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Home > Product Reviews > Disc Brakes > Avid Mechanical Disc Front Reviews

Avid Mechanical Disc Front

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Avid Mechanical Disc Front
More about Avid

Average Rating: 4 out of 5
No. of Reviews: 32
RRP: £69.99
Year: 2007

Description:

Introducing Avid's Caliper Positioning System™(CPS) disc brakes - a must-have in wet, sloppy or extended downhill conditions.

(Now many of your technical cross country riders will ask that they not be forgotten.)

The Ball Bearing disc brakes are smooth, quiet and intensely powerful.

Built to deliver that on-demand control and confidence you've come to expect from Avid.

And one more thing: They're a cinch to install.

In the spirit of Avid design, the CPS disc brakes are designed to spend very little time installing and adjusting the brakes - so you can spend more time riding.

Throw in fully adjustable brake pads and spring tension and well, you know the rest. Disc Brake details

Finally a cable-actuated disc brake that works like disc brakes should.

Avid has obsessed over the design and it shows.

It has power and a light action at the lever.

REVIEWS

1 to 10 of 32 reviews, to post a review you need to be a member - Join now.Page: 1 2 3 4

Ian Thompson

Posted: 14/10/03
Updated: 30/01/07

'SUPERB POWER AND CONTROL'

Strengths:
Awesome stopping power
More modulation than my old V brakes
No more bleeding hydraulics
Install in minutes- They have to be the easiest brake in the world to set up.

Weaknesses:
Rear brake seems to go out of alignment every month or so. It isn't that major and certainly doesn't affect the stopping power, it just starts to make some noise until the caliper is re-alligned. It isn't much of a complaint as it takes less than a minute to adjust and requires only one hex key. Don't have that problem with the front though!

Overall:
I have a 160mm rear and 185mm front (reviewed seperately) and the pair cost me less than one Hope mini! I use them with standard brake levers and still get more mod than I did with V's. They stop my bulk everytime regardless of conditions and with all the control I need, more than I can say for V's and at least as well as the hydraulics I've tried.

What more could you ask for from a brake?

Performance		100%
Reliability		80%
Value		100%

Overall Rating

93%

Dave FSR

Posted: 19/12/02
Updated: 30/01/07

'WORKS GREAT, NEEDS OCCASSIONAL ADJUSTMENT.'

Strengths:
Extremely easy set up with the "Caliper Positioning System." Less messing with shims. You do need to read the manual first though, as the sequence is not totally intuitive.

Excellent, consistant performance. I was very surprised how good cable discs could be.

Works flawlessly when set up right, with good lever feel (tested with Avid 1.9L speed-dial levers), when the pads are worn they still work fine but lever feel is not so good.

They are tolerant of poor pad setup, but work best when set up as per the manual.

Don't seem to be affected by using a cheap unsealed cable in the worst conditions.

The pads work great in all conditions from hot dry and rocky to cold gloopy mud.

Have had no problems whatsoever with overheating, even when dragging on long, loose alpine descents. (Which is more than can be said of my Hope O2.)

Work with your standard v-brake levers.

Good looking disc design with edge cut outs to give consistant wear across the pads and keep things cleaner.

Clear water quickly.

Pad wear is good.

Weaknesses:
Pricey. I got mine for £45 which was much more like it.

The pads need adjusting after every muddy ride (and sometimes part way round) which is a bit of a hassle.

I had a problem with one pad adjuster not having the full range of adjustment when new but that problem has disapeared with time.

Pads are expensive, as with all discs.

Extremely weak before bedding in.

Overall:
great brake, in all conditions, but needs occasional fiddling for optimum lever feel. Would buy again.

Performance		100%
Reliability		80%
Value		40%

Overall Rating

73%

Leigh Hunt

Posted: 22/11/02
Updated: 30/01/07

'BLOODY GOOD.'

Strengths:
loads of modulation, really powerful, cheap(£55!)

Weaknesses:
nowt that I can think of.

Overall:
I found they work great with standard V-brake levers, but even better with BMX levers! for 55 quid you can't go wrong.

Performance		100%
Reliability		80%
Value		100%

Overall Rating

93%

Russ Gunn

Posted: 21/02/02
Updated: 30/01/07

'GREAT VALUE TO A POINT'

Overall:
See my post in the front disc review!

Performance		80%
Reliability		60%
Value		100%

Overall Rating

80%

Anthony Lee

Posted: 16/09/01
Updated: 30/01/07

'SUPERB- COMPLIMENT A FRONT AVID MECH'

Strengths:
These are better than most hydraulic disk brakes, you just need to set them up properly. They are beter than everything EXCEPT Hayes Hydraulics.

Weaknesses:
Bad if you use cheap cables. I use flying snakes from Transfil, so they aren't a problem for me.

Overall:
They could fling an elephant over the handlebars. Very light for disk brakes. Vee brakes are cheaper though. But nothing like as good...

Performance		100%
Reliability		100%
Value		100%

Overall Rating

100%

Anton Blackie

Posted: 17/02/01
Updated: 30/01/07

'Adjustable here,there AND everywhere'

Strengths:
so many adjustments you can't fail to get them set up perfect, much easier than hydraulics but the hope enduro 4 aren't that bad. no lever change required. price

Weaknesses:
weight - if you care about that kind of thing.
pads wear quite in wet and sandy conditions but the new pads should be good

Overall:
great, easy to fit discs for everyone, great pad adjustments, the best cable disc

Performance		80%
Reliability		80%
Value		80%

Overall Rating

80%

Keith ellis

Posted: 07/02/01
Updated: 30/01/07

Strengths:
Really easy to set up compared with hydraulics
Doesnt require new levers

Weaknesses:
Pads are poor - they really sqeeeeeel when even slightly wet - but Avid are currently about to launch some replacements for bad weather

Overall:
At first I thought this brake was really weak as it didnt seem to want to stop me at all - however I just hadnt given it time to bed in - several rides later its strength is showing through and it does have the uncanny knack of working without you noticing - I'm reasonably pleased with it and I'm considering buying the front one
If only they didnt weigh 460 grammes each

Performance		60%
Reliability		60%
Value		60%

Overall Rating

60%

Humber Thumper

Posted: 06/10/06

'SO GOOD YOU DON'T KNOW THEY ARE THERE...UNTIL YOU NEED 'EM!'

Strengths:
Tough construction. Easy to fit and to set up, bits are cheap and easy to get. Simple to look after, not that they need much attention

Weaknesses:
Take time to get used to, a bit all or nothing for the first few stops.

Overall:
Stronger than Shimano, cheaper than hydraulics. Get them, avoid BB5, More than up to most riders, (Psychos excluded).

Performance		60%
Reliability		80%
Value		80%

Overall Rating

73%

David Hayden-Case

Posted: 16/03/01

'Absoluely Wicked... Better than eanything I've had'

Strengths:
Brilliant power... We are talking more powerful than a C2, and about as powerful as a DH4! Good looks, a doddle to fit. Excellent finishing and looks. Superb piece of kit. I have tried these on my friends Pace Frame (the one with the Carbon seat tube), and they blew me away. Work really well with my Orange Airo (Manitou Milleniums on front. Looks super sexy!)

Weaknesses:
Lever Syndrome. He is using Paul levers, and I am using them with Avid Mags, which works fine, but they are a bit picky about levers.Gritchy cables will sap all the power away. Heavier than most hydraulics

Overall:
An absolutely brilliant piece of kit at a bargain price. Don't worry about those RST of Formula crap, fit these if your tight for cash. Definetly give Hydraulics a bloody good run for their money!