stw brand/product snobbery

Shimano hubs (have to service them daily)

Road or mtb? Really like them for the road.

but Avid hydraulic brakes are bloody awful! A pain to bleed, align, and they make the most horrible turkey warbling noise almost constantly.

Really? With the right kit they are a doddle to bleed and alignment is simple.

With avid I can only assume that you either get a good set or are unlucky and get a bad set. Maybe I’ve just been lucky as I’ve got three sets and they are all good ones.

Fan of Avids here.
Had Juicy 4’s which were retired after 4 years of riding in all weathers, they still work though.
Got Elixir CR’s which work a treat and are 5 years old, no problems and only bled once. Prefer them to Formula’s.

Only Schwalbe tyres I’ve used and not liked were some OEM Rocket Rons. Made of Bakerlite, they were. Ran a set of Elixir 5’s for over a year with no problems. Never got on with Hope brakes. Love Shimano brakes and drivetrains. Don’t like SRAM drivetrains, road or MTB. Currently a Cannondale fanboy with 2 road bikes and a 29er.

STW loves:
Paypal Gift
Schwalbe
Conti Mountain Kings
KMC/SRAM/Shimano* Chains

STW hates:
Paypal Gift
Schwalbe
Conti Mountain Kings
KMC/SRAM/Shimano* Chains

* Delete as applicable

I hate Avid brakes. They have come on a couple of bikes I have bought and they have alway been terrible. They start off ok but within a couple of months start having flappy leaves and spongy braking. The BB7 are especially bad and a terrible design. Just replaced some Elixir 5 with XT disc and oh my god how much nicer, more powerful and better feel.

Not had much experience of Avids, but I do remember that they could do no wrong when the Juicy’s first came out.

I really rate my Hans Dampfs – light(ish) grip well in most conditions, easy to set up tubeless and have worn well so far. But then again I’m about the only person on here who reckons that the High Roller is better than the Minion.

Not a Hope fan. Cotic are alright though (had a BFe before swapping for a Stanton).

Reverb’s are love hate too (I’m in the love camp) but there are plenty of others who tell you that if you look at one funny it’ll need bleeding. Or will explode on the middle of no where.

I actually thought this website was an extension of the On-One marketing eco system.

I’ve generally gotten along very well with Avid’s hydraulic disc brakes, the only exception being a terrible set of Juicy Ultimates I had for a while. Compared to the Hope Minis and Mono Minis I used before I got my first Juicy 5s, all the Juicy and Elixirs I’ve had (except those Ultimates) have been great.

Everything made in a Chinese factory is anodised

Never had Schwalbe tyres, though am tempted by a pair of Hans Dampf.
My Avid Juicy Carbons were fautless while I had them.

50th post before somebody mentions an Orange 5 in a love/hate themed thread! I am in the ‘love’ camp, even though I sold it.

I’m really surprised the equally loved and hated Orange Five hasn’t come up yet! Edit: beaten to it!!

I’ve been using some Elixirs for about 4 years and never bled them once, they still work fine. I want to bleed them but am scared they might never be the same again…..

STW slags off conti rubber queen going tubeless, conti rubber queen in For Sale section getting sold in matter of seconds 😯

STW hates orange, STW mostly ride orange

STW hates avid elixir… Well i hate it too the 5…. Elixir 7 Trail is faultless and love it though

STW likes HOPE, STW are mostly Hope fanboys for no reason

STW loves Shimano, I love Shimano too 🙂

Now be honest, has anyone actually considered ‘What will STW think’ whilst making a purchase/build etc?

Edit: I have a Trek and a C456 so generally assume hated all-round. 😳

Damn, I go against the grain. My 6 year old Avid Juicys are still faultless while I have had nothing but problems with Shimano brakes. Tyres… issues usually involve Maxxis sidewalls and poor performance from Contis. Love my Swallows though!

And I love my SRAM drivetrain. Would never go back to Shimano shifters and mechs….

Just replaced some Elixir 5 with XT disc and oh my god how much nicer, more powerful and better feel.

You forgot how much nicer the lever shape is, but saying that, just is the key word here; in my experience you’ll be faffing around with your shimano a before long too – “mmmm why have my brakes lost pressure without any visible signs of a leak…?”

Avids are the brakes I’ve had least problem with, but I admit they’re an absolute nightmare to bleed properly.

Are the new SRAM XO Trail brakes still classed as Avid’s because I really love them – weight, feel and I found them quite easy to set up.
Elixir’ were awful I agree but I love Schwable.

Stw loves:
On-One
Superstar Nano’s

Stw hates:
On-One
Superstar everything else

Ah Superstar!, despite the hate their Sintered pads are the only ones that last in salt water conditions cycling on the coast…

As do Avid BB7s,

Coppergrease has also been hated by STW`ers, but works in the right conditions.

but that don`t count as most STW readers hate fatbikes 🙂
Better add them to the list, i mean only been out 9 years…gotta be a fad… 🙂

Cannot comment on Schwalbe tyres as not available in 4″ and 5″, so behind the times… 🙂

How do mail order bike manufacturers like Cannondale and YT Industries factor in this STW like/dislike discussion?

Very tempted to go for a YT Ind bike. (the value is hard to ignore)

What about past loves
STW loved Conti Vert pros

Then realised they were actually a pi$$ poor puncture prone useless tyre & shut up about them,never to be mentioned again….

8)

EDIT – Love Schwalbe’s,but avids are a bit crap

Probably hate. If its not a long travel steel hardtail, a fat bike, an orange 5, a yeti or a Santa Cruz its no good

I am taking the Michael here, I have a long travel steel hard tail and am treating myself to a yeti or sc later this year. Mbuk or MBR did a long term test on a yt last year, it did pretty well i seem to remember)

Most Schwalbe hate tends to come form

1 – I bought really, really light, thin tyres and they punctured easily.
2 – I bought 15 quid performance tyres and they weren’t that grippy

How do mail order bike manufacturers like Cannondale

Eh?

I love my bb7s but would happily replace my elixirs but am too tight to buy new brakes.