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Avid Juicy 5 disc brake review
The Avid Juicy 5 disc brake, the cheaper cousin of the Juicy 7, debuted to much fanfare a couple of years ago. The downscaled Juicy 5s (they lack the pad-contact adjustment of the 7s) were hailed for their easy setup, great adjustability, and remarkable stopping power. Now that they’ve been out and about in the general public for a little while, have they lived up to the hype? Well, in a nutshell, yes.
I’ve run a number of different disc brakes over the years — both mechanical and hydraulic discs — and the Juicy 5s are some of the most effective stoppers I’ve tried. For this entry, I’m writing about the 160mm (6″) versions of the Avid Juicy 5s. For the test period, they were being run on a Giant cross country bike in typical British Columbia conditions (I threw the book at them: mud, wet, very dry, even snow).
First impressions
My Juicy 5s came ready-to-go out of the box, pre-bled and ready to mount on my Marzocchi fork (using the included adapters). The brakes will mount without special hardware on Manitou’s post mount system as well. Setup, as I’d heard, was a breeze; mount the rotors on your wheels and the brakes on your bike (don’t tighten the bolts yet), pull the levers, and tighten the bolts (while maintaining pressure on the levers) and let go. You might need to repeat the procedure a couple of times to get the calipers centered perfectly but that’s about it. Adjust the lever throw as per usual (using the finnicky small allen wrench) and you’re good to go. Easy peasy.
Performance
Early versions of the Juicy 5s had a wavy rotor, which apparently contributed to an unpleasant ‘pulsing’ sensation while stopping; my set had the polygon rotors and they’ve been trouble free. Also, some people have complained about an unbearable squealing sound emanating from the calipers but it’s something that I haven’t experienced. If you fall into this category, you can bring your rotors in to your local shop and SRAM will replace them with plain ol’ round ones, which apparently eliminates that annoying ’stuttering’.
The test brakes on my Giant took about 2 mid-length cross country rides to bed in; other sets, being run on friends’ bikes under downhill or freeride conditions, have bedded in a much shorter time.
On the first couple of rides the brakes were good but still a little less powerful than the Avid Mechanical disc brakes that they replaced. At the start of the third ride, these things took hold and almost killed me. I was a little nervous about the braking power since I don’t usually need to stop on a dime (literally). Regardless after I settled in (and the brakes did too), they performed really well. Modulation is decent and, should I ever need to stop immediately, I can do so.
Durability
Since I’m running these brakes on a cross country bike, I haven’t noticed any durability issues in the five months that I’ve been running the Juicy 5s. The stock brake pads are still fine, although I’m not punishing the pads to the same degree that I would if the Juicys were mounted on a big bike. Riders who have these brakes on bigger bikes are getting pad wear that’s similar to the other major manufacturers’ products. The test brakes haven’t been subjected to any serious impact but they did brush off the instances where I’ve laid the bike down.
Update (6 December 2005): My Juicy 5s didn’t get the workout I was expecting over the summer but they did see some decent use. Unfortunately, I can’t say I’m particularly impressed with the overall ‘feel’ of both brakes since this review was published originally. Both levers now underperform — the back has very little pull before it engages fully and the front lever returns to its resting position very slowly.
Each of the brakes was bled properly and cleaned, and none of my local shops have been able to help me out. The brakes still work fine but they don’t feel it. Maybe my problems are isolated but I have heard of similar problems being experienced by other riders. Still, many people have nothing but glowing remarks for the Juicys and the masses really aren’t incorrect too much.
Update (21 February 2006): With the help of one of my LBS, I finally figured out what was going wrong with the levers of the Juicy 5s. It turns out that the hole in the brake lever that the piston enters was bored at an incorrect diameter (it was too small) and, over time, results in a mushy feeling brake lever that eventually stops returning to the proper position. SRAM recognized the problem immediately and, once the problem was identified, I had a warranty replacement installed and ready to go.
Pricing
MSRP for the Juicy 5s is around $200 (usd) / $300 (cad) per side, putting them solidly in the middle-of-the-pack category when it comes to hydraulic disc brakes.
Summary
The Avid Juicy 5 disc brakes are some of the nicest mid-range brakes on the market. Problems with early production models have been rectified and the Juicy 5s are good to go straight out of the box. They are extremely easy to set up, perform extremely well in all conditions, and are competively priced.
If you’re in the market for some aftermarket brakes (or can have them spec’d on your new bike), the Juicy 5s should be on your list. Properly installed, these brakes will ‘encourage’ you to go faster since you can be sure they’ll stop you when you need them most.
Although they were tested on a cross country bike I would have no problem putting Juicy 5s with larger rotors on a trail bike or a full-on downhill bike.
Manufacturer website: www.sram.com
MSRP: $195 (usd) | $300 (cad)
| Category | Rating (?) |
|---|---|
| First impressions | 8 / 10 |
| Performance | 35 / 40 |
| Durability | 15/ 20 |
| Pricing | 16 / 20 |
| Wild card | 8 / 10 |
| Overall | 82 / 100 |
1. Posted by Hayes HFX-9 hydraulic disc brake review » The Biking Hub | 5:20 pm, 6 December 2005
[…] MSRP on the HFX-9s is set at $149 (usd) or $199 (cad). This price puts the Nines at a level that’s significantly below Avid’s entry level Juicy 5 (which, to be fair, offer performance comparable to Hayes more pricey HFX-Mag brakes). But, given that most shops and online outlets offer the Nines at a slight discount, most riders can be up and running with some decent brakes for under $300 usd. […]