Shimano Deore cable disc brake

mook manga
Reviewed: 14 April 2004

BLOODY GREAT

Good Braking, Use any Lever

None yet

These breaks are all you need! Why bother with hydrolics? unless your a fat knacker or a limp risted gizmo freak then these breaks will provide all the power you could possibly need...I have fitted only one to the back of my kona and can now hutle down narly hill sides in any conditions that could have only been attempted in the driest of condidtions when I had both v brakes...just buy them you mook!

Andrew Robertshaw
Reviewed: 18 March 2004

ALL THE BRAKES YOU NEED FOR CROSS COUNTRY

Ease of fitting and set up.None of the sealing and storage problems (and expense) of hydraulic systems.Much more tunability than people seem to realise.Build quality.Price.

Standard pads have a life measurable in minutes!

My bike came with Deore V-brakes as standard, so when winter came with its usual mud factor, fitting these seemed a good compromise between improved perfomance and expense.
The instructions were very easy to follow, and set up required none of the tedium of shims and measurement that a lot of expensive systems require.
Performance seemed good after the pads bedded in, and I was happy until it rained! It would seem that Shimano did not consider the British climate when they decided on what pad formula to use on the U.K. market. The lever came further and further back, and then cable adjustment was required to get any braking at all. In fairness, I experienced exactly the same speed of wear with my V-brake blocks in the same conditions. The solution was a change to EBC Gold HH pads, but these bring their own set up requirements.On the front brake, I set both pad clearances at .275 to .3 mm, and at the back I set the inner pad at .275 to .3 mm and the outer so that the brake starts to apply at 1/3 lever travel. This latter setting gives good modulation and power.
I now have braking that does not vary with the weather, needs only the usual cable care, and rims that dont get ground down.
I can also hang the bike upside down in my garage and not worry about brake fluid finding its way out.

ken sykes
Reviewed: 18 March 2004

BETTER THAN 'V'S.......

Good power and modulation, strong braking (relatively)on a budget.

Heavy, loud, heavy...

Weight isn't really an issue unless you're one of those scrawny, whippetty XC boys, does exactly what it says on the tin!!!

Elliot 100
Reviewed: 01 March 2004

DIDN'T LAST LONG ON MY BIKE

Cheapish, at the time.

Limited adjustment. Heavy, squealing, rapid pad wear.

The main problem with these as far as I'm concerned is the lack of adjustability at the pad to compensate for pad wear. They are adjustable at the lever and at the caliper but without a way of screwing in the outer moving pad, this just diminishes the amount of cable pull available and I found that well before the pad wears out, the caliper arm runs out of travel meaning the outer pad does not contact the disc at all. Coupled with rapid pad wear you could well find yourself with no brake halfway through a ride like I did. Avoid and get Avids instead which are now a similar price.

david McFall
Reviewed: 03 March 2003

GOOD BRAKES FOR THE MONEY

The brakes are cheap and when its dry they are very powerful.

Too heavy! A pain in the arse to set up, make far too much noise when even remotly wet or muddy and become noticeably spongy when not clean.You have been warned!

These brakes are good value far money and despite the weaknesses above, i'm glad i bought them.They work a lot better than my v brakes and have added advantages of extended rim life. The shimano pads are shit though and squeal far too much.When these are replaced, my overall satisfacting should increase.Hopefully!