Anyone use Avid Mechanicals? How do you like them?
Im looking at a new bike that is equipped with these...
Thanks
Dave
Im looking at a new bike that is equipped with these...
Thanks
Dave
Avid Mechanical Disc
- Thread starter dangitboy
- Start date
If you do a RM search, I'll guarantee you'll find a whole bunch of feedback.
Bottom line is they work great and about 95% of people are happy with them.
Bottom line is they work great and about 95% of people are happy with them.
Plenty o' info on the Avids, just do a little searchie searchie. They rock! I wish my Balfa 2Step could accept them, but with the cable routing, I think only hydros will work.
I've got a pair that I'd love to throw on my 2Step, but the Hayes will have to do.
Don't worry one bit about the Avids... they are much more solid than any other hydros except Hayes and they are more adjustable than any other brakes. Get 'em and love 'em!
I've got a pair that I'd love to throw on my 2Step, but the Hayes will have to do.
Don't worry one bit about the Avids... they are much more solid than any other hydros except Hayes and they are more adjustable than any other brakes. Get 'em and love 'em!
Have them, love them. For the $$ you cannot go wrong. Virtually maintenance free.
Avids are the best mechanical disc brakes money can buy.
I used a set for a while and loved them. I ended up selling them to a buddy of mine, and he's still using them and loves them. Bottom line they rock. 
Well, I hate to burst the bubble, but I ain't none too pleased with my Avids so far. I'm not fully trained on installation, but I followed the directions, and the fact is, it would be hard to go wrong. Here's my issues:
1. Noise. I get squealing, 'singing', and a lot of plain old rubbing noises in use. More than other disc brake users I ride with.
2. Lever throw. I have to pull the lever to the bar to get anything solid going. If I turn the little red knobs until the rotors just start rubbing, it's better, but then I hear my rotors rubbing, which bugs me. I like my levers to bite right at the start.
3. Power. I don't think these things are any better than a good v-brake set up. In fact, I rode my wife's bike the other day and was pissed to find her XT v-brakes working better than my Avid discs.
4. Pad wear. Yes, they are easy to adjust, but good thing, because I find I have to do it all the time. Like, halfway down a blazing downhill, my levers are hitting the bar again. I got in a downpour in the AZ desert, and being the first time in the rain, I was looking forward to the superiority of discs in the wet. Nope, after a few stops (with much grinding) the pads wore away to the point I had nothing at the lever. I was pissed to stop in the pouring rain to adjust the damn things again.
So, unless I'm a dolt, and somebody can give me some setup advice, I can't say they are the cat's pjs. FYI, I'm using Avid levers and FMJ cables on a Bullit.
1. Noise. I get squealing, 'singing', and a lot of plain old rubbing noises in use. More than other disc brake users I ride with.
2. Lever throw. I have to pull the lever to the bar to get anything solid going. If I turn the little red knobs until the rotors just start rubbing, it's better, but then I hear my rotors rubbing, which bugs me. I like my levers to bite right at the start.
3. Power. I don't think these things are any better than a good v-brake set up. In fact, I rode my wife's bike the other day and was pissed to find her XT v-brakes working better than my Avid discs.
4. Pad wear. Yes, they are easy to adjust, but good thing, because I find I have to do it all the time. Like, halfway down a blazing downhill, my levers are hitting the bar again. I got in a downpour in the AZ desert, and being the first time in the rain, I was looking forward to the superiority of discs in the wet. Nope, after a few stops (with much grinding) the pads wore away to the point I had nothing at the lever. I was pissed to stop in the pouring rain to adjust the damn things again.
So, unless I'm a dolt, and somebody can give me some setup advice, I can't say they are the cat's pjs. FYI, I'm using Avid levers and FMJ cables on a Bullit.
It almost sounds like they aren't aligned... sounds like you need a whole new bike :devil:
I was thinking I should go align them again, but really, it's much easier just to bitch about them on RM.
The Avid instructions that come with the brake are garbage.
Use the BFR-it disc if you have one. If not, lemme know.
Huh??? I ride my avid in the muddy wet conditions all the time... the wear from week to week is barely noticable. I have no squeel and excellent modulation - far superior to my previous XT v-brakes, especially when wet.
I've found that they work great but it is kinda hard to get the same feel on the front and rear. I am assuming that there is a whole lot of compression in the housing that runs to my rear because it always feels spongier than the front. Aside from that depending on which pad is closer to the rotor the brakes feel different. For some reason with the rotor closer to the outside pad I feel like I get more moduation but less brute stopping power and with the rotor closer to the inside pad you get more grabby feel but it seems like there is less transition between a little and a lot of brake.
The bottom line is that they work at least as well as most hydros and better than any mechanical period. Just get them, if you are unhappy with Avids then chances are you'll be unhappy with any disc brake.
The bottom line is that they work at least as well as most hydros and better than any mechanical period. Just get them, if you are unhappy with Avids then chances are you'll be unhappy with any disc brake.
Hey Tweek, I don't have the BFR - are you sayin you can hook a brutha up??
I promise to spend some more time adjusting and update my rant if I get them working well.
I promise to spend some more time adjusting and update my rant if I get them working well.
I'm surprised you haven't gotten one already via a mail-order purchase. They were coming free (limited-use version) from Jenson, Performance, and a few other places as of last quarter, '02. I can hook you up a couple ways: Get an unlocked version from CJ next time I see him and mail it to ya, send you a limited use copy I have on me now, then pay for your unlock (Merry Xmas, late) when you're ready to unlock it. PM and lemme know.
OK, well I agree that "totally destroyed" isn't accurate... I typed a bit too rapidly. 
The thing is that there is now some huge "slack" at the piston...or the part that's pushing the pads toward the rotor. This causes the pads not only to wear very unevenly, but also to "bite" on the disc, which is quite frightening.
Also, the spring is now a lot less stiff than it is on a brand new caliper, which I beleive should not be the case if used only for XC or trailriding.
In conclusion, thoses brakes are not safe anymore and they've only been used from May 2002 too October 2002. It should be said though that thoses were the 165mm version (which were the only one available at the time of purchase). Almost everybody was telling me I'd be fine with those brakes for DH...I can say now that it's not true...at least for the 6" rotors. I'm still wondering if the "slack" that developped in the caliper would have been prevented by a larger rotor though.
I run Hayes now. Avid didn't want to help me out...but the distributor here (Lambert) was kind enough to warrenty them for me.
I'm keeping those brakes I got from warrenty for my trailbike, but I wouldn't use them on a DH bike.
In my book, 6" Avid mechanicals are awesome brakes...for XC trailriding. For DH, I can only suggest Hydros...but maybe the Avid mechanicals with larger rotors are DH-worthy...I don't know.
When I said "destroyed", it was mainly due to the faces the bike mechanics at my lbs made when they saw the calipers.
For the record, I weight 150-155 lbs, I ride a freeride bike (Balfa 2Step) and I almost only ride slow technical DH.
The thing is that there is now some huge "slack" at the piston...or the part that's pushing the pads toward the rotor. This causes the pads not only to wear very unevenly, but also to "bite" on the disc, which is quite frightening.
Also, the spring is now a lot less stiff than it is on a brand new caliper, which I beleive should not be the case if used only for XC or trailriding.
In conclusion, thoses brakes are not safe anymore and they've only been used from May 2002 too October 2002. It should be said though that thoses were the 165mm version (which were the only one available at the time of purchase). Almost everybody was telling me I'd be fine with those brakes for DH...I can say now that it's not true...at least for the 6" rotors. I'm still wondering if the "slack" that developped in the caliper would have been prevented by a larger rotor though.
I run Hayes now. Avid didn't want to help me out...but the distributor here (Lambert) was kind enough to warrenty them for me.
I'm keeping those brakes I got from warrenty for my trailbike, but I wouldn't use them on a DH bike.In my book, 6" Avid mechanicals are awesome brakes...for XC trailriding. For DH, I can only suggest Hydros...but maybe the Avid mechanicals with larger rotors are DH-worthy...I don't know.
When I said "destroyed", it was mainly due to the faces the bike mechanics at my lbs made when they saw the calipers.
For the record, I weight 150-155 lbs, I ride a freeride bike (Balfa 2Step) and I almost only ride slow technical DH.
D
dwnwrd
Guest
ghostrider,
It sounds to me like you may have too much slack in your cables.
Screw the adjusters on your levers where the cable housing ferel comes in all the way in then back them out a turn or two. Now go loosen the cable at the caliper. Grab the cable with some vice grips and pull it tight, now tighen the bolt back up while maintaining tension on the cable.
If you have more than a couple inches of extra cable sticking out cut it off! You don't want it to tangle in your rotor.
If you still have problems make sure the stationary pad (the one on the inside) is very close to, but not touching, the rotor since the rotor has to be flexed over and pressed against it. That can waste squeeze.
Also, if you're using the adjustable avid speed dial levers crank them all the way out. I keep mine half in.
Make sure your housings aren't too short and slopping around. And of course you need your caliper to be alligned properly. I basically do that by loosening the mount bolts and clamping down the breaks and then tightening the bolts while squeezing the breaks.
The only "trouble" I have is faint rubbing noise sometimes. No biggie.
It sounds to me like you may have too much slack in your cables.
Screw the adjusters on your levers where the cable housing ferel comes in all the way in then back them out a turn or two. Now go loosen the cable at the caliper. Grab the cable with some vice grips and pull it tight, now tighen the bolt back up while maintaining tension on the cable.
If you have more than a couple inches of extra cable sticking out cut it off! You don't want it to tangle in your rotor.
If you still have problems make sure the stationary pad (the one on the inside) is very close to, but not touching, the rotor since the rotor has to be flexed over and pressed against it. That can waste squeeze.
Also, if you're using the adjustable avid speed dial levers crank them all the way out. I keep mine half in.
Make sure your housings aren't too short and slopping around. And of course you need your caliper to be alligned properly. I basically do that by loosening the mount bolts and clamping down the breaks and then tightening the bolts while squeezing the breaks.
The only "trouble" I have is faint rubbing noise sometimes. No biggie.
Sounds like you have a loose cable clamp bolt... it's happened to me before, but after I did the clamp up real tight, it stopped happening. The cable can slooowly slip, ie half a mm at a time, when you're braking hard if the bolt isn't done up tight enough.
Here's one of the 5% people.
I'd think with pad wear, noise and poor breaking, it's an alignment problem. If you don't have the faces of the pads and the rotor aligned, it will reduce the brake contact with the rotor (limiting breaking ability) causing the pads to wear early and leaving part of the pads free to vibrate....
time to pull your pads, hit em with a sharpie marker, riding a bit and pulling them again to see where the sharpie is worn off... if its even, then you did the install correct. (maybe the caliper has a crack/flaw?) if it's uneven, it's an alignment problem, and you need to reinstall, grab a buddy, or hit the LBS to look at yer frame/mounts (paint, welds and incorrect threading can cause installation to fail)
good luck...
I rode with them for a season here in WA state, mud rain snow and everything. Loved em, didn't have to adjust them often, and never had any problems (cept that they got stolen with the bike, damnit)
i have the 203 rotor size which works great for me. Im a big sumbitch and ride some steep technical stuff and it still gives lots of stopping power.