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  • Avid BB7 Road/Mountain – Differences and which levers
  • whimbrel
    Free Member

    I am putting together an old MTB for hacking about country roads and am looking at Avid BB7 mechanical brakes.

    What is the difference between MTB and Road versions.
    I’ve found Speed Dial levers mentioned for use with the MTB version – can these be used with the road version. If not what levers do you recommend.
    Thanks in advance.

    mk1fan
    Free Member

    The mtb versions are for mountain bikes. The road ones are for road bikes.

    The road ones are designed to work with the different cable pull of drop bar levers. If you use mtb levers with the road callipers then there will be too much cable pull and the brakes would feel very grabby.

    You’ll need the mtb callipers with any ‘v’ brake lever but the speed dial 7 levers by Avid work really well with the callipers. CRC have them for £18 and you can get a set of callipers and rotors on ebay for £55 (Hong Kong supplier – I bought a set and they turned up quickly and with out fuss).

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    Not quite…with road calipers, V levers will not be powerful enough, old cantI levers while be fine.

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    whimbrel
    Free Member

    Are the ‘road’ calipers smaller/lighter or just the same but made for road levers?

    pdw
    Free Member

    Are the ‘road’ calipers smaller/lighter or just the same but made for road levers?

    They’re basically the same, I think they just have a shorter arm, or it might be a different pitch on the track that moves the caliper. There certainly not smaller or lighter overall.

    Bit of confusion above about what happens if you get it wrong: MTB calipers with road levers and you probably won’t be able to get enough travel, so pads will be dragging all the time, or you’ll hit the stop before you hit maximum braking power, or both.

    MTB levers with road calipers and they’ll just lack power as you won’t have enough leverage.

    scaredypants
    Full Member

    I use road BB7s with mtb levers on my winter bike – it lets me keep the pads well away from the discs and still get braking

    lack power ? nah, they’re fine for xc at least

Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

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