Have the above brakes on my Trek currently. Not pleased with the level of noise, and a recent trip to the lbs for the rear brake only fixed it for a couple of rides. Tired of the squeal and of pedaling through resistance. And I'm kinda new to the mtb thing so I'm pretty reliant on cautious brake use right now, which means they squeal a lot.

Thinking about going Shimano at some point soon. Thoughts or recommendations?

Although Avid brakes are pretty good, they don't like certain bikes. You could probably get a decent amount for your Avids and buy new Shimano SLX or XT brakes and be very happy with them. I haven't heard much talk about either of them being noisy and they are fantastic brakes.

Shimano SLX or XT brakes for the win.  If budget is a concern, Hayes Stroker Trails can't be beat for the money.

I've had stoker trails and avid elixir r's and I am slowly converting all my bikes to Shimano's.  The Hayes and Avids have worked fine for me but I love the bite the Shimano's have.   

On another note, I have always been able to get any noise out of my avids by cleaning the rotor, making sure the caliper is lined up correctly (I hate Avids Tri Align system even though it can help with a frame that isn't faced correctly), and properly bedding the brakes.

Ridefour15 wrote on 09/11/13 at 9:56pm:


Different rotors has helped on my friends bike. I'm bad to mix and match rotors and brakes. I found the Avid rotors can be a bit noisy with my Hayes brakes.

Thanks, guys. Right now it's really the rear brake that's the problem. Front is mostly fine and quiet, but the rear squeals and vibrates. I haven't tried a different rotor yet but was looking at that as an option. Suspect it'll end up just being a new brake, though. Appreciate the advice!

+1 on the Hayes, I've been running them since the early 2000's.  They are easy to work on, and the parts are easy to find on-line. I currently have two sets of the Stroker Carbons with Alligator rotors.  I try to buy things like brake pads local, but the LBSs don't always have the pads.

Also note that the Price Point link above does NOT include the rotors, but Price Point is also where I got the (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links).   

We have pairs of these shimano for $75, better brakes and 2 for the price of one pricepoint special stroker. Individuals are $45

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you might be getting a lot of squeal if you clean your bike with a solvent, especially if the solvent gets onto the rotor and in the caliper area.
if your rotors are "squeaky clean" or maybe a film is left by your cleaner, it could be causing your squeal.
Also, the type of brake pad used can cause squeal in different riding conditions/under heated braking.

remember that even after washing down your rig, sometimes you have to bed in your pads on your nice clean rotor for the squeal to go away.

I also recommend Hayes as I run some flavor of them on all my bikes.
The Stroker Trails are an incredible bang for the buck.
Great stopping power, pads on the cheap (think ebay, non name brand), and stupid easy to bleed.
...and yes, for the price they are currently at on Pricepoint, it would be an awfully bad idea to pass up.

I ride Avid X0 Trails on my bikes... I love em. Ive bled them once after shortening the hoses and haven't looked back. 

They require- like JR said- a certain amount of care when it comes to cleaning and maintaining. Possibly more so than other brakes.. but when they are cared for and in working order they are awesome. With avid- the "bed-in" process is absolutely 100% essential. As is a thorough bleed using de-gassed 5.1 fluid. You also want to check that both pistons are moving freely and equally. 

Depending on the age and generation of your 7's you might be entitled to a new warranty pair from avid- with the potential for upgrade, due to the line-lining becoming cracked creating air pockets- thus creating intermittent lever feel and bad performance. Also if your model sports a banjo bolt on the caliper- you need to make sure the bolt is aimed at your brake levers. <-- I know this sounds stupid, but that simple adjustment can make the difference between your brakes vibrating your whole bike not working and good smooth, working brakes.