# Avid BB5 vs BB7 mechanical discs



## shackleton47 (Mar 15, 2011)

Worth the upgrade cost?


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

shackleton47 said:


> Worth the upgrade cost?


I would never buy BB5s.

Have been using BB7/BBDBs since 2001.


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

shackleton47 said:


> Worth the upgrade cost?


absolutely


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## Squash (Jul 20, 2003)

Most definitely worth it. BB7s have larger pads, more pad surface = more power, and both pads are adjustable. The dual adjustment makes set up, and pad wear adjustments a snap.

Good Dirt


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## thomllama (Oct 3, 2007)

Ya, the BB5's aren't any better than the competition's mech disc brakes. if going with BB5, just find some no name cheapos for 10 buck on Ebay. I found them worse than both Hayes and Tekco to set up.


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## reptilezs (Aug 20, 2007)

bb5 brakes suck to setup. 1 pad will invariably be lopsided and the other straight


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## HrznRider (Aug 21, 2011)

Opinions i've heard have been divided. Some say if you have bb5's already that the jump to bb7's aren't worth it and some say it is. My personal experience:

I have been using BB5's with SD7 levers and organic pads on one of my bikes and aside from the adjustments (frequent but easy), they have been fine. On the other hand, my Elixir 3s on my other bike have been giving me a lot of grief. BB5s to me = inexpensive, easy to adjust and sort out issues.


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## m85476585 (Jun 7, 2007)

With BB5's, there is a point where the pads get worn enough that you can no longer adjust them for good stopping power. I'm just going to replace them with BB7's, or maybe hydraulics.


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## bikeman1 (Jul 6, 2011)

m85476585 said:


> With BB5's, there is a point where the pads get worn enough that you can no longer adjust them for good stopping power. I'm just going to replace them with BB7's, or maybe hydraulics.


You can using the pad adjuster and the barrel adjuster (or moving the torque arm up and then re-clamping it).


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## shenny88 (Sep 24, 2009)

I went from BB5 to BB7 brakes a couple years ago, it was night and day. I should have made the switch even earlier than i did.


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## laffeaux (Jan 4, 2004)

Go hydro. I owned BB7 brakes from 2002-2005 and would not own them again. I prefer higher-end Avid v-brakes to the Avid mechanicals. I thought that the BB7s had very little modulation, the pads were expensive and needed to be replaced often, squeal when they get dusty, and if you bend the retaining spring while fixing a flat you have to walk home (I bent mine twice). They're inexpensive, but in my mind not worth the low price.

I'm happy with Magura hydraulic brakes, and I still run v-brakes on bikes and I'm happy with them too.


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

If you already have BB5, then it's not worth it to get new calipers only for the second pad adjust and bigger pads... Unless you have the money and nothing else to do with it.

But if you need need calipers, go ahead and get all deck out with BB7. And SPD 7 levers, plus Jag's RipCord housing and cables or similar.

I've place my order today at Jenson for those SPD7 levers, took advantage of the free shipping offer, so I'll be able to finally get to try them on my own.

But BB7 rock my world of a no maintenance cost brake


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

laffeaux said:


> Go hydro. I owned BB7 brakes from 2002-2005 and would not own them again. I prefer higher-end Avid v-brakes to the Avid mechanicals. I thought that the BB7s had very little modulation, the pads were expensive and needed to be replaced often, squeal when they get dusty, and if you bend the retaining spring while fixing a flat you have to walk home (I bent mine twice). They're inexpensive, but in my mind not worth the low price.
> 
> I'm happy with Magura hydraulic brakes, and I still run v-brakes on bikes and I'm happy with them too.


... Sounds like a user-end default more then anything else...


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