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Submitted by
Lloyd Opolentisima
a Weekend Warrior
from Cebu, Philippines
Date Reviewed: March 20, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$11.00 | | Purchased At: | Espero | | Strengths: | > Light
> Powerful
> Cost less than any other model and brand
Work as any other V-brakes... Love the Avid logo... | | Weaknesses: | None... | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano Vs | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale Killer V 900, Rigid Pepperoni fork, all Shimano XTR (8 speed) groupo except the V -brakes, Avid 1d 20 V's, Control Tech Stem and handle bar, Mavic 217 Sup wheel, Maxxis Oriflamme (26x2) tires, Ritchey seat post, Active saddle | | Bottom Line: | Had chosen this V's above the others due to its price. Performance wise, it is the same as any other descent V-brakes out there. This rig of mine is a commuter... for home and office route only.
Don't be mislead by its price... these V-brakes are quite powerful (if set-up properly) and can even throw you on top of the handle bars.
For the trails... had another rig (it's a Mosso) w/ Avid BB5 disc brakes.
Way to go AVID! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
loco
a Cross Country Rider
from SPAIN
Date Reviewed: March 10, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | lbs | | Strengths: | Very lightweight, simple
good power, for xc
excellent cartridge pads, easy to replace and nice compound | | Weaknesses: | got play at the pivots
somehow flexy,but that´s pad position related
noisy if not lubed regulary | | Similar Products Used: | dia compe, lx, xtr | | Bike Setup: | hartail mix: avid sd levers, steel frame,mars cl fork, 517 rims | | Bottom Line: | If you are looking for something lite and powerful and don´t have the cash for xtr these are a good option.
Pads don´t move parallel to the rim so are triky to adjust but they are cartridge so easily replaceable without further adjustments.
When pad is adjusted to the lower side of the arm there is some flex due to a longer arm exposed, so set them back up and improved the feel.
They developed good play at the pivots, they are bushings so no fix possible. Now replaced for a xtr set with bearings.
Good brakes, they did their job without complain.
(If I had never tryed XTR I would give them 4 chillis) | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tommi Bass
a Cross Country Rider
from U.K
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | ya sisters house! | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | had since 1998 | | Strengths: | They stop you well, had them since 98. | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | xt, they are s@*t and they bust up. Sic amount of other stuff. | | Bike Setup: | Merlin 7005 xc, with a bell and a basket for E.T. | | Bottom Line: | I've had these puppys since 98, i have upgraded since to xt. They got bust in a bad crash, i had to build a new bike, as you can imagine building a new bike costs bucks...so i digged these puppys out of the spares box. F@*k they work very well indeed, they still look mega. I bust a spring thing on the back 'V', I sent Avid a email and they sent me a replacement set of parts for free, S@#t I live in the U.K! Avid RULE, WELL DONE U.S.A! I'll take off my slipper and beat my xt 'V' Wid it! ;-) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jerry Dalley II
a Weekend Warrior
from Royal Oak, Mi
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | I like them all | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | They look cool. Thats about the only good thing. | | Weaknesses: | Absolutely no power after my first 20 rides. I have to pull the levers extreemly hard in order to stop fast. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano deore LX, and Sram 9.0 | | Bike Setup: | Schwinn homegrown with full lx/xt setup Easton EA-70 bars, Thomson Elite stem, Easton EA-50 seat post. Mavic x222 rims laceed to shimano Paralax Design LX hubs, LX crankset, XT shifters and derailers. | | Bottom Line: | I'm looking for another set of brakes. As soon as I can justify spending $100.00 or more on a descent set of brakes, I'm gonna do it. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
G.
a Cross Country Rider
from Denton
Date Reviewed: April 8, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Purchased At: | Don't Remember | | Strengths: | They perform well year after year. Aside from adjusting them when changing rims, I don't ever have to fiddle with my brakes--I haven't even worn through the first set of brake pads in years of consistent riding. I took the front set off to do some work on my fork and that teeny-tiny post fell off of the bushing and became lost. The Customer service folks sent me a free replacement bushing lickedy-split no questions asked. | | Weaknesses: | IF you do need to adjust the brake pads, it's a little bit of a pain to get them set right. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano Alivio cantilevers | | Bike Setup: | '96 Bontrager | | Bottom Line: | Good brakes, good customer service. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aaron
a
from Nova Scotia
Date Reviewed: March 27, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | The Gourge | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Very touchy for about two weeks of hard riding | | Weaknesses: | SUCKX HARDCORE in the rain, you maightas well have no brakes at all in the rain... you'll have to replace some part of the thing withen about 3 months! I don't treat my stuff like crap either, my bike is my pride and joy. | | Similar Products Used: | ... | | Bike Setup: | Sasquatch, axiom, z-5 air 100mm, rhyno lites, clipless, trans x, YETI - ROCKS | | Bottom Line: | Price is good, half decient brake, but if you have the bucks, theres no question you want to upgrade... These brakes have medium stopping power no matter what pads you try! These brakes just arn't woth the time of day! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
matt
a Cross Country Rider
from st louis
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Touring Cyclist; came on bike | | Strengths: | very reliable. easy to adjust and maintain, simple design, very strong for their simplicity. | | Weaknesses: | they are starting to develop some play and wobble on the brake posts, and like any other rim brake, they don't work as well as they could in the wet. but missouri isn't the wettest place, so no big deal. also, toe in can be a real pain in the ass, but maybe i am facing the pad the wrong way... | | Similar Products Used: | arch rivals with speed dial levers (they work better, but i won't buy 'em till these current avids, the 2.0s, break horribly.) | | Bike Setup: | 99 trek 7000 with lots of stuff | | Bottom Line: | these brakes came on my bike, which i bought in february of 1999. they have worked extremely well the entire time! age has not set in yet. i've put these brakes through so much schit that i am amazed when i think about it. hell, they even work great for trials when i feel like doin that. it may not be as effortless of a stop as say disc brakes or maybe some arch rivals, but if you really want to stop, you will stop. or lock up your wheels, but that is your problem, the brakes did their job. if you keep them maintained and adjusted properly, they will provide you with hella good service for a long time, especially on a budget. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Clint
a Cross Country Rider
from Calgary
Date Reviewed: October 20, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | all of em | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | Doug's | | Strengths: | Strong, cheap, good modulation, looks. | | Weaknesses: | Sqealier than hell. Need tons of adjustment. | | Similar Products Used: | LX, cheap Tektros | | Bike Setup: | Kona Blast with Race Face, XT, RhynoLites | | Bottom Line: | Pretty good deal for what you get. There are better brakes, but for the price, they do the job better than LX. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Robert Trask
a Cross Country Rider
from Chesterfield, MO
Date Reviewed: August 7, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Chubb | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | Mesa Cycles | | Strengths: | Didnt melt in the sunlight, thats about it. | | Weaknesses: | This is a follow up, see below. Brakes to not perform after a few months. Very flexy. No power. Gets very sloppy at the pivots. Generaly inferior. | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes Disk, XTR, XT v-brakes | | Bike Setup: | Klein Mantra, Avid brakes came stock. | | Bottom Line: | Follow up...i have continued to make attemps to contact Avid, but they will not answer my emails. Terrible customer service. After i told them about the problems, they sent me two new brake pads, which did not help at all. I am not an idiot, i replaced the pads with several different types before i called and emailed them. They are not backing their product, which is a piece of $#@^. If you buy a new bike, make them upgrade to a shimano product. I put a set of XT brakes (1998 model)on my bike and they worked flawlessly. Still, Avid says its not a Avid brake problem. Bike shop cleaned and sanded the rims, made adjustments, then put a 150lb on the bike to test it. He could not stop. It is a joke. I have four stitches in my chin right now because i could not stop on a downhill. I took Avid at their word and waited for them to take care of their problem. I guess it is my problem now, and i will be putting Shimano brakes on my bike. I just ordered another bike, and will not take it out of the shop with Avid brakes because of this. I suggest you do the same. Without customer support we have nothing. Support your local bike shops when you can, and buy from those who take care of you, regardless where they are. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Robert Trask
a Cross Country Rider
from Chesterfield, MO
Date Reviewed: July 28, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Castlewood | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Mesa Cycles | | Strengths: | Did not melt | | Weaknesses: | VERY weak braking and slop after a few months | | Similar Products Used: | XT, XTR | | Bike Setup: | Klein Mantra Comp | | Bottom Line: | I have had problems with these brakes since I purchased the bike. For some reason, there is alot of slop and the braking power is very weak...I cannot skid the rear tire on wet grass. The only thing that helps is to spray the rims with a citrus based degreaser which makes it sticky, but that rubs off after a few miles. I put my brothers XT brakes and levers on my bike and they worked great.
Heres the deal: Every product has problems, what really counts is the customer support. I have emailed Avid about the problem, and after a few days a tech called me and sent out one pair of new pads to try. They did not help anything, still alot of flex and no braking power. At least he tried. I just emailed him back to see what they will do, i even offered to pay for an upgrade.
If they take care of it, i will be an AVID fan for life, if not I will not be bying AVID products again. Service is everything...so i will keep you posted as to the results.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Christian M
a Cross Country Rider
from Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
Date Reviewed: July 24, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Tyrolean MTB trails | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$70.00 | | Purchased At: | came stock w/ my C'dale | | Strengths: | fantastic stopping power, modulation, weight, looks | | Weaknesses: | none so far | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano V-brake, Dia-Compe VC-767 | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale F-1000 | | Bottom Line: | simply amazing | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
alex
a Racer
from mtn home ark usa
Date Reviewed: June 4, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Berryman | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$60.00 | | Purchased At: | came w/ bike | | Strengths: | UPDATE | | Weaknesses: | UPDATE | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano XTR, XT | | Bike Setup: | Fuel 98, Trek 9.9 Pro | | Bottom Line: | Mr. Paul Kantor from Avid called me personaly to apologize for the situation and offered to upgrade to one of their most quality brakes front and rear. I was floored and I want people to know that my opinion of Avid has done a 180 and Im now a Avid customer! Go Avid! BTW the original products was SD 50 i couldnt find a list for 50 so i listed here. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
alex
a Racer
from mountain home ark
Date Reviewed: May 29, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Berryman | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$60.00 | | Purchased At: | Came w/ bike | | Strengths: | Weight | | Weaknesses: | POOR CRAFTMENSHIP AND CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM AVID | | Similar Products Used: | XTR,XT | | Bike Setup: | Trek Fuel 98 | | Bottom Line: | Worked good when it stayed together. I noticed after about 6hrs of riding that the rear arm had no tension. After inspection i found that the pin that fit into the upper chainstay brake post had become loose and wallowed out the middle hole on my bike's brake post. I contacted Avid and within a month they sent me a replacement part. To my surprise the replacement part pin was bent a good 60 degrees. I contacted Dan at Avid who said he would FWD it to shipping via Dennis and they would get it squared away. A month later and still no part. I'm still trying to contact Avid and see if they will hold true to their warranty, i will post again to update the progress. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark
a Weekend Warrior
from Canada
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Bay Cycle Sports Excellence | | Strengths: | Amasing breaking power! | | Weaknesses: | -none that I can find- | | Similar Products Used: | -none- | | Bike Setup: | Wheeler 5900zx with Rock Shox Judy XC | | Bottom Line: | Although these are the only real v-brakes I have ridden, I adore them and swear by them. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
BVBR
a Racer
from Ocomukowonowaukesha, WI
Date Reviewed: March 2, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | OEM | | Strengths: | Its not Shimano | | Weaknesses: | Its not Shimano | | Similar Products Used: | XT, XTR, Avid Arch Rival Mag | | Bike Setup: | Fisher Paragon | | Bottom Line: | These were OEM on my Fisher Paragon and I thought they were the cat's ass until I rode a real V-brake...XTR.
There's a little play in the brake arm. The lack of a parallel push design robs power and makes setup a little trickier. Furthermore, I've had a hell of a time trying to get the brake arms parallel while setting them up. I already am using the large spacer...and had to add some washers to this to get the arms somewhat close to parallel. When I put the power on both arms are now bent inward. This also robs power from the braking system. This is a poor design.
This brake also lacks a cartridge brake pad system.
Basically these are just a cheap brake that allows the bike manufacturers to cut corners by spec'ing them as OEM. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Galant Ho
a Weekend Warrior
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: January 12, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Road | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Taiwan ROC | | Strengths: | Excellent stopping power, best matched with Avid L levers. | | Weaknesses: | Superseeded by the SD25s, but still a good choice. Pads are generic Koolstops ones and will need to change to a better one. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano XT, Alivio, Tektro RPB | | Bike Setup: | Oldman bike | | Bottom Line: | I'm not going back to Shimano brakes anytime soon. For V-brakes, Avids simply are the best. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mtb_man
a Cross Country Rider
from Hobart, Australia
Date Reviewed: January 7, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | anything singletrack | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Light Weight, Good looks, Colour, Modulation and feel | | Weaknesses: | Stupid spring tension adjustment, Maybe a bit lacking in bulk stopping power (i realise they're not disks) | | Similar Products Used: | Avid Arch Rivals, Shimano DX, Tektro V's | | Bike Setup: | Kona Muni-Mula with Avid Levers and Kool Stop pads | | Bottom Line: | I got these brakes when i bought my Kona and initially i was fairly impressed with them, however the spring tension adjustment has really started to get me down. The only other brake i've ever seen with such a bad tension adjustment was a set of El Cheapo Tektro's on a mates bike. I expected more from Avid.
Having to use an adjustable wrench to ensure that the brake arms are centered just pisses me off. The adjusment always goes out the window as soon as i hit the first rocky section of trail, leaving me with dragging pads front and rear (since i don't lug an adjustable wrench with me in my seat pack) .
To be fair to Avid, the brakes are great when properly adjusted and work fine in all conditions (dry & dusty to snow, slop and mud).
I'm reaplacing them with a set of 2001 Avid SD7's which have a grub screw to adjust tension so every thing should be fixed and this person can finally ride without dragging pads.
Overall a good brake that's let down by minor problems. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mario Javier
a Weekend Warrior
from Oakville, ON, Canada
Date Reviewed: December 30, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Kelso, Hardwood Trails | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | Cyclepath Oakville | | Strengths: | Price, ease of installation, performance | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano LX, XT | | Bike Setup: | 97 Gary Fisher Joshua X-0 with full XT, Raceface, Rockshock Sid rear, XC front. | | Bottom Line: | This is an update of my first review earlier in the year when I first installed these brakes. So far it has been great and no sign of problems. I had replaced the stock brake pads with Koolstop red and it seems to be better in the wet than in the dry. Overall the brakes are excellent and well worth the money I paid. By the way, I have also installed a brake booster made by Brodie to stiffen the rear end of the Joshua and it is the only brake system that accept this setup. My XT brakes does not allow the booster to be installed, it caused some rubbing on the frame. I recommend these brake set to anyone who needs to upgrade. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
K P
a Weekend Warrior
from City of Angels
Date Reviewed: November 6, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | anything out there | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$55.00 | | Purchased At: | mtbr marketplace | | Strengths: | awesome stopping power
relatively light
look great
easy to set up and adjust
$55 w/ set of levers | | Weaknesses: | mm...your kidding, right? | | Similar Products Used: | tektro quartz v's
shimano xt v's
shimano deore lx canti's | | Bike Setup: | jamis dragon, 8sp. sram esp 9.0, lx hollowtechs,avid 20 calipers and 1.9 levers bonty mustang/lx hubs, manitou sx r fork | | Bottom Line: | sweet brakes, easy to set up, tune, and work great. i'm not sure how good they work in extreme mucks, but worth the $55 | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Pascal Cormeau
a
from Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: November 1, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Nose Hill | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Stop well, have great modulation, look sooooo kewl | | Similar Products Used: | pro-max crap | | Bottom Line: | When combined whith Avid's thumb screw levers, these brakes can have increadible stopping power... When I first tried them I was amazed at their proformance. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scorch
a Weekend Warrior
from Calgary, Alberta
Date Reviewed: October 21, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Very good stopping power
Awesome modulation
pads are still going strong
Decent in muddy rides | | Weaknesses: | Rear lever is a little squishy
lever play-they rattle when goin over stutter bumps
squeals | | Similar Products Used: | LX, XT vbrakes | | Bike Setup: | SD 2.0 levers and brakes | | Bottom Line: | These brakes are the best for your money. Way cheaper than a pair of Shimano's and they work better too. Excellent stopping power in dry weather and it works when it gets wet. Requires little adjustments. And if they do, they are easy to do. No need to worry bout more moving parts like the LX, XT and XTR's. I've been using them for 2 years and I ride lots. I haven't had to change the brake pads yet. I also use them for trials and they work great. The lever only needs one finger to apply and they look great in that polished finished. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Smith
a Weekend Warrior
from BC
Date Reviewed: October 15, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Lotz | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | 456 | | Strengths: | Stopping power pretty good, reilable, nice feel | | Weaknesses: | Brake Pads completely melt on a muddy ride | | Similar Products Used: | LX V-Brakes | | Bike Setup: | Giant ATX 760 LX/XT | | Bottom Line: | These are pretty good brakes but you will wear them down within two muddy rides. If you are in dry condidtinos these pads will last a long time but in BC so it rains a lot | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Wen Yao Ho
a Weekend Warrior
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: September 30, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | BT | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Cool looks and fantastic stopping powers. Used them for a year already and performs well with minimal tuning. | | Weaknesses: | None. | | Similar Products Used: | Tektro RPBs, Shimano Alivos Vs, XT Vs | | Bike Setup: | Concord MTB | | Bottom Line: | Overall a very efficient and strong brake system. Best matched with the Avid 2.0/1.9L levers. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sue
a Cross Country Rider
from Washington, NJ
Date Reviewed: September 3, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Sue's Trail, Allamucy State Park | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | OEM | | Strengths: | They stop the bike... | | Weaknesses: | Sloppy after less than a year. | | Similar Products Used: | None first mtb. | | Bike Setup: | Lil' Stumpjumper, Judy SL, XT, LX componenents, Frog pedals | | Bottom Line: | Stop the bike well, uneven wear. Brakes are very sloppy for the amount of use. XTR's last years longer. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael
a Cross Country Rider
from Regina
Date Reviewed: July 12, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Toilet Bowl | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Excellent power, good feel, good modulation | | Weaknesses: | A bit touchy | | Similar Products Used: | Owned:
Shimano ('97) LX V-Brakes
Shimano M-System Cantis
Tried:
Hayes Disk
Formula Disk
Magura Tomac
XTR V-Brake
XT V-Brake | | Bike Setup: | '99 Specialized Stumpjumper, stock 'cept for a rise bar, better tires, a new seat, and a brake booster (it was free, I thought what the hell...) | | Bottom Line: | These brakes are just damn good for the $$$... pretty much the best I've tried. No Shimano V-Brake can touch them (yes, I've tried XTR too...), and even my friends' Tomacs weren't quite as good... they just didn't have that immediate bite of power that mine have (which is preference I suppose). They're a bit touchy, as mentioned, but the braking power is just awesome! I haven't had them too warm on descents, but they seem pretty fade-free all the same. Even in the wet or in slimy mud, deadly power is only a grab away. The stock pads are excellent Kool Stops, the brakes look good, they're reasonably priced (OEM for me, but not much aftermarket)... it all adds up to a 5-star product! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ormtnbiker
a Cross Country Rider
from Eugene, Oregon
Date Reviewed: July 8, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | its a secret, thats why its my fav | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Everyting. | | Weaknesses: | None. | | Similar Products Used: | Haven't had to try anything else. | | Bike Setup: | Stumpjumper, Crossmax, RaceFace, XT | | Bottom Line: | What can you say about a brake setup that has outlasted every component on my bike except for the seatpost and the frame?
This is an excellent braking system! Maybe too good for
Avid...I have been looking for an excuse to upgrade...but why do it when the original work so well...
Just a darn good product, and simple to fix on the trail.
Sometimes a little tricky on adjustment...but once they are set..they are set. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt Dignan
a Cross Country Rider
from Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: April 23, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Brunette Park | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | light, great stopping ability, great looks, cheap | | Weaknesses: | nothing yet | | Similar Products Used:</ |
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