Model/Year: 2004

Pros: Stops well, doesn't fade
Good lever feel and shape

Cons: Pain to bleed them!

Recommendation: These brakes work great until you need to bleed them. Next time I'm going to get a different style.

Pros: CHEAP! I bought a complete set for $50 on eBay.
Easy to maintain... I've even created my own bleed kit from spare parts in the garage (only piece I had to buy was a syringe)

Cons: bleeding can be messy (at least my first attempts at it were).

Recommendation: my 1st hydraulics... love 'em! Going from v-brakes to hydraulic disc's are like night & day! There's probably better out there, but can't compare to anything else since these were my first... so far, they're great & they stop me effortlessly.

Pros: They get the job done and are reliable! Havent had a failure yet..

Cons: Hard as hell to bleed! I tried 10x with the stupid little bottle that comes with the kit. Doesnt work! Got a big medical syringe and it did the job 1st time.

Recommendation: great brakes just hard to bleed. I own the FR version.

Pros: Decent stopping power. auto pad adjustment unlike mechanical brakes.
You can pick up a set on the cheap.
More power than mechanicals
Better wet conditions stopping than rim brakes

Cons: There are a lot better brakes out there. Weak compared to other models.

Recommendation: If you are new to disc brakes these won't dissapoint. If you've had other hydraulic disc brakes they will dissapoint.

Pros: Have a good balance of weight and power. lots of power to stop, don't fade on log descents.

Cons: pad's dont stay centered and tend to rub, when resting the pucks they drift for a while before settling.

Recommendation: great breaks for a more enduro geared xc bike. little bit heavy for purely xc.

Pros: They do have the power to stop you and modulate pretty well.

Cons: Not as good as the HFX 9 FR. They like to blow oftem when a lot pressure applied.

Recommendation: Not bad for fluid brakes and far better than mechanical brakes. I prefer the Fr version, but hey, they work.

Pros: They stop you well. Hydraulic power.

Recommendation: Bomber brakes that just plain work.