Decided to take the Specialized Hardrock budget racer build out for an 8 mile single track ride and the results are in. Do NOT BUY this brake and lever set. For serious off-road riding they will kill you. To much lever travel and not enough braking. I am still more a fan of the Avid Single digit 5. or 7. they cost a bit more but they work much better. Maybe a different lever would make the Promax V's perform better but these felt more like a Canti lever than a V-Brake lever. Other than that the Hardrock felt like a $1000 retro steelie, handling was spot on, ride was nice, The WTB Velociraptor tires were awesome as expexted. I have some ti-axle platform pedals coming and back to the stand for a brake swap
There are two kinds of people in the world, "Those who help themselves to people, and those who help people!"
Good review, Bob.
I remember when ProMax first entered the market and thier stuff was 'okay' for the price but, ...
Over the years, I've developed a bolder bad taste for thier offerings. Sure; they're well suited for the leisurely rider but can quickly become dangerous to any more agressive/experienced riders accustomed to better equipment.
I'll bet that if you slowly squeeze the lever until the pads contact, and then watch the brake arms, you'll see them splay under further brake lever pull.
Wheelies don't pop themselves. (from a QBP fortune cookie)
Yep casual only for sure. I do not build to many budget bikes so to speak, but I like to try out different components when I can. The red cartridge pads griped good but may have had slight flex, the brakes themselves are just poorly designed. this link is to where I tested her out at. one of the newer single tracks in the area. Lots of ridge runs and rocky shale and limestone chunks to put you down, the leaves are falling and hiding a lot of rim benders. A good course for going tubless. ( no, it is not my video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfAGMxdIOkw&noredirect=1
There are two kinds of people in the world, "Those who help themselves to people, and those who help people!"
Promax - bad experience; quickly trashed.
Tektro, Avid, Origin8 - V-brakes; all good.
I use Tektro levers with all.
Nigel
update on the brake package. Between the lever pull and the possible brake flex. after changing the pads to aztec cartridge and the levers to Avid speed dial 7, all seemed much better.. then pop! the promax cable housing supplied with the set actually popped into the noodle which translated into no brakes at all. Lucky for me the bike was in the stand when this happened. The housing sure is pretty but I have never had that happen before. The basic black Promax housing bought by the spool has never let me down for solid housing on the cheap. Back to black I go and hit the trails Sat. to run her thru the paces again.
There are two kinds of people in the world, "Those who help themselves to people, and those who help people!"
If I am reading your post and studying the pic correctly, Bob - supposedly "compressionless, fibre-reinforced" housing buckled like that?!! That is pretty sad.
There is absolutely No Way that any housing designed for use with Linear Pull brakes should suffer that kind of deformation! I don't care how hard the brakes are used. Safety is a big issue when brakes are involved. Agreed?
Wheelies don't pop themselves. (from a QBP fortune cookie)
I guess it is not the housing but rather the noodle. The inner diameter of the noodle should be small enough to hold firmly against the steel spiral. Maybe this noodle might also need a ... whatchcallit... ferrule(?).
I do assume you had the housing pushed all the way down in the noodle? If the noodle's "cup" part is slightly too small something like this could happen - though if it was the combination as sold it should not.
I agreed Robar, Joe everything was seated correctly. I also mill so to speak my cables after I cut them. I use a fine disc attached to my bench polisher to smooth and square the cut. It is 5mm housing which did not allow use of an end cap with the noodle which would have helped. I will take some measurements of the inner spiral of this and my standard cable and get back. This whole thing is a joke to me anyway. I just wanted to check out some cheaper components to build a single tracker on the cheap that was still race worthy. I am looking for someone young and in shape to sponsor in a cross-country event that is held here every year and to use this bike. It is a 14 mile run in some sweet kinda rough trail that can be done in less than an hour. My days of sustaining an average of 14 to 18 MPH in the woods are gone to say the least, but I know a young punk in shape can take a well built and tuned steelie and compete with newer bikes. I hope I find out. If you are that punk send me a PM and Game on!
There are two kinds of people in the world, "Those who help themselves to people, and those who help people!"
Yeah, I thought that you do it correctly, one can see from the exposed end. Still, the only way something like this could happen would be if the inner (spiral) part of the housing was not seated properly against the "cup" part of the noodle. Now you "just" need to find out why... keep us posted I'm interested in that one.
Regarding the race: if you tell me the date I can try to come to the US... it also means I would not have to bring a bike, which sounds good to me...
(11-11-2013, 08:42 AM)Joe_W Wrote: Yeah, I thought that you do it correctly, one can see from the exposed end. Still, the only way something like this could happen would be if the inner (spiral) part of the housing was not seated properly against the "cup" part of the noodle. Now you "just" need to find out why... keep us posted I'm interested in that one.
Regarding the race: if you tell me the date I can try to come to the US... it also means I would not have to bring a bike, which sounds good to me...
I was tied up this weekend and have not had time to die-sect the noodle and housing as of yet. I did however leave the Promax cable on the front to punish abit further. I will keep everybody posted of my findings when I take apart the system to measure the inside diameter of the noodle/cable stop and the outside diameter of the inner cable of the promax system. I hope I am not at fault. Everybody makes mistakes, Just unacceptable if its me, If I help hurt myself that's one thing, If I hurt somebody else not good. I pride myself on setting up race ready rigs that you can depend on. Failure can happen @ the most inopportune moment,we all know that. But I would not want that moment at my control.
Joe, that would be to cool for you to come to the states for a poh dunk USA small time race ! If we could work it out, we have to visit Robar and his keg. We can supply the sardines! I will work on that fruition also! It would be an Honor to have you as a guest.
There are two kinds of people in the world, "Those who help themselves to people, and those who help people!"
The results are in. the outside diameter of the inner spiral of the silver housing is much smaller than the standard Promax Black housing. The noodles inside diameter was larger than the OD of the Promax silver housing cores. plus the core went thru the cable stop of the noodle itself as shown in the pics. I took apart the the other noodle and its measurements may not have let this happen but still close. the standard black Promax core would not have done this possibly with either noodle. despite punching thru the noodles cable stop, it should not have gone into the pipe like it did. Now how would anyone ever know if this is going to happen with a particular combination of housing and noodles or not. I think I will stay away from pretty housing with an inner core of such small Dia.
There are two kinds of people in the world, "Those who help themselves to people, and those who help people!"
So I guess I am done insulting my poor sweet little Hardrock and giving it some Deore xt thumbies, Avid 7 speed dial levers and Avid single digit 7 V-brakes with old trust worthy lined housing. Tried and True. I almost forgot, Titanium spindle platform pedals to round her all out! How sweet it is!
Speaking of disasters, Check out some pics across the street from my house of some damage from the tornado that ripped through Illinois last Sunday. The town of Washington just 8 miles away got hit the worst, roughly 1000 homes reduced to mere rubble
There are two kinds of people in the world, "Those who help themselves to people, and those who help people!"
I'm currently riding a nasty hack (train station to university) that I would not lend to anybody (so the above excludes myself). I am really curious (the scientist in me...) to see why this happened.
![[-]](https://forums.bikeride.com/images/flatty/collapse.png "[-]")
