There are a number of long reach brakes on the market, the most popular being LDC or Pauls. They are great when looking for brakes with a wider range of adjustment, but they are also a little pricey, and often hard to get hold of. They are generally used on bikes where people might run 20 x 1 3/8 wheels in a pro size frame, but are starting to show up on some bigger boys bikes. You might want to ride with your backwheel slammed in the drop outs to shorten up the back end of the bike but find the brakes just don't quite reach.
The Prime Aero V2 V brake offers a 60mm range of pad position adjustment but at a more affordable price.
We first discovered these when bmxultra.com's A Pro, Dane Pangallo, was looking for some brakes for his bike and John Sturzaker from Trail and Track said he should give them a go. Dane now swears by them and is getting around like a born again christian spreading the word of the brake gods.
Installing them is a little different to normal, we won't go into how they are fitted, but you may need help from a bike shop or talk to someone who already has them installed. After watching Dane install his once though I was able to fit another set, it's pretty logical once you watch the pieces fall together. When they are installed it all makes sense and you can see why they are designed the way they are. Adjusting them to center them on the wheel is so much simpler than any other brakes I have ever used.
Dropping your back wheel out is very easy with the release mechanism set up. Other brake manufacturers could take something from the design.
With the brakes fully installed and adjusted they work extremely well and provide a whole lot of braking power. A nice affordable alternative for long reach brakes, but I'm not fully sold on the basic tubular look of them, but really that's just personal preference.
Rating 19/20:
| Value for money: | 5/5 |
| Weight: | 5/5 |
| Functionality: | 5/5 |
| Looks/Finish: | 4/5 |
Comments:
Reviewed by Shane Jenkins/bmxultra.com October 21, 2011