anyone on the forum ever try M5 brakes? or even see them in the flesh?

[wallymann]

5 years ago they were da bomb. i personally still like them, but cant get over the price when a sick pare of brakes can easily be purchased less than 2 benjis.

but theyre still just frickin' ill. would like to get feedback from anyone thats used them.

review @ pez: http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=3590

http://www.m5ligfietsen.nl/uploads/Itemizer/popups/32.1.jpg

[dave thompson]

They have been recently re-branded as the "Eiffel Tower Brake Co."

[wallymann]

a dutch company?! Nooit!!!

They have been recently re-branded as the "Eiffel Tower Brake Co."

[PoppaWheelie]

There are a few people around here who have/had them. I had a set for a few years. SUPER strong braking...stiff as all get-out. Modulation isn't as good as, say, DA calipers. Without shaving the pads they won't open wide enough for 23mm rims, which is why I sold mine. Had to go to aftermarket pad holders to get decent toe-in adjustment. I prefer the feel of a stock dual-pivot (DA, Campy, etc) but you can't argue with the weight of the M5's...and unlike some of the same vintage super-light calipers, these WILL stop you.

[pdmtong]

contact mr. brunk....

[old_fat_and_slow]

Ask over on weight weenies. Lottah guys over there use e.

Some good stuff here:

http://fairwheelbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=104&t=7582

I'm sure M5's are probably yesterday's news over there. Probably on to something else that's lighter.

[Jack Brunk]

I've owned four sets and would use them again in a heart beat. Super light, terrific stopping power and the craftmanship is top quailty. Only issue is price as their on the steep side. Only brakes better to me were the AX lightness Orion.

[Peter B]

I've got a pair on the 595 Jack sold me. I also have Jack's hand-me-down pair of Orions. PM me if you're interested in some M5s.

[akmonkey]

I bought a bike off of this forum that came with M5s. They look great. Clearly high quality. They don't work well (if at all) with wider rims, like my Zipp Firecrests, so I replaced them with some eebrakes. I don't think you can go wrong with the M5s. That said, for close to the same price, the eebrakes are a newer design, work great, and look way cooler, I think. I now have the eebrakes on two bikes. Because I didn't ride the M5s, I can't compare how they work.

If you're interest in my M5s, PM me.

[wooly]

I had a pair a number of years ago when I went thru my weight weenie phase. They worked great but no better than my dura ace brakes today. I sold them because I was tired of adjusting them when switching wheels and they had a hard time staying centered. But in reality it was probably user error. Nicely made tho.

[jbrainin]

I had two pair of M5 brakes and have sold them both. They work great but they were the fussiest brakes I've ever owned and the gap between the brake pads was the smallest. They just don't open very wide. If you're using a traditional width aluminum tubular or clincher rim, they'll be fine. But even then, they were very hard to keep centered and not rubbing.

Counterpoint: I rode from Santa Barbara, CA to Charleston, SC using M5 brakes and other than lots of fiddling to prevent brake rub they worked great.

[jbrainin]

I've got a pair on the 595 Jack sold me. I also have Jack's hand-me-down pair of Orions. PM me if you're interested in some M5s.

I'd PM you in an instant if you were parting with the Orions.

[wasfast]

One more for liking the braking function, thought they were extremely high priced, and the max opening distance was an issue with some fairly standard rims let alone the wider choices like the Velocity A23's.

The bang for the buck ($/gram) is the planet X currently. See the brake comparision on Fairwheels bikes forum for stopping power vs dollars vs grams vs modulation.

[jbrainin]

Oops, delete post. Mods, please delete.

[Jack Brunk]

I'd PM you in an instant if you were parting with the Orions.
As good as the Orions are, I wonder how good the new AX Vial frame will be? It may be worth a left Acorn(nut)?
Their level entry Pegusas brakes were equally as good as any brake out there. AX knows their **** when it comes to lightweight state of the art carbon. I'd like a 55cm Vial frame to try out.

[jbrainin]

As good as the Orions are, I wonder how good the new AX Vial frame will be? It may be worth a left Acorn(nut)?
Their level entry Pegusas brakes were equally as good as any brake out there. AX knows their **** when it comes to lightweight state of the art carbon. I'd like a 55cm Vial frame to try out.

I'm declaring myself first in line for when you part with that 55cm AX Vial!

[pdmtong]

I'm declaring myself first in line for when you part with that 55cm AX Vial!

There is a list to get on Jack's list. Don't you know?

[velotel]

I have a pair but put my Records back on because I wanted to run fatter tires and, as others have said, they don't open wide enough. Otherwise they were excellent in every respect. For me the modulation was as good as any other, never once had to fiddle with the adjustment. In fact never had to do anything other than replace the pads. Serious braking force.

[54ny77]

sorry to be dissenting voice, but i think they look hideous in person. photos don't quite do them justice. not sure on what bike they'd even look like a natural fit, maybe an isotruss design, perhaps?

cleaning 'em cannot possibly be fun, unless you enjoy using q-tips on your bike or can pawn the task off on your 3 year old.

i imagine they work great, are well made, and all that good stuff, and while others may rave, they're simply not my cup o' joe. that means exactly zero, however, and that's what makes this world go round.

all that said, i wonder if given their design they whistle a little on >40+mph descents. :bike:

[jbrainin]

cleaning 'em cannot possibly be fun, unless you enjoy using q-tips on your bike or can pawn the task off on your 3 year old.

I actually didn't mind that part. Better than taking q-tips to my chain.


all that said, i wonder if given their design they whistle a little on >40+mph descents. :bike:

Nope. I'd have loved for them to do that and might have kept them on my Legend. But they worked great on long, steep technical descents.

[Charles M]

The brakes open well enough if you sub out lower profile pad holders... I cant remember who's a swapped to.

As for fussy, there's less to adjust on these than most brakes...

Ugly is what it is... generally a comment from someone without any real product info, but no less valid a comment than "stunningly beautiful" for sure. What ever m5 are, they're a lot of it... ;)


For the money though, I'm taking EE at this point.

Better adjustability and a QR and a VERY broad set up range and arguably the best modulation in any brake set, including new Dura Ace (which frankly have too much initial bite).

I would take em over Ax brakes as well... they're better performers in virtually every meaningfull measure.