Submitted by
sedmi
a Cross Country Rider
from Sofia, Bulgaria
Date Reviewed: January 19, 2011
Strengths: that's my first hydro brake. it has fair enough stopping power even on high speed trails. I'm 105 kg and all my worries about stopping fade away after I tested this brake. 5 years leak proof warranty and good price. sound fantastic BUT..
Weaknesses: using this brake in cold weather is not a good idea. in temperatures near zero or lower, air goes into the hydro system trough the seal and the brake wouldn't stop anymore. fortunately that is slow process(it took about 3-4 hours) and I managed to get to the workshop in time. the problem persist and I had to change the brake.
Bottom Line:
nice looking offer but if you are winter rider, buy high end model. you can't rely on this brake.
in any other weather conditions this brake works fine
Bike Setup: custom build around scot scale + Magura Durin Race.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
franjo tudjman
a Weekend Warrior
from croatia zagreb
Date Reviewed: August 25, 2009
Strengths: solid stopping power,durable,tough,dont need much mantainance,cheap
Weaknesses: plastic parts,other than that not many
Bottom Line:
these are my first hydro brakes,and they are great.as i said very solid,i ride some harder xc and they never let me down.im 94kg and didnt have any issues with stopping power.i have 180 disc front and 160 back and belive this to be the best combo for julies.
of course if you compare them to some high price(or level) brakes they would lose...but thats like compareing golf gti to lamborghini gallardo or smth
and these are truly the golf gti`s of disc brakes-theyre not phenomenal, but good enough for almost anything
Bike Setup: kona nunu 2003
julies 180front 160rear
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
jimbob900
a Cross Country Rider
from muxton
Date Reviewed: October 14, 2008
Strengths: it hasnt snapped
Weaknesses: its crap and it caused my mom to nearly die she is now paralsed because she went in to a car because the brake didnt stop her
Bottom Line:
the bike is crap and the con man who sold it to me should be shot my name is nathan hughes and you no who you are you filthy animal the brake has only stopped once and that was when i went into a tree the only good thing about it is its not as old as the bike and so i think i can sell it for a profit I WANT MY MONEY BACK YOU IMAGRINT
Submitted by
Albertinho
a Cross Country Rider
from Zagreb, Croatia
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2007
Strengths: Solid, tough, simple, need little maintenance, do not fade. I fell once and the master piston lever hit the ground, but it only suffered minor scratches. They can take the abuse.
Weaknesses: Not enough stopping power on steep trails and high speeds. Lever blades a bit too narrow, can bury in your finger and hurt a bit after a long descent.
Bottom Line:
These brakes were a bit too weak to stop my 90kg + bike on some steep descents. Other guys (btw weighing 20+ kilos less than me) swore these brakes were good enough. I must agree with them, the brakes sure feel "right", but only if you're a smaller guy (or girl :). They start to lack the bite when you're heavier and go fast. I upgraded to the Oro K18 and those give me all the power I need, but also cost more...
Bike Setup: KTM Ultra Flite 2007 Marzocchi MX Pro fork Formula Oro K18 brakes SRAM shifters Deore/LX components
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Cape Town South Africa
Date Reviewed: June 3, 2007
Strengths: Great stopping
Weaknesses: When they go wrong, it gets expensive
Bottom Line:
In the 4 years I have ridden with the Julies I have had 3 years of hassle free use. Only replaced 1 set of pads in that time and which included the Imana (4 day ride on the beach) and Baviaans. Cannot fault their ability to stop in wet and dry and no fade even on 10km plus downhills. Then they went wrong and it got ugly. First broke a lever and the cost of replacement could have bought a cheap supermarket bike. Then they started leaking at the reservoir and then the seals on the callipers went - all this over say 3 months. Bottom line was a complete new set at huge expense. On the up side, who knows I might get another 3 years out of the replacements??
Submitted by
Milan Andrys
a Weekend Warrior
from Lake Orion, MI, USA
Date Reviewed: May 27, 2007
Strengths: Stops RIGHT NOW Reliable for over five years now I have never needed more stopping power, these brakes will nose wheelie all day long in any terrain.
Weaknesses: Stock break levers were plastic and I broke one of them when loading my bike in the car. Bike tipped over when leaning against the side of the car. LBS replaced both levers to alloy at no charge so no worries there. Pads occasionally rub on the rotors.
Bottom Line:
These brakes came on my 2001 Enduro FSR. They are my first hydraulic brakes and I can't imagine wanting any more out of them. In the years I had my bike, I can't think of a time when these brakes let me down other than when I dropped my bike and the stock plastic brake lever broke. My LBS replaced the levers with alloy ones and I have had no problems since. In the six years that I had my bike I went through two brake pads. I had never had to bleed the system. The brakes are powerful enough to lift the rear tire in the air but easy enough to modulate so as not to kill me in such a way. Never had any leaks to speak of.
Submitted by
Alec Pym
a Cross Country Rider
from uk
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2007
Strengths: Cheap
Weaknesses: Unreliable,no modulation ,poor stopping power
Bottom Line:
Blown seals back and front in 5 months use warranty replaced ok. but this is not up to larger riders who give it some wellie. Poor feel little to no power or modulation for me at 174 lbs.gona fit soething else.
Submitted by
Sir. Swish
a Cross Country Rider
from Somerset, UK
Date Reviewed: December 28, 2006
Strengths: Good solid feel for the price, Very surprised and pleased with them
Weaknesses: Lever feels low-quality and squeal when wet
Bottom Line:
These are great for XC or even for those who are taking their first step into the world of Hydraulics! The original pads have great bite once broken in, The brakes were easy to bleed and although the lever feels cheap, they won't disappoint and considering the phenominally low price tag, these are magic!
To run these brakes on anything other than a 203mm rotor is stupid, It really brings out the best in these brakes!
Bike Setup: Spesh Hardrock, Hope M4, Mavic D321 on IRC Kujo, SRAM all round
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
wilhelm
a Cross Country Rider
from leipzig
Date Reviewed: September 29, 2006
Strengths: Incredibly cheap; you can get them new for under 100$/pair! They do break well and are troublefree. No excessive wear on the pads, after a year I replaced them.
Weaknesses: They look awful -all plastic and cheap aluminum. The brakehose is a low-pressure plastic tube which can easily break or tear off! The stopping power is not sufficient for tall/big/heavy riders, if used on long steep downhills.
Bottom Line:
Compared to the Avid Juicy these brakes are bad - but if you look for the cheapest really working discbrake around, get these.
Submitted by
Perry
a Weekend Warrior
from Huntsville, AL
Date Reviewed: July 11, 2006
Strengths: They stop well and never stop working. I am at 260 lbs and they stop me on some steep hills. Never replaced the pads in 400 miles of technical hilly trail rides.
Weaknesses: None that I can see they came with my 2003 Fuji Adventure SL
Submitted by
Jules Evans
a Cross Country Rider
from Hobart, Tas, Australia
Date Reviewed: March 12, 2006
Strengths: Comfortable strong stoppers. They have a good progressive feel and the rotors look cool.
Weaknesses: Probably a bit heavy(haven't taken them off the bike) Apparently they are hard to bleed.( haven't needed to do that yet)
Bottom Line:
Great entry level Hydro brakes. I ride a trail that has 15min. of rocky downhill and they get really hot but don't fade. They also stop really well in the wet. They haven't let me down yet.
Hi,
I’m running a 2005 Kona Blast, while on the whole it has proved reliable the Shimano Mechanical Disc brakes - BR-M465’s - have had their time.
I was originally looking to Read More »
Hi everyone,
I´m on the process of buying some budget disc brakes.
I had the shimano on my mind because of my low budget and because i run 203mm disc at front. they can be bo Read More »
Are these even worth it, or has hydro technology way advanced since these??
[URL="http://www.cambriabike.com/shopexd.asp?id=48467"]http://www.cambriabike.com/shopexd.asp?id=4846 Read More »
Looking to upgrade and have narrowed my search to either Avid Juicy 3's or Magura Julie Hydraulic brakes. Does anyone have any preference/experiences....good or bad.
Thanks Read More »
All the adapters I can find push the caliper out 20mm. I only need 10mm. Bought one already, that after conversation with the seller, is 10mm too much. Can't seem to find one that Read More »
