[Closed] stw brand/product snobbery

I'm out: Got some Schwalbe tyres!

[i]Avid brakes[/i]

I think that's based mostly on bitter experience not snobbery and only applies to hydraulic disks.

Everyone loves their mechanical disks, v brakes and canti's.

My experience with Schwalbe tyres was they got slashed to pieces by flints in a way no other brand ever has.

I have Schwalbes on one of my bikes and they're great!

This isn't going according to plan, is it?

Avid brakes are largely rubbish which is why and I have schwalbe tyres and have seen several STW people with them

Avid Juicys are hateful things, not used any of their other models! I do quite like Schwalbe tyres though.

No issues with any of those, however I wouldn't buy avid brakes apart from bb7 discs for a cross bike and then only if I couldn't justify Hope ones 😉

I love schwalbe Racing ralphs and rocket rons
I also love my Avid BB7s.

Crank Brothers are, on the other hand, a crap brand and I dislike Hope 🙂

I thought most people loved Schwalbes?

I do hate Avid brakes though (2 pairs that I can't even sell in cleen consience). But similarly Shimano brakes are deservedly liked.

LoCo stop posting on STW and answer the phone 😀

Not sure its snobbery as such, but there does seem to be an 'STW approved' set of manufacturers and components

Anything mass produced in a factory = rubbish
Anything made by a strange beardy bloke in a shed = brilliant!

[i]Anything mass produced in a factory = rubbish
Anything made by a strange beardy bloke in a shed = brilliant! [/i]

hence the near universal acclaim for Shimano disk brakes and Rockshox Pikes.

😉

I do have 2 cotics... but they are both shod in schwalbe.

Shwalbe are ok, I've got some, Avid brakes are shit, I've had some.. My Hope minis have been faultless for five years..
No snobbery involved, just experience..
And I sold my Cotic for a Trek with no regrets..

CaptainFlashheart - Member

I have Schwalbes [b]on one[/b] of my bikes and they're great!

This isn't going according to plan, is it?

I am certainly prejudiced against Avid brakes after using Juicys and a sub-par pair of Elixirs. I've not tried the most recent models.

😐 Looks nervously at both bikes while thinking which to take riding as they both have Avid brakes! 😕

[i]Everything made in a Chinese factory[/i] is idolised

Hmmmm. My experience of Avid hydraulic discs is poor - regular rebleeds to keep working properly and too many lever to bar oh sh*t moments when one or both brakes fail out on a ride. However, I really like my mechanical discs. I guess my objection is not that Avid brakes fail but that they do so with such alarming regularity. Smacking into the ground and getting a dead leg for my troubles when my Avid Elixir 5 failed for the umpteenth time was the last straw for me. A brake that doesn't stop you is about as useful as boobs on a fish! 😐

I really like the Avid Elixer 1s that came on my new bike.

Never had a fault from new on a bike from a major manufacturer.

Every single bike/frame from the land of niche have been royally screwed from new with major manufacturing defects.

No problems with Schwalbe tyres - the cheap Nics from Germany, in the supposedly suicidal Performace compound have been ace.

I have a new pair of Avid Codes and they have been faultless and for feel and outright power probably the best brakes I've ever had .

I have Elixir 5SLs on my Pitch and they've been great. I'd change them but a)I have no reason to, and b)I've heard Shimano/Hope/Formula are all quite wooden-feeling compared to Avids.

No experience on Schwalbe tyres though...

Everything made in a Chinese factory is idolised if the right person promotes it on this forum

FTFY. 😈

A SC Bronson is the only bike to own according to many posters who may never have ridden one.

Schwalbe on my bike right now, and contrary to popular belief, no they didn't shred when a pebble came near them. Might go back to Maxxis, but flints went straight thru a nobble the last time, and burst it.

Was just thinking about swapping to Avid Trail brakes. When will Shimano get round to making swappable L/R levers like all other brands?

I ignore user reviews and MBR reviews (they already write off a bike and instantly dock points out of 10 if they have Avid/Schwalbe).

All the above to go on a Cotic 🙂

Just waiting for the right spec new Cotic to become available, for a 2nd bike.

is this the forum or the STW HQ / editorial you're inferring?

Never had a Cotic
Plenty Hope stuff
Avid BB7s - faffy to set up but work fine for me
plenty Schwalbe tyres - happy with them..

Schwalbe most of the time on the race bike, and love Avid brakes too. Never got on with the lever feel of Hope brakes.

I do however have a Cotic (roadrat).

I would add...

Stw loves:
On-One

Stw hates:
On-One

@sanny my Shimano brakes went TU on Friday, its possibly a bit of contamination of the pads, so not exactly the brakes fault. Got some cracking strava times, but I did nearly die.

I went from BB7s to Juicy 7s to Elixir 9s. They've all been faultless.

It's taken you two years to work out that STW thrives upon niche, clique and snobbery?

You want to stay in more and spend time on here, rather than out and about on your bike. Tsk 😉

andytherocketeer - Member
Was just thinking about swapping to Avid Trail brakes. When will Shimano get round to making swappable L/R levers like all other brands?

But when do you ever need to swap them? Surely it just means that they only have to make one lever/master cylinder assy rather than L&R versions so less tooling and cheaper production.

mrblobby - Member

I would add...

Stw loves:
On-One

Stw hates:
On-One

Stw loves:
On-One
Superstar Nano's

Stw hates:
On-One
Superstar everything else

The problem with symetrical levers is bleeding, with avids there's always a bit of the cylinder above the height of the the syringe. Whereas any air in shimano brakes rises up and out of the funnel. And double sided designs are just pointless, adds parts which cost money to manufacture and assemble, and will never actualy be used.

Swappable levers are silly when you need to shorten the hoses on new brakes anyway..

I rather like my Juicy7s. Once I learned how to bleed them (very easy with eBay kit and YouTube video) they've never given a moment's bother. Bled three times in five years.

STW seems to have a lot of love for Schwalbe, more than you'll find most places tbh.

STW loves: Specialized Butchers

Stw loves
Renthal fatbars
Hope hoops
1x10/11
Stw hates
PayPal gift (you'll be robbed, every time)
Shimano hubs (have to service them daily)
3x9/10 (so 2009)

Can't vouch for Schwalbe tyres as I've only ever run Specialized / Panaracer but Avid hydraulic brakes are bloody awful! A pain to bleed, align, and they make the most horrible turkey warbling noise almost constantly.

Is this post not poorly timed as only yesterday Singletrack posted a glowing review of Avid brakes?

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, [i]just[/i] 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.