Home | Reviews | Manufacturers | Avid | Disc Brake System

Login  |  Register
Avid Juicy Five

MSRP $
# of Reviews 191
Average Rating 3.4/5
More Products from Avid

Submit a Review




Where To Buy

JensonUSA


BeyondBikes

Cambria Bicycle Outfitters


Price Point

Chain Reaction Cycles


Greenfish Adventure Sports

BlueSkyCycling


Nashbar

Masherz.com


Art's Cycley





Next >>

Submitted by dr13zehn a Weekend Warrior from Jackson, MS, USA
Date Reviewed: November 11, 2009
Duration Product Used:6 months
Strengths:They are OK (at best) for the prices they come in at nowadays I suppose. Not overly heavy for its class. Not ugly.
Weaknesses:They have no modulation to speak of and can be a pain to adjust just right so there's not too much squealing. Feathering the brake is awkward and not precise.
The blades feel loose a floppy.
Not too much power either.
Bottom Line:I would not recommend buying them (even for the low prices you can find them for).
While they are not the worst hydros out there by far, they will make especially first time hydro users feel blah about the whole concept.

If your bike comes equipped with them, it's not too bad for awhile since they do their job, not too well, but they get it done. However, in that case the brakes should be one of the first upgrades.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Al Osorio a Cross Country Rider from Zurich, Switzerland
Date Reviewed: October 26, 2009
Favorite Trail:Engadin Switzerland
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Purchased At:came with bike
Strengths:Great power for a non-top of line brake. Allows for really good control even for a heavier rider. I weigh 180 lbs. and have easily gone down over 3000 feet of downhill "in one bite" and they held up fine.
Weaknesses:IF you do not use original break pads or Cool-Stop (which I almost feel comes from the same production line) you are doomed. Squeach, scraping, and all kind of noices occur during heavy braking. The bike shop that sold me the Swiss-Stopper pads couldn't believe it. Then the Trek dealer sticks me with a British brand of brake pad and the squeal was heard in another Kanton! If you have no access to original pads, beware.
Finally, after over 2 years of use there is a general rub on the back break the shop cannot get ride of anymore.
Similar Products Used:Shimano XT
Bike Setup:Trek Top Fuel 8 2007 model almost in original minus saddle and tires.
Bottom Line:I would not go out and buy the breaks at normal price, only at discount. If your new ride comes with them it is not a reason to not buy the bike, but avid always seems to have little annoying surprises. Still, they work well but are not anything to scream about, and it seems most of my riding buddies who are on Shimano XT can change and adjust breaks much easier than I, and do have the Squeach and rub afterwards.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:4

Submitted by mcap a Weekend Warrior from Doylestown, PA
Date Reviewed: October 18, 2009
Favorite Trail:Wissahickon
Duration Product Used:6 months
Purchased At:Came with bike
Strengths:The lever is adjustable for reach, paired with the 185mm rotors they bike stops very well
Weaknesses:Often very noisy! I clean them with Alcohol after almost every couple rides. The noise is hit or miss. Can be very annoying. Another weakness is that for some reason my front rotor sits agains one of the pads. I have tried every trick to center the rotor and haven't had much luck as there aren't many distance adjustments.
Bike Setup:Trek Fuel EX8, tubeless, XT/XTR, 32T E13 bash, Maxxis High Roller 2.35's
Bottom Line:I am overall happy with the brakes. I feel they stop very well. I see the biggest downside being the noise. I am still using the stock pads, so it may be a matter of switching to a different compound. It's not a deal breaker for me, makes me ride faster and not brake as much!
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by biga6462 a Cross Country Rider from Houston, TX
Date Reviewed: September 30, 2009
Duration Product Used:6 months
Purchased At:Came With Bike
Strengths:Great stopping power unless wet
Weaknesses:Lots of noise and vibrations
Similar Products Used:Shimano M765 Mechanical Brakes
Bike Setup:Fuel EX 8
Bottom Line:I am fed up with these things and decided to get rid of them. I never have been able to adjust them perfectly and when I get them close they mis-align after a few miles of riding. The noises these brakes make can be annoying. It seems like I could get the noise to go away after a wash but after hitting the trail it would resurface. This was true for the rear brake vibration also. The only good thing I can say about these is that they have decent stopping power. I would go with something else for the price.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

Submitted by tony_tiger_35 a Weekend Warrior from Castaic
Date Reviewed: September 28, 2009
Favorite Trail:CA
Duration Product Used:6 months
Purchased At:rbikes.com
Strengths:Grip well, once working they are a pretty versatile brake, hydraulic
Weaknesses:Tend to squeal after they have been used a lot
Similar Products Used:Only mechanical before this
Bike Setup:Turner Sultan XL
Bottom Line:Can stop myself (6'4" 200lbs) and bike very fast when you get on them. Overall a great brake for the money and have never failed to stop me in time. They do squeal a bit when they get hot, but it goes away after they cool down a bit.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Piotr a Racer from Denver CO US
Date Reviewed: September 26, 2009
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Purchased At:Ebay, came with Scot
Strengths:Good braking power if this brakes work.
Weaknesses:I just abandoned my first race because one pad just sliped out on the bumpy trail, and i almost killed myself when i realized that i lost my front brake...ok, trail was bumpy but that shouldn't happen, AVID juicy 5 showed me very poor performance...
Similar Products Used:i never used disc brakes before...
Bike Setup:scott scale stock bike
Bottom Line:don't buy this brakes, it's really awful if you have $3000 bike and you have to abandon race because brake pad just slide out and you barely stay alive without one brake...
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by todd92 a Racer from telford
Date Reviewed: September 5, 2009
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Purchased At:on the bike
Strengths:good in the first year of riding with EBC pads
Weaknesses:after a beasting the fluid boils and the presure in the leaver dies all the way back to the bar. a common problem with avid is the pots in the calliper stick well its the same here. diddle squat left in mine now and im a cross country rider
Similar Products Used:hope minni
hayes 9
oro
xtr
Bike Setup:megga easy to set up
Bottom Line:good for a year then just buy new ones, or save all that cash a buy some hopes
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:1

Submitted by kimi rossi a Weekend Warrior from manila, philippines
Date Reviewed: August 24, 2009
Favorite Trail:timberland
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $150.00
Purchased At:JBL
Strengths:lightweight, looks, simplicity, good stopping power
Weaknesses:squealing a liitle when dry, squealing a lot when wet
Similar Products Used:avid BB7
Bike Setup:giant reign, rockshox pike, avid, truvativ, syncros
Bottom Line:when i bought this it was leaking a little bit of fluid from the top cap of the reservoir. it went away and occasionally comes back. lever adjustability is a little time consuming because the location of the screw is in between the grips and lever. Lever feel is also set a little deep but I will have it re-bled. Squeals a lot when wet but i think pad replacement can cure this problem. Overall a very good brake if you don't want bling and extra adjustments.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by sp00n a Weekend Warrior from bristol, ct
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2009
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Purchased At:LBS
Strengths:good modulation, decent stopping power
Weaknesses:maintenance costs
Similar Products Used:first hydraulics
Bike Setup:came stock on stumpjumper
Bottom Line:worked good when still fresh. after the first 6 months i started having problems with the calipers sticking causing lots of brake rub, especially in the rear. costs $40 per caliper for a rebuild kit to fix the problem...i could buy a whole new set of 2008 juicy 5's for that much which just seems silly.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

Submitted by j-crow a Downhiller from Nanaimo, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 19, 2009
Favorite Trail:merry-jane
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Price Paid: $250.00
Purchased At:beyond bikes
Strengths:Have good power, easy to use in one finger situations. easy to install. got them fixed for free under avid warranty.
Weaknesses:Master cylinder broke on both front and back about 2 months appart. had to send them in for about 2 weeks each. lever bounce back never felt the same after being fixed. have to bleed them alot!
Similar Products Used:juicy three's, they work great, have never had a problem with them.
Bike Setup:jamis parker
Bottom Line:they seemed great at first but after using them for a while I had to start getting them bled alot. They require alot of maintenance which the cost adds up when you don't have alot of cash to spare. The require an over haul every one or two years. the lever feels sticky eversince getting work done on them.
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

Submitted by keegan a Downhiller from Bend, Oregon, US
Date Reviewed: August 15, 2009
Favorite Trail:Dirtjumping and the slalom track
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $120.00
Purchased At:LBS
Strengths:Good Power, Good moderation, new alignment system making it a breeze to get it on, pre bled in most cases an the new DOT 5.1 has a extremely high boiling point.
Weaknesses:MUST be well bled, very vunerable to air in the lines, also the ajustment is tiny and not worth your time, turkey gobble.
Similar Products Used:Hayes strokers
Bike Setup:2008 kona stuff 24
Forks: DJ2
Bars: monkey bar SL
Cranks: Orange Raceface
Brakes: No front and Juicy 5 rear
Rims: Atomic lab
And so on, everything on this bike is new execpt the cranks and bearings
Bottom Line:I would definatly recommened this product to almost anyone that wants a great brake with great power for a good price. And i took care of the turkey gobble problem but switching out the GSG2 rotor for a Hayes rotor and gave me double the power with no screeching wet or dry.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by specialized FSR XCpro 05 a Downhiller from Cali
Date Reviewed: August 13, 2009
Favorite Trail:not sure?.....i just started
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $160.00
Purchased At:Ebay
Strengths:real strong...nice color..great feel. they came with sram x-7 shifters so they match perfect
Weaknesses:the first week i had them they made horrible noises (bout them used) then the stopped making noises and work fine, but i think my rotors are slightly bent so i adjust them like every week hard to align, but i got the hang of it.
Similar Products Used:first hydraulics's , used Tektro disc
Bike Setup:fox triad position rear
shimano deore xtr medium cage not shadow, looking for sram x-9
sram x-7 shifters
loking for a fork (fox or pike)
8 speed xtr cassete looking for sram pg-990
wtb veloci raptors, looking for maxis
Bottom Line:for the price i got them the work great, front stops perfect pitches the pike forward ( indo). rear stops wheel with no rotation. if you want strong brakes that dont brake the bank these are pefect for you.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by jkkfam89 a Weekend Warrior from Hartland
Date Reviewed: August 13, 2009
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Purchased At:Fullcycles.com
Strengths:The breaks for the first portion of many trails held well. They seemed to loosen and not perform as well towards the back end of rides.
Weaknesses:The Sound these breaks made were horrible. Lound and soft. I did everything everyone reccommended and they still didn't perform well.
Similar Products Used:Formula
Bike Setup:2008 Yeti 575
Bottom Line:I would not sway anyone to use these breaks. I swapped them out for Formula K24's. I will see if there is a huge difference.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by fesch a Weekend Warrior from Springfield VA
Date Reviewed: July 31, 2009
Favorite Trail:Wakefield
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Strengths:Works well, great stopping power, trouble free and pads easy to replace.
Weaknesses:I would be nice if it was even easier to bleed.
Similar Products Used:Cable disk brakes
Bike Setup:GF Hifi Deluxe Nevegal tires, CB Candy SL pedals, Shimano drive
Bottom Line:They stop smoothly, have great stopping power for quick stops and are easy to maintain.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by mlepito a Cross Country Rider from baltimore, md
Date Reviewed: July 31, 2009
Duration Product Used:6 months
Strengths:When they worked well, they were easy to control. No grabbing.
Weaknesses:Need to bleed lines a lot. The rear brake gobbles with hard braking.
Similar Products Used:Avid BB7, Shimano XTR
Bike Setup:Trek Fuel ex8
Bottom Line:These came on the bike. They are my first hydraulic, but even I know they don't work right. I did like the engagement. Not too grabby, no too weak. But don't get me wrong, they aren't strong by any means. You aren't going to do a lot of single finger braking with these.

The worse part is the noise. I can't take it anymore. Squeals and gobbles with every pull. Only the rear, I don't know why that is. I spoke to avid who said they would switch out the rotor, but I doubt that will get rid of it. I'm looking to replace them with XT's.
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:1

Submitted by SSRG a Cross Country Rider from wasatch front, ut
Date Reviewed: July 26, 2009
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Price Paid: $150.00
Purchased At:LBS
Strengths:inexpensive...? after upgrading rotors and pads they work ok.
Weaknesses:spongy (low braking power), SQUEAL a lot, gobble like a turkey.
Similar Products Used:cantis, v brakes, tested a few other (way better) hydraulic discs from magura, shimano...
Bike Setup:steel SS, fully rigid 29er.
Bottom Line:i've had the juicy 5s on my bike for most of 2 seasons and i've only even demo'ed other hydraulic discs, but wow the juicy 5s are bad with stock rotors and pads. just upgraded to alligator serration rotors and organic pads and braking power doubled with no noise. only a few rides on new rotors/pads - but way better so far. was my last attempt at keeping these on my bike instead of buying new brakes. did i mention that with the stock rotors (CSG2) and pads they squeal like pigs and gobble like turkeys?
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Mikeerac a Weekend Warrior from UK
Date Reviewed: July 6, 2009
Favorite Trail:Swinley Forest
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Price Paid: $160.00
Purchased At:Merlin Cycles
Strengths:VERY easy to install, reliable
Weaknesses:Turkey gobble squeal
Similar Products Used:None, used LX v brakes
Bike Setup:Kona Blast frame, Juicy 5s, Fox F100RLC, WTB Speedisk rims
Bottom Line:I bought these as OEM items from Merlin Cycles, they came ready bled, ready to fit and these were on my Trek 6500 frame in no time at all, especially with the tri-allign caliper mounts i found them very easy to get up and running. These were swapped to my next bike, the Kona Blast just as easily and set up in no time. The 5s are powerful, not grabby and easy to modulate, i have moved the levers on mine about in inch away from the grip in the last few months and this makes them more comfortable for my hands to operate. Reach can be adjusted very slightly an i am not sure about the worth of this as we are talking a very small amount. I do suffer from the dreadded turkey gobble noise which is fine in the dry but does get annoying in the wet, i may take this to the LBS one day to get this fine tuned as it's probably down to the frame mounts which need facing. Overall i rate these very highly, for the money, the look good, work very well and are easy to fit, i have tried some Hope brakes which really show what can be done but they were at least double the cost. You pays your money and you makes your choice....
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by scottzg a Cross Country Rider from san jose, ca
Date Reviewed: July 2, 2009
Favorite Trail:braille
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Price Paid: $200.00
Purchased At:rei
Strengths:easy to bleed, consistent feel, nice lever shape, plenty of power, reliable.
Weaknesses:lots of free stroke before they engage rather firmly makes for a brake that feels grabby until your hands learn where the engagement point is. All that free stroke may be annoying to people with small hands. People with poorly maintained bikes complain the brakes make a gobbling sound. The pads are a pain to change, but they last forever.
Similar Products Used:hfx-9s xt, bb7, stroker trails
Bike Setup:long travel hardtail
Bottom Line:these things are proven. Are there better brakes on the market nowadays? Sure. You gotta learn how these feel and the latest generation of stuff is more intuitive. But these are a generation old brake that still hangs with the new stuff. They work very well. Avid has moved them down market and that makes them a real deal.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:3

Submitted by eeeskwa a Cross Country Rider from Denver
Date Reviewed: June 16, 2009
Favorite Trail:White Ranch, Buffalo Creek, Devil's Backbone
Duration Product Used:3 months
Purchased At:Golden Bikes
Strengths:-Adjustablity
-Installation ease

A hydraulic that will definitely get the job done. Middle of the road is a good range for them against the rest of the hydraulic brakes out there, but if you can get them cheaply they are worth the potential upgrade.
Weaknesses:-Air bubbles in the lines
-Spongy
-Discs that screech so badly that it sometimes closely resembles an angry screeching howler monkey.

Any one who knows hydraulic brakes accepts that some amount depending on amount of eventual use will lead to some amount of bubbles in the line or feeling of sponginess requiring a bleed. My experience with these has been fairly reliable (say a 6 out of 10). During longer rides i have experienced several instances of bubbles and severely reduced braking power, but eventually they went away returning to normal braking power without having to bleed.
Similar Products Used:Avid Mechanicals
Hayes Stroker Carbon
Shimano XTR M975
Bike Setup:Frame: L Niner One9 with EBB
Fork: 08' Reba SL
Brakes: Avid Juicy 5's in front and back
Headset: FSA Orbit threadless and sealed
Handlebar: FSA
Stem:Easton EA70
Handlebars: FSA
Grips: Felt
Crank: Stylo
Seatpost: Thompson Elite offset
Seat: Selle Italia NITROX
Seatclamp: Salsa
Wheels:
-Rims: WTB Laserdisc trail 29ers
-Hubs: Felt
Tires: Maxxis Cross+Mark front and back
Pedals: eggbeaters

Bottom Line:Good brake if you are upgrading from Lower end mechanicals or v-brakes for the first time to hydraulic for the first time as long as you can get for cheap. Don't pay Retail.

Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Shmoo a Cross Country Rider from Virginia
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2009
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Purchased At:Came with bike
Strengths:Strength of braking.
Weaknesses:None.
Similar Products Used:Only hydro set-up I've used.
Bike Setup:08 Fisher Big Sur
Bottom Line:Take my review with a grain of salt; I don't have any other experience with hydro brakes.
But coming from your conventional rim brakes, I think these are terrific. I've adjusted them once, after the brake-in period.
These give me confidence on steep descents.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by brandonj1979 a Cross Country Rider from Breckenridge, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: June 6, 2009
Favorite Trail:All of them!
Duration Product Used:3 months
Strengths:NONE!
Weaknesses:I don't know where to begin. OEM brakes, probably put on to keep the price point down. Loud, squeal, no power, constant bleeding! Yuck.
Similar Products Used:Avid BB7, Juicy 7's, Hayes HFX 9, Shimano XT
Bike Setup:Santa Cruz Julianna
Bottom Line:These came stock on my girlfriends bike, and are junk. I've personally had 2 other sets of Avid's, and both were crap. The mechanical BB7 was constantly needing adjustment, the Juicy 7, constant adjustment and bleeding. My girlfriend weighs 105 lbs., and if they can't stop her, what are they good for. She is embarrassed by the noise, so I try to adjust them before EVERY ride. The design of all Avid's is the problem. The reservoir is all wrong. Look at Shimano and Hayes, and you'll see why they work so well. The reservoir is located on the top of the lever, not below and behind. This will be taken off and replaced with Shimano and Hayes, very soon.
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by jcholpuch a Weekend Warrior from Chico, CA
Date Reviewed: June 3, 2009
Favorite Trail:Upper Bidwell Park
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $120.00
Purchased At:fullcycles.com
Strengths:Good stopping power, Hydraulic, low price point.
Weaknesses:Squeek when dirty, no pad contact adjustment
Similar Products Used:Hays mechanical disc brakes.
Bike Setup:Gary Fisher Sugar 4+, X-fusion Velvet fork, SRAM X.9 drive train, Juicy 5 brakes.
Bottom Line:The Juicy 5's are a good option for entry level hydraulic disc brakes, and are an improvemnt if modulation and stopping power over mechanical disc brakes. I got a great deal online ($120 for front and rear) and can't complain at this price point, however, I found myself missing the pad contact adjustment feature found on the Juicy 7's. Out of the box, the pre-bled brakes and levers are working but occasionally one of the brakes is soft causing it to engauge very close to the grips. I would also like to move the levers closer to the grips but can't do this w/out causing them to bottom out. Finally, I started getting noise from the rear brake after the first few rides.

I will need to get the avid bleed kit to dial these in and remove any air from the lines. If you have double the budget (>$200 per set) then check out the new Elixir line for better performance than the Juicy line.

jcholpuch@hotmail.com
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3

Submitted by yeti dj a Downhiller from Carpinteria, California, USA
Date Reviewed: May 12, 2009
Favorite Trail:Coldsprings
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Purchased At:Bike shop
Strengths:Good Stopping power, Don't fade, Easy to align.
Weaknesses:Some people might like a more firm felling lever.
Not idiot proof.
Similar Products Used:Hayes HFX9 and Sole
Bike Setup:Yeti DJ- Avid, truvative, Ethirteen, Blk Mrkt,Azonic.
Bottom Line:These are great brakes, I have used them for two years and have only had them bled once. What people need to do is take their bike to a real professional mechanic and have them serviced professionally! I have ridden these brakes in all conditions in all styles of riding and never had any problems. Also never had problems aligning them.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Anonymous User a Weekend Warrior from New Zealand
Date Reviewed: April 26, 2009
Favorite Trail:not fussy
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $170.00
Purchased At:Online auction
Strengths:Solid, reliable and powerful braking, easy to set-up, no need to readjust, 1 finger braking.
Weaknesses:Exposes other weaknesses in cheap, entry level bike setup - especially front fork. I can see the benefit of the contact adjustment feature of the 7s.
Similar Products Used:Tektro IO mechanical discs.
Bike Setup:Stock 2005 Tyax Mongoose apart from these brakes, Shimano 6" rotors and Kenda Nevegal tyres
Bottom Line:These are an excellent upgrade from mechanical discs that will make you a better rider. I've really got into my mountain biking since fitting these brakes.

The upgrade from from the Tektros is like having a whole new bike!

No more do I have to stop every 5 minutes to let the lactic acid out of my hands!

No more do I have to ride in fear of imminent death by brake failure.

No more do I have to readjust the pads 4 times on a ride.

Confidence the brakes will work means I go faster and actually use them less! However, this has exposed the lack of quality on other parts of my bike, especially the RST Gila front fork which is rubbish.

Some people here have commented on the noise. I'm using a set of Shimano rotors that were already on my bike, not stock but a replacement set put on by local bike shop some time ago. I get no noise besides the quiet hiss of the friction surfaces working, certainly no mechanical poultry of any sort so those symptoms must be the rotors more than anything - my Avid rotors are sitting in the cupboard as spares.

5 for value since I got them so cheap (by NZ RRP). 4 for overall because I can see the benefit of the contact adjustment feature of the 7s so they're not perfect.

I'd recommend them to anyone thinking of upgrading their mechanical discs. I don't think I'm going to grow out of these brakes for a while, certainly not while I can still go for bigger rotors.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by matthew13sanderson a Downhiller from Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: April 23, 2009
Favorite Trail:bogie
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $125.00
Purchased At:bike zone
Strengths:excellent brake for almost anything.
Weaknesses:not the best brake for dowhhilling but good enough
Bike Setup:khs dj 300, sun rims doubletrack rims, manitou sherman slider plus avid juicy 5
Bottom Line:these are awesome brakes and i would recomend them to anyone. excellent stoping power and a nice look to them.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

Submitted by AL29er a Weekend Warrior from Huntsville, AL, USA
Date Reviewed: April 16, 2009
Favorite Trail:Bluffline
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $150.00
Purchased At:wheelandsprocket eba
Strengths:Inexpensive, available in 6-7-8in rotor, shares the Juicy 7 caliper design and most of the lever features, decent weight, good power
Weaknesses:A bit of noise when wet, not much modulation
Similar Products Used:Shimano XT-Saint, Hayes elcamino-original-hfx9, hope m4, juicy7
Bike Setup:Santa Cruz Heckler, AM build, 185mm rotors
Bottom Line:Do I think these are the best brakes ever? No. But I was on a budget of under 2bills and I can't think of any other brake that performs as well for the price I paid (under 150 for NIB F&R system). They are plenty powerful and easy to setup. My only complaints are noise when wet and that they lack the modulation I got used to on my other brakes. The modulation is partly due to the metalic pads. They are a bit grabby if you get a handful. It hasn't been a problem, but I do notice it. The noise is an avid thing I think. All my avid systems have made noise when wet. These are less annoying than the original J7 I had.

Overall I highly recommend these brakes for someone on a limited budget ($100-200). I think you would be hard pressed to find a better brake for less than double the price.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by LB Kloppers a Cross Country Rider from CapeTown, South Africa
Date Reviewed: April 1, 2009
Favorite Trail:To Hell and Back
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $150.00
Purchased At:private sale
Strengths:It stops when I want it to. It modulates when I want it to.
Weaknesses:in RSA the costs for this quality brakes are still too much for the local guys. Some Shimano products are cheaper, but the are also far poorer performers. It is time where quality stoppers like the Juicy five become available as an entry level product.
Similar Products Used:Shimano
Bike Setup:Scott Aspen 10
Bottom Line:I had Shimanos. I had a horrorable time trying to sort out the pad allignment. I never succeeded! The Juicy 5 solved all my problems completely. No rubbing, no vibrations, no nothing to complain about. Yes the Seven have the bite adjustment, but I ride the bike. I am in control and not the bike. What more can I ask?
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by one incredible donkey a Weekend Warrior from Alexandria, VA, USA
Date Reviewed: March 5, 2009
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $100.00
Purchased At:Pricepoint.com
Strengths:Nice stopping power. A good value for the cost. Juicy is a pretty cool name. But really it all comes down to the stopping power.
Weaknesses:Occasionally emits warbling noises reminiscent of a mechanical turkey.
Similar Products Used:Hayes HFX-9
Bike Setup:2006 Preston FR
Bottom Line:Overall these have been great brakes for me. They stop when I squeeze the lever - what else can be asked for with brakes? I didn't need the fine tuning that comes with the Juicy 7 so I went with its cheaper cousin.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by jonny boy a Weekend Warrior from Longmont, CO
Date Reviewed: March 2, 2009
Favorite Trail:Gooseberry Mesa
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Purchased At:University Bicycles
Strengths:Strong braking power
Predictable (over time)
Weaknesses:Grabby with new pads and no bleed
Similar Products Used:Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes
Bike Setup:2007 Stumpjumper Comp, 185 mm front disc, 160 mm rear disc
Bottom Line:These are great brakes. They stop powerfully. Modulation is perhaps not the best - I recently replaced both sets of brake pads and the rear is still quite grabby. I imagine a bleed could satisfy this issue, but I have to borrow a friend's time for that. I've only bled the brakes once, so the system seems pretty well sealed.

I did have some ringing/squealing issues, til I learned to center the rotor and adjust the quick release properly.

Adjustability would be nice for those times when the system is not bled ideally.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Max a Cross Country Rider from Fort Collins, Colorado
Date Reviewed: February 24, 2009
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $100.00
Purchased At:ebay
Strengths:great modulation, came bleed in the box, good power when broken in.
Weaknesses:pad break-in time was very long, factory bleed wasn't the best, lever pops in and out sometimes...
Similar Products Used:juicy 3
Bike Setup:Scott
Bottom Line:adjusting them wasn't a problem for me at all, and they don't rub the rotors. the pad break-in period was very long, but they eventually were nice and grippy. great price, great quality
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by biker2 a Weekend Warrior from Gainesville
Date Reviewed: February 24, 2009
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Purchased At:stock
Strengths:Modulation, reach adjust, price
Weaknesses:noisy, long pad break in period, mediocre power with 185mm rotor. Caliper positioning system is worthless
Similar Products Used:deore xt
Bike Setup:fuel ex 8
Bottom Line:you get what you pay for, and the power is reasonable after an excessive pad break in. You are lucky if you are not spending hours trying to re-adjust them.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3

Submitted by myoung14 a Cross Country Rider from Chicago
Date Reviewed: January 20, 2009
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Strengths:Popular so parts are easy to find. Nice feel and plenty of power.
Weaknesses:I am constantly adjusting them. There is a piece inside the lever that is between the rod that attaches to the lever and the hydraulic plunger that is made of plastic and easily breaks. The brake and the disc didnt meet in the optimum position and I had to use small thin washers to bring the caliper up on the disc so its not clamping down on the spokes on the disc rotor.
Similar Products Used:There are the first hydraulic brakes I have had. All my other disc brakes were cable actuated.
Bike Setup:Trek Soho. Flat bar, 9 speed, driven daley in Chicago.
Bottom Line:I think for the casual rider these brakes are going to perform great. I have found that I have to adjust them a lot. Buy yourself a bleed kit and get good at using it.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by maximilian a Weekend Warrior from Pasadena, CA
Date Reviewed: January 2, 2009
Favorite Trail:Chesboro Canyon
Duration Product Used:6 months
Purchased At:Gary Fisher Hi-Fi
Strengths:I'm not sure. Maybe they are light?
Weaknesses:Nearly impossible to dial in. Mine rubbed for a while. I took hours of my time to get them more or less dialed in. However, I upgraded from the stock 6" rotors to 8". Man did I create a problem for myself! I can not get them to dial in again. They rub and there's just nothing I can do about it, no matter how much I try to fine-tune it. It appears that the caliper does not sit exactly straight in relation to the rotor, so the slightest (.0000001") wobble on the rotor rubs.
Similar Products Used:Hayes
Bike Setup:XTR, Minute, Race Face front, Fox Rear, Hope Pro II hubs
Bottom Line:I'm just one person with one opinion, but I'm seeing the same comments all over this site. That is, these things are difficult to dial in without some rub. Even when dialed, they tend to jump back out of tune. That's my experience anyway.
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

Submitted by dhw a Weekend Warrior from a.g. ca us of a
Date Reviewed: December 22, 2008
Favorite Trail:east boundry
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $150.00
Purchased At:cbo
Strengths:Great stopping power easy adjustment way better than the juicy 3 thy replaced
great feel at the lever and the price was right.
Weaknesses:some drag, a real pain to bleed need like 6 hands

Similar Products Used:I have used the juicy 3 and they never worked right but now they are on my 29er and work good
Bike Setup:S.C. Heckler Marzochi all mountain fork fox float shock Mavic 819 wheels

Bottom Line:I guess tat the Avid brakes are just good not great but good. You got to learn how to use them they squeak when wet and are prone to dragging, They stop good and i know how they are going to work when I need them. The price was right and I knew what I was getting. They rated better than a lot of other brke setups i was looking at. I had Hayes brake on another bike and was never to stoked with either
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by tassiedave a Cross Country Rider from Launceston, Tas, Australia
Date Reviewed: December 22, 2008
Favorite Trail:Mt Wellington reserve
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Strengths:Great stopping power
Weaknesses:These brakes can really take the edge off a great ride. The pads rub on the rotor and need to be adjusted constantly. The rear brakes have a horrible feel to them when braking at lower speeds, and judder. The squeeling from these brakes when wet would wake the dead!
Similar Products Used:Shimano XT, Haves cable discs
Bike Setup:Scott scale 30
Bottom Line:These brakes will be the next thing changed on this bike. I have tried to adjust these brakes countless times to no avail. I am tired of listening to the high pitched squeal from them. They are simply the worst thing about the bike. Will stick with shimano xt or xtr next time
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:1

Submitted by steven boltzmann a Weekend Warrior from adelaide
Date Reviewed: December 5, 2008
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Purchased At:chainreaction cycles
Strengths:affordable, good looks
Weaknesses:pads and caliper quality
Similar Products Used:shimano saint
Bike Setup:khs solo one SE, stock except for these brakes
Bottom Line:I was dissappointed in the quality of these brakes both in performance and feel given the juicy's good reputation. the stock pads have a very metallic feel making them grabby, noisy and have a grinding feel. This alone would be ok as I can replace the pads with better ones. On top of this, one piston on both the front and back brakes wont retract fully or evenly meaning that there is wheel drag and intermittant squealing when riding.

overall the brakes work well when i need them to but the quality and feel are no where near the quality i was expecting. compared to the saints on my other bike the juicy 5s are not even in the same ball park.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

Submitted by timmeh a Weekend Warrior from UK
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2008
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Purchased At:Chain reaction
Strengths:Powerfull with a luxuary feel to the pull on the leaver - the power comes in smooth and fast (yes if you pull the leavers hard like you have just got off a crap £100 bike - you will die) but if you feel it, its very controlable with not much gap take up, so the breaking curve starts quickly (which is good, why have 2cm of nothing??? -just dont pull em for same effect!!!) and is smooth.
Once you start to move them back about 30% way, the powrer starts to come in BIG TIME.

There is no noise or drag and no problems with fluid that some people report - looking at most of the reviews I think 70% of people can't set up jack! - they shove £1800 at the problem and then goto the bike shop (that tend to be not as in love with your bike as you are).

Personaly I think 160mm rotor is too small for any brake... I run 200mm front and 180mm rear. This much reduces the pressures on the brake system and pad wear + temprature are far better controlled.

These are very good brakes - I don't think any break in the world could be "miles" better than these - evon NASAs!!
Weaknesses:Could always be cheeper???
Similar Products Used:Deore, Hope mono, Avid 3, loads of V breaks and a few cable discs
Bike Setup:GT I-Drive 5 - Jacked to 6.25" rear and running 150mm Mazzocci AM1 air up front.
Bottom Line:Unless you spend a SHED load of cash on your brakes these are the ones to go for... (get a 200mm up front - you won't look back)!
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by CompuTard a Weekend Warrior from Boulder, Colorado
Date Reviewed: November 5, 2008
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Purchased At:University Bikes
Strengths:It's hyrdraulic? First hydros owned, others ridden feel comparable. (Shimanos look more sensible, from an automotive-design standpoint.) They're only catchy if you spazz out and pull them too FAST (slow and hard works fine).
Weaknesses:Grumble rumble. Trying to be fancy with the bleeding method, and yet they haven't fully appreciated what a bleeder valve is for. Too heavy I guess. Remove tube, then replace cap = chance for air bubbles.
Similar Products Used:some old shimanos
Bike Setup:Fuel EX8
Bottom Line:Some of you people need to go work on your cars. Hydraulic brakes historically were meant to have the pads ride the rotor all the time, and they do so via the fluid pressure from gravity. The real compelling reason not to have them do so on a bike is to get the wheel back in after you take it off. Motorcycles and cars all have the pads ride it--it's safer that way--it keeps the rotor surface dryer and cleaner than if there were a gap. That also translates into longevity.

That being said, the rear on the avid has huge brake fade on downhills, and a little flappy-tappy sound as it goes over all the (excessive) slots in the rotor. Probably junky pad material. That also combined with the angle of descent during dowhill (decrease in base fluid pressure), and the jostling and impacts, causes the rear H-spring brace whatever to spread the pads farther off the rotor and make the lever draw-length longer. It will probably get worse as the pads wear, if the spring doesn't bend down with them.

In other words, I'd like some better pads and no H-brace! (not daring enough to try riding without it... and yes, that's asking for MORE drag). Oh yeah, and some smoother rotors with just a few holes here and there, like with the older Shimanos--probably my biggest complaint of the design.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by hitek79 a Cross Country Rider from Littleton, CO
Date Reviewed: November 2, 2008
Favorite Trail:Mt Falcon
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Purchased At:Came with Bike
Strengths:Good stopping power.
Weaknesses:Noisy as hell. Pads seized up 3 times now.
Similar Products Used:Magura Louise
Bike Setup:Stumpy FSR Comp
Bottom Line:Well the brakes stop the bike well, but you need to be wearing headphones so the noise doesn't drive you crazy. I don't know a ton about hydraulic disc brakes, but was warned to not grab the lever when the front tire was off. Easy enough. My first problem was when I brought the bike from near sea level back to Colorado, and the pads closed up. I couldn't get the front tire back on, so I took it into my LBS and they pushed the pads back in and bleed the brakes. First ride after, the pads did the same thing. I took the bike back and was told that sometimes the seals get dried out and that's why the pads get stuck. Fine, but the bike was only 10 weeks old! My LBS rebuilt the brakes, and they've been better, but they're still noisy as hell. Overall the experience has been pretty annoying. I have Avids on my Enduro SL, and no problems whatsoever, so I'm sure it's just bad luck.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Jules Evans a Cross Country Rider from hobart, tas
Date Reviewed: October 25, 2008
Favorite Trail:Mt Wellington
Duration Product Used:Tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:Very strong braking power!
Adjustable reach is easy to use with an allen key.
Ergonomic levers.
Weaknesses:Modulation is not fantastic but ok when you get used to the strength of the brake.
Similar Products Used:Magura, Shimano, Avid BB7
Bike Setup:Trek Fuel
Bottom Line:These are great brakes. Very strong on power with the 180mm rotors, perfect for freeride/DH. I think probably 160mm rotors would be better for XC as they are a bit lighter and I don't really need all that power for most XC courses. However on long descents the 180mm rotors are excellent.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by jumpflight a Cross Country Rider from manila, philippines
Date Reviewed: September 28, 2008
Favorite Trail:La Mesa ecotrail
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $200.00
Purchased At:LBS
Strengths:strong braking capability. good play and control. This is my first hydraullic brakes after replacing my stock mechanical brakes. I've noticed the difference dramatically and made me more confident during steep downhills. Appreciated the single finger operation which gives me more control on the handle bars.
Weaknesses:kind of plain looking
Similar Products Used:upgraded from stock avid mechanical brakes
Bike Setup:giant anthem, with sram components. X9, stylo 3.3
Bottom Line:A bit pricey but the performance is worth it.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

Submitted by buzzy248 a Cross Country Rider from Aberdeen, WA USA
Date Reviewed: September 7, 2008
Favorite Trail:any
Duration Product Used:3 months
Purchased At:Old Town Bikes, brak
Strengths:Control, power,
Weaknesses:?
Similar Products Used:none
Bike Setup:Cannondale Prophet2 2008
Bottom Line:This is my first set of disc brakes but I think they are pretty damn good. Previously rode XTR V brakes on a Klein hard tail and these are quite a step up from those. Took the bike in to the shop for the free tuneup after purchase on Friday. Went for a ride on Sunday and thought the brakes were dragging, they must have missadjusted them. I readjusted after the ride and they are great now. I think they have good power and good control. Problems probably come from improper assembly and setup by the shop or individuals installing them.

I would actually like to get a set of Formula Oro K24's.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by rob kubicki a Weekend Warrior from Manila, Philippines
Date Reviewed: September 2, 2008
Favorite Trail:timberland
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $190.00
Purchased At:JBL
Strengths:soft lever, lots of power,
Weaknesses:squeal when wet
Similar Products Used:bb7
Bike Setup:giant reign, rock shox, truvativ, syncros
Bottom Line:out of the box, they work fine. Similar to my bb7 but with softer levers and added power. easy to set up. haven't had any problems with them. They started to squeal when I rode in the rain. I would recommend them. The split clamp design makes it easier to change handlebars.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by blk mrkt a Weekend Warrior from rocky mtn house
Date Reviewed: August 8, 2008
Favorite Trail:what i can find
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $164.00
Purchased At:all sports
Strengths:powerful.looks nice.lots of play in the lever.easy to bleed
Weaknesses:wroks better sometimes better then other.not alot of adjustments.craps out lots but is faxable eaily
Similar Products Used:hayes9.juicy three
Bike Setup:blk mrkt .357, 06 dj3,juicy 5 front juicy 7 rear,mavic 325 rims,cromo 3-piece crank
Bottom Line:juicy fives can be a hasel cause they will crap out on you but they will fix them selves but if they dont they are easy to fix they re reallly strong and have alot of play in the lever mefor you lock your brakes they are trust worthy over all i think they are a great brake
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by ironhorse66 a Weekend Warrior from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: July 9, 2008
Favorite Trail:Rabbit Hill
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $90.00
Purchased At:Sport Chek ( Pro dea
Strengths:easy setup, good discs, effortless bleeding with the syringes (i trimmed my hose out of the box and rebled it in 20 mins.) good power after just 1 rides. self adjusting pads help set up brake and make removing the rear wheel less dangerous (no rebleeding necessary)
Weaknesses:none at all
Similar Products Used:hayes 9
Bike Setup:norco 416, single speed, dh bars, fsa impact headset, race face evolve bb, hussefelt cranks, stype rims, k rad tires, juicy 5 rear brake only, 06 marzocchi drop off 1
Bottom Line:best brake i have ever ridden besides avid code. super easy to set up and awesome power almost instantly. good rotor as well. easy as hell to bleed. what is this with people complaining about the brake gripping too much? thats is wat brakes are for. if u dont want it to lock up, dont pull so damn hard. (DUH). awesome product and i only payed 90 bucks cuz i pro deal it att work ;)
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by endo-boy a Weekend Warrior from Longmont CO
Date Reviewed: July 6, 2008
Favorite Trail:Hall Ranch
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Purchased At:Bicycle Village, Bou
Strengths:Stopping power
Weaknesses:Noise, bleeding
Similar Products Used:Hayes, Shimano
Bike Setup:08 Enduro SL Comp
Bottom Line:I had a problem with them right from the start. The brakes where not properly bled from the factory (Specialized) and lost power / faded to the point where I had no effective breaking left. I returned to my LBS twice before they got it correct. I insisted that they bleed them out until the 'found'the bubbles, which they did. Not properly set up, they work well. I hope that is the last of my problems with them.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by kinga a Downhiller from Brisbane
Date Reviewed: July 4, 2008
Favorite Trail:DH
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Price Paid: $180.00
Strengths:Modulation, power, lever feel
Weaknesses:DOT fluid, AVID fluid supplied with bleed kit is rubbish
Similar Products Used:Hayes nine, shimano mech discs
Bike Setup:Norco 6, Gaint DH comp
Bottom Line:These brakes are simply excellent. I ran them for 18 months on my norco 6, all mountain style riding, was stoked with them from day one.
I recently bought a new set for my DH bike with 8 inch rotors and was initially dissapointed. From the box they were spongey.
After a few bleeds I couldnt get them dialled in, the lever kept pulling almost to the bar.
As I had used the pitifully small amount of fluid supplied with the bleed kit by doing two or three bleeds I bought a new bottle of good dot 4/5.1 Mobil disc brake fluid.
After one bleed with thte new fluid the difference was immediate. The brakes bled alot better, and the initial bleed of air in the syringe worked alot better too. The lever instantly became rock solid and worked a treat.
THese brakes rock, I have seen alot of bad reviews here but honestly I cant see why, they have fantastic modulation and immense power. For the price they are a great brake system.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Jack a Racer from Fresno, Ca, USA
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2008
Favorite Trail:singletrack
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $200.00
Purchased At:Tri-Sport
Strengths:Everything, so much better than Hayes.
Weaknesses:None. Everyone that's complaining about noise, needs to shut up about it and the people that said there's no way to fix it, are liars. Run Shimano rotors and you problem is solve, now everyone needs to shut up about noise. Cleaning the pads always helps too.
Similar Products Used:Hayes Stroker, worst brakes ever made, they are inconsistent and feel terrible. The lever is horrible. Don't get those.
Bike Setup:Specialized pitch.
Bottom Line:These brakes are the best, they stop, they're quiet with Avid and with Shimano rotors, Shimano rotors help greatly, but you cannot go wrong with Avid. For the idiot who said it makes too much noise on a long descent, try letting off the brakes, don't always hold or drag them. These brakes are killer.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Dmanj a Weekend Warrior from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 18, 2008
Favorite Trail:whiitier Park
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $250.00
Purchased At:some guys house
Strengths:very good braking power, easy to bleed, great modulation, easy to align
Weaknesses:very noisy, takes time to wear in the pads, no pad adjustment
Similar Products Used:hayes HFX 9's, hayes soles, lots of mechanical brakes
Bike Setup:243 DH, truvativ holzfeller cranks, howitzer bb, marzocchi 55r, e13 srs guide, odi grips, juicy 5 brakes, etc.
Bottom Line:these are good brakes for the price. they are easy to maintain and they are very powerful. excellent brakes for anybosy looking into getting hydraulic brakes or for people who dont want to spend a pile of money on their brakes.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by erich a Racer from gainesville, fl
Date Reviewed: June 14, 2008
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Purchased At:came with bike
Strengths:cheap
Weaknesses:Loud, hard to keep properly aligned, necessary yearly rebuild.
Similar Products Used:Shimano XT
Bottom Line:These are average brakes. They were really loud on the bike they came on. I swapped them onto another bike, swapped the roundagon rotors for G2's and the warbling is tolerable. What is not tolerable is the fact that Avid no longer sells a caliper seal overhaul kit. These seals need to be replaced yearly, however Avid now only sells the complete overhaul kit. What's the difference? $12 vs $35(each caliper)...I thought $12 for 3 o-rings and a piston seal was bad, but $70 a year to keep ok brakes functioning...no way! This goes for all Juicy brakes...I'm buying another pair of XT's
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by canyonbruce a Cross Country Rider from California
Date Reviewed: June 14, 2008
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $1.00
Purchased At:Sharp Bicycles on bi
Strengths:I'm not sure there are any strengths. I'd go back to my vbrakes if I didn't feel obligated to get these things working. I'm not sure why Fisher would put junk like this on their bikes.
Weaknesses:Chatter, Grabbiness after 3 rides on new bike. The chatter is annoying, but the grabbiness is scary at high speed. My dealer said I rode the brakes too much, but what else are you going to do on steep descents?
Similar Products Used:none
Bike Setup:Fisher Hifi Deluxe 29er
Bottom Line:If you are getting a new bike, ask the dealer to remove these and install Shimano or any other brand.
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by abikerider a Cross Country Rider from Sacramento, CA
Date Reviewed: June 12, 2008
Favorite Trail:Hole In The Ground
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Purchased At:OEM on bike
Strengths:Good stopping power, good system for bleeding brakes.



Weaknesses:Noisy, sticking rear caliper piston, sticky rear lever, but I eventually fixed the rear brake. Did not find any mechanics competent enough to fix the problem so I had to do it myself!
Similar Products Used:It's my first bike with disk brakes.
Bike Setup:medium 2005 Epic Comp Disk with longer 100mm stem, Salsa motoace 11 degree flat bar, eggbeaters, and Terry saddle.
Bottom Line:I had the rear brake need work 3 times. Had the caliper replaced, had the whole rear brake assembly replaced, and had the rear caliper piston/seal cleaned, all under warranty. Each time it seemed to work but then after a few rides the rear pads would start rubbing to the point that it was unrideable due to drag. At the same time the lever for the rear brake would feel sticky; it would move slowly back to the forward position when released instead of snapping in place. Before I decided to replace the brake I decided to rebuild the rear lever and caliper with new seals myself. After doing this and bleeding the brakes the lever still had that "sticky" feel. I finally stumbled upon the fact that the little set screw that holds the pivot pin for the lever pivot in place shouldn't be tightened all the way. Once I loosened it slightly the lever felt like new. (Thanks Avid for not stating this in the directions!) Other than needing to bleed it once more after the rebuild it has been trouble-free for a dozen rides so it is "cured". It doesn't even rub the disk at all. I suspect that my bike shop may have put the wrong brake fluid in and damaged the seals or the seals were defective on the original and the replacement brakes. I'm just happy to have my bike rideable for the summer. I hope this helps others with the same problem.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Rob a Weekend Warrior from Pasadena
Date Reviewed: June 2, 2008
Favorite Trail:Chesboro
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Purchased At:OEM with GF HiFi
Strengths:I have not idea, other than perhaps they do end up stopping the bike?
Weaknesses:Can't tune properly. Once you get it close, and ride for more than 20 feet (literally), you have to try to re-tune. Noise. Mine don't seen to grab too well. I have to use 2 fingers to slow down. On my other ride (with Hayes), it's a one finger deal.
Similar Products Used:Hayes 9 Hydraulic
Bike Setup:GF HiFi Deluxe ('07)
Bottom Line:I am not impressed with these OEM brakes.
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Rob a Weekend Warrior from Pasadena
Date Reviewed: June 2, 2008
Favorite Trail:Chesboro
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Purchased At:OEM with GF HiFi
Strengths:I have not idea, other than perhaps they do end up stopping the bike?
Weaknesses:Can't tune properly. Once you get it close, and ride for more than 20 feet (literally), you have to try to re-tune. Noise. Fade.
Similar Products Used:Hayes 9 Hydraulic
Bike Setup:GF HiFi Deluxe ('07)
Bottom Line:Look, I never thought there could truly be much difference between brakes. I've used Hayes mechanicals on bikes with no problems. I've also used Hayes hydraulic with no problems. However, I purchased a GF HiFi Deluxe which came with the Juicy Fives. Well, it rubbed right off the bat. I figured, no problem, I'll just tune them. Yea sure, that's what I'll do. What a pain. It still rubs on the front and back on each revolution. Really bad. I will have to upgrade or sell the bike. Not useable. Oh well.

I hate to be so negative, but.....
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Eric Stahlke a from Fairbanks, Alaska
Date Reviewed: June 1, 2008
Favorite Trail:American Summit
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Strengths:stopping power
Weaknesses:grabby, noisy, pads too close to disc causing rub
Bike Setup:Stumpjumper
Bottom Line:I hate these brakes...irritatingly loud on long descents, dangerously grabby on steep slopes. The slightest extra pressure on the grip will send you head over heals. The constant squealing takes takes the joy out of bike riding. The dealer says there is no way to silence them.
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Jim Parman a Cross Country Rider from Oshkosh,Wi
Date Reviewed: May 30, 2008
Duration Product Used:3 months
Purchased At:Oshkosh Cyclery
Strengths:Seem to be good stoppers - lever reach more prone to stay in place than the hayes brakes I had. Modulation is acceptable though there is defiantely a difference in lever feel from the front brake to the rear.
Weaknesses:Bleed required right from the start. I ride with the levers fully extended and the lever could be pulled right to the bar. The front brake got worse over a couple days and could eventually be pulled to the bar as well. (this was over a course of a week and a half, two rides)
Similar Products Used:Hayes (Hayes Hydraulic Disc, 6" rotors) that came stock on a 2003 Giant NRS 1.
Bike Setup:2008 fuel ex, 15.5
Bottom Line:I really don't know what is out there that may be better - but given what I know now, I would have likely requested to see other options. Brake bleeds in wks 2 and 3 of ownership don't reflect well on setup from manufacture. If they took shortcuts here, who knows where else. Count me disappointed for now, but with plenty of time and patience to have the product become favorable in my opinion.
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Dan Dudley a Weekend Warrior from Indianapolis/Phoenix
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2008
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Purchased At:Came on my StumpJumper
Strengths:Good stopping power, fast or slow. No fade in heat or cool weather.
Bike Setup:StumpJumper Comp
Bottom Line:I love these brakes. I have been through a set of pads and am currently on my second set. I ride in Indiana conditions and out in Arizona in sandy conditions and have the same performace. I have had no trouble with squeaking or any other problems listed below. As with any disc brake setup car or bike you need to keep your rotors clean of any chain grease or grim. I clean my rotors after ever ride with a grease cutting chemical and never have problems. I would recommend this product.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Nick B. a Downhiller from Jackson, WY, USA
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2008
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $200.00
Purchased At:jenson
Strengths:good modulation, excellent stopping power, easy to bleed.
Weaknesses:noisey discs, but easily fixed.
Similar Products Used:hayes 9's, stroker trails.
Bike Setup:santa cruz chameleon, manitou nixon, shimano drivetrain, raceface cockpit.
Bottom Line:great breaks. i dont know why people dont like them, maybe some bad seeds ruining the reviews. these breaks have great modulation. They lock up nice also when you need them to, around those tight corners and when other people come flying up the trail at you! I used these breaks on my xc/trail/all mt. hardtail and they work great. I get going fast and these brakes work well at high speeds, even with 6 inch rotors. I have not experianced any fade either, which i heard is a problem on some longer decents.

all in all a great break for the price. very affordable for what you get. I would recommend them to anyone.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Nick B. a Downhiller from Jackson, WY, USA
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2008
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $200.00
Purchased At:jenson
Strengths:good modulation, excellent stopping power, easy to bleed.
Weaknesses:noisey discs, but easily fixed.
Similar Products Used:hayes 9's, stroker trails.
Bike Setup:santa cruz chameleon, manitou nixon, shimano drivetrain, raceface cockpit.
Bottom Line:great breaks. i dont know why people dont like them, maybe some bad seeds ruining the reviews. these breaks have great modulation. They lock up nice also when you need them to, around those tight corners and when other people come flying up the trail at you! I used these breaks on my xc/trail/all mt. hardtail and they work great. I get going fast and these brakes work well at high speeds, even with 6 inch rotors. I have not experianced any fade either, which i heard is a problem on some longer decents.

all in all a great break for the price. very affordable for what you get. I would recommend them to anyone.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by adi b a Weekend Warrior from bucharest,romania
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2008
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Strengths:great stoping power(major improvement from mechanical),very easy to adjust
Weaknesses:loud when wet
Bottom Line:great brakes,buy them if a little noise doesn`t bother you
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by alex a Cross Country Rider from houston, tx
Date Reviewed: May 14, 2008
Favorite Trail:walnut creek, austin
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $1.00
Purchased At:sun&ski
Strengths:low maintenance, work in wet and dry conditions, great feel, excellent modulation
Weaknesses:some noise when in muddy conditions
Similar Products Used:cantilever, V-brakes
Bike Setup:2007 Specialized Stumpy Comp FSR
Bottom Line:My first set of discs- came stock on the Stumpjumper. An incredible improvement over V-brakes! Haven't had any of the major issues discussed here. Maybe I'm just lucky that this set was prepped right at the factory. Just replaced the original pads with a new set of organic pads (better modulation, less noise than sintered) after one year of use. Did notice that sanding the pads with 220grit after regular use seems to smooth out the feel and reduce noise, squeeling etc... No complaints other than pads are a bit pricey (21.00-pair)considering how small they are. Ride on!!
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Spencer Fish a Weekend Warrior from Riverside, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: May 5, 2008
Favorite Trail:DC-10 @ Mammoth
Duration Product Used:6 months
Purchased At:California Cyclery and Supply
Strengths:Extremely powerful, takes a heck of a trail to develop any brake fade. Good ergonomic feel on the brake lever. Simple, functional, look good. Great all around brake.
Weaknesses:None that I have encountered, been using for 6 months, no squeeling what-so-ever. Stock brake pads (2008).
Similar Products Used:stroker, hfx9, bb5, bb7, xt hydraulic, lx hydraulic... the juicys are the best i've used.
Bike Setup:2008 GT Sanction 2.0, Thompson stem, x-9 drivetrain, Dhx air rear, zocchi 55 fork, juicy 5s, richy pro bars... (Stock)
Bottom Line:Best brakes I have ever used in terms of power, brake fade, feel, and modulation.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Geoff a Cross Country Rider from Seattle
Date Reviewed: April 22, 2008
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Price Paid: $2.00
Purchased At:OEM on FSR
Strengths:Stop well
Weaknesses:noisy, use up pads quickly.
Similar Products Used:Lots of other stuff
Bike Setup:has gears, has brakes, has wheels
Bottom Line:This is an update to my earlier post from last year. I've found two things that help a lot with both the horrific squealing and adjustment difficulty. Number one, clean the glaze off of the pads and rotor often. This may have to be done after every ride in wet/muddy conditions. Number two, put thin stainless steel washers on the caliper attachment bolts between the bolt head and the back of the conical washer. This has made the unit move out of alignment less when I tighten the bolts.
Lastly, I tried the UNEX replacement pads and have had a lot less brake noise. I have one set of UNEX Pads and one set of the Avid that I installed at the same time. The Avid ones make way more noise!!! Based on the fact that I have been able to improve this product on the cheep, I've upgraded its chili rating. I still wouldn't recommend them.
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Steve a Downhiller from Park City,UT,USA
Date Reviewed: April 14, 2008
Favorite Trail:Empire
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $222.00
Purchased At:price point
Strengths:easy set up, powerful, short break in period, awesome ! best breakes hands down
Weaknesses:none that i have found
Similar Products Used:hayes.
Bike Setup:02 M1, 06 Boxxer Team, E-13 guide, race face cranks, azonic wheels, intense tires, Juicy 5's
Bottom Line:Don't rock hayes I have had nothing but problems with hayes mounted up my Juicy's up and have been problem free..
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Grant a Weekend Warrior from Sydney, Australia
Date Reviewed: March 21, 2008
Favorite Trail:Menai, Sparrow Hill
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Purchased At:Phantom Cycles
Strengths:Power
Weaknesses:Lever feel
Similar Products Used:'08 Shimano XT, another set of Juicy 5s, Hayes Mags
Bike Setup:Santa Cruz Nomad, Devinci Magma
Bottom Line:The power of the Juicy 5s with an 8" disc is excellent, although only slightly better than my '08 Shimano XTs with 6" discs. Modulation of the XTs is far superior to the Juicy 5s, which are a bit on/off. Lever feel is very dependant on how the system has been bled. I love the feel of the Juicy's on my Nomad but the set on the Magma doesn't have enough lever travel because of a bit too much fluid. Obviously not the fault of the brake but the XTs are easier to bleed. Before i got the XTs i would have rated these brakes a 5 overall, and while i really like them on my Nomad the XTs are just a better performing system.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Steve a Cross Country Rider from Canberra, Australia
Date Reviewed: March 20, 2008
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Strengths:Powerful brakes that will always pull you up
Weaknesses:More on the sticky piston problem. Took the pads off today and looked at pistons. A whole lot of crud and possibly a bit of corosion - so cleaned it and pushed pistons back in with help of a bike technician - and put on new pads - OK now just like new. So I will up the rating. Avid should tell people how to do this on their web site - they would get better reviews.
Bike Setup:Norco nitro (good XC bike)
Bottom Line:Good - as long as you maintain them.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Steve a Cross Country Rider from Canberra, Australia
Date Reviewed: March 19, 2008
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Strengths:Good till the problems started
Weaknesses:Sticky pistons or something similar that makes the brakes vibrate off and on - on fast downhills - note this happens even when you have not put the brakes on - bit of a worry.
Bike Setup:Norco nitro
Bottom Line:Buy a more reliable disc brake system. I would rather be riding than trying to work out what is wrong with my disc brakes.
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

Submitted by brian a Cross Country Rider from los gatos, ca
Date Reviewed: February 10, 2008
Favorite Trail:kennedy
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $130.00
Purchased At:Web, some store
Strengths:Price. Reliable, Easy brake change. Easy set up out of box.
Weaknesses:Some say Noise - solution: The stock organic pads, once overheated, leave voids in the pad face. I have tested this twice on steep descents. Once the voids exist the noise goes through the roof. On one trail, very steep, I have twice overheated pads to where they smell of burning brakes. Noise immediately apparent. Solution is the use of metal pads as they just dont seem to overheat like organic. The organics are great until they are toasted. Going to try another pad brand next.
Bottom Line:I like these brakes quite a bit. Seem to have no more issues then my riding buddies on Shimano systems. Riding steep terrain in the NorCal coastal range.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Gunj Ved a Weekend Warrior from Irvine, CA
Date Reviewed: January 27, 2008
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $260.00
Purchased At:Rock and Road - Irvine
Strengths:Oh My God! These brakes bring you to a complete stop no matter what the conditions. These brakes were good enough that I upgraded my wife's brakes to the Juicy 5's.
Weaknesses:LOUD... These suckers got really loud when they got wet. I live around a college campus and it was great because I didn't have to yell at people to get out of my way. I just hit the brakes and they all moved.
Similar Products Used:Magura, Shimano, Avid Ball Bearing discs
Bike Setup:Specialized Stumpy Comp, Specialized Myka Expert (for the wife)
Bottom Line:Get the brakes!!! They are not top of the line, not bottom of the barrel. A great all around brake. Wet or dry, they do their job.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by bryan a Weekend Warrior from hopewell junction ny
Date Reviewed: January 26, 2008
Duration Product Used:6 months
Strengths:Lots of power, super easy to align calipers.
Weaknesses:Stock pads are garbage. When they get wet( which is often in the northeast) they will scare old ladies and small children.Haven't had these long enough to develope any other problems.
Similar Products Used:Various Hayes hydraulic and mechanicals for years (with zero problems)
Bike Setup:"07 Fisher Paragon
Bottom Line:These brakes are powerful and easy to align calipers. My problem was the ungodly, ear piercing squealing when they got even a little wet. I think I read where another reviewer called it "like a scalded monkey" and I would add "still on fire, high on crack"! I've been riding discs for years, so they aren't new to me.I always make sure the rotors and pads are thoroughly broken in before I ride a new bike, and have the fluid flushed annually. I had the "turkey warbling" and vibration in the frame like others, a squeak here and there, but that didn't bother me that much.I added washers under the calipers to make sure the pads weren't contacting the rotor spokes, cleaned the rotors and pads with alcohol, being careful not to touch them. I made sure the rotors were straight, made sure the calipers were aligned perfectly, even tried one reviewers recommendation to carefully coat the caliper bolts with grease, but nothing I did would stop the piercing howl when they got wet. It was so bad I vowed to not ride this bike until I got rid of these avids , but I tried one last thing- I replaced the stock sintered pads with a set of aftermarket "EBC" brand (I hope I got the name right) organic pads. Wow, it was like night and day! They squeak a little when they get really wet, but nothing like they were, and after a few yards, silence! No more turkey warbling, no shrill piercing squeal that won't go away, no vibration, no embarrassment,just pure singletrack heaven. I gave up a negligable amount of power with organic pads, but I can live with it.I've been riding these now for about a month and a half through rain, snow, stream and pond crossings,ice, so far so good. I didn't ask the LBS if EBC makes semi- metallics, maybe I'll try some when these pads wear out (assuming the avids are still on the bike).I'll write a follow up review if anything changes. A word to Avid- people are working harder than ever for their dollar these days and have precious little time to enjoy it.If you continue to release products that aren't quite ready for production and back it up with lousy customer service, we will spend our very hard earned money elsewhere. Shame on you.
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Jackson Drake a from Alpharetta, Ga, U.S.A.
Date Reviewed: December 29, 2007
Favorite Trail:anything with freeride and tech
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Purchased At:Alpharetta Bike( Peachtree Bikes)
Strengths:You can actually gradually stop like mechanical, but when you actually pull you'll stop immeadiatly.Great hydrallics.
Weaknesses:None so far,
Similar Products Used:Juciy three's(demoed the threes they suck)
Bike Setup:1)Santa Cruz Blur LT, Shimano LX deore, lizarad skin grips, fox dhx air shock, rock shox revelation, race face seat post, race face handle bars, TruVativ Stylo w/ giga, thats pretty much it amazing bike, the rear fox dhx air shock is so adjustable its amazing for free ride and xc.
Bottom Line:Great brakes
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Brian a Cross Country Rider from Los Gatos, ca. U.S.A.
Date Reviewed: December 25, 2007
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $130.00
Purchased At:Web store
Strengths:Easy install (replaced V brakes). Good modulation. Super easy set up and worked great immediately.
Weaknesses:A bit grabby. I only experience noise after very hard braking and then a 30 sec cool down period. Then brakes can be noisy. There seems to be a temperature range, somewhere below really hot where they get noisy. However, I have found that consistent modulation on the steep descents completely solves the problem. Using stock brake compound.
Similar Products Used:Shimano brake XT on a different bike. They squealed badly but with brake pad experimentation solved the noise issues there.
Bike Setup:Custom frame, hard tail. V brake on front, disc on rear.
Bottom Line:I just don't have noise problems any worse than others I ride with on shimano XT and XTR systems. Seems as though they have noise issues as well and have solved them with compound adjustment. Haven't attempted a bleed yet. The kit looks pricey.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Les Botha a from Australia
Date Reviewed: December 24, 2007
Favorite Trail:Lysterfield / YouYangs
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $1500.00
Strengths:Front awsome always there , reliable !
Weaknesses:Rear weak, grindes like a windmill, have changed the pads twice , hopeless !! puts doubt when hitting the hard stuff.
Bike Setup:Dual suspension
Bottom Line:All up the brakes are good , just needes more work to perfect when worked hard.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Erik a from NJ, USA / Stuttgart, Germany
Date Reviewed: December 15, 2007
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Purchased At:Correction to earlier Post
Strengths:Wrong product / Correction
Weaknesses:Wrong product / Correction
Similar Products Used:Wrong product / Correction
Bike Setup:Wrong product / Correction
Bottom Line:Sorry, I missed the BB5 post and ended up posting to this one for soem reason. I posted the last review to the wrong brake system, it should have been the BB5 not the Juicy. Although there might be a Youtube video about the setup of the Juicy.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Gavin a Racer from New Zealand
Date Reviewed: November 25, 2007
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Purchased At:came with bike
Strengths:Amazing stopping power and durability great control.
Weaknesses:none.
Similar Products Used:hayes hfx-9
Bike Setup:2007 specialized fsr xc demo spec. juicy 3,s with 203mm rotors.
Bottom Line:a insanly powerful brake that is reliable and once setup and adjusted correctly as the owners manual tells you how to do, they are zero maintainance. A must for freeriders and xc racers alike.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by 67degrees a Downhiller from SF Bay Area
Date Reviewed: November 25, 2007
Favorite Trail:Boy Scout
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Price Paid: $200.00
Purchased At:Ebay
Strengths:Reasonable weight, price, looks good, great stopping power and modulation.
Weaknesses:Wavey rotors cause brakes to pulsate which is particularly noticeable on the front brake. Brakes are a pain in the ass to bleed.
Similar Products Used:Hayes Purlples and Hayes Mag brakes from a few years ago.
Bike Setup:(1) Santa Cruz Bullit, Marzocchi 66 Light ETA, DeeMax Wheels, BT Floating Brake, X9 Drivetrain, Fox DHX 5.0 and Avid 5's with 203mm rotors. (2) Santa Cruz Heckler with Pike 454 Air U-Turn, DHX 5.0, XT drivetrain, Easton Havoc AM Wheels, Avid 5's with 185mm rotors.
Bottom Line:I like these brakes a lot and they are a great improvement over the Hayes I used to run. My main complaint is that the wavy rotors pulsate Avid should not have put these rotors out with these brakes. It is really a problem on the front brakes. Surely they knew of this problem before putting these brakes on the market. Bleeding is also a pain in the ass. I purchased the Avid Brake Bleed Kit and the instructions are for the Avid Juicy 7's with no mention of the Juicy 5's which are a little different. The bleed kit was $35 too whicy is pretty pricey. So, figuring out the bleed on the 5's was trial and error and a weekend long project. Not how I want to spend my weekend. Other than that these brakes rock. Once set up they are awesome. I wipe down my rotors with a rag and rubbing alcohol before each ride and rarely have any squeeling issues. The brakes now come with the round G2 Clean Sweep rotors so the pulsating is a thing of the past. I'd give these brakes 5 Chili's if they did not have the pulsating rotor issues.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by 67degrees a Downhiller from SF Bay Area
Date Reviewed: November 25, 2007
Favorite Trail:Boy Scout
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Price Paid: $200.00
Purchased At:Ebay
Strengths:Reasonable weight, price, looks good, great stopping power and modulation.
Weaknesses:Wavey rotors cause brakes to pulsate which is particularly noticeable on the front brake. Brakes are a pain in the ass to bleed.
Similar Products Used:Hayes Purlples and Hayes Mag brakes from a few years ago.
Bike Setup:(1) Santa Cruz Bullit, Marzocchi 66 Light ETA, DeeMax Wheels, BT Floating Brake, X9 Drivetrain, Fox DHX 5.0 and Avid 5's with 203mm rotors. (2) Santa Cruz Heckler with Pike 454 Air U-Turn, DHX 5.0, XT drivetrain, Easton Havoc AM Wheels, Avid 5's with 185mm rotors.
Bottom Line:I like these brakes a lot and they are a great improvement over the Hayes I used to run. My main complaint is that the wavy rotors pulsate Avid should not have put these rotors out with these brakes. It is really a problem on the front brakes. Surely they knew of this problem before putting these brakes on the market. Bleeding is also a pain in the ass. I purchased the Avid Brake Bleed Kit and the instructions are for the Avid Juicy 7's with no mention of the Juicy 5's which are a little different. The bleed kit was $35 too whicy is pretty pricey. So, figuring out the bleed on the 5's was trial and error and a weekend long project. Not how I want to spend my weekend. Other than that these brakes rock. Once set up they are awesome. I wipe down my rotors with a rag and rubbing alcohol before each ride and rarely have any squeeling issues. The brakes now come with the round G2 Clean Sweep rotors so the pulsating is a thing of the past. I'd give these brakes 5 Chili's if they did not have the pulsating rotor issues.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Dirk Coenen a Cross Country Rider from kinrooi belgium
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2007
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Price Paid: $250.00
Strengths:power, looks
Weaknesses:weight
Similar Products Used:magura marta, xt 06
Bike Setup:specialized, fox f32rl, xtr and xt, ritchey wcs, sella italia slr, dt hub with mavic rims
Bottom Line:I've used them for 2 years. The power was excellent, but in the mud, the lost some power.
I've alwase used BBB brake clocks, the are much cheaper en the make the same kilometers.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3

Submitted by andy a from dallas texas
Date Reviewed: November 8, 2007
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Strengths:Stopping Power
Weaknesses:Loud
Bottom Line:The brakes took me about thirty miles before they really started to grab hold of things. They are like super glue now and I don't ever have issues with them not grabbing. I too have been unfortunate enough to have issues with the "loudness" of the brakes. The sometimes constant grinding noise and loud squeals on fast descents, but they really don't bother me that much. It just reminds me that I'm on a trail and getting dirty. That brings a smile to my face knowing that I'm not grinding away on the pavement with my road bike.

These brakes have been great so far. I've put about 400 miles on my bike now and (knock on wood) have yet to experience any real mechanical failures. If they come stock on the new bike you are getting don't fret, if you are upgrading you might want to look into the bigger siblings for the sake of adjustability in the levers.

All in all a good experience so far.

Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Derek Bednarski a Weekend Warrior from Chadds Ford, PA
Date Reviewed: October 22, 2007
Favorite Trail:Middle Run/Brandywine Creek
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Purchased At:Came with Bike
Strengths:Great Stopping power, Wondeful Modulation compared to Formula, Avid, and Hayes Mech's.
Weaknesses:Had to adjust first time on the bike. None other than that small thing.
Similar Products Used:Formula Mech, Avid BB5.BB7, Hayes MX
Bike Setup:2007 GF Paragon, etc.
Bottom Line:Great improvement over any mechanical disk brakes I have used, wonderful. I found that I went faster downhill because I knew I could Stop on a dime. Have had no issues so far, get them!
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Fred a Cross Country Rider from New york
Date Reviewed: October 13, 2007
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $115.00
Purchased At:Ebay
Strengths:Great stopping power, and have great feel
Weaknesses:During longer downhills there is alot of noise
Similar Products Used:Hayes disc brakes
Bike Setup:Kona Stinky
Bottom Line:Great brakes, if you ever need a new pair of brake I highly recommend these. They are just great !
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Fred a Cross Country Rider from New york
Date Reviewed: October 13, 2007
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $115.00
Purchased At:Ebay
Strengths:Great stopping power, and have great feel
Weaknesses:During longer downhills there is alot of noise
Similar Products Used:Hayes disc brakes
Bike Setup:Kona Stinky
Bottom Line:Great brakes, if you ever need a new pair of brake I highly recommend these. They are just great !
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

Submitted by benjie a Cross Country Rider from philippines
Date Reviewed: October 1, 2007
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $300.00
Purchased At:sabak makati
Strengths:basic brake setup,good stopping power
Weaknesses:had a leak on the front piston seal which contaminated my brake pads
Similar Products Used:juicy 7,maguras
Bike Setup:orbea oiz pv,intense 5.5evp
Bottom Line:after using the brakes in two weeks had problems with the front brake.turns out one of the seals of the front caliper gave way due to the piston having a gash.i suppose it was bec of one of the rides during a storm.the trail was very muddy and from what i think there was residue left on the piston.its a gud thing sabak carry the repair kit and it was very affordable.12 bucks for a set of new pistons and seals for my front calipers.oh and i had to change the pads also.its a solid brake system,hopefully i wont jinx it and it will last me for a long time!
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Mark a Weekend Warrior from Littleton, CO
Date Reviewed: September 28, 2007
Favorite Trail:Millinium in Willow Springs
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $1500.00
Purchased At:West Side Cycle
Strengths:Worked well for a short time
Weaknesses:Quickly began rubbing one rotor. Brakes fade quickly. Piston appears to stick
Similar Products Used:None
Bike Setup:Trance 2 stock
Bottom Line:Ive had it in the shop 3 times to make adjustments. Last time the it only lasted for 4 rides before more issues. Now outer piston is completely stuck and causing metal to metal contact. I don't know whether to throw the front brake in the trash or pursue a warranty claim. Either way I continue to lose my rides to to these pieces of junk. I
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Albert Osorio a Cross Country Rider from Zurich
Date Reviewed: September 18, 2007
Favorite Trail:all over Grisons Switzerland
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Purchased At:Came with 2007 Trek Fuel 8
Strengths:Great stopping Power for price range. I am a big guy and I can still make fine braking input adjustments with little effort. It has improved my downhilling skills a knotch. They don't seem to make so much noise on long mountain climbs when not in use.
Weaknesses:The first time I got caught in the rain and had to really work the bike through all kinds of trails I heard this "weird Gargling" sound, but it is quieter now and I can't say I've had any wet weather performance issues from these brakes in the wet.
Similar Products Used:OK, there is my weekness. I am coming from XTR V-brakes with stabilizers. Compared to that set up it is at least a 50% improvement in my overall braking package.
Bike Setup:Standard 2007 Trek Fuel 8 with X-9 shifter ugraded I never asked for but got somehow, plus sattle and pedal upgrade. (Great bike)
Bottom Line:After one year of use in local forest and high mountains for a total of approx. 800 Miles I must say "great spec" for standard equipment. I don't know what the second year will bring, but I have read so much hammering of these brakes I needed to put my "2 cents" in after a year of use.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Geoff a Cross Country Rider from Seattle
Date Reviewed: September 14, 2007
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Strengths:They always work. They will stop you.
Weaknesses:Noisy, pulsating, pain to adjust. The noise from these things sucks the enjoyment out of my rides. I'm embarassed by the noise every time I'm on the trail. I hate these brakes. These came new on an $1800 bike. That's a price point where stuff ought to work right, maybe it won't be the most trick, but solid at least. And if there wasn't a reliable disc at that price Specialized should have put v-brakes on instead. Plus . . . these this get WAY worse in wet conditions (no suprise) and I live in Seattle (do the math. . . soggy town plus poor wet braking = ARRGG!)
Similar Products Used:Old Maguras (circa '94), lots of V-brakes and old-school canti's.
Bike Setup:05 stumpjumper comp 100. Petty much stock. I would have liked to invest some cash in a nice lightweight Mavic wheel set. But now it looks like I'll have to replace something that should have worked well for years (ie my brakes). Seriously, it sounds like I'm being chased by loud, angry geese
Bottom Line:Everything else on my bike is great (yeah the forks middle of the road, but it works well), I love to ride it. I was a shop mechanic for 5 years and am used to keeping my stuff in good shape. These brakes are horrible to set up, they always want to drag on one side. The conical washers used to trim the caliper (ie to align it) have a very low torque rating and will pit if over tightened (cheap crap). The rotor will warp within a couple of rides (also crap). The bleeding process is complex and requires a special $40 kit. I worked on enough disc brake (moto and car) to know that the technology is simple and should work well. What a disapointment!
Booooo!!! to Avid
And sadly, cuz I love them . . . Boooo!!! to Specialized on this one.
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Forest Kelly a Cross Country Rider from Boulder, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: August 27, 2007
Favorite Trail:All around Ned
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $150.00
Purchased At:Performance
Strengths:Good looking brakes!
Weaknesses:Fade, very loud, go out of true after every ride...
Similar Products Used:First discs
Bike Setup:Canaan stock this time with tubeless
Bottom Line:These were great out of the box and for the first basic rides. But when I really hit the hills around here, they started to make tons of noises...squeels on the uphills and grinding with a nice Ab resonant tone on the way down. I've adjusted them about 4 times as perscribed by performance and they still do it. They do stop, but with great noise. It's a good thing I'm not hunting badgers...
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Jim a Cross Country Rider from Vancouver, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 23, 2007
Favorite Trail:The one I'm on
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Purchased At:OEM on Stumpy FSR
Strengths:They will stop the bike and rider
Weaknesses:Rear piston failure after 3 months. 2 trips to LBS and finally the whole rear replaced under warranty. Turkey Gobbling. Squeal. Noise. Very disappointing brake. Design engineer deserves a bit of a beating, or better, make him use these damn things. I'm replacing with Magura Marta.
Similar Products Used:Magura Louise, Gustavs, Hope M4s, Hayes mags, Shimano LX.
Bike Setup:Stock 06 Stumpy FSR Comp.
Bottom Line:When I read about all the problems with Avid Juicys 3,5, 7, I have to question the design of them. Seems a shame as they have such a great shifting system, but the brakes and fork/shock departments need serious, serious work IMHO. i simply won't buy any more of their products in those areas.
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by P G a Weekend Warrior from Lancashire England
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2007
Favorite Trail:Innerleithen
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Purchased At:Blazzing Saddles
Strengths:Hmmm got me on that 1.
Weaknesses:Pain in the arse to bleed, The brake pads are easily contaminated and loose performance. The pistons have a habit of seizing and the brakes are very noisy wile in use.
Similar Products Used:Hope mono4 and C2
Bike Setup:Spec Big Hit 3
Bottom Line:I got these brakes with the bike, I have always rode on Hope disk brakes and ok hope aren't the most powerful brakes in the world but 1 thing they are is reliable! When I got these Avid Juicy Five I was happy with the power. Things started to go wrong after 6 months with the rear brake fading under heavy braking, which turn out to be contamination of the pads. The front brake then had a lose of power, due to 1 of the pistions seizing and now 1 of the rear pistion is showing signs of been lazy.
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Simon a from Canberra, Australia
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2007
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Purchased At:OEM
Strengths:They will stop your bicycle. They offer a lot of power.
Weaknesses:Lacks modulation. Both L & R cylinders leaked on my as the cap seals failed withing 2 months of use- no warranty, deemed 'wear & tear' ie. horrible customer service. Rotor design causes noisy frame vibrations. Pad compound & rotor cause squeal in dry & wet conditions.
Similar Products Used:Shimano Deore & Hayes Sole.
Bottom Line:Let me put it this way, despite swapping at my own cost to G2 clean sweep rotors and organic pads... they still squeal, they still cause frame vibration. Hence will be selling these and getting some '08 XT's. Also, working in a shop- bleeding these is far more complicated than Hayes & Shimano. Yes, they will stop you... they just squeal at you, constantly!
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Matthew Cornell a Cross Country Rider from Amherst, MA, USA
Date Reviewed: August 11, 2007
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Purchased At:Competitive Edge, Hadley
Strengths:hmmm. none?
Weaknesses:Multiple failures - after 30 minutes on a brand new bike sounds like gravel scraping on the rotor
Bottom Line:Plain, old-fashioned crap. Went back-and-forth with the dealer (who's been good). Tried replacing pads, tried replacing entire brakes (lines, levers, etc.) STILL the sound comes back. Current status: Dealer is going to replace with Shimano LX, but I'm not sure (newbie) how they compare quality-wise with the Juicy 5s... Ugh!
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Gary a Cross Country Rider from Thomaston,Tx
Date Reviewed: August 9, 2007
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Strengths:they stop the bike
Weaknesses:there seem to be so many, hard to adjust, annoying noise, have to be adjusted before every ride, the constant drag.
Similar Products Used:none
Bike Setup:marin rift zone
Bottom Line:These brakes suck!!! I can never get rid of the drag from the the pad touching the disc. I enjoy the peace and quiet of a ride thru the woods, thats not possible with these brakes. People keep telling me that they will eventually stop making the noise but how much longer do I have to wait. After a year they should be broken in. I will admit that I don't ride this bike as much as my other bikes because of all the braking problems. I have not tried changing the pad but I don't think I should have to with amount I originally paid. I want to sell these things and get something different but feel bad for the poor sap that buys them. they make me not enjoy riding my bike. Did I mention these brakes suck!!!
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Nevin a Cross Country Rider from windham, maine
Date Reviewed: August 9, 2007
Favorite Trail:bradbury mountain
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $300.00
Purchased At:EMS
Strengths:Stop very well. lever adjustability is key. need very little effort
Weaknesses:replacement levers are expensive
Similar Products Used:hayes mechs
Bike Setup:manitou minute xt stuff fsa xc300 wheels
Bottom Line:The only problem I have had was when it was hot outside the rear brake would close. Don't know why, on one ride I heard a small click and then it hasn't happened again. I did bend a brake lever though and it was quite expensive to replace but its easy enought to do. pads are a little hard to change with the auto pad adjust but who cares. a great brake that I would recomend to anyone who is afraid of hitting trees.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by el adrian a from Ploiesti,Romania
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2007
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $150.00
Purchased At:came with bike
Strengths:very powerfull,even with 160mm rotors,smooth and soft lever.
Weaknesses:none so far! could be lighter so 4 chilis.
Similar Products Used:shimano xtr,hayes mx2
Bike Setup:b1 + manitou black + xt 08
Bottom Line:great value for the money,great weight,power,price balancing!
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Jakub a Cross Country Rider from vancouver
Date Reviewed: July 27, 2007
Favorite Trail:Torrent
Duration Product Used:3 months
Strengths:Wicked modulation and power. Very reliable.
Weaknesses:Yes, you do have to adjust them once and a while. As any brake system.
Similar Products Used:hayes, Shimano, hope.
Bike Setup:KHS Alite 3000
Bottom Line:This reveiw is for the juicy 3's and 5's. I have been a bike mechanic for 7 years and avid's are the best over all brakes I have encountered. I don't understand why some people have so many problems. Most of the complaints sound more do to with the lack of knowledge on how to properly set the brakes up or bike companies not choosing the proper brakes or adapters to start with. And these brakes are for cross country riding so to those people who are riding heavy bikes or are heavy themselves look into bigger roter's or don't cheap out on your brakes.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Padraigh Mac An Ultaigh a from Wheaton, IL
Date Reviewed: July 17, 2007
Favorite Trail:The one I'm on !
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $225.00
Purchased At:Do not remember
Strengths:Very easy to set up. Once dialed in, they stay there.
Good grip in mud, dust, and rain
Predictable performance.
Weaknesses:Price
Rear brake "gobble" under heavy pressure downhill.
Similar Products Used:N/A
Bike Setup:Airborne Ti Lucky Strike
XT & XTR transmission
Sun rims
Easton stem $ riser monkey bars
Ergon grips
Hutchinson semi-slick tires.
Bottom Line:I'd do it again.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by ben a Downhiller from seattle, wa, usa
Date Reviewed: July 16, 2007
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Purchased At:lbs
Strengths:stop well, great modulation, easy to mount and adjust, very little maintenance, true 1 finger braking, tough, have never needed bleeding (yet, in 1 and a half years of moderately heavy use), pads last long time
Weaknesses:crazy noises - sometimes....that's it!
Similar Products Used:hayes mechanicals? not too similar, though. hopes, hayes 9's
Bike Setup:ellsworth moment with lots of shiny parts
Bottom Line:these brakes are great. i see some posts that accuse them of being hard to adjust, in need of much maintenance, etc. This has not been my experience. i like things that are simple and work, and that describes these brakes. came bled out of the box, installed both in half an hour and went riding. i think a monkey could've done it. they DO make some noise when dirty/wet, but that doesn't really bother me too much. if you want some quiet time in the woods, go hiking. if you want some hydraulic brakes that will do a great job, and already have too much $$ in your bike, buy these.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Daryl King a Cross Country Rider from Boise, Idaho US
Date Reviewed: June 28, 2007
Favorite Trail:I don't have one favorite
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Purchased At:Came on bike at Supergo
Strengths:Fairly low maintenance for a long time
Weaknesses:Get noisy at times (squealing). The rotors were warbling or someting so i went with differnt 6" rotors. Then, I was getting fade on longer downhills so went with 7" rotors. Now they're super grabby and not providng good control. Maybe the brake bleed wasn't done right I don't know
Similar Products Used:Hayes, Shimano XT
Bike Setup:These came stock on a Silver Enduro I bought at Supergo in Laguna Hills over 2 years ago, now they're on my 5 Spot
Bottom Line:They seemed okay for a while and i dont' remmeber complaining about lack of modulation; but they were "warbling" or whatever earlier this year, so I had mech switch to a different rotors, which seemed to help. then a couple of months ago they got REALLY loud on a long downhill and I got fade. mech recommended 7" rotors. Got those and a bleed but then the rear lever pulled all the way into the bar so bled again. Now, having been bled and with 7" rotors, the modulation is really bad, they're super grabby and not providing good modulation and control like a rear brake should. The front is grabby too. I don't think my Kenda Nevegal StickE's are so worn that they would be the problem. These came stock, but if someone is in the market for new brakes, I would do the homework first.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3

Submitted by P Legault a Weekend Warrior from Ontario ,Canada
Date Reviewed: June 17, 2007
Favorite Trail:Any.
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $300.00
Purchased At:Phat Moose Cycles ()ttawa)
Strengths:Very low maintenance. Quick easy stopping.
Weaknesses:Low quality rotors, Squeals once in a while.
Similar Products Used:Hayes hfx 9 hd.
Bike Setup:,Khs alite 500 ,Avid juicy 5's, danger boy levers, Fox vanilla Forks(32mm,140mm). Raceface evolve dh crank set. Dmr moto digger tyres. Nrg pedals. Rhyno lite custom wheels set. Wtb comp head set.
Bottom Line:These brakes are good enough to handle my riding, and are really worth it. Everything about them is good , everything but the minor problems likes the brake pads rubbing on the discs due the water and dirt,and this could also be due to having to break the pads in when you receive the brakes new. Other than that these brakes are awesome their low maintenace and stop in a heart beat.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:4

Submitted by wayne s a Cross Country Rider from westport
Date Reviewed: June 8, 2007
Favorite Trail:spring creek co
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $2800.00
Purchased At:LBS
Strengths:none
Weaknesses:have had my yeti for 13 months. has been to lbs 6 times as well as 1 shop in denver and 1 in s/boat. same complaints as everyone else. loud as you say turkey warbling as well as major shaking in back end while breaking. avid balmes the bike so special tool to ck mounting surface was ordered and used by LBS to no avail. switched rotors as suggested as well as went to organic pads. no change in peformance only 160.00 less in wallet. I called advid they denied a problem untill i said reviews state a manf. defect to which they quickly replied well that was blown out of proportion only a small batch, were defective. well guess i got one of those. several calls to yeti, who ist rep. quickly layed the blame onto avid to which i agree ,i was simply trying to, to seek help as very frustrated. 2nd yeti rep. was very polite and tried to help, but as of this date i am now awaiting another rotor and pads from avid who stated wont help but well try and than tried to blame it on me for not following break in period. so i am onw who dislikes complaining and relizes that there are defects in products but feel that a accceptance of that and a replacement may solve the problem and i am looking forward to the day i can ride downhill without the loud shrieking and vibration of the famous juicy 5 . p.s. looking into formula k24 as all reviews are great.
Similar Products Used:pro flex 857 with v brakes .10 yrs no problems
Bike Setup:yeti 575,juicy5, xt rl/rp3
Bottom Line:should have kept the pro flex
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1


Next >>




What's New
» BEST OF MTBR - Check out the highest rated bikes, parts, & gear!
» LED BIKE LIGHT SHOOTOUT 3 - We test all the newest products and latest light and battery technology in this comprehensive guide»
» INTERBIKE - See all the latest 2010 bikes, parts, and gear in our extensive Tradeshow Coverage»
Latest Articles and Reviews:


Quick Poll
(sponsored by Moots)
Do you own a GPS?

  yes, dedicated GPS
  yes, smart phone w/GPS
  not yet, but looking to buy
  no

Photo Caption Contest

(sponsored by Maxxis)

Enter here

Contact Us  •   About Us  •   Terms of Use  •   Privacy Policy  •   Advertising
 MtbREVIEW.com  RoadbikeREVIEW.com  OutdoorREVIEW.com
 PhotographyREVIEW.com  VideogameREVIEW.com  ComputingREVIEW.com
 AudioREVIEW.com  CarREVIEW.com  GolfREVIEW.com
Copyright ©1996-2009 All Rights Reserved.ConsumerREVIEW.com, a business unit of Invenda      RSS Feed