Dirt

Brake maker Avid is part of Chicago-based bike components giant SRAM, along with brands such as Truvativ, RockShox, Zipp and SRAM itself. Avid entered the market in 1991 with the Microadaptor, an adapter that allowed mountain bikers to gain a whole new range of low gears, and it was followed in 1994 by the Speed Dial Ultimate Lever, giving rim brakes better modulation.

Its reputation for innovation was cemented In 1999 with the introduction of a cable-actuated disc – the Ball Bearing Disc Brake – and the super-easy Tri-Align Caliper Positioning System. Since then, it has continued to push forward the development of hydraulic disc brakes, with technology such as Taperbore (a unique, weight-saving closure system) and a precise, drip-free bleeding process.

There are three types of disc brake in the current Avid range, including two hydraulic models – the Code, with beefy four-piston caliper design, is aimed at the downhill/freeride market, while the DB is more for rough trails. The Code features patented Contact Point Adjustment technology, allowing riders to pick the position they want their fingers to be in when the brakes are engaged

There is also a ball bearing mechanical model, the BB, with adjustment knobs for setting the perfect distance between the pads and rotor. And Avid haven’t completely abandoned the rim brake – two rim brake models are available, the Single Digit and the cyclocross-focused Shorty.