Clark's Tektro Gemini Novela Disc Brake Pads

Advantages: Well made. Well finished. Excellent durabilty. Quality piece of kit
Disadvantages: Come equipped with Rim Wranglers Brake Pads

...A bit of History V-brakes were originally developed by Shimano, and were an improvement on the older centre pull cantilever brakes. By lengthening the arms the amount of force applied to the rim could be increased, so improving braking performance. V-brakes are now being superseded by disc brakes. Disc brakes offer vastly superior wet weather braking performance, and are the brake of choice where extreme performance is required i.e. freeride and downhill. And the Avids? The single digit 7's feature Force Vector Alignment, and stainless hardware. Build quality and finish is excellent. I know because I have some Deore's and Tektro's to compare them against. Durability is good too - paint and fittings have lasted extremely well despite 2 years worth of being sprayed with mud and then hosed down by yours truly. No doubt... Read review

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Advantages: Great for downhill
Disadvantages: suspension no good for road.

...The old Carerra bikes seem to be doing well for themselves of late, Halfords still arent offering them though at a reasonable price. The Carrera is what I would call an entry level bike, the bikes are built in the same factory as Kona so expect the same level of workmanship you would from a top name like Kona. This bike comes with the Tough 4 bar link full suspension 7005 aluminium Bi-axial tubed frame. Suntour XC60 fork, 27spd Shimano Deore transmission, Tektro IO Disc brakes, FSA Alpha drive chain set, Tioga double butted handlebars, Tioga stem and seatpost, Tioga Factory Extreme 2. 1 tyres, Shock comes with adjustable pre-load and rebound damping. This bike is meant really for downhill racing but does well on dirt riding. The gears are Shimano Deore which are a sturdier gearing than the standard Shimano, which is what you will need... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Stops your bike. Easy to setup.
Disadvantages: Takes a while to bed in. Supplied pads rubbish.

...Oooh... brakes these days. Rim or Disc? Cable or Hydralic? The way things are going, you'd swear that disc brakes were the be all and end all of brakes these days, but you'd be wrong, as Shimano will be eager to prove. Shimano have been doing V-brakes for quite a while now, and the LX really demonstrates that. Whilst I was sorely tempted by a disc brake, I can't really see what all the fuss is about. Yes, if you're into hurtling down hills on your 55lb monster downhill bike then discs are for you, if you're a cross country rider trying to shave a bit off the weight then vees are still you best bet. The brake is the cheapest in the Shimano range to offer the parallelogram design, which keeps the brake pads parallel to the braking surface, resulting in longer pad life and better braking performance. Setting the brakes up is fairly... Read review

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