid Arch 4.0
Mrazek V's | | Bike Setup: |
Diamond Back FS | | Bottom Line: | I'm not sure there is a better V brake out there for twice the price of the Tektro. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ozzierider
a Cross-Country Rider
from SLC
Date Reviewed: October 6, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Easy set up, great brake pads (Kool stop) | | Weaknesses: |
Noodle | | Similar Products Used: |
Shimano LX, Avid 1.0,Avid Arch 50 | | Bike Setup: |
Gt ti, Manitou Pro | | Bottom Line: | If you buy them in the kit levers/arms they cost half the price of let's say LX. They come with cables and housing. Set up is simple. No need to upgrade the pads since they are quality Kool stop ones, not the Shimano type that wear your rims in one season! The return spring on the arms is positive and does not bend too easily. The levers shape are a copy of the avids, so fel and lenght is great. Works ok with gripshift. WHY SPEND MORE ON A INFERIOR PRODUCT FROM THE JAP GIANT SHIMANO? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Koh lee wei
a Cross-Country Rider
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: August 3, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Bukit Timah trail | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Power spring tension
Suit most of the bike.
Worth it. | | Weaknesses: |
The Brake pad doesn`t have much gripping power | | Similar Products Used: |
STX-RC
Dia compe | | Bike Setup: |
Peugeot aluminuim
SR suntour MG80
24 speed shimano
Tranz X handle bar | | Bottom Line: | Buy it cause ut worth it.
Change the brake pad if you want. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Roy cameron
a Cross-Country Rider
from Meaford, ON
Date Reviewed: July 15, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Bruce Trail | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Less money then similar produts.
Work Great. | | Weaknesses: |
Nothing | | Similar Products Used: |
Avid 2.0
LX/XT | | Bike Setup: |
Kona Fire Mountain | | Bottom Line: | These really are sweet brakes, their strong, easy to adjust. and cost nothing | | Overall Rating: |
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