I own high end components (like Campy and Zero G) and obviously this isn't high end.
But it's good bang for your buck and a decent upgrade for most sub-700 dollar off the shelf bikes out there.
When my wife's Townie showed up with flimsy no-name brakes that appear to be made from something resembling compressed aluminum shavings... I popped a pair of these on.
Night and day in terms of performance (you can tell the difference in quality just holding them in your hands compared with the no name junk).
Nice! Avid Single Digit 5 Bicycle Linear Pull Brake (Black, Front or Rear)
I was fed up with my cantilever brakes on some old bike I bought. Then I decided that V brakes would be the logical upgrade. Paired with the Avid FR-5 Single Lever, these brakes work great. It was my first time installing brakes by myself, but I learned a lot in the process. These brakes come with so many adjustments. There's pad spacing, spring tension, pad angle, and more adjustments using the pinch bolt on the brake and the barrel adjuster on the brake lever. Before you install these, make sure that the wheel is installed straight into the fork/dropout. You will have to get & cut your own cable/housing, since this does not come with any. All the adjustments are done with an allen wrench (don't know the exact size) or a small phillips screwdriver. This brake comes with two noodles. One makes a 90 degree bend and is for front brakes; the other makes an acute bend and is for rear brakes. The brakes make a squeaking noise towards the end of a stop (when pads touch the rim with force), but that's probably because I didn't toe-in the brake shoes when setting the brakes up. Be careful if adjusting the pad spacing, as it is easy to lose the small washers and the parts may just fall down if you're not careful. If you're looking for an inexpensive brake that just works, get this.
I have a 2004 Trek 4300 and needed to replace the OEM brakes. What a difference these brakes have made. I almost bought another brand that was more expensive but decided to save and buy these. Result: Theses work as well or better than the originals I replaced. No complaints.
I used this linear brake to replace an original linear rear brake that I had been keeping together with safety wire. I like the fact that this brake can be used as a front or rear brake- that simplifies things. These Avid Single Digit 5 brakes had a bit of a gap and did not mount flush to my Dahon's brake bosses so a 9/16 o-ring took up that small bit of space to keep dirt sealed out. These brakes are very good looking and as most linear pull brakes, ridiculously powerful. They are easy to adjust and stay in adjustment. These are great replacement linear pull brakes if you are having any problems with the original spec v- brakes on your bicycle.
By the way, my Dahon has wide MTB fenders and these brakes clear them better than the original brakes that came on the bicycle. These brakes are a great buy and a very worthwhile investment if your bicycle's original v-brakes are giving you problems like needing frequent readjustments.
I bought these brakes after my rear set pretty much quit working (I left my bike out in the rain and they got rusty). I have never installed bike brakes before but I got these on, eventually. It took longer than I was expecting and longer than it should have, but I did it and you'll be able to also.
The brakes themselves are excellent and were a huge improvement over my stock brakes (I have a $200 Schwinn.) I'm going to be buying another set for the front now.
For the price I don't think you can go wrong. - Cycling'
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