The Five is a slightly scaled down brother to the Juicy Seven(tm). But even without Pad Contact Point Adjustment, the Five is still head and shoulders above any of the other hydros because of the Avid® blood that runs in the whole Juicy family.
Submitted by
grant191
a Cross Country Rider
from st louis mo
Date Reviewed: January 30, 2012
Strengths: great mid level brake set, good starter set to get into the hydro world. stop on a dime and require little maintenance
Weaknesses: they "growl like a turkey" when new, but found after broke in. to re adjust the calipers and I clean the rotors after every ride with rubbing alcohol and they remain quiet
Bottom Line:
good set of brakes even though there are newer models available
Submitted by
norcorider95
a Downhiller
from London, England
Date Reviewed: December 11, 2011
Strengths: urm, not really that many, its okay i guess, very average, nothing special, i suppose it has good modulation. cheap too, also replacement parts are easy to find.
Weaknesses: pads wore down quickly, cheap hose came stock, leaver moves up and down, hard and complicated to bleed, no leaver adjustments, doesnt look that great, need bleeding a lot, spongy. Pistons and seals broke on mine.
Bottom Line:
Average, if its in a sale then go for it buy it, but be prepared to spend a lot on it, pads need replacing about once per month, need bleeding about once every 2 months because they get spongy quickly.
Might be worth getting an elixir 5 or something, maybe more pricey but in the end will work out cheaper.
Similar Products Used: elixir 3, shimano deore m575.
Bike Setup: Specialized big hit fsr 1 2010 with marz 66's, fox dhx 3, hope pro 2 hubs, mavic ex729 rim, crankbros 5050x pedals, sunline bars, nukeproof seat, holzfeller cranks, gravity stem, avid elixir brakes,E13 ls1+ chain device
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
GR
a Cross Country Rider
from Alexandria, VA
Date Reviewed: October 31, 2011
Strengths: Great Stopping Power when wet.
Weaknesses: Brake Drag that keeps reoccuring.
Bottom Line:
Brake drag on rear brake since bike was new. After a year of working trying to fix it the bike shop got Avid to replace both brakes. Started dragging again a month later. Then it stopped for a year of commuting including including in foul weather. Started dragging again, had tune, still dragging. If you get a used bike with these brakes, spin the wheel and see if there is any drag, if so I would not buy, there is no long lasting fix. I will not buy another bike with Avid brakes
Submitted by
Trails-of-Fire
a Weekend Warrior
from San Antonio TX
Date Reviewed: August 8, 2011
Strengths: Good breaking power. Quiet- even when wet. Never have problems with dragging like some users describe happening. Okay my back does in one spot due to my bent rotor which was my fault. Two piece clamp allows removal with removing grips.
Weaknesses: There are better, and more expensive, hydro brakes out there on the market.
Bottom Line:
Look, you can go really expensive on hydro disk brakes and you can also go really cheap. However the Juicy 5's are middle-of-the-road brakes. Don't be fooled by negative posts. There you have it.
Submitted by
robpink
a Weekend Warrior
from England
Date Reviewed: August 4, 2011
Strengths: levers are nice, don't have to take grips off. Look neat!
Weaknesses: where to start.... The levers rattle, no pad adjustment, CONSTANT RUBBING!! i adjust them, then they just rub again after 5 minutes!!!
The noise of the brake is as people describe a 'turkey gobble'.
Not enough power, my old LX discs were way better.
The weird mounting system, that makes it impossible to align the calliper.
Rusty discs.
Bottom Line:
as mentioned, so many issues.
If you have them and get on with them, fine.
If you're thinking of buying them, steer clear! Get shimano, never had a problem with them ever.
Bike Setup: Haro ics 4.0 2003 almost all SRAM components. WTB dual duty wheels. Avid Juicy 5 160mm front and back.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
drdreas
a Weekend Warrior
from Corte Madera Ca. USA
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2011
Strengths: -they stop the bike from moving when i pull the levers
-decent looks
Weaknesses: -they rub constantly! i have to adjust the calipers after every couple of rides to temporarily reduce the rubbing, but it returns again.
-rear brake makes a turkey gobble sound and sends heavy vibrations through the whole bike.
-LOUD!! when i ride down my relatively steep driveway, the sound is tremendous. its like a fcuking air-raid siren or something. so loud in fact that my neighbors have called me out on it before. this is embarrassing, and i expect better from a high end brake system.
-rotors are prone to warping
Bottom Line:
-if you already have them, upgrading isn't a necessity. they work, and for most people, thats what matters.
-if you are gonna buy a bike that comes equipped with them, go ahead and buy it. just be warned that they are NOT flawless, and will need your attention in the future.
-if you are planning on buying these by themselves, DON'T!
Similar Products Used: first pair of disc brakes that i've owned.
Bike Setup: 2008 stumpjumper fsr comp
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
mackienz
a Cross Country Rider
from nz
Date Reviewed: February 18, 2011
Strengths: reasonable power
Weaknesses: They don't have enough stopping power, so your arms get burned out on long descents. also they lack finesse. when i am going down technical twisty rocky steep sections i want smooth breaking, but these would just grip and release throwing my balance off.
Submitted by
jharness
a Cross Country Rider
from colorado springs
Date Reviewed: November 1, 2010
Strengths: worked well except pads can fall out
Weaknesses: my rear brake pads keep falling out
Bottom Line:
the brake pads are held in by a spring I have replaced the pads four times and put new springs in but the brake pad can and does fall out on down hills. One second my brakes are working great the next I have only one rear brake pad.
I will only use brakes with a retaining pin from now on price isn't an issue compared to saftey.
Submitted by
fourgensaz
a Cross Country Rider
from Glendale, AZ, USA
Date Reviewed: September 15, 2010
Strengths: Good braking when it counts. Looks good.
Weaknesses: Break pad rub. Brakes do not "self ajust"! Brake pads fell out completly on two different occasions during races.
Bottom Line:
Waiting for a phone call from LBS to have new Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes finished installing. This is the only flaw with the above bike I have noticed in 2.5 years of riding it and several hundred miles on the trail.
Similar Products Used: first time using Hydraulic disk brakes
Bike Setup: 2008 Trek fuel EX8 (http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2008/archive/fuelex8)
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jacques Pienaar
a Weekend Warrior
from Santiago, Chile, SA
Date Reviewed: July 27, 2010
Strengths: Easy to set up, Easy to maintain, Stopping ability/power, availability of service parts etc.
Weaknesses: None noted so far
Bottom Line:
These brakes came with the bicycle I purchased just over a year ago. In this period I have covered around 2175 miles of All Mountain riding and have experienced no issues with these brakes. I have gone down some gnarly downhill runs at local ski resorts with some high speed techy stuff and these brakes have only saved my @ss more than once. Great stopping power, getting the job done. Not the top of the line and limited adjustment settings but when you need them to stop you in time, the result is actually impressive. Great quality, great value
Favorite Trail: Hacienda Las Varras, Andes Mountains
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Purchased At: Came with bicycle
Similar Products Used: Shimano, Hayes, Hope
Bike Setup: 09 Norco Fluid LT2,
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Lyle Burgmann
a Weekend Warrior
from Greenville, SC, USA
Date Reviewed: May 25, 2010
Strengths: Good stopping.
Weaknesses: Very, very noisy. The back brakes have what some describe as a turkey gooble, A better description is the sound of a 18 wheeler with bad brakes comming to a stop. Everyone on the mountain can hear you coming. It is very embarrassing. No way this problem should occur on a high end bike.
Bottom Line:
My dealer replaced the original rotors with Shimano rotors which completely cured the problem.
Strengths: -Matches colour with Deore XT shifters?
-On par with average rim brakes.
- suppose they would be cheap to buy.
Weaknesses: -Low power.
-Noise (i use the terrible noise to warn pedestrians etc)
-No tool-less adjustment.
Bottom Line:
BAD BAD BAD. Not NEARLY enough stopping power. Even with a full fist i am nowhere near approaching an endo. Rear has way too much play in the lever and subsequently wont grip with a single finger. Rear also has TERRIBLE turkey gobble gobble gobble, regardless of temp or brake pressure. Feeling and feedback from levers also leaves a lot to be desired.
Getting a set of Hayes Stroker Ace off fleabay and getting rid of this garbage.
If you have these thats one thing, But PLEASE don't buy them.
These came with a fabulous Giant C1 Carbon with Deore XT. While they are 2nd hand, they had done just over 50kms. When my bleed kit arrives i will bleed and reevaluate, but it looks fairly certain i will be dumping these.
Submitted by
aminkman
a Cross Country Rider
from apple Valley,ca
Date Reviewed: May 6, 2010
Strengths: Looks cool, stops well
Weaknesses: Back one had to be adjusted after 2nd ride. I'm in Tempe,Az
and rode for 2 hrs around trails @ south mountain and had to stop 2X to center front brake. This was the 3rd ride. The noise was insane. When I get home I will let the most excellent mechanic Shannon @ Cyclery USA in Rancho Cuc. see if he can fix otherwise I will look for a new brake.
Bottom Line:
The first 2 rides were not as dusty as the 3rd ride. I don't think I would purchase these after market. In fact the only thing I would change on this otherwise excellent mochine is the shifters and the brakes. For what it's worth the guy I was riding with had the same brake and he had to re center his once and the squeel went away, my hapless ass was not as fortunate. I had to tap the front brake every time we were climbing.
I'm trying to build up a FR bike on a budget. This is going to go on a Bullit.. I have Shimano XT disc brakes on my other bike and I love them.. but they're a bit expensive.
I c Read More »
I am such a noob... today I repaired a flat tire I got, so I had to remove the rear tire. I had a hell of a time trying to get it back in :madman: :o and during the struggle I thin Read More »
I've got an '09 Fuel EX 8 with 185mm Juicy Fives. I can't really complain about these Juicy's, but I would like a firmer brake lever return. The levers' return is a bit soft or m Read More »
my wifes 2005 Specialized Epic brakes are fine when its cool outside, i can spin the wheel freely.. however as soon as the weather heats up to say 70-80 degrees, i can no longer sp Read More »
