i really want to know why I'm supposed to like the avid 5's more than the nearly identical promax????(no model name). I have held them side by side and can see no real difference. Same height, width, length weight is nothing I can distinguish. Besides the cool logo, why should I prefer the Avids. I am a little confused. For the most part I can see a quality difference in "good" products vs. generic cheapo items. i.e. payless shoes wear out MUCH faster than say, ADIDAS or New Balance. What gives? Also when is a trek not a Trek? If I take a steel framed 820 and strip the decals, change all the components to better ones, is it still a crappy trek 820? Assume one would do that simply because they could instead of an imediate answer of why not just buy a rockhopper? Just curious.

Avid should have never released the BB-5. It took everything that sets the **real** Avid mechanical disc (previously referred to as the Avid Mech, or more formally the BBDB, but recently renamed the "BB7") AND DID AWAY WITH IT.

Well, OK, not everything. But the BB5 lost the outboard pad adjuster. So now instead of a simple two-click-and-you're-done pad adjustment, you've got to screw around with the barrel adjuster to effectively shorten the cable in order to adjust for wear. What gives?

Then they went and changed the pad design. Took a whole lot of years to get that compound just right -- I hope they stuck with that -- but now just about every shop you walk into is going to have Avid pads for the BB7 and prior models, but not yours.

But you've still got the CPS system that Promax doesn't have, the super simple system of convex and concave washers that make alignment a cinch. And, for whatever it's worth, you've still got Avid's good name (truth be told, that was worth a whole lot more a couple years back in their pre-SRAM days, when good customer service meant customer-accessible telephone parts support).

Anyway, the BB5 is just Avid's way of capitalizing on their good reputation with a dumbed down, less expensive version of the industry's flagship cable operated disc brake. Nothing special there.

Ha Ha! OOPS! I should have mentioned they are V brakes. Sorry.

Avid brakes are stiffer and probably lighter too. Cheap V-brake arms flex alot under braking, resulting in less performance.

Honestly the quality of materials and workmanship is much higher on the Avids. It's literally a night and day difference ON THE BIKE

Look at the shiny piece on the back that the spring attaches to, with a little screw for adjusting tension. See it? On Avid, they're pretty crappy. On Promax, even crappier. Other than that, until the springs lose their spring, a properly set up Promax brake will work as well as you will most likely need on your old Trek.

Hmmmm, okay, makes sense. I don't actually ride this Trek. I was duped into taking it off anothers hands. I guess it's not a bad bike for a beginner so I thought I'd spruce it up a bit with a few parts I have laying around and loan it to a friend of mine.

May be a stupid question, but are the brakes that come stock on a 2004 kona scrap bb7's? It says avid on the levers, but shimano on the actual brake..? What am I missing?

** and should this be the way it is.... my brakes are considerably stronger then the hayes mech (mx2 I think) with 8 inch rotors? His are nice and gradual, but imiediate stoping power is nowhere near mine?

You can adjust BB7s to have more modulation/less power. The MX2s just arent good at all.

You can use Avid levers and still have Shimano brakes. Especially when you're talking mechanicals