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Hayes Sole

1K views 14 replies 10 participants last post by  tomacropod 
#1 ·
I have Hayes Sole hydrualic brakes on my bike and notice they dont stop very well. Im pretty green with this hole disc brake thing. Any advice on an upgrade. I mostly ride XC. Thanks
 
#2 ·
First of all make sure they are set up correctly, search online for how to do that.

Unfortunatly they are generally referred to as the worst hydraulic brakes made, they are usable, but not great.

Can yo expand on what you don't like about them
 
#6 ·
most hydraulic brakes are fine.

The current version deore are supposedly OK.
don't get the old version, terrible.

If you have more budget, one of the nicest brakes at any price is the shimano saint.
Formula the One is one of the best brakes out there, but very expensive.
 
#7 ·
most hydraulic brakes are fine.

The current version deore are supposedly OK.
don't get the old version, terrible.

If you have more budget, one of the nicest brakes at any price is the shimano saint.
Formula the One is one of the best brakes out there, but very expensive.
 
#8 ·
Depends how much power you want ( vs how much you want to spend and how much weight you're prepared to take on).

So1e's are crap - completely and utterly.
Worst hydo discbrake ever? Maybe - they'll be up there (though I dont think they're quite as bad as the non-series hydraulic shimano's that got put OEM on a few bikes - m485 if i remember right - for that matter, some deores were terrible too the 535 for example).

If you want a cheapish upgrade (without ending up with total crap) try looking at Quad - if they're anything like as cheap over there as they are here, they'll be cheap (and they're pretty decent for that). Funn (basically hayes hfx in drag) tend not to be overly expensive either.

Decent mechanicals are decent if you're inclined to do the maintainance (which will be not insubstantial), but if you're the kind of guy that takes it to the LBS over every little problem they'll rack up masses of bills for you. BB5/7's with decent levers are good, Hayes MX-1's are pretty good too.

As mentioned above, formula the-one's are great brakes (insane power and not heavy) but very very expensive and quite likely more brake than you really need.
 
#9 ·
Kona0197 said:
Actually I thought that honor went to the Tektro hydros...
Actually, the Tektro Hydros are pretty good compared to the Sole.

The Sole is a one piston hydro brake using a lot of cheap plastic...it can be worked a little but it's quite short on power. The worst ever though would go to the Coda one piston hydro brake, canti's stopped better than those POS!
 
#10 ·
I recently picked up a used Kona Kikapu for my wife, it came with the Hayes Sole brakes. The stopping power is decent on the rear, but the front isn't so great. I am going to replace the pads and bleed them, but I am having a hard time finding out what pads I need for them. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Thanks!
 
#15 ·
The Hayes Sole brakes get a bad rap because people compare them to other hydraulic brakes - they're better compared to a single piston cable brake. I've worked on many Soles over the years, and if you set them up like a BB7, they work great. A lot of people don't realise they're not self-adjusting and that the pistons have to be advanced manually to account for pad wear - just like a cable brake.

Give them some attention (or find a mechanic who can) and then decide.

- Joel
 
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