Shimano Acera Brakes Reviews

Shimano Acera Brakes

Average Rating			2.04/5
# of Reviews			54
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Shimano Acera Brakes

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Submitted by Omar a Cross Country Rider from Penang, Malaysia Date Reviewed: 3/2/2006 11:53:11 PM
Duration Product Used:	6 months
Strengths:	Only Good at early stage
Weaknesses:	The Pads, and like i said only good at early stage, imagine it after 6 months
Similar Products Tried:	Avid SingleDigit 7
Bottom Line:	When I first bought this brake I was amazed by how good it is at breaking. I fell off my bike at my first run but after a few runs and going downhill at high speed, the brakes loose all its power. I must use about 3 fingers to make the brake slow down and I crashed at Penang Hill cause this brake will not slow down quickly and i crashed, thank god i was ok. Another thing is this brake really is BAD during wet conditions, I can pull my whole lever and the brake will never brake, I crashed at my house gate cause of the brakes. But if you are a beginner or a weekend rider this brakes is ok but if you are like me, everyday cycling - upgrade to a better brakes like Avid SD7 - oh yeah before I finish up my review, the brake RIMS is the LAMEST!!!, it practically make my rear wheel rims black and i must clean it everytime so that i can brake, if not it will just slide. Dont bother to change the pads, just upgrade to another V's
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Submitted by Ed from Topeka Ks Date Reviewed: 9/3/2005 3:18:56 PM
Duration Product Used:	3 months
Strengths:	Decent stopping power, fairly worry free.
Weaknesses:	Heavy, Noisy/Weak when wet, Stock pads leave residue on rims.
Similar Products Tried:	Deore V-Brake, Avid SD 2.0, Avid Juicy-5's
Bike Setup:	Stock '05 Fisher HKEK + LX HT II Cranks + ODI Lock-On's + Now using Avid Juicy 5's
Bottom Line:	Fisher spec'd these brakes on my HKEK ($919), though I suspect he thought people would switch to discs. It's a really nice bike with disc bosses, disc hubs, and Avid FR-5 levers...so it looks like Fisher made a bike that was just aching to go Mech disc and just haphazzardly threw the Shimano 420's on it to save $. Anyway...I used these brakes for a few months until I saved up enough to Juicy-up. They performed very well under dry conditions. Good stopping power, mediocre modulation. Not too powerful in moisture, a bit noisy too. I would not suggest anyone buying these brakes 'after-factory' for a bike, but for OEM...they're okay. Avid V-brakes are soooo cheap these days, you may as well get those if youre gonna upgrade your existing system to a nicer rim-type brake.
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Submitted by dorsey land a Downhiller from georgia Date Reviewed: 6/6/2003 7:05:27 PM
FavoriteTrail:	yellow river
Duration Product Used:	6 months
Price Paid:	$300
Purchased At:	atlanta advertiser
Strengths:	on gt timberline. Well, they stop me and will throw me off the bike if I am not careful. I weigh 180 lb. I am kinda' proud of myself b/c I have learned to adjust my brakes. You have to balance at the lever, at the cable, and the small screws for centering and they work fine. I usually clean the black crud off with alchohol as haynes repair manual suggest and they squeak very little, if at all. If I consistantly clean the rims I have sufficient stopping power. I have had mud, and still no complaint.
Weaknesses:	When it's wet , even raining, I had sufficient stopping power, but not when the black crud is left on, then there is almost no stopping power. If squeaking is occuring I would attribute that to a bent rim that needs truing or debri on the rim.
Similar Products Tried:	NONE
Bike Setup:	stock
Bottom Line:	They're fine. Oil the cable entry and exit points around housing, and oil cantilevers themselves (not rims!) and they work just fine. I wish I had a complaint just to fit-in with these reviews, but, I don't. Thanks acera. :)
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Submitted by Tom Whatever a Weekend Warrior from guelph Date Reviewed: 4/14/2003 4:47:01 PM
FavoriteTrail:	Havent found one yet
Duration Product Used:	More than 3 years
Price Paid:	$500
Purchased At:	Bitsand bikes
Strengths:	BUY NEW PADS AND YOURR BE FINE FUK.
Bottom Line:	LEVER SET FROM ACERA IS GOOD BUT THE PADS SUCK, DONT BUY THE COOL STOPS UNLESS THEY"RE BLACK... The comoured will make you squeek
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Submitted by Will Garrity a Weekend Warrior from Havertown PA United States Date Reviewed: 10/29/2002 6:50:22 PM
FavoriteTrail:	Marsh Creek
Duration Product Used:	1 Year
Purchased At:	Bike Line Broomall
Strengths:	...........
Weaknesses:	A)Crap in Rain B)Black Goo on Rims C)Cant Stop Well Goin Fast
Similar Products Tried:	None this horendous!
Bike Setup:	Fisher Joshua, Rock Shox, Bontrager Comps, Chris King
Bottom Line:	replace these brakes if you have them, they suck!
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Submitted by alex a Cross Country Rider from nelson, New Zealand Date Reviewed: 9/28/2001 3:34:34 AM
Duration Product Used:	1 Year
Bottom Line:	ok i have acera v-brakes that came oem on my bike, the only complants is that u got to brake earlear in the wet and they make lots of noise once u clean the black stuff off your rim they work fine. i couldent expect nething better n a $800 bike, acera front deralers on the other hand aare crap mine just snaped on me while i was changing gear.
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Submitted by FuRi0s0 Blah a Weekend Warrior from England Date Reviewed: 7/5/2001 5:46:49 AM
Duration Product Used:	1 Year
Price Paid:	$40
Strengths:	Last long, Stop Well (If correctly set up)
Weaknesses:	Leave black tar stuff on rims Squeak when wet Enourmously hard to set up.
Similar Products Tried:	Quad Disc Brake, Deore V's
Bike Setup:	Saracen X-ess, Rockshox Jetts, Deore throughout, Hayes semi hydraulic discs on deore disc hubs/D521's
Bottom Line:	Great for starting out, but don't expect them to be perfect.
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Submitted by Steven Bolton from U.K Date Reviewed: 12/11/2000 9:23:09 AM
Duration Product Used:	1 Year
Price Paid:	$25
Strengths:	Dirt Cheap, handle very smoothly.
Weaknesses:	On long downhill streches they can wear out quite a lot. I sometimes had a squeek problem.
Similar Products Tried:	Xtr Xt Maguras
Bike Setup:	Specialized Xt Througout Maguras Azonic
Bottom Line:	These brakes are great if u r starting out and getting into freeride. I've had them for over a year now and when i started out doing easy stuff, they worked great. Now I am going into harder and more stressful stuff I am switching to Magura Hydraulics.
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Submitted by Ben K a Weekend Warrior from Toronto, ON, Canada Rules Date Reviewed: 11/12/2000 11:53:43 AM
Duration Product Used:	More than 3 years
Strengths:	These suckers will last you forever! Very little adjusting needed.
Weaknesses:	After about 2 years of use they began squeaking on me in just wet weather. Now they squeak no matter what. Not extremely powerful.
Similar Products Tried:	Acera brakes, Low end Deores
Bike Setup:	DuoTrack 7007 Front Shocks. Chromoly raliegh frame.
Bottom Line:	If you want cheap brakes that last forever and need little adjusting, go ahead, get these. They get kinda noisy (EXTREMELY NOISY WHEN WET) and they're not very powerful.
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Submitted by James ehm? a Cross Country Rider from ballarat Australia Date Reviewed: 6/10/2000 3:23:11 PM
FavoriteTrail:	Cannonball run
Duration Product Used:	2 Years
Strengths:	mmmmmmm?
Weaknesses:	-sqeaky -week -basicly crap -can't stop in wet
Similar Products Tried:	-shimano A v's
Bike Setup:	97' Giant atx 840, Sid sl, Magur hydrolic cantilevers,xtr components.
Bottom Line:	Before i got into serious racing i had these brakes. one day i went on a ride in the wet an i had to wheel my bike down the hill because the pads wore down 2cm!
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Submitted by MR. HAPPY a Weekend Warrior from TORONTO Date Reviewed: 10/17/1999
FavoriteTrail:	Don valley, Toronto
Duration Product Used:	2 Years
Strengths:	Seriously, none!
Weaknesses:	1. Squeakyiness 2. black goo on rims 3. impossible adjustment 4. black goo on rims (again!)
Similar Products Tried:	XTR, XT, LX, Alivio, Acera, Tourney, Dia-Tech
Bike Setup:	Kona Hahanna, Project 2 fork, Acera/G.S 400 group, Sun AT18/Acera/Altus wheels Kona Scratch and Snif tires (this bike sucks too)
Bottom Line:	bottom line, they suck.
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Submitted by Arnold a Cross-Country Rider from Toronto Date Reviewed: 8/31/1999
FavoriteTrail:	eh?
Duration Product Used:	3 months
Strengths:	eh?
Weaknesses:	jeez, just plain being acera brakes. o yeah , and if you get water on them, holy. I better not say anything.
Similar Products Tried:	avids
Bike Setup:	hardtail , jett t2
Bottom Line:	thumbs down, 3/4 of a chilli for having at least some stopping power rounded to 1 chilli
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Submitted by Mr. Happy a Weekend Warrior from Toronto Date Reviewed: 7/20/1999
FavoriteTrail:	Don Valley
Duration Product Used:	2 Years
Strengths:	How other riders can hear you coming from miles away.
Weaknesses:	Everything you want to be good in a brake.
Similar Products Tried:	Altus (better than this crap), XTR, LX, Avid brakes
Bike Setup:	Kona Hahanna
Bottom Line:	These brakes are the worst pieces of trash ever designed. I can't believe shimano could make such trash. When toed-in properly they don't squeek too badly, but they still do. The pads cover your rims with black crap so fast, and they are impossible to adjust. And when you do get your right setup, they come out everytime you take the wheel off. JUst today they bit into my tire, tore it apart and messed up my rim. I'd give em zero chilis, but i can't. Damn this nation. Crappy crap crap i sez! Mr. Happy ain't too happy no more. I hate these brakes. I despise them. I'd rather have coaster brakes. Or nice vee's. mmmm.... vee brakes.... mmm...discs.....mmmmm I hate these brakes. And if you live in toronto, don't ever go to Cycle Logic. worst store, worst service. used to be good, but then new ppl came in. they suck. lousy service. boooo. zero chilis for you too!
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Submitted by Jon a racer from Venice CA Date Reviewed: 3/10/1999
Bottom Line:	they are Acera brakes yea the suck pull a couple mone dollars out of you cheap little hand and buy some real brakes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!GET MAGURA!!!!! and anyway these brakes should Never be sold aftermarket so if you are pissed cause you got em get rid of em!!!!cause brakes are important ya know
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Submitted by Matt a cross-country rider from Iowa Date Reviewed: 12/17/1998
Bottom Line:	These brakes really, really suck @$$ I would give them 0 flamming chile's but that is not a choice. Do not buy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Do not BUY!!!!!DO NOT BUY!!!!!!! Do NOT Buy!!!!! There is that 30 words.
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Submitted by Paul a weekend warrior from New Zealand Date Reviewed: 11/27/1998
Bottom Line:	These brakes suck! My front one's spring wont pull back so now I have no front brake. The back one has been going fine although the cable seems to have stretched heaps. I'm thinking of getting some Magura brakes.
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Submitted by Edward a downhiller from SA Australia Date Reviewed: 10/30/1998
Bottom Line:	I got these on my jumping, Slalom rig. they suck. I have to adjust after every ride, titghen cables, and everything. They also flex real bad on my Mozo's. I'm going to buy some new DX, or tectro V's. Don't buy these unless you don't brake much, love hassels , or even better love heaps of flex. Or yea, I also have Rhino brake boosters, and they still flex. Absoulutly Pathetic.
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Submitted by J.F.M. L.I.N.Y. a racer from cross country Date Reviewed: 10/24/1998
Bottom Line:	Shimano did not have quality in mind when they designed these brakes.They totally blow.There are better brakes on a 100 dollar bike from k-mart.Do not plan on stopping on a downhill desent.Maybe shimano should have included an airbag for the handlebars so when you smash a tree you wont have visit your dentist shortly after.Save your money and get a better set of brakes your better off sticking your foot in the spokes till then.I would give these heaps of crap a half strar if I could.
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Submitted by Mark a cross-country rider from Montreal Quebec Date Reviewed: 10/1/1998
Bottom Line:	Inexpensive breaks that get the job done. Performance problems reside in improper adjustment and those terrible break pads. You cannot ask for miracles from a 300$ bike, so obvious drawbacks also include cables, routing, and possibly levers. My breaks work great with thicker cables and Kool-Stop pads. Geometry is very similar to LX and alivio cantilevers so breaking power can be the same if properly adjusted.
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Submitted by Packrat a weekend warrior from Phoenix, Az Date Reviewed: 9/16/1998
Bottom Line:	OEM on my bike. I guess when good aftermarket brakes are $100+ per set you cant expect much on a $300. bike. They stop poorly and constantly rub. Avoid them and any bike which uses this line from Shimano. Go with the STX and up or Avid's single digit line. If you can't stop there is no reason to try to go. They should be your first upgrade and your most important asset. Skimp on your crankset NOT your brakes. Shop around
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Submitted by Jeff a racer from Virginia Date Reviewed: 9/14/1998
Bottom Line:	These brakes suck. They came on my first Mountain Bike which was a cheap one. They always seem to be squeaking and even after I put slightly better brake pads in them they still would make a lot of noise. To their credit, they are cheap and do somewhat of a decent job at stopping you, however they are not the least bit comparable to XTR v-brakes. I don't recommend these and as other people mentioned, it is worth the extra bucks for a set of v-brakes.
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Submitted by tmcclure a downhiller from melbourne victoria australia Date Reviewed: 9/8/1998
Bottom Line:	these brakes are the biggest hunkes of junk I would not piss on them if they were on fire, I have HOPE disk brakes on my Intense m1sl with monster T and I tried the brakes on my dual slalom bike and snapped when racing in expert competion so take my addvise and dont waste your money($$$$$$$$$). see ya.
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Submitted by GOON a weekend warrior from VIC AUSTRALIA Date Reviewed: 8/19/1998
Bottom Line:	These kids writing in don't know what the hell their talking. I've been riding for a while now and I know that are a wast of alloy and rubber. Braking needs about 4 - 5 fingures. Setting them up and adjustment takes friggin ages. You can't without damaging them toe them to eliminate squeaks or squalks. In the wet or in mud, putting your foot on the ground is a lot more effective. Ritchey logic pads did make a big defference though. If I were thinking about a regular low priced brake go for TEKTRO RBP's or even better TEKTRO V's. These brakes are dangerous.
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Submitted by Brian a cross-country rider from Ft. Worth, Tx. Date Reviewed: 7/29/1998
Bottom Line:	I got these on emy Trek 850 last Aug. they did ok, but when I added a SLIGHT change like changing those POS Shimano brake pads to Ritchey Logic brake pads and adjusted teh brakes right man I'm still stopping better tehn ever, but I'm going to some V's soon. They might be cheap and on teh low end BUT they do tehre job well witht eh right parts
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Submitted by Adrenalin Monkey a cross-country rider from Hong KOng Date Reviewed: 7/13/1998
Bottom Line:	well, what can i say. they came stock on my Giany ATX840 and there a load of...how do you say.. BOLLOCKS?!!!! THEY SUCK MAJORLY!! I know how to adjust them and when new they have good stopping power. i can barely do stoppies with these.. and if a drip of water gets on them, well.... everyone in a 50 mile radius can hear the terrible screech. pay the extra bit more and LX or , like me , buy XT.
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Submitted by Talby Owassan a cross-country rider from Madrid Date Reviewed: 5/23/1998
Bottom Line:	As a bicycle mechaniic, I have to say these are the most uselles brake ever designed They usually come on cheap bikes. People buy these bikes with junk parts and get discouraged because of the performance. They find themselves saying Cuanto tiempo (how long) will it take me stop? I now have bleeding gums because I couldn't stop. One customer told me that these god awful brakes are on an eternal hangover. One more thing. You can adjust the pad fine but youll need to torque the pad nut to hell before it will keep the pad from moving. Cheap crap is the word to describe these brake
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Submitted by Fraser a weekend warrior from Toronto Ontario Canada Date Reviewed: 5/20/1998
Bottom Line:	Hey, these pads came stock with my bike, after two weeks my rims were black. I have a unique solution that has worked for me. Spend about two weeks doing resonably level road rides with a LOT of brakeing. Try to wear down the pads. Then, with a little soap and water, clean the black crap off your rims. After wou have worn the pad a little, they stop squeeking when wet! As for stopping distance, well, they are crap for that. You don;t have to replace the whole kit and kaboodle though. Just the pads. The rest of it works just like any othr shamano baake system!
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Submitted by Greg a cross-country rider from Canada Date Reviewed: 4/15/1998
Bottom Line:	I bought a '97 Schwinn Moab 3 and these brakes came stock on it. They worked ok onthe first few rides but then they cover your rims with rubber and other crap and they squeak like hell. I am going to buy LX V's because Acera's sucks so bad. If these come stock on your next bike, pay the extra $50-$100 to get LX V's
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Submitted by Brandon a weekend warrior from Pocatello Idaho Date Reviewed: 4/8/1998
Bottom Line:	These brakes came stock on my bike they worked great for the first ride after that they wont stop squealing and wont stop. I bought a new bike with a good pair of v brakes. They new breaks work great. I wouldn't recomend the atlus breaks to anybody including my worst enemy. I have had nothing but troubles with them.
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Submitted by Nelso a cross-country rider from Arlington, VA Date Reviewed: 3/14/1998
Bottom Line:	These brakes stop you after a while. You need strong hands to use them, though (use these brakes if you want gripping muscle). The brakes work ok when you first get them but after like 2 rides they don't stop well. Even if you scrub your rim and pads they don't stop you. I'm getting Maguras. I'm joining the brake people.
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Submitted by Brian Walker a weekend warrior from Nova Scotia Date Reviewed: 3/12/1998
Bottom Line:	These brakes aren't as bad as everyone here makes them out to be. It's a pain in the ass having to clean this black crap off all the time, and if you don't THEN they make that damn squeaking noise. Most of the time if you keep 'em relatively clean they give good stopping power. I'm upgrading to Shimano XT V-brakes though, since I don't want to have to worry about whether the brake pad's clean enough to stop me.
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Submitted by Kenny a cross-country rider from SF,CA Date Reviewed: 2/25/1998
Bottom Line:	These brake came OEM on my bike. I don't have a single problem with them. They don't squeek or anything. I think they have pretty good power too because all my friends have like STX or something within that class and they all say my brakes are the strongest... I give'm a four cuz they're kinda' annoying to adjust
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Submitted by jon a weekend warrior from Bethel, CT, USA Date Reviewed: 2/19/1998
Bottom Line:	The Acera X brakes are really, really good, for cheap cantilevers. Braking is usually fine, except when you ride in wet conditions, where it performs alright, but gives a horrible squeak. They hurt my ears!!! I have mine set up real tight to the levers, so if I actualy need to stop, they will be hard against the rim. Also, as people below have stated, new ones leave horrible black crap on your rims, and also, as people have stated below, they like, never come off, they barely even fade. My new bike will come with Shimano V crap, which is still crap (excluding XT-XTR, or course), but will probally work better than these. Also, I might suggest replacing the brake pads, cause the mechanics of the system work just fine.
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Submitted by Nigel Pain a downhiller from Plymouth, England Date Reviewed: 12/23/1997
Bottom Line:	The acera-x brakes I had on my Barracuda work alright on the dry but on the wet they are hopeless, a few times when I was riding down my local downhill trail I had to bail out before I rode straight into the biker infront, which is unusual because I am the one that is normaly miles Ahead (get it!) of everyone else! I would say only to stick with them if they come with your bike. otherwise save for some v-brakes 9like I am).
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Submitted by Ken a weekend warrior from Montreal, Quebec Date Reviewed: 12/23/1997
Bottom Line:	I got these stock on my Fisher Rangitoto. These brakes combined with the wonderful no-name levers on the bike work great if they are brand new and... you are traveling uphill! or you have a set of Vise-Grips handy! or you are carrying an anchor and short chain!I'm replacing them with V brakes very soon. I'm looking forward to being able to ride down Mount Saint Anne (98 World Championship site and yearly world cup race) without my hands cramping into painful claws.
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Submitted by Ben a cross-country rider from Boulder Date Reviewed: 12/11/1997
Bottom Line:	I had to adjust a set of these brakes on a friends bike once. It was a pain. The bolts on them are to small, and the washer to hold the cable down doesn't do jack. The pads suck too...
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Submitted by Paul H a cross-country rider from UK Date Reviewed: 11/16/1997
Bottom Line:	These brakes CAN work once they are set up correctly... which is a different matter entirely, as they take ages. The pads are absolutely crap as they ruin your rims, glaze over instantly, and make the most horrendous squealing noise imaginable as soon as any trace of moisture gets on them. Chuck the pads and upgrade to some decent ones and you'll have much more fun...
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Submitted by Fish a weekend warrior from Boston, MA Date Reviewed: 11/6/1997
Bottom Line:	Better than no brakes at all. They work more than just a brake...they work as a safety device by squeaking so loudly that anyone in a 50 yard radius of you can hear you.
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Submitted by IanH a weekend warrior Date Reviewed: 11/5/1997
Bottom Line:	These brakes work just fine... you have them adjusted correctly - patience of a saint, three hands and clean brakes required, and you ditch the stock Shimano pads, and your rims are shiny clean, and it's not wet or muddy or gritty or dusty, and you are fairly light, and it's not to steep, or you have the grip of a gorilla... otherwise jump off or ride on accellerating to a flat bit of trail, you won't stop...
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Submitted by Rowan a weekend warrior from UK Date Reviewed: 10/31/1997
Bottom Line:	These brakes are a joke. There is a stack load of play in the pivot that will noy go. This means that the pad is either rubbing on the rim of it a mile away which gives you crud stopping. Trying to fit them is a nightmare as you cannot get the lined up parrel to the rim. These have got to be the worsest brakes going. These are even soposed to be a upgrade on the Altus- I don't think so!If you want to get a set of brakes that rules go for XT V-Brake altough this means changing levers it worth it!
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Submitted by Dave Quail a weekend warrior from South Africa Date Reviewed: 10/28/1997
Bottom Line:	I haven't had any trouble whatsoever from my Acera X's. No lockups, very quick stops, no squealing and only an average amount of gunk on the rims. I do about 10Km a day, and 80Km's on a weekend.
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Submitted by T.C. McCool a cross-country rider from Vancouver, BC Date Reviewed: 10/20/1997
Bottom Line:	Hey, they're not that bad. I am getting XT VBrakes, but these aren't so bad for cantilever brakes. I have AceraX's with Koolstops, and if you toe them in they don't squeal at all. They're the best canti's I've had so far (but I've only had 2).
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Submitted by Robbie a cross-country rider from Hamilton, Ontario Date Reviewed: 9/15/1997
Bottom Line:	I have to agree with almost all of these reviews. a) the squeking noise these brakes make when even slightly damp is really ANNOYING. b) I have better stopping power by dragging my feet along the ground. c) It's way too much maintenance to keep the brakes working properly.
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Submitted by Rob a weekend warrior from Jax, FL Date Reviewed: 9/10/1997
Bottom Line:	Yeah, they totally blow. Just upgraded to LX V's and they are a breeze to install and even easier to setup. Just be carefull, they stop on a dime, so watch the endos.
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