The tasty looks and comfy feel of the super-light lever. Avid Juicy 3 Disc Brake so good at so many things that it's hard to even put in a category like cross country or all mountain.
Strengths: cheap, look good, once they are set up correctly and properly maintained they work great, had mine for two years,bled them once,no brake squeel,one finger braking no problem, look after them and they will look after you.....
Weaknesses: none so far mine have been great
Bottom Line:
good enough for most but if you are a serious downhiller then go for something more powerfull
I just bought a 2010 Trek fuel 7 new two weeks ago from this post. The first week on hydros coming from BB7's on a hard tail and my first thought was this is different. The BB7's had plenty of adjustability, the Avids don't. From day three on these brakes I started to get rub. Took the water bottle and gave them a shot and the noise went away for about a mile them came back. Ok, no big deal. I do ride everyday, weather permitting, so this might be to much for these things. Makes no sense to me they should start to falter so soon. I ride the bike like it was designed to be riden. Today I really took a ride from dirt, tacky mud, sand, and some paved trails and holy loud ! I literally called a turkey out of the woods ! To keep the cost down on bikes is the thing to do, but the brakes seem to be a bad chioce on a bike that is'nt top dollar but sure was a expense to me. Needing to stop right now is essential to my riding routine, and I can't recommend "upgrading" to these unless your enjoying leisurely riding. I will be shopping for a more reliable set of brakes before i have a complete failure and I get dead.
Strengths: These are a great entry level brake system. When I purchased these not all brake systems came ready to use out of the box. I was in college at the time and didn't have the time or money to pay someone to set them up so that was nice. The initial setup lasted for about 1 year before I needed to take them into a shop to get aligned.
Weaknesses: Noise is loud and not what I would expect. Hard to service even after time. They seem to collect sludge easily in the system and the pistons seems to be almost struck now. I would expect a product to last a fair amount of time before i needed to replaces it.
Bottom Line:
Good for the entry level money but it sounds like you can buy some better quality stuff these days for around the same price.
Similar Products Used: None do far. This was my first Mtb so the brakes are my first other than cross brakes.
Bike Setup: Singlespeed krona unit 2-9 with these brakes.
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Submitted by
Nick
a Cross Country Rider
from SLC, UT
Date Reviewed: April 3, 2012
Strengths: Decent performance, CPS alignment system works well.
Weaknesses: Experienced turkey warbling, and squealing as others have said on both front and rear. Rotors are prone to noise. Sticky pistons are a very common problem, this causes significant rub that can actually be felt while riding. I have aligned the caliper, changed the pads, bled and lubricated the pistons to no avail. This all started very shortly after getting the bike.
Bottom Line:
Constant messing with my brakes to get the tire to spin freely only to have it squeal and rub during a ride has taken a lot away from my overall experience. The brakes are so loud it's embarrassing. After I finally got sick of everyone having flawless maintenance free experiences with their stoppers I upgraded to the new 2012 Elixir 7s and haven't had any problems yet. Avid has a good system with CPS and the brakes did stop well but they sucked so bad for so many people they honestly should have been recalled.
Submitted by
guitarjohn21
a All Mountain Rider
from West Hills., CA U.S.A.
Date Reviewed: March 5, 2012
Strengths: great stopping power when clean, and maintained.
Weaknesses: A little harder to bleed than Hayes.
Bottom Line:
I think learning how to repair ad maintain you stuff is the key to happiness for most products out there. Obviously, after many years of being on the market, they must have done their homework at AVID, even for a budget brake. I hear a lot of reviewers complaining about squealing brakes and I just don't get it. I clean mine, they squeal for about 10 minutes, and its over. Just get them real hot. Learning how to bleed the things yourself might take as much time as typing those 600 word bad reviews I have seen. At least take as much time to clean the things once in a while and you might just find yourself liking what you have! Or not, and keep paying someone else to do it. They won't mind. .
Bike Setup: '07 Yeti 575 Mavic wheelsets for Downhill and lighter set for XC. stock Fox RP3 and Vanilla RL fork. Carbon Raceface bars. Shimano XT shifting, Raceface Evolve XC Cranks, SRAM PG990 cassette, Thompson seatpost. Light & Motion 750 for night rides w/ Nightrider Mininewt for helmet.
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Submitted by
cascademtnbiker
a Weekend Warrior
from Myrtle Creek, OR, USA
Date Reviewed: January 4, 2012
Strengths: Good modulation
Seals robust and don't leak
Rebuild kit and parts readily available online
Cheap price, good quality
Weaknesses: Contact point is not adjustable
Reach adjustment is limited
Bleeding is difficult and requires an over-priced avid bleed kit to get the part you really need
Have to remove the caliper from bike to replace pads
Bottom Line:
I'm writing this review to offset all the bad reviews these brakes are getting here. I'm not giving these brakes 5 stars because I'm sure that there are better hydros out there, but price to performance ratio is probably as good as it gets. I have two sets of Juicy 3's one is the '08 model on my Enduro, the other '11 on the Reign X. I've been using them for two seasons and I have never had any problems with mechanical failures. I used Dot 4 and Dot 5.1 fluid and there's not really any difference in performance, except 5.1 has a slightly higher boiling point. The one time I had brake fade I was running Dot 4 and I've since moved to Dot 5.1 (which is what Avid uses). I weigh 200lbs with all my gear and water. I run 203mm rotors in the front and 185mm in the rear on both bikes. The '08 set was used and needed to be bled when I got them. I replace the hose with Clarks Hydraulic hose, which is very high quality BTW. The '11 set was new but I wanted orange hose so I replaced the hose and never experienced the factory feel on these brakes. I first replaced the hose with Jagwire hose that suuuucked, I could feeling the hose expanding under pressure. Jagwire was kind enough to give me a redesigned replacement hose but I don't think it's as good as Clark's. I can't get the '11 set to feel as firm as the '08 set, which, after many bleeds, has to be the hose.
Modulation: I used Avid Ball Bearing brakes prior and the modulation with those brakes was poor at best. The Juicy's modulate well enough that I can keep the back wheel rolling on the steepest trails I ride (several pitches exceed 50%). The lever feel is firm at the pad contact point but feels a bit soft when modulating under heavy braking, though this might be a good thing. I never tried other hydros on the trail so I can't give an accurate comparison nor do I know what is typical for lever feel. The Juicy's do work so well I can lock up the front, especially going into corners, if I'm not careful.
Overheating: I've had the brakes overheat on one very steep, long downhill run leading to a bit of fade but it didn't compromised my safety as I could feel it happening so I slowed down. I was running Dot 4 then and have since changed to Dot 5.1 so I hope this may not happen again. I not a racer but I destroy wicked descents faster than anybody else in my riding group.
Noise: None except when the rotor is wet. If you ride in the rain or snow rotors are always going to squeal. Once the rotor dries the silence of Juicy's is exceptional. I think brake noise when not wet is due to poor caliper alignment with the rotor. Avid Tri-Alignment system makes caliper alignment a breeze. Pad type and condition of the pad can effect noise and performance. Make sure the pads are properly broken in and that the rotors are kept clean. I clean my rotors with alcohol after every few rides to get the brake dust and other contaminants off.
Bleeding is a PITA. This is the major weakness/complaint I have with the brakes. It takes several times to get proficient with the bleeding procedure but once you get it it ain't that bad. I'd suggest bleeding on a warm/hot day as it helps the air bubbles move through the fluid a lot easier. You've got to get all the air out of the caliper and the lever otherwise the brakes feel spongy and really don't work at all. The bleed kit cost ($40-50) is way to much for what it is; 2 syringes, 1/8" tubing, special threaded and barbed has adapters, bleed blocks. All you need really is the threaded/barb adapters the rest is off the shelf parts. I use an old rotor as my bleed block.
Adjustments: Another weakness of the design is the limited reach adjustment, and no pad contact adjustment. I always wear down the front pads faster than the rear so after awhile the contact point on the left gets closer to the bar than the right. When I start to feel the difference I switch fronts pads to the rear and the rears to the front. With a pad contact adjustment this wouldn't be necessary. I run the reach adjustment set as close to the bar as possible but I would like them closer still in the ideal world. My fingers aren't short, but I don't like having to reach too far either.
Bottom line is that you've got to be reasonably mechanically inclined to maintain hydraulic brakes. All the weekend warrior posers complaining about noise and drag have gotta learn that any disc brake can experience these problems if abused, neglected or not setup properly. With a proper bleed and normal maintenance Juicy's perform well in nearly all situations (except extreme downhill). I know that each brake off the assembly line is slightly different and manufacturing flaws can happen but over all I have two sets of really good brakes.
Bike Setup: Specialized Enduro 6" travel mod
Giant Reign X - 2x9 drivetrain, Joplin 4 post, Fox Float 36, Cane Creek double barrel, Syncros DH rims
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Submitted by
Jeharris44
a Cross Country Rider
from Waco,TX
Date Reviewed: December 19, 2011
Strengths: You can't beat hydraulic brakes and these are great bang for the buck. I have thoroughly enjoyed them. I ride hard and these brakes have never failed me. They are worth the upgrade if you want more stopping power and more sensitivity than mechanical disc.
Weaknesses: They get out of line a little to easy.
Submitted by
Omid Ghassemi
a Downhiller
from Santa Cruz, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: December 16, 2011
Strengths: They worked ok for a little bit.
Weaknesses: They squeak like crazy, the levers get loose very fast, they accumulate debris and air bubbles like no other and are not very strong....not to mention that they have zero modulation.
Bottom Line:
These brakes are horrible. they are unreliable, require constant bleeding as they are not sealed well, have very little power behind em and are cheaply made. Buy it for a hybrid or MILD trail bike....otherwise dont bother...get some used elixirs for 150-200. you dont wanna have to pay for a bleed every two months.
Submitted by
Stillbill
a Weekend Warrior
from Michigan
Date Reviewed: November 5, 2011
Strengths: Works fine, economical
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
I've used the Juicy 3 for three months now...it works fine! Nice feel, and strong braking. I don't know what the detractors on this blog are talking about.
If you are a millionaire, then spend $500 on some "high-end" product, otherwise, buy this.
Submitted by
Gman Jackson
a Weekend Warrior
from Prince George BC
Date Reviewed: October 12, 2011
Strengths: None... Absolutely none.
Weaknesses: Everything. They lack power, as in you couldn't lock them up to save your life. Quality - Believe me or not, I was on a trail, hit a 4-5 foot vertical drop and the pads literally came out of the rear. Apparently the post holding the pads in broke, and sent the rear pads for a dirt nap. Avid told me that I was "Too hard on them" and refused to warranty anything. So I ended up switching to Shimano Saint. Sorry Avid, no more of your junk for me.
Bottom Line:
These brakes are less than trash. I'd rather flintstone it down the hill, dragging my foot on the rear wheel to try and stop, it would be more dependable. I wish I could give negative flaming chillis but you can't on here, so please take my 1 flaming chilli as one with a negative in front of it.
Similar Products Used: Hayes stroker Ace, Avid Code, Avid Code R, Hayes Mag HD, Hayes El Camino.
Bike Setup: 2005 Norco Shore: NO stock parts :D
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Submitted by
JMBURKETT
a Weekend Warrior
from Monument, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2011
Strengths: None
Weaknesses: The standard rear disc is too small. Warped after less than 500 miles. I am not a pro but I know how to brake. I rode the Silver Rush in Leadville and the rear disc was so warped at the finish line I could not stop.
Bottom Line:
I have the Juicy Three on the Trek EX5. I know it is not a high end bike but it was not cheap either. The brakes squeak and slip constantly. Trek will not respond to my complaints (to my satisfaction) and Avid actually told me I was too hard on the brakes. I bought the bike in Colorado Springs, Colorado, not in flatlands of Florida. It seems if they are going to sell a bike in Colorado they should know it is going to be abused, even my the most basic riders as myself.
Submitted by
ballpythonman
a Cross Country Rider
from Wichita, Ks
Date Reviewed: August 31, 2011
Strengths: Very strong action, decent modulation, G3 rotors look sweet. I weigh 200+ and they work great in any situation that I put them in.
Weaknesses: Takes a few times to get them adjusted with no drag. Have a long break in time.
Bottom Line:
These are great brakes for what I need them to do. They do take a little longer to break in than they should. I have never had a problem stoping. Nothing leaks. They just work great. Oh, and they are priced very well. I would recommend these to anyone that has a budget and wants great braking power.
Submitted by
norcorider95
a Downhiller
from london, england
Date Reviewed: August 24, 2011
Strengths: loads of replacement pads to buy, cheap, fairly light, dont look bad either. fairly strong (not the disc)
Weaknesses: hard to bleed. peform crap, need dot 4.1 oil, pads wear in a few days.
unreliable and i cant trust them
Bottom Line:
terrible brakes if im honest. my pistons, seals and pads have all disintegrated.
had them bled twice and it made no difference from when they needed bleeding.
cheap to buy but expensive to maintain.
good for xc or all mountain i could imagine, but they shouldnt come stock on a freeride bike
