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Avid Juicy 3
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Avid Juicy 3

BikeRadar verdict

4 out of 5 stars

"Powerful and controlled – the best feeling budget brake by far"

By Guy Kesteven

Avid’s Juicy 3 is one of the best feeling brakes around, and one of the cheapest. The blade angle might look wonky, but the way it pulls gives consistent feedback and control and more power than most brakes for a given rotor size.

At this level, you don’t get the two-piece bar clamp of the Juicy 5 (£89.99) but the same cup and cone CPS washer system makes universal set-up easy. And while their DOT 4 brake fluid is less happy about getting hot in the mountains than 5.1 DOT fluid, you can always change fluids yourself.

Original pad life is sometimes short but there are plenty of replacement brands available and revised pricing makes them an absolute bargain.

User Reviews

Post your review

  • User review of Avid Juicy 3

    Fantastic value for money.

    Good feel and modulation.

    I've tried deore cable, XT 4-pot.

    They key is in the set-up for pad contact, Avid brakes have their domed washers which allow 100% of the pad to contact the disc. I'm using a 203mm adapter on the front and it works fine.

    0.3
  • User review of Avid Juicy 3

    Good feel. Could do with a larger or floating rotor because it loses power slightly after a while on long, steep descents. 2 Pot caliper is excellent and somthing that is unusual for budget brakes.

    0.3
  • User review of Avid Juicy 3

    Top caps leak fluid after a while, requiring re-build. Not very satisfactory.

    0.3
  • User review of Avid Juicy 3

    I have to say, wasnt impressed with these at all. As a heavy heavy rider they dont stop me anywhere near as quick as i would like, they are good value for money and im sure are brilliant for "average" weight users (13/14 stone) Anything over that and i think your pushing them.

    I changed these on my Evo 8 for some Avid Code 5's 185mm Rotor, they stop me like ive driven into a brick wall.

    Good for a lightweight beginners brake - I would say fantastic value for money, but I managed to get my Code 5's brand new for £120 a set. Front and Rear. Yes you did read that right, £120 for both. Mail me if you want the website details.

    0.3
  • User review of Avid Juicy 3

    My first hydraulic brakes. They seem powerful to me and I have used them on fast downhill. No problems as of yet so not yet carried out maintenance. Can't see any point in upgrading these for sake of it as they do the job.

    0.3
  • User review of Avid Juicy 3

    Blew me away considering their price, for £59.99 you get a 160mm rotor, caliper, hose and lever all pre-bled and ready to bolt on. Couldn't be easier to setup and get going.

    Performance wise they aren't bad at all... Once you bed them in they are surprisingly powerful, I'd highly recommend these to anyone on a budget, or perfect as a spare set. Modulation was a lot better than expected, compared to my Hayes HFX 9 HD which I thought had quite a bit of modulation they stand their ground very well.

    For the price I'm astonished, I was expecting them to be totally rubbish and use them for a couple of months whilst I save and get a set of Formula One's. In the meantime these will do perfect.

    0.3
  • User review of Avid Juicy 3

    the best by far 'low budget' brakes!!!! buy as soon as possible

    0.3
  • User review of Avid Juicy 3

    Got a set of these with 185mm rotor up front and have to say they feel first class and have excellent stopping power.

    0.3
  • User review of Avid Juicy 3

    160mm front and rear came with the bike. They were a pain to set up properly and starting leaking after a few months (which is a common complaint if you Google it).

    So I gave up and upgraded (and loving the Magura Louise BAT). BUT when they were working they had plenty of stopping power. The negatives outweigh the positives for me though, especially the leaky seals, so if I were in the market for brakes in this price range I'd be looking elsewhere.

    0.3

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Specification

Name:
Juicy 3
Built by:
Avid
Price:
n/a

Weight (g):
446 g
Diameter:
160 mm
Bike Compatability:
XC
Colour:
Silver

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