Submitted by
jimjam05
a Weekend Warrior
from mobile ala
Date Reviewed: September 10, 2010
Strengths: they are discs however they squeel when they need tweeking
Weaknesses: the oil plug falls out leaving you without braking abilities and the service sucks as no one carries the parts the manufacture is AWOL as well
Bottom Line:
The disc brakes by Hayes in ht e100 series which is not listed stink I do not think disc rakes are for mountain bikes due to the weakening of the rims and I hope someone could tell me where to get parts and if there is a video to show how to bleed and repair these brakes without the use of a factory plug that will just fall out again leaving me withuot brakes and an oily handlebar.
Similar Products Used: no similar productr used cannnot imagine one with a worse design for safety the plug in ht eHayes 100 disc brakes should be a tapped and screwed in bleeder plug not a loose pop out or fall out plug.
Bike Setup: not sure it is a mountain bike that is for sure. Purchased for city use I would not use it on a trail as the disc brakes make the rims weak and they bend easy which is amazing to me considering it is a mountai bikeI spent a good bit of money on. A marin I would have been better as far as mountain biking goes with a single gear beat up fat tired rusty Schwinn
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Submitted by
c-v-tich
a Cross Country Rider
from Croatia
Date Reviewed: July 22, 2008
Strengths: they stop you
Weaknesses: require too much maintenance - every other ride, they fade very fast - incredibly fast
Bottom Line:
initialy they worked good but after several months needed maintenace every 3 to 4 rides, when the pad contact screw unscrews moving the pad away frm the disc you're left with 20% of the original power in the midlle of the ride - could be quite unpleasent
the brakes are ok for recreational XC rides, anything more - no
Similar Products Used: BB7, HFX 9 HD, Juicy 5, Louise FR
Bike Setup: FR hardtail, 5" fork
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Submitted by
yomamaphat
a Weekend Warrior
from Wyoming
Date Reviewed: December 14, 2007
Strengths: Reliability. Never had to adjust except when installing.
Weaknesses: None.
Bottom Line:
Hasn't failed me in 2 years. I've ridden with brakes on down very steep and long hills and the stopping power is always plenty. It's no trouble to lock up the front wheel. Hydraulics have a much nicer feel but I'm not comparing these to hydraulics. Can't really assess value rating since I didn't pay for them, free is always 5 chilis.
Similar Products Used: Many V-Brakes. Have ridden with hydraulics, but not much.
Bike Setup: 2000 Stumpjumper FSR, 4" front shock (Crappy Marzocchi EXR Comp) - The Hayes HMX-1 is just in the front. I have good machined Avid levers.
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Submitted by
William
a Weekend Warrior
from honolulu
Date Reviewed: October 29, 2006
Strengths: they are good in dry conditions
Weaknesses: squealing, rotors warp too easy, and on slight downhills they loose the grip of the rotor due to overheating and make a god awfull noise. Also the calipers are near imposible to adjust after the system is only a year old.
Bottom Line:
If you can afford a better set of brakes I would not even look at these ones.they are crap for anything but gentle trail and city riding.
Similar Products Used: none but saving up for a set of avids as I hear the adjustability is great with them.
Bike Setup: 2003giant iguana disc stock
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Submitted by
Nevin Rallis
a Cross Country Rider
from Windham, Maine, USA
Date Reviewed: May 22, 2006
Strengths: They stop if you take care of them
Weaknesses: rotors bend easily. Stock break pads wore down amaizingly quick. Takes a bit for them to clean themselves after getting wet or muddy during a ride.
Bottom Line:
These brakes have worked for three years. I have just ridden with my slightly bent rotors and the performance is just as good. The original hayes brake pads are a joke. The replacement pads I got have lasted twice as long. They do take a lot of maintenance though. I haven't had any problems with the squeaking. A semi reliable product.
Bike Setup: Leader 626S with XT cranks and rear deraileur, Cane creek AD-12 rear shock, manitou mintue 3.
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Submitted by
Jason Jackett
a Weekend Warrior
from Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
Date Reviewed: April 26, 2006
Strengths: They have good stopping power when adjusted properly and must be kept clean.
Weaknesses: Well, to start, my Front Mx-1 caliper snapped in half horizontally. They have to be adjusted a lot, and they don't work at all with dirt on the discs. The inside knob adjustment sticks a lot, and you still need to use an allan key to turn it, unlike Avids.
Bottom Line:
Not worth getting. If you're interested in a mechanical disc brake, definately get the Avid BB7! FAR superior in every way. Or a V brake would be better.
I use this to commute about 30 km per day, on a paved track, but the bike picks up a lot of grime. If you were up for adjusting these things all the time, then fine they are pretty simple. But, I find that as soon as you have ridden in the rain or mud, they are totally out of alignment. The pads rub, the rotors seem to bend, they sqweek after any sort of muck gets in. Overall, unless you are prepared to constantly maintain them, I think they are really poor.
Submitted by
Hagar 17
a Weekend Warrior
from Victoria BC
Date Reviewed: March 2, 2006
Strengths: Simple - lightweight - easy pad replacement - no more brake worn rims - cheap
Weaknesses: Stopping power - adjustments - always mucking with cables etc
Bottom Line:
Ok brakes but fade too fast and do not stop as well as hydraulics - For any serious steep downhill or a heavy rider who rides a lot - skip these - not worth the hassles!
Good with a new set of pads but after a few riders begins to suck again. can barely lock brakes on slightly used pads...
Similar Products Used: V-brakes...front discs on my old schwinn from target hahaha!...
Bike Setup: 2006 Felt Double-Shot hardtail w/ lots of customs...
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Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from South Cackalacky
Date Reviewed: November 19, 2005
Strengths: Simpler than hydralics, works with any levers, much better stopping power than rim brakes, no worries about mud.
Weaknesses: Noisy.
Bottom Line:
I got these because: 1) I wanted to keep the special levers I already have (Delta Barends), and... 2) I didn't want to deal with the mess, hassle and difficulties of a hydraulic system.
Yes, I knew they aren't as powerfull as hydros, for the reason that hydraulics provide a greater mechanical advantage This is a matter of physics, not quality. however, I'm a 170 pound recreational cross country rider and they work excellent for me. If you weigh 200+ pounds and/or scream down hills at 70 mph, go hydro, by all means.
As to whether they are unusually tricky to install/adjust or not, I can't say, having had no other DBs top compare them with. But after a little practice I found them pretty easy. I guess it's like anything "new", you just need to practice.
They are a bit noisy though, that I will agree totally with. While I rarely get any real squeal, they are certainly not as quiet as rim brakes. Sort of a loud "shshshsh" sound. I have read other posts saying that switching to different aftermarket pads improve this brake's performance, but none of these nice people have seen fit to name names.
But to anyone looking for good, inexpensive, easy to use discs, I would completely recommend these brakes.
Strengths: Decent mechanical disk system to start with
Weaknesses: Tons of calibration and failure problems (although I seem to be a special case)
Bottom Line:
It came on the Sasquatch. The front caliper and mounting bracket was installed with shims. Nevertheless, it worked well until this season when my aggressiveness increased with confidence.
The front adjuster knob is now completely sized up, both front and rear calipers need frequent recalibrations (shims and seized adjuster knob make these difficult), and doesn't stay calibrated for long enough (I've had to recalibrate between trails a few times). Ended up stripping one of bolt-holes on the front mounting bracket due to over-torquing.
It's served me well for a season and a bit, but I'm looking into replacing them with Avids.
Bike Setup: '03 Norco Sasquatch with shifters and brake levers replaced
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Submitted by
Dave Johndrow
a Cross Country Rider
from Richmond, VA
Date Reviewed: July 19, 2005
Strengths: Great power, low maintenance
Weaknesses: setup was a little tricky
Bottom Line:
It took a little while to get them dialed in- another adjustment screw for the outside pad would make it a lot easier than having to loosen the mounting bolts and sliding the brake assembly. Once setup correctly, though, I haven't had a bit of trouble, they stop great and the pads last forever. Take your wheels off to avoid getting any overspray on the rotors when lubing your drivetrain, etc. If any grease gets on the pads, you will have problems. I use an automotive disc brake cleaner and it works fine. I've also heard of people using a propane torch to burn the grease out of the pads-something I'll try next time they get gunked.
Submitted by
Ryan
a Cross Country Rider
from Rochester, NY USA
Date Reviewed: June 30, 2005
Strengths: Strong braking power for entry level mechanical brakes. Easy to install and keep adjusted. Grab well enough for XC riding, see no need for hydraulic.
Weaknesses: Stock pads just fail when they wear to certain point, they loose their grabbing power. No real warning. Aftermarket pads added (not Hayes) grab awesome.
Bottom Line:
Good disc brakes, especially for the price. If you can get them for under $100 for F/R go for it, they work great.
Strengths: Inexpensive, light weight, moderate power
Weaknesses: Pad placement knob can get stuck and back brake lost all power after 8 months.
Bottom Line:
I got these OE at a sale on JensonUSA. These are great brakes in the entry level disc arena. Their power is very good if you have some Avid speed dial levers. However, there is no pad adjustment knob for the outside pad and the pad adjuster for the inside pad gets stuck at the outermost setting and takes muscle to unjam it. Another problem was that after 8 months or so the back brake lost all of its power and was not usable. The pads were not really even worn! After replacing the pads they worked fine. I would recomend them if you can get them for under $50 a wheel. If you can't, just get some Avids.
Submitted by
Bill
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Cruz, Ca
Date Reviewed: June 24, 2005
Strengths: Since I have used them for 5 years and have been very happy with them. They were the lightest brake when I bought them and I could use my exsiting XTR levers.
Weaknesses: Yhe will squeak at times.
Bottom Line:
Work very well for the price. Have lasted 5 year no problems.
Hey all,
I've got a problem with my rear HMX-1 mechanical disc brake--for some reason, I have very little braking power. I bought the bike used, and had it tuned up, including new Read More »
Hey all,
I've got a problem with my rear HMX-1 mechanical disc brake--for some reason, I have very little braking power. I bought the bike used, and had it tuned up, including new Read More »
Title pretty much explains it all. Does anyone know the low-down on what the differences between the two are? Are HMX's old style while MX are new or something jazzy like that? I Read More »
I just purchased a used 2005 giant iguana and I am looking at chipping away at upgrading components. I am a 260 pound trail rider, not too hard core just like to ride in the woods Read More »
I just bought my buddy's old Jamis Komodo yesterday and I'm having a hell of a time getting any stopping power out of the rear brake. It's an HMX-1, 6 inch rotor, pads are only a f Read More »
