Avid Juicy Seven Disc Brake - First Look

Avid was at Interbike 2003 showing off their full line of bike products. One of their featured products is the relatively new Juicy Seven hydraulic disc brake. As some of you may know, when Avid releases a new product, they do their homework. From their rim brakes and levers to the CPS ball bearing disc brakes, they've consistently put out refined, quality products.test
I had the chance to ride with the Juicy Seven on a Banshee Scream at the demo days in Boulder City on some pretty unforgiving terrain. The "downhill run" there consisted of some very steep, rocky lines which provided major consequences for losing control. The Juicy Sevens lived up to the praise I had heard about them, stopping and modulating consistently. Until now, Hope brakes had been my benchmark for modulation (owning a pair of Minis and M4s) and the Avids come very close to matching the control of both of those excellent brakes. In addition, the power is excellent due to Avid's attention to detail on the pivot point of the lever.
Locking the wheels to change the angle of attack on turns was easy as well as modulation to help control my approach to difficult sections. It was pretty much a no-brainer, much moreso than switching to most other brakes I've tried out on single rides. Avid also touts their lever reach adjustment to help get the engagement point of the pads consistent on the front and rear brakes. If you've ever bled your own brakes, you may know how hard it is to get the fluid levels right so that the pads touch with the same exact amount of lever throw. I know I've just dealt with it, but having them match is much much nicer.

So overall it looks like Avid once again has a first time winner. I look forward to having the chance to try these brakes out over a longer period of time, but for the moment I'd go out on a limb and say it's right up there with the Hopes and Hayes of the world, exceeding them in some areas.