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Home | Product Reviews | Brake Booster | Gorilla brake booster | ||||
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Submitted by
jbird
from Madison, WI, USA
Date Reviewed: 2/14/2006 11:48:39 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Street |
| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $15 |
| Purchased At: | Cambria Bicycle Outfitter |
| Strengths: | Light and looks cool |
| Weaknesses: | A little flex, not much though. |
| Similar Products Tried: | None |
| Bike Setup: | Planet X Zebdi, XT V brakes, Velocity Deep V rims, yada yada... |
| Bottom Line: | I ride trials and can't lock my V-brakes without a booster. I may eventually switch to maguras, but in the mean time I find my XT's with a booster to be an acceptable compromise as long as I keep my rims clean. The booster definitely reduce frame flex to a minimum. I bought one Gorilla booster about 6 months ago and just bought another today. So I guess that says something. Price is nice, looks cool, weight is acceptable. I recommend this booster for anyone with V-brakes. |
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Submitted by
Martin
a Cross Country Rider
from SAN MARCOS, CA
Date Reviewed: 2/13/2004 7:39:39 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Ortega Trail |
| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Purchased At: | came with the bike |
| Strengths: | ? |
| Weaknesses: | ?, maybe weight |
| Similar Products Tried: | none |
| Bike Setup: | 96 Klein Attitude Comp |
| Bottom Line: | I just came across this section and just realized I had Gorilla boosters on my Klein years ago. It had XTR V's and let me tell you, even the avids mech disks that are on my NRS now are still no match to those brakes. Now I am thinking it could be because of the boosters. |
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Submitted by
Gordo
a Weekend Warrior
from Bellingham, WA
Date Reviewed: 9/17/2002 1:24:03 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | 911 |
| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Purchased At: | Traded a friend |
| Strengths: | Strong, works well |
| Weaknesses: | a bit harder to disconnect brakes |
| Similar Products Tried: | none |
| Bike Setup: | K2 animal, Bombers, Rinolite rims |
| Bottom Line: | The booster well, I have used it on both my F/s and hard tale and it has increased my braking power. In dry conditions my rear break is near disk proformance. I am sorry to hear that others have been hurt by this product. The edges on mine are smooth. |
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Submitted by
derek
a Cross Country Rider
from fed way
Date Reviewed: 12/26/2001 5:54:10 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $20 |
| Strengths: | Look good, work well, light |
| Weaknesses: | HUGE |
| Similar Products Tried: | none |
| Bike Setup: | Jamis Duarngo |
| Bottom Line: | It works great. I couldnt lock my brakes. Now i can. I ove theblue look. They rae just a little to bulky |
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Submitted by
Green Iggy
a Weekend Warrior
from Berkeley, CA
Date Reviewed: 8/29/2001 12:38:26 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Purchased At: | LBS |
| Strengths: | Very light and inexpensive, they work |
| Weaknesses: | Still allows some flex |
| Similar Products Tried: | None |
| Bottom Line: | These may not be the stiffest brake boosters out there but they work. If I press very hard on the brake levers I can flex them, but this level of effort is way past lockup in real riding. My brakes are very powerful and responsive now thanks to these boosters. I am very satisfied. |
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Submitted by
Melvin Flatis
a Weekend Warrior
from San Francisco, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: 1/22/2001 9:25:08 AM |
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| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $15 |
| Purchased At: | Universal Cycles |
| Strengths: | Very light, mongo tire clearance, the least expensive. |
| Weaknesses: | Very light, mongo tire clearance, the least expensive. |
| Similar Products Tried: | DKG Strongarm |
| Bike Setup: | '99 Fisher Tassajara, XT V levers, Sram 9.0 brakes |
| Bottom Line: | You get what you pay for. These boosters DO increase braking power "noticeably." However, they are constructed of 1/8 in. THIN STAMPED ALUMINUM PLATE. I am able to pull and flex this product with my bare hands. My rear stays still flex visibly with this product. The problem: 1/8 in. THIN STAMPED ALUMINUM PLATE is not very rigid. These things probably weigh (w/o mounting hardware) about 30 grams, compared to 60 to 80 grams for other models. Also, the mongo tire clearance is detrimental to rigidity. This product should have less tire clearance, i.e, be physically smaller, and be thicker. AND, YES, you can shave your face with these things. You WILL have to file the edge off, unless you like riding with exposed razor edges on your bicycle. On a side note, if you are considering the DKG boosters because of their nifty mode of mounting which uses eccentric cams that cannot slip, don't worry. These boosters, which use only the mounting bolt friction to secure them, do not slip. THE BOTTOM LINE: I wish I had gotten some heavier brake boosters, such as AC, or even the TekTro. If I had seen this product in person before I bought it, I wouldn't have bought it. It's a wimpy "booster." |
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Submitted by
Mike
a Weekend Warrior
from Knoxville, TN
Date Reviewed: 12/3/2000 12:57:26 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Beech mtn ? |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $20 |
| Purchased At: | lbs |
| Strengths: | it works |
| Weaknesses: | they are ALL to expensive-except the "Trace"booster ?$20 & up seems expensive for these things! |
| Similar Products Tried: | n/a |
| Bike Setup: | Azonic DS1 /Manitiou Spyder 3" /Rhino front wheel/Azonic 1.5" risers/Marin 6061 32r cranks/>A/C upper guide >dcs tensioner /Deore v-brakes /XT shifter,r der./platforms / |
| Bottom Line: | yeah- round off the sharp edge .nice look & function .it works .v-brakes with this work killer.everyone should use booster's! |
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Submitted by
lyle
a Cross Country Rider
from vancouver
Date Reviewed: 11/16/2000 11:42:03 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $15 |
| Purchased At: | cambria |
| Strengths: | light, cheap, does what it's designed to do |
| Weaknesses: | like the man says - the edges are sharp |
| Similar Products Tried: | none |
| Bike Setup: | 2 wheels 1saddle etc...o yea, it's a cro-moly frame hence the need for some help with the rear brakes. |
| Bottom Line: | i had some spongyness (if that's a word) with my lx-v rear brakes. put this little guy on and it's all good, but i think that there is some merit to the idea that the booster did cut the guy's leg, 'cos it is pretty sharp. so if you buy one you may want to dull the edges a little with some emery cloth or a file. i give it 5 leprechaun bonfires for value because how can you beat 15 bucks, and 4 overall due to the ginsu knife aspect. |
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Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from Washington
Date Reviewed: 10/16/2000 11:18:54 AM |
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| Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years |
| Strengths: | Durability, cost, clean looks. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Most -- I've been riding for 18 years |
| Bike Setup: | GTs -- STS 1000, Zaskar |
| Bottom Line: | I feel sorry for the fellow below that cut his leg in a crash. I would not bet that the brake booster was the culprit(sp?). I have used these boosters on many bikes, over many years through numerous accidental dismounts of all sorts - have experienced no personal damage directly attributable to the boosters - and have otherwise found them to be a reliable and solid to superior performing product. If you are looking for boosters - don't get caught up in the "high price hype" of others, buy these -- but for one review this product would be at a 4.9 or thereabouts -- what does that tell you. |
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Submitted by
Alex Long
from Missoula
Date Reviewed: 10/5/2000 9:47:34 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Snowbowl Lookout |
| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Strengths: | cheap |
| Weaknesses: | Weak, did hardly anything to prevent frame flex. Main problem however, is how sharp the frickin thing was straight from the shelf. Took a spill off the back of my bike and sliced my leg open as I was sliding off. Took 8 stitches to get the skin back in place. Crappy product and at the same time very, very dangerous. |
| Bike Setup: | heckler X |
| Bottom Line: | Don't support a company that doesn't take the time and is to cheap to make sure their product isn't as sharp as a razor blade! Not to mention the piece of crap didn't really increase braking power or reduce frame flex noticeably. I would give the product no chili if possible. |
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Submitted by
Jay
a Weekend Warrior
from Pennsylvania
Date Reviewed: 8/27/2000 8:36:59 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | American Standard |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $16 |
| Purchased At: | BMS |
| Strengths: | Everything |
| Weaknesses: | NONE YET!! |
| Similar Products Tried: | Salsa |
| Bike Setup: | Cannondale CAD3 frame build up, mavic rims, mixture of Xt and XTR components, all the goodies |
| Bottom Line: | Gorilla boosters are very good for the money, they work well in all aspects and get the job done cheap...so get out there and buy one for your ride! |
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Submitted by
Alfonso
a Cross Country Rider
from Oakland, CA USA
Date Reviewed: 7/13/2000 1:28:42 AM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Strengths: | Lightweight, inexpensive and sharp looks |
| Weaknesses: | absolutely none! |
| Similar Products Tried: | Salsa |
| Bike Setup: | Specialized A1 custom hardtail |
| Bottom Line: | The bottom line is GET IT. No matter how good a frame you've got, your rear brake AND seat stay could use some help from this simple, yet awesome addition. |
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Submitted by
Gak Low
a Cross Country Rider
from Sunnyvale
Date Reviewed: 7/11/2000 8:49:16 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Saratoga Gap |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Strengths: | Simple and it works, Light |
| Weaknesses: | None |
| Similar Products Tried: | None |
| Bike Setup: | Marin Rift Zone, SX-R, |
| Bottom Line: | Help tame the major rear triangle flex in the Rift Zone. Works well. Paid $18 |
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Submitted by
Von
a Cross-Country Rider
from Philomath, Oregon
Date Reviewed: 7/29/1999 |
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| FavoriteTrail: | North Ridge |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Strengths: | Cheap, Nice Looking |
| Weaknesses: | None |
| Similar Products Tried: | Home made stuff |
| Bike Setup: |
Relaigh MT-200 w/MACH 5 SX & KWE suspension seat post |
| Bottom Line: | Easy instructions for the do-it at home type. Blends in well with all colors. And huge difference in my braking power stopping my 235 pound clydesdale size frame. |
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Submitted by
Bill
a Cross-Country Rider
from Danvers MA
Date Reviewed: 6/24/1999 |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Lynn Woods |
| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Strengths: |
No more frame flex! Good price-$20.00 |
| Weaknesses: | None |
| Similar Products Tried: | Tektro Beefer |
| Bike Setup: | Schwinn HomeGrown |
| Bottom Line: | This is the best booster for the money, at 20 bucks you can't beat it. |
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Submitted by
Rammhoff
a Weekend Warrior
from Germany
Date Reviewed: 6/18/1999 |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Lago di garda |
| Duration Product Used: | more than 3 years |
| Strengths: |
-5 years old and still kickin -old-school-looking -cheap |
| Weaknesses: | uhm.. |
| Similar Products Tried: | AC, WTHC |
| Bike Setup: | Zaskar, Manitou X-Vert, WTHC- Rockring, Proshift V-brake front Trailborn-brake rear machine-tech-no-V-brake-levers |
| Bottom Line: | I use them front and back and they never disappointed me. They increase breaking performance dramatically especially while using V-brakes and no-V-brake levers! The bulky design rules! |
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Submitted by
Mikko Mellin
a Weekend Warrior
from Finland
Date Reviewed: 6/17/1999 |
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| Duration Product Used: | more than 3 years |
| Strengths: | Good look,cheap... |
| Weaknesses: | none in THREE years |
| Bike Setup: | Dacon frame,Marzocchi DH3 fork. |
| Bottom Line: | I`ve been using this booster for three years now and there really isn`t notting more to say than this booster is good and eliminates the frame/fork flex if there even is it,enough good for me!!!And it was affordable enough to me to buy it,so i bought it and im very happy! |
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Submitted by
Weird Beard
a Weekend Warrior
from Smalltown, PA
Date Reviewed: 5/25/1999 |
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| FavoriteTrail: | my girlfriends happy trail |
| Duration Product Used: | less than 1 month |
| Strengths: | low price, basic looks, really take the edge off my Maguras |
| Weaknesses: | not a big enough name for some(posers), looks too basic for others(bigger posers) |
| Similar Products Tried: | none |
| Bike Setup: | '96 Specialized StumpJumper A1 with '98 Manitou SX-R, and '98 Gary Fisher Kai-Tai with Judy XC'98. both using Magura Raceline D |
| Bottom Line: | very good product for the price. after a broken mount on the old Judy C's, i decided to fork out some money for a pair of boosters. believe me, if you are using any kind of Hydraulic brakes aside from discs, GET BOOSTERS! even if your fork and/or seat stays arent flexing that much, they are still flexing. big improvement over stock without boosters. anyway, to me, a booster is a booster. who cares if its Carbon Fiber, Aluminum, or Steel. they all do the same job, some a little better than others, but the key is that they are all good at what they do. thats the bottom line |
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