Advantages: 4 pot brake, hard wearing, solid build quality.
Disadvantages: Difficult to set up.

...I bought these a couple of years ago and I have never ridden with a brake that is so good. I rode with maguras for a while and when I upgraded to the Hope discs i could tell the difference immediately. these brakes are used by some of the top riders in the world so that obviously shows that they are a top component to add to your bike. Once set up they can be left until new pads are needed, they take a little time to set up however once they are done they are excellent, they do not need bleeding very often as they stop air getting into the system very well. Do not buy any other brake system, this is the best and worth every penny.... Read review

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Advantages: Stops your bike. Easy to setup.
Disadvantages: Takes a while to bed in. Supplied pads rubbish.

...Oooh... brakes these days. Rim or Disc? Cable or Hydralic? The way things are going, you'd swear that disc brakes were the be all and end all of brakes these days, but you'd be wrong, as Shimano will be eager to prove. Shimano have been doing V-brakes for quite a while now, and the LX really demonstrates that. Whilst I was sorely tempted by a disc brake, I can't really see what all the fuss is about. Yes, if you're into hurtling down hills on your 55lb monster downhill bike then discs are for you, if you're a cross country rider trying to shave a bit off the weight then vees are still you best bet. The brake is the cheapest in the Shimano range to offer the parallelogram design, which keeps the brake pads parallel to the braking surface, resulting in longer pad life and better braking performance. Setting the brakes up is fairly... Read review

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Advantages: Excellent performance in wet/muddy conditions, rim friendly, good wear rates
Disadvantages: Pricier than the competition

...This review is for the dual compound cartridge pads. They are black/salmon in colour. A bit of History The real secret of the Kool Stop's superior braking power is the salmon compound. Originally it was developed by Scott-Mathauser, and was recognised as the finest brake pads available, both for it's superior stopping power and durable compound. Kool Stop was under contract to Scott-Mathauser to manufacture their pads.Kool Stop obtained the rights to manufacture the salmon pads when Scott-Mathauser went out of business. The secret of the pads is that they contain iron oxide (i.e. rust), and work on the same principle as sintering does for disc brake pads. They dramatically improve wet weather braking performance as well as wear. Features of the Kool Stop Pads Along with the salmon compound, the pads also feature Kool... Read review

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Advantages: quality and value
Disadvantages: none really!

...Obviously with the high amounts of pressure and heat which travel through brake pads and the almost implicit faith which you have to place in them when cycling you need to trust your brake pads and know that if you need to stop they’re going to have the performance there to help you slow down as quickly as you need. I've used the Kool Stop's for many years and have never been disappointed once by the value or quality and would even admit to sometimes being surprised that they ‘still’ don’t need replacing even when I cannot remember the last time I did. I use disk brakes on most of my bikes these days but the ones which do continue to use rim brakes will always use Kool Stop pads… Really impressed and would most definitely be my highest recommended rim brake pad...... Read review

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Advantages: Last for ages and easy to fit
Disadvantages: None

...I've used the Avid BB7 mechanical for over three years now & have been satisfied using these sintered (Gold) pads. The setup was both the stock 160mm rotor & 185mm rotor. Even in pouring rain the 160mm plus these Avid pads stop the bike with great modulation. Now I have one installed for the front for my XC bike which stops like a dream. Occasionally dirt and oil may require you to clean them by either soaking the pads in alcohol & sanding a thin layer. In either case, the pads last a long time and the break-in period is fast! (Just pour water on the rotor, go down the hill and brake hard couple times) These brake pads can vary from dealer to dealer but mainly the retail for around £15, there are various online stores that they can pe purchased from including "Evanscycles.com" and "chainreactioncycles.com"... Read review

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Advantages: Good breaking power
Disadvantages: nothing

...I recently bought a set of replacement pads for my AVID Juicy 3 brakes. These came in at £15 for a pair for the front. They seem to vary in price by a few pounds, thi was from a well known online MTB shop in the lakes. Being a disc brake novice I didn't have a clue how to fit them so rather than break them or waste time finding out I got a mate to do it for me. Other than the actual fitting the one thing I did do was to lightly rub down the pads before fitting them. I was told this is a good idea as it reduces the chances of the pads glazing over and gives you better breaking power earlier on, guess this is like I used to do with my standard V-Brake pads. I think that is roughly 1000 miles of use on my old pads. I tend to change them early as I did with V-brakes, not sure that is necessary with discs though (not at this price... Read review

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Advantages: Well made. Well finished. Excellent durabilty. Quality piece of kit
Disadvantages: Come equipped with Rim Wranglers Brake Pads

...the stainless hardware is the main factor in the lack of rustiness. It is also possible to strip, grease, and rebuild the calipers with the use of a punch to separate the bushes, followed by careful use of a vice to press them back together. What about the competition? The simple fact is that V-brake performance is influenced more by cable condition and pad condition/performance, than it is by the make of V-brake. Ultimately the amount of power a V-brake can deliver is limited by the span of a human hand. You can improve performance by lengthening the V-brake arms, but you now need to pull the lever further to generate the same amount of movement in the brake arm. Lengthen your v-brake arms too much, and the brake lever will hit the bar before you've applied any force to the rim. Which is why the arms of different V-brakes are all... Read review

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Advantages: n/a
Disadvantages: n/a

...As brevity is the soul of wit and because I'm just off to beddie-byes before a night shift, I thought I'd tender this highly over-engineered (and probably the most miniaturised) entry for the judges' perusal. I like all cultural things Japanese, especially Haiku, so it would be remiss of me to do otherwise... *** Addicted to Ciao? Tip-tap on plastic. Click mouse. An IT red-eye. *** Now, as an op has a minimum of 120 words, you'll just have to put up with the following padding... padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding padding... Read review

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Advantages: They Stop The Bike
Disadvantages: Not Disk Breaks

...Shimano LX M600 M-system V brake blocks (not pads but they are the same thing) are the brakes my bike uses. They consist of two rubber blocks with a screw comming out of them, for easy fixing to your bike. Fixing them is easy anyone who can use a spanner can do it, and at around about 6-99 a pair then they are a lot more resonable than brakes for cars. (Yet another reaon to ditch the motor around town) One of the most important things brakes do is stop your bike and it is vitaly important that they do it quickly. When new and properly adjusted these babies are bloody good at doing that task, and if you have been used to a dodgy old worn pair then it is not a good idea to hit the front brakes too hard. Unless a mate has a camcorder handy then you could earn a quick 200 quid from Youve been Framed. The next most important thing is how... Read review

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Advantages: Easy to fit and maintain plus great price
Disadvantages: Will need adjusting from time to time

...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. 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: Buy Avid BB7 disc brakes at Wiggle.com MSRP for the Avid BB7 disc brakes is £79.99 so they're affordably priced when compared to most of their hydraulic counterparts. Keep in mind... Read review

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