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Avid BB7 disc brake review
I’ve used hydraulic disc brakes on all of my bikes for years. As a matter of fact, the last set of mechanical disc brakes that I used for an extended period of time was a set of 2001 Hayes HMX mechanical disc brakes. And for what it’s worth, those brakes were consistently underwhelming – I remember finishing any number of rides cursing my sore hands and the brakes’ inability to stop in adverse conditions.
First impressions
When I landed a set of Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes for my cross country bike, I was skeptical – the last thing I wanted was to revisit the days of yore and end each ride with under-my-breath curses. Nonetheless, I was swayed by the excellent word of mouth that I’d heard about the Avid mechanical brakes and set about putting them through their paces.
The thing I like most about mechanical disc brakes is their simplicity. Most brands – ranging from Hayes to Shimano to Avid – are easy to understand and maintain in addition to giving a rider peace of mind that they’ll be able to avoid damaged hydraulic lines fifteen kilometers into the bush. While I’ve never personally had a set of hydraulic brakes fail in such catastrophic fashion I know people who have and, while they can usually ride their bike out on faulty brakes, their rides essentially are over.
As mentioned elsewhere, Avid’s Tri-Align Caliper Positioning System is far and above the best and easiest way to install a set of disc brakes. To install all you need to do is mount the brakes on your bike without cinching up the bolts, pull your brake lever and maintain the pressure so the caliper ‘centers’, and then tighten the mounting bolts. No shims, no cursing, no back flips, and no thrown bikes. The CPS works extremely well and it’s a shame that Avid has to keep the system to itself.
Performance
On the trail the Avid BB7 disc brakes perform in a way that’s very similar to their hydraulic cousins. Power is plentiful and there are very few instances when a properly tuned set of BB7 mechanicals won’t stop you in your tracks. Like most other mechanical disc brakes, the Avid BB7s rely on one brake pad that’s set in a fixed position and another that is pulled toward the disc by the brake cable. When you pull hard enough the movement of the single pad causes the disc to contact both pads and grind you to a halt.
That being said, there are instances when I wished that I was running hydraulic brakes in lieu of the mechanicals. While the BB7s do a great job of stopping in most conditions but when the weather turned south and I was slogging away through the trails on wet and grimy days, I had to pull especially hard to get the brakes to do their job. While the Avids still outperformed their mechanical rivals, hand fatigue set in on numerous occasions when the descents were long and the breaks few (pardon the pun). Additionally, on especially muddy days, I found myself turning the pad adjuster knobs inwards a little more than I’d prefer.
Over time, as grit and sand made their way into the cable housing, there was a noticeable decline in the ’smoothness’ of the brake pull. While I found that the front brake stayed smooth for the entire duration of the test period – undoubtedly a result of the uninterrupted piece of housing used for the brake – the back brake needed a little more preventative maintenance than its counterpart. It’s not a big deal and it’s something that’s happened to every cable-actuated brake I’ve used, it is a good idea to have spare housing and extra brake cables kicking around your tool kit when you’re looking to dial in your brakes the night before an early morning ride.
I don’t know if I was unlucky with my Avid brake pads but each set that I used on the bike squealed like a stuck pig on wet descents. Typically, I don’t pull particularly hard on the brakes when I’m going down but the shriek emitted at times by these brakes was enough to encourage me to go without brakes on certain sections of trail.
Durability
Avid utilizes a series of seals on the BB7 calipers that keeps dust, grit, and mud out of the assembly and, as a result, I had no major issues with the Avid BB7 calipers during the product test. While I’d like to see greater durability from the pads – some sets of pads lasted a couple of months while others had a much shorter lifespan – the brakes themselves functioned the same on the first day I mounted them as the day I wrote this review.
Pricing
MSRP for the Avid BB7 disc brakes is $120 (usd) or $160 (cad) so they’re affordably priced when compared to most of their hydraulic counterparts. Keep in mind that this price does not include the price of levers, housing, or cables, so you’ll need to factor in a little bit more when considering your purchase if you don’t have appropriate levers beforehand.
Wild card
Mechanical disc brakes are fairly popular with the dirt jumping crowd because they’re easy to adjust at the park and the cables won’t kink or spring a leak after your mad X-up or phat bar spin. The Avid BB7 is a good choice for this type of riding since they’re both able to stop a bike quickly and they’re the easiest disc brake on the market to setup, maintain, and adjust.
Summary
The Avid BB7 mechanical disc brake is a good option if you’re looking for an aftermarket mechanical disc brake that’s both affordable and adjustable. By most accounts (including mine), the Tri-Align Caliper Positioning System is the easiest way to mount a disc brake on a mountain bike, and it allows you to spend less time cursing tiny shims and stomping around your shop or garage.
While I wouldn’t argue that the long-term performance of the Avid mechanical brakes trumps that of most hydraulic brake systems on the market, they’re far and above the best mechanical disc brakes that I’ve tried. If you have the choice between a set of Avid mechanicals and pretty much any other mechanical disc brake available today, go with the Avid and save yourself a bunch of headaches and many days of sore hands. If you’re considering a set of lower-priced hydraulic brakes as an alternative to the BB7s, check out a set of Hayes HFX-9s or Avid Juicy 5s — both brakes offer quality hydraulic stopping power for only a little more money than the BB7s.
Manufacturer website: www.sram.com/en/avid/
MSRP: $120 (usd) | $160 (cad)
| Category | Rating (?) |
|---|---|
| First impressions | 8 / 10 |
| Performance | 32 / 40 |
| Durability | 15 / 20 |
| Pricing | 14 / 20 |
| Wild card | 9 / 10 |
| Overall | 78 / 100 |
1. Posted by Keith | 7:39 am, 19 October 2008
I have a trek 4500 and looking to install a set of the bb7’s. It appears the simple bolt to the frame is not going to work. What type of bracket or hanger”s” do I need?