Do all Avid Hydraulic Brakes Suck?

Been running Juicy 7's on 2 bikes for the last 6 years with no issues, been bled maybe 3 times on the DH bike with no issues. The ones on my Chromag are still the factory bleed and other then the rear original 6 inch rotor being not enough for Pemby riding ( I was to the bar on some decents)and switching out to a 8 inch rotor they've been sweet.
On the DH rig I do run Goodridge lines which have seen 3 sets of brakes (purple hayes, Hayes El Caminos and the Juicy's) which I will always run on any brake that I will ever get, which could make a difference in performance….Goodridge lines rule….

I have been pretty happy with my Elixer R's. Once I learned how to bleed them properly they have been working reliably. I always store my bike hanging by the front wheel and haven't had any issues (keeps the fork bushings lubed as well). I can see how it would be possible for any air in the system to migrate to the caliper when hung this way since the calipers are above the levers. Elixers do seem to need more maintenance than any Shimano brakes I have owned.

Uhhh this line does not instill confidence. You mean once a year, right?

Yes, once a year. Auto complete on my tablet got that messed up.

Been running Juicy 7's on 2 bikes for the last 6 years with no issues, been bled maybe 3 times on the DH bike with no issues. The ones on my Chromag are still the factory bleed and other then the rear original 6 inch rotor being not enough for Pemby riding ( I was to the bar on some decents)and switching out to a 8 inch rotor they've been sweet.
On the DH rig I do run Goodridge lines which have seen 3 sets of brakes (purple hayes, Hayes El Caminos and the Juicy's) which I will always run on any brake that I will ever get, which could make a difference in performance….Goodridge lines rule….

I think juicy 7 is the best brake from avid.

Avid's aren't difficult to bleed. RTFM and have some patience and you'll be done in a couple minutes.

Big thing with hydraulic brake performance over time, regardless of manufacturer and model, is the piston. Once it gets gunked up or the seal gets worn you'll lose power, get air in the system, etc. Pay attention to them - make sure then retract properly and clean if necessary, and your brakes will perform.

They do.

For cable brakes. I happily ran BB7s on my hardtail in 2001/2002ish. These days I think a cheap Shimano hydro is a better bet though.

My brother had Hayes mechanical brakes (not as strong as the BB7s), and the front brake could be locked pretty easy. Stiff fork and "perfectly" aligned brake mount makes a huge difference.

-ca. 2005/2006 Juicy 5s - awesome, zero maintenance, lots of power (for the times)
-2008 Juicy 7 - not a lot of maintenance, not that much power, pistons gunked, even with replaced pistons they didn't work properly anymore.
-2009 Elixir R (both pairs) - more power, some maintenance, pistons gunked up after ca. 2 years.
-2009 Code 5s - most awesome brake I ever owned, zero maintenance, lots and lots of power, super reliable.
-2012 Elixir 7s (both pairs) - Most horrible brake I've ever owned. My 2002 Hayes worked better. Reach changes constantly during a ride, even during one descent. Have a tendency to overheat. All this after several careful bleeds.Power would be good, modulation is very 2002 Hayes.

But: My 2008 XTs sucked as well. Great modulation, ok power, hardly any maintenance, but they would overheat and lose power even on short descents (I ran a comparison to the Juicy /s I had on my other bike, same trail, same disc diameter, and the difference was striking, even though I tried to overheat the Juicys by braking constantly.). Yes, they were properly bled.

Their crappiness is in direct correlation with the amount of OEM spec they have on bikes.

More OEM spec = more crap.

Somewhere i know had to return 75+ brakes from one run of bikes that just didn't work.

Get a set in a box, and pay attention to bleeding them, and do it more often than you want/expect and you'll be fine.

Or buy Shimano.

people use brakes that arent from shimano? ?

hmm go figure..

Yup, and as soon as Avid makes a fishing reel…I'll use it too ;)

Avid's aren't difficult to bleed. RTFM and have some patience and you'll be done in a couple minutes.

Big thing with hydraulic brake performance over time, regardless of manufacturer and model, is the piston. Once it gets gunked up or the seal gets worn you'll lose power, get air in the system, etc. Pay attention to them - make sure then retract properly and clean if necessary, and your brakes will perform.

This brake is brand new, had 4 rides on it and has already needed to be bled twice. My kid's bike has the same 2011 Elixir 5s with 20+ days at the WBP, several rides on the North Shore and so far no problems.

The problem with Avid brakes is that internally the master cylinder could easily trap and hold air bubbles so that if the bike was hung up or left upside down the air bubble could be released. So the mechanic that said if you squeeze the lever when the bike is upside down and air will get into the system is not technically correct. I mean if you could suck external air in that way, I would think that you would be blowing fluid out too. I think part of the frequent bleed issue is from the use of DOT 5.1 which as I understand it has a higher boiling point but requires more frequent replacement because it has a greater ability to absorb water. Is this true? I know the Hope brakes on one of my bikes use 5.1 and seem to need more frequent bleeds than my Shimano brakes.

I've had Juicy 7s and have loved them. Easy to bleed and good power back in the day.

I got some Elixir CRs as soon as they were released and loved them for their power, modulation and contact adjust. Then they became very inconsistent. Mid way down a run at Whistler needing to adjust the contact point. Having ZERO front brake at the starting line of the Arduum DH and having to feverishly pump them up mere seconds before leaving the start gate on my race run.

I've put up with them only because I have figured out how to fix their temperamental nature with lots of maintenance.

I bought a second set cheap and they have been perfect.

So I'd say they don't all suck. It is a love hate kind of relationship. If you are a brake codependent then get a set and learn to deal with their issues.

However if I were to do this all again, I don't know if I'd go the Elixir route.

holy fuck. so many horror stories, yet so many people still sucking it up.
Throw some xt m785's on your bike and forgot about them. I'm on same pads, same bleed, hell i even switched the levers from moto to regular when i got them without needing a bleed. no fade, no needing to adjust reach halfway thru the day/lap.
just great consistent braking.

bcbud ancd c-lee got it right the Juicy 7's were the best that I have used from Avid. I stuck with Avid for long time. Juicy 3's on my sons Grom, Juicy 5's on my wifes Norco Six, Codes on my Norco Six (Magnesium levers were aweful rebuild pllunger kits were "regular maintenance"), switched code r's. Were awesome for about 2 months after the third time I needed them replaced I switched to Shimano Zee. In comparison (I posted this before) Shimano quality seems higher from a fit and finish level. Code r's even see a rock and start throwing paint off, but when they worked they felt great. Only had the shimano's on for 1 WBP and one Burke run so far but the modulation and power is noticeably better. In my opinion.

Ever since the taper bore technology I have found Avid brakes feel spongey and have no appetite for air at all. At least the Juicy's had an reservoir that could handle small amounts of air. The taper bores don't seem to have the same volume or capacity to deal with it.