Product Review by Trip X America

Item: Hayes Stroker Carbon Hydraulic Brakes ($174.98 a set)
Manufacturer: Hayes
Purchased from: Blueskycycling.com
Rating:

Specs:
- Use: Mountain Bike
- Style: Hydraulic Disc Brakes
- Colors: Grey w/ Carbon levers
- Weight: 386grams w/ 160mm rotors
Features:
- Semi-metallic pad w/ aluminum backing plate
- Anodized Dial to adjust lever distance
- Tool free auto-adjusting calipers
- Rotor Sizes: 140, 160(reviewed), 180, 203, 224
Review: The Hayes Stroker Carbon were purchased as cosmetic upgrade, I am a sucker for carbon. What I realized was I had upgraded to a much better brake. Coming from Avid Juicy 5’s and unable to get rid of the turkey warble noise, I could not be happier with these brakes. Installation a rather straight forward as the kit came pre bleed, with all mounting hardware. The lever adjustment knob is nice, but a pad distance adjustment would be much more useful. The only downside to these brakes is just that, a lack of manual pad adjustment. The auto adjustment works, assuming the install is done by a professional, and everything is properly aligned. I have found myself removing the pads every so often and pushing the calipers back in, re-installing the pads, and letting the auto adjustment do its job. Though somewhat tedious the stopping power and lack of warble make up for it. Coming from Avid Juicy 5’s I can say the modulation on these brakes is great. Overall if pad adjustment and some light tuning if of no concern, for $340 these are some of the best brakes on the market. If you are looking for manual pad adjustment, I suggest the Avid Juicy Ultimate, though slightly more expensive. **NOTE** there are several of New In Box kits on ebay for $290 + shipping for both front and rear kits.