Submitted by
Mr. Wood
a Weekend Warrior
from Tucson, AZ Date Reviewed: January 7, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Not telling you!
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
AZ bike experts
Strengths:
Look cool, work great
Weaknesses:
Cable fixing bolt hole strips
Similar Products Used:
Avid
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz superlight, Psylo, precision billit levers
Bottom Line:
I have to agree with the negative reviews below about the anchor bolt hole stripping out. However, I have had these brakes for several years and they never gave me any problems. I don't expect stuff to last forever, but I didn't really change or adjust my brake pads very often, so I guess, it could have happened a lot sooner if I did. Overall, I can't say they are bad brakes. I will probably try to get a longer bolt and nut so I can keep using them.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andreas Klauser
a Cross Country Rider
from Feldafing Date Reviewed: April 29, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At:
hibike
Strengths:
low weight
Weaknesses:
weak spring, wobbly
Similar Products Used:
Shimano XT, XTR (98), Magura 10th, Quick Silver
Bike Setup:
TREK 9900 OCLV, Marzocchi Atom Race, Shimano XTR (98)...
Bottom Line:
I don't like these. The springs are to weak even when the cables are brand new. It is certainly unfair to compare them with Magura rim brakes, but also the good ol' XTR 98 v-brake is a lot better. So there is really no reason to cough up so much money for a mediocre performance.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Johnny
a Weekend Warrior
from Chicago Date Reviewed: March 22, 2002
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
cambriabike.com
Strengths:
light, responsive, looks
Weaknesses:
no gripes here
Similar Products Used:
XT, XTR
Bike Setup:
I use these with Avid Flak Jacket cables... perfect setup!
Bottom Line:
I have never had a problem with these brakes! I just bought a new fork for my bike so I had to take them off and put them back on... I think the screw that everyone is stripping has potential to strip, just like any other screw. You have to make sure it's threaded properly and keep in mind that it's not your seatpost screw. So all you Hercules's out there, lighten up on the wrench. As far as brake functionality... If you adjust it properly for your riding style there is no reason why you won't love this brake. I also never had to do any filing either.
I believe that anyone who has a problem with these brakes (besides the filing), might have made a slight mistake or didn't adjust them correclty. I've had MORE confidence with these brakes than the XTR's.
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Submitted by
Donat
a Cross Country Rider
from france Date Reviewed: December 31, 2001
Favorite Trail:
singletrack
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Purchased At:
local dealer
Strengths:
light, simple
Weaknesses:
steel spring rubbing on aluminium lever !
Bike Setup:
PB levers, PB brakes, kool stop yello pads, Mavic Xmax, black snake cables ... life if good!
Bottom Line:
Circle the aluminium part of the brake (where spring rubs) with 2 turn of teflon tape (the cheap one used in plumbing!) I was very confused when I started with these brakes: impossible to center... I realized issue is high friction of the spring on the brake, and when I added teflon ribbon it changed all. Topclass... except this incredible stu..d idea to have a steel spring rubbing with an aluminium lever. BUY and improve !
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Submitted by
Allen Lo
a Weekend Warrior
from Ga Date Reviewed: October 24, 2001
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
Cambria Bike
Strengths:
lightweight.they;re good when the threads don't strip~!
Weaknesses:
The THREADS ON THE TIGHTENING BOLD WHERE THE CABLE GETS TIGHTENED DOWN ALWAYS STRIPS~!!!!!!!! ALWAYS~! you cannot prevent this crap~! I always thought it was just me but when I came back and read some recent reviews it just made me feel a little better beacuse it seems Bombshell (aka Precision Billet) products have just gone down the drain~!!!!! I even tried e-mailing the customer service 3 times , and they never even responded once~! I think they know what's going on. Mine have stripped twice, once I got them sent back to Bombshell, the second time, they never even responded. It's just too much of a hassle. Stick to AVID or SHIMANO.
Similar Products Used:
Avid SD7, SD Mag, Shimano XT
Bottom Line:
Don't get these, it's not worth the risk~! Trust me. Avid has always stood out to me as a very dependable and stable brake; Avid's are also priced well. I'm about to try XTR for the first time...hope they don't squeal~!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jim
a Cross Country Rider
from Ohio, USA Date Reviewed: August 28, 2001
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At:
cambria
Strengths:
They stop great! No problems there.
Weaknesses:
I was putting on a new front brake wire one day, and when I went to tighten it down, the threads on the brake arm completely stripped out. Well, I thought over tightened, until last week, when I had to adjust the rear because of a new wheel set I bought. The same happened to the rear. GIVE ME A BRAKE HERE!!! This should not happen. I had to put a longer bolt through the brake arm, and attach a nut on the back side of the arm. It will do for now, but a new set of xtr is on its way to me.
The brake work fine if you dont have to adjust them. if you do, they stip out.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Paul
a
from Watertown,NY Date Reviewed: August 22, 2001
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$90.00
Purchased At:
cambriabike.com
Strengths:
Easy to setup, lightweight, looks nice (love the matching levers), very good stopping power.
Weaknesses:
Product support really sucks. Verrrry cheap threads. They strip if you stare harshly at them. Then you need a snap plier to replace.
Similar Products Used:
Cantilever, LX Vs, Avid CPS Disc
Bike Setup:
'97 Jamis Team Dakar, XT, XTR.
Bottom Line:
My threads stripped before my first ride. I was angry and expected PB to send another one quick. Wrong. I had to send them the stripped ones for evaluation (I think it was a $7 dollar part). OK, I'm riding. Brakes really work well. Last week I went to readjust for a tighter feel. Threads strip again with verrrry little effort. I bought a spare arm but will not bother with it. BTW, I just stick a spare screw in to put tension on the arm and it works, well, better than OEM. I keep a couple of screws in my pocket just in case.
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Submitted by
Harris
a Weekend Warrior
from Charlottesville, VA Date Reviewed: August 17, 2001
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Let's see... They have decent stopping power and are light.
Weaknesses:
They have decent stopping power and are light (I have never been absolutely confident with these brakes: the reduction in weight, and therefore structural integrity, makes for some flex and a subsequent reduction in power).
Similar Products Used:
All of them.
Bike Setup:
I have used these brakes twodifferent CC bikes.
Bottom Line:
The previous reviewer and must be mechanically deficient: I have never had a bit of trouble with modulation on either of my bikes and they both were outfitted with avid cable sets. My springs were adiquate for proper modulation with Paul Love Levers durring two yars of riding. The real bottom line on these brakes is elusive. For most CC use, my afore-mentioned review is suitable (Harris, 12/99), however, my riding style has changed: these brakes do not offer appropriate amounts of power for extended periods of downhilling. Any prospective buyer has to analyze their riding style: would you sacrafice power for weight savings? The only real problem I ever had with the brakes was a situation where I was drunk and over tightened the cable clamp bolt, stripping the cheap aluminum threads in the break arm. After that unfortunate incident, I bought a pair of Avids (I dont remember which model) and they have surpassed the Pricisions in every aspect except weight.
There is no conspiracy; these are good brakes for CC types concerned with weight and going slow down hills. I am about to slap a set of Hayes (a viable CC choice in my opinion) on my Ventana "free ride" ( I hate this term) bike. Good bye v-brakes, F U.
To the idiots who dont know how to set up v-brakes properly, and especially the dumbass who reviewed just prior to this one, your valium is ready.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike Cramer
a Cross Country Rider
from GR, MI, USA Date Reviewed: August 17, 2001
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$130.00
Purchased At:
Cambria
Strengths:
They look cool, front brakes work well. Incredible customer service, they really want to help you.
Weaknesses:
Lack of return springs in levers.
Similar Products Used:
Avid single digits, Shimano XT, Hayes Discs
Bottom Line:
*** WARNING **** Don't believe the hype on these brakes!
I bought them based on all the good reviews here. When I first put them on I was amazed at how well they worked. I now think this was more because my old brakes were so bad but that's another story. They work fine for a while but after you get any kind of dirt, mud or whatever in your cables they will not work properly. And yes, I sprung for the Avid Flak Jacket cables which BTW are terrible. The cables were my first attempt to solve the problem with these brakes. They work OK until you ride in real world conditions and even with the best cables you will find increased cable drag after a while. I set the springs to the highest tension (second attempt to make these brakes work) and that solved the problem... for a while... but then it's back to the same old problem. I just put some Avid Speed Dial levers on for my third attempt at making these brakes work. The levers work well and I have new cables (again) but the brakes still don't work right. Specifically they won't make up their mind when you try to adjust them. Aside from doing this myself I've had two bike mechanics look at them, neither could make them work right. Basically you should be able to get the brake calipers to center and then pull equally from both sides. If they pull too much from one side you adjust the tension on the springs to get it to center. The problem is that these brakes will sometimes work, then other times pull from one side, then the next time pull from the other side! This makes it impossible to adjust them properly because they are inconsistant. The result is that the pad doesn't move away from the rim on whatever side sticks enough to clear the rim so if you have even a tiny hop in your wheel it will rub.
I think the good reveiws here came from either A) people that put them on, saw how great they worked and then wrote the review having never tested them on the trail for a few months. B) people who never ride their bikes on trails. C) People that have found a way to ride their mountain bike without getting mud/dirt/sand/corrosion in their cables. D) People that work for Precision Billet.
If you read the review below from Vaughn, that is exactly the experience I've had. Reading that review was like deja vu for me.
I must say though that Precision Billet support has been great. They asked that I send in the brakes for them to evaluate and determine whether they are defective. The problem is that I'm not about to part with my only set of brakes for more than one day or two. They sent me new springs which, in conjunction with my new Avid levers and cables will hopefully make them work OK. I'll post another review in a couple of months after I've had a chance to put a few hundred miles on the new setup.
Anyone looking to buy a set of these levers cheap, drop me an e-mail. Don't say I didn't warn you though!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
joe
a Cross Country Rider
from Anderson SC USA Date Reviewed: June 26, 2001
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$99.00
Purchased At:
cambria
Strengths:
they are strong breaks, excellent modulation-, i didn't know what modulation was till i owned these!
After putting up with the inherent slop of Shimano's v brake linkage and their well proven durability (Three Good Rides ;( BTW what other company has to sell 'shim kits' and 'rebuild' kits for their brakes? Anyway, as i was saying, after riding around with what sounded like a half pound of nails in a metal box for well over a year, i decided to replace that which really needed replacing-a first for me.. i usually buy stuff because it looks cool and is light even if i don't really need it, anyway this was a real 'need' that or some earplugs, so i bought these fukker's and.....'Shazam!' Quality Baby! i can actually modulate the speed of the bike! not just squeezing the stop lever.. They setup as easy as anything else, they are as light as anything else, Sh*t! Go Slap Yer Momma and tell her ya need some brakes. Otherwise, you won't know what your missin!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
joe
a Cross Country Rider
from Anderson SC USA Date Reviewed: June 26, 2001
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$99.00
Purchased At:
cambria
Strengths:
they are strong breaks, excellent modulation-, i didn't know what modulation was till i owned these!
After putting up with the inherent slop of Shimano's v brake linkage and their well proven durability (Three Good Rides ;( BTW what other company has to sell 'shim kits' and 'rebuild' kits for their brakes? Anyway, as i was saying, after riding around with what sounded like a half pound of nails in a metal box for well over a year, i decided to replace that which really needed replacing-a first for me.. i usually buy stuff because it looks cool and is light even if i don't really need it, anyway this was a real 'need' that or some earplugs, so i bought these fukker's and.....'Shazam!' Quality Baby! i can actually modulate the speed of the bike! not just squeezing the stop lever.. They setup as easy as anything else, they are as light as anything else, Sh*t! Go Slap Yer Momma and tell her ya need some brakes. Otherwise, you won't know what your missin!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
joe
a Cross Country Rider
from Anderson SC USA Date Reviewed: June 26, 2001
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$99.00
Purchased At:
cambria
Strengths:
they are strong breaks, excellent modulation-hell, i didn't know what modulation was till i owned these!
After putting up with the inherent slop of Shimano's v brake linkage and their well proven durability (Three Good Rides ;( BTW what other company has to sell 'shim kits' and 'rebuild' kits for their brakes? Anyway, as i was saying, after riding around with what sounded like a half pound of nails in a metal box for well over a year, i decided to replace that which really needed replacing-a first for me.. i usually buy stuff because it looks cool and is light even if i don't really need it, anyway this was a real 'need' that or some earplugs, so i bought these fukker's and.....'Shazam!' Quality Baby! i can actually modulate the speed of the bike! not just squeezing the stop lever.. They setup as easy as anything else, they are as light as anything else, Sh*t! Go Slap Yer Momma and tell her ya need some brakes. Otherwise, you won't know what your missin!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
joe
a Cross Country Rider
from Anderson SC USA Date Reviewed: June 26, 2001
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$99.00
Purchased At:
cambria
Strengths:
they are strong breaks, excellent modulation-hell, i didn't know what modulation was till i owned these!
After putting up with the inherent slop of Shimano's v brake linkage and their well proven durability (Three Good Rides ;( BTW what other company has to sell 'shim kits' and 'rebuild' kits for their brakes? Anyway, as i was saying, after riding around with what sounded like a half pound of nails in a metal box for well over a year, i decided to replace that which really needed replacing-a first for me.. i usually buy stuff because it looks cool and is light even if i don't really need it, anyway this was a real 'need' that or some earplugs, so i bought these fukker's and.....'Shazam!' Quality Baby! i can actually modulate the speed of the bike! not just squeezing the stop lever.. They setup as easy as anything else, they are as light as anything else, Sh*t! Go Slap Yer Momma and tell her ya need some brakes. Otherwise, you won't know what your missin!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
joe
a Cross Country Rider
from Anderson SC USA Date Reviewed: June 26, 2001
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$99.00
Purchased At:
cambria
Strengths:
they are strong breaks, excellent modulation-hell, i didn't know what modulation was till i owned these!
After putting up with the inherent slop of Shimano's v brake linkage and their well proven durability (Three Good Rides ;( BTW what other company has to sell 'shim kits' and 'rebuild' kits for their brakes? Anyway, as i was saying, after riding around with what sounded like a half pound of nails in a metal box for well over a year, i decided to replace that which really needed replacing-a first for me.. i usually buy stuff because it looks cool and is light even if i don't really need it, anyway this was a real 'need' that or some earplugs, so i bought these fukker's and.....'Shazam!' Quality Baby! i can actually modulate the speed of the bike! not just squeezing the stop lever.. They setup as easy as anything else, they are as light as anything else, Sh*t! Go Slap Yer Momma and tell her ya need some brakes. Otherwise, you won't know what your missin!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from Richmond, VA Date Reviewed: June 11, 2001
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Simple, light, no squeal, good feel, look good
Weaknesses:
needs cartridge pads
Similar Products Used:
xt, avid
Bike Setup:
titus racer x
Bottom Line:
Got these because I was tired of XT screeching. No noise with PC. They work as well as XT, not clearly better, but that's good enough. The arms aren't spread as wide as XT, so my heel doesn't bump into the arms or the noodle - another plus. Cartridge pads would be nice - swapped withmy old XTs after a few months and liked that combination better.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rene' Quihuiz
a Cross Country Rider
from Northglenn, CO, USA Date Reviewed: April 2, 2001
Easton Varilite, XT, WTB Tires, Sun Rims, USE Seatpost, Cane Creek Headset, WCS Bar, RS Sid fork
Bottom Line:
This is the first time I've written in this column, but these brakes really do make you ride faster because you can stop easier. Before, I always thought brakes were just stop or go but, these offer really good modulation.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve
a Racer
from Davis Date Reviewed: February 25, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Alum Rock Park
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$34.00
Purchased At:
Cambria Bike in Auburn
Strengths:
They are lighweight.. strong in all conditions and they look very sweet.
Weaknesses:
Adjustment is a little hard but once they are set... you dont even notice them.
Similar Products Used:
Magura HS-22, XTR, and old school shimano DX
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Chameleon, Avid Ultimate lever laced to sweet billet brakes, Marzocchi Atom bomb, Race face cranks with XTR drivetain.
Bottom Line:
These are great brakes for a person looking for lightweight without sacrificing function. If you can find a good deal on them, don't hesitate!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ken
a Cross Country Rider
from Salt Lake City Date Reviewed: November 27, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Desolation Lake
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Bottom Line:
Well, I don't want to skew reviews or anything, but not having an e-mail address at the moment I can't directly e-mail reviewers here.
Supposedly (according to Cambria when I bought these things) these brakes practically need Avid teflon-coated brake cables to avoid lever-rebound problems that I noticed in a few other reviews (and to keep the modulation in good shape). I was splurging when I bought these anyway so I didn't think twice about it. With the Avid cables and through plenty of mud, rain, and hard-water washing I still haven't had any problems, so who knows. I guess needing expensive cables does make these brakes a bit finicky, don't it? Oh well, still light, powerful, gorgeous, with no squeal. No, they're not magical, just awesome. Even compared to other brakes I have given five stars. I hope this helps other reviewers.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Craig
a Weekend Warrior
from Virginia Date Reviewed: November 25, 2000
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$88.00
Purchased At:
Cambria
Strengths:
Light weight eye candy
Weaknesses:
Non-Cartrige pads
Similar Products Used:
LX, XT
Bike Setup:
XT shifter/lever combo
Bottom Line:
These brakes work well, but not significantly better than the old LX brake I had on the front. If I had put the new pads on the old LX the result would most likely be the same. With the XT levers with the adjustable leverage I had tons of stopping power with the old set up. The new brakes still rock on the posts, but they are much quieter than the XT linkage I had on the back. Bottom line, they work well, look nice and are light weight. Are they magic as stated in other reiviews? NO! Are they worth the list price? Definitey not, get them on sale.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Vaughn
a Weekend Warrior
from Paradise, CA Date Reviewed: November 23, 2000
Favorite Trail:
South Fork
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
Direct from Precision
Strengths:
Sleek, simple parts, customer service.
Weaknesses:
Spring tension, poor weather seals, non cartridge pads
Similar Products Used:
XT/XTR v's, Machine Tech v's, old avid tri-aligns, old cantis.
Bike Setup:
Ellsworth '01, Precision levers and brakes
Bottom Line:
Nice front brake modulation and feel. The rear brake is another story. The springs are poorly tensioned and the moving parts easily soil. Last winter, Precision Billet very nicely and promptly replaced my original springs with what they reported would be more evenly and strongly tensioned springs since I did have a set of original run brakes, but I have not had any more luck keeping those tight. Slipping the spring loose from the boss and bending outward helps temporarily, but is not something I have even had to bother with on the Shimanos. I like the theory of a hand lever without a return spring to reduce hand fatigue, but it is not working this time around. I have very little lever rebound, which I think decreases my ability to modulate braking. The lever cannot overcome the cable housing resistance and poor rebound at the brake. If I take the whole brake apart, carefully clean, lightly grease the moving parts, and baby the cable housing, it works wonderfully, but it doesn't take more than one semi-dirty ride to junk the whole thing. There really are no seals. I don't mind completely disassembling once or twice a year, but more often and it becomes a chore. My three year old XT v's still work great on their 10th pair of brake pads. ...and this is coming from somebody who was trying to build a completely USA, non Shimano bike a few years ago. In fact, Precision levers mated with '98 XT v's rebound fine.
I long ago replaced the stock pads with cartridge pads. I'm surprised a moderately high end system like this would not have cartridge pads. The cartridges have paid for themselves with all the pads I've run through it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rutrow
a
from Little Rock, AR USA Date Reviewed: November 23, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Camp Robinson
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Chainwheel
Strengths:
Look cool. Excellent modulation in dry conditions. Levers have a great "feel".
Weaknesses:
Extremely finicky. Once they came out of adjustment and the pads were changed they never worked right again. They Not durable. Pain in the ass to adjust. Need to be adjusted often.
Bike Setup:
It has two wheels and one speed.
Bottom Line:
These brakes have increadible stopping power in dry conditions. They look really cool and different and they are great if you want people to say that your brakes look cool. If you want brakes that "WORK", "ALWAYS", do not get these. The springs on mine are as tight as they will go and the pads will still catch the rim after the lever has been pulled and released. The two canti's are easily knocked out of adjustment. Once they are out of adjustment it is a major undertaking to get them to work again. Wish I would have put AVID's or something else on. Bought these due to recommendations from this site. Should have listened to the LBS. Oh well, live and learn. I'll give them three chilis b/c they work really well most of the time. Oh yeah, and the few times that I have used them in very wet conditions resulted in bruised knuckles from trying to squeeze the levers through them.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ken
a Cross Country Rider
from Salt Lake City, Utah Date Reviewed: November 19, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Desolation Lake
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
The best: power, modulation, relatively little fade when pressed hard, great in the wet, light and the most manly-looking brakes I've seen to date (does justice to my Z2 Atom80 fork)
Rocky Mountain Instinct, Complete Precision Billet brakeset with stock pads and Avid cables, Continental Explorer Pro on Spinergy wheel up front, Survival Pro tires on Zero degree light rim on rear, everything is black and silver and badass!
Bottom Line:
I've been even more stoked than before lately so I'm writing another review. There's one long and steep technical downhill I love, which I recently went down in heavy rain. This isn't usually a good idea without discs, and to compare, when I did this with my Arch Rival 50s they lost a lot of power and then proceeded to fade more. The downhill became enormously sketchy, faster than I wanted with all the wet logs and large boulders, and through the second half of the descent my levers were glued against the handlebars and there was no way of stopping the bike other than jumping off. This is to be expected with most rim brakes under the conditions I was in, I'm not picking on the AR50's in the least. This same descent in the rain with the Precision Billet, however, was easy and confidence-inspiring. I was going faster not because my brakes were fading but because I was always able to slow as I needed to in short distances (butt on tire, as it were). I'm not exaggerating--there was very little loss in stopping power and no fade to speak of! No levers-against-the-handlebars, no need to even contemplate bailing off the bike. I felt almost as safe as if I were going in the dry (save the wet logs, of course). Stoked! In my last review I said these were easily as safe a decision as a King headset or a Marzocchi fork. Well, I've changed my mind. I would get them BEFORE I would get a Z2 fork, BEFORE I would get a King headset, before I would get just about anything. As I just told a friend thinking about getting a Santa Cruz Superlight, if you can get only one expensive thing on your bike, get these. I feel better about these things than anything else on my bike except the frame itself (almost all of which I feel very good about, almost all of which happens to be very expensive). A couple other reviews say you probably don't need to get disc brakes with these things, and I agree. Hikers and innocent wildlife will agree. Noise-ordinance will agree. Even your mom will agree. They even look awesome and of all things weigh quite a bit less than most of the other popular brakes out there, so even weight-weenies will agree. Now go out there and buy them before I strangle you!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Gadget & Mr. squishy
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego, Ca., USA Date Reviewed: October 11, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Anything local thats not closed, yet
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$130.00
Purchased At:
Soul Cycle
Strengths:
Strong, with fine modulation
Weaknesses:
The stock pads look/feel scary
Similar Products Used:
Big-S XT's
Bike Setup:
Giant XTC DS-2 (Mr. Squishy) built-up with some good stuff. XTR, White Bro's, Race Face, Titec, Etc.
Bottom Line:
Get the complete kit (levers, V's and cables). Throw away the stock pads, replace with cartridges and coolstop pads. My level of confidence has gone up greatly. The feeling that the brakes will do just what you want/need is terrific. The trail likes them too. Much less unexpected wheel lock-up. Who needs disc's with these things! I like 'em!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rod Angler
a Weekend Warrior
from planet of New Orleans Date Reviewed: October 9, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Hooper Road
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At:
Cambria (brakes + levers)
Strengths:
* Great modulation, especially in rear. (This is the pads mostly, not so much the brake arms or levers). * Machined from aluminum, so they look great if you like machine tool marks (I do). * Red anodizing. * Stiff. * Reasonable clearance for 2.1" tires, but 2.25" Panaracer Pyro's are a struggle in rear for reference on the K2 4000. * Good mud clearance (Arch Rivals are available with wider arches, but not as part of a lever/brake kit as far as I know, so that is extra $$). * Not everyone has these on their "ride" already. * Levers are longer than XT's, which I wanted, so this is a minor strength for * Levers are hinged, so easy to install without pulling grips and grip shifters, and are VERY light in weight. * No squealing once torqued down good.
Weaknesses:
* Sharp, machined edges at rear of levers (they need to reprogram their CNC machine center to spend another 30 seconds radiusing these edges, for sure!). * No spring return in levers ... this might be viewed a weakness by many (gotta bend brake springs a bit to get enough oomph to get good return). * A bit fiddly to install and get everything lined up (but most brakes are I guess) * Levers have no leverage adjustment (which the Avids and Shimano's do). * post type pads (not cartridge)
Similar Products Used:
XT levers on LX brakes.
Bike Setup:
K2 Proflex 4000 w/ carbon swingarm, Mavic 517's on one set, Bontrager Mustangs on the other. The rest is blahblahblah irrelevant to this review.
Bottom Line:
Machined arms and levers look great. Brakes definitely modulate much better than my XT levers/LX brakes, and that was primarily what I was after. However, in hindsight, I believe this is primarily a trait of the relatively but not overly squishy pads, and only seconarily related to levers, and fairly unrelated to the stiff brake arms.
Levers have no spring return... to some degree this helps modulation, to some degree people will view it a negative if they are used to spring returns in Avids or Shimano's. I'm neutral on this after getting brake springs to do the work (less an issue with smooth GoreTex cables).
Levers also have no leverage adjustment, which I would have appreciated as a feature myself, but they indeed kept levers very light. And they need to radius the sharp rear edge of levers, a detail they could program into their CNC routine, but it is easy enough to file and sandpaper them down so a very minor complaint for me personally.
I like the pads... they have enough squish to offer modulation, and that was what I was after personally. I mean, why have on/off type Shimano brakes? You want three volume settings on your stereo? On/off on your car's air conditioner?
They are plenty strong in stopping power for me, but so was my XT/LX setup... they are fine here, no better or worse.
A bit fiddly to set up, most brakes are I guess. They use post pads and the convex 3M washers for pad placement.
Buy these brakes for: 1. Modulation 2. Mud clearance 3. Looks, anodized and machined 4. Uniqueness 5. Longer and very light levers
Don't buy these if: 1. you want spring return levers 2. you want leverage adjustments in levers 3. You like on/off brakes (sans modulation)
These are plenty good brakes with plenty of power and very good modulation, and the levers are longer and pretty nice and very light.
I think the other reviews here over-rated them somewhat, so I'm balancing things out with 4 combusting mexican turd burritos (otherwise, probably 4.5).
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Submitted by
Ken
a Cross Country Rider
from Salt Lake City, Utah Date Reviewed: September 13, 2000
$ 49.00
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