Skip to main content

Clarks HDB-540 brakes


CLARKS HAVE BUILT budget brakes for years, but this is their best yet. As you’d expect for 94S, the finishing is basic. The closed bar clamp can be awkward to fit, the reach-adjust knob is a simple bottom-out screw and the hose exits the calliper at a fixed angle.

There’s an adequate, predictable amount of power when you pull the crooked lever though. While it doesn’t give the richest feedback, it’s much less wooden than cable operated discs, and even some pricier hydraulic brakes we’ve tried. Clarks’s reliability has always been good, and the HDB-540 uses old Shimano XT style pads, so spares are easy to find.

There’s no brake-only option so other, better brakes could work out just as cheap, but the HDB-540 offers reliable and perfectly adequate performance for very little money.

WEIGHT 509g
POWER 90Nm

PRICE: 94$
Labels

Popular posts from this blog

ENVE M50 29" Wheels

Utah based company ENVE have been making drool-worthy carbon components for some years now. Despite the fact that carbon rims are becoming more and more common on mountain bikes these days, you can guarantee that ENVE wheels will be a talking point when someone is eyeing off a steed. Instantly, the big bold logos on each rim scream "fast", "light" and to some extent, "expensive" The kids call this 'bling'.

READ MORE >>

Scott Scale 950

The Scale 950 uses the now traditional-for-cross-country 29er wheels to excellent effect, with a fast but fun character that's happy racing or railing.

READ MORE >>

COMMENCAL EL CAMINO 3

Commencal are going from strength to strength at the moment and they’ve taken their tough trail hardtail bang up to date with 650b wheels. With its skinny rims, crankset and fork, the El Camino certainly isn’t perfect and it’s the least hardcore bike here. The handling, smoothness, speed and all-round agility of the basic bike still make it a real blast for technical trail riding though, and it’s a great base for upgrading over time.

READ MORE >>

Merida Big Seven 100

We've rolled up to our local woods, with a meandering blue trail, some natural wooded tracks and a bit of fire road chucked into the mix to see how the Big Seven 100 tackles trails that entry-level riders are likely to cut their teeth on.

READ MORE >>

Canyon Spectral AL 6.0

Round two, and the 6.0 leaps out of the blocks. From the moment we're off the smaller wheeled Spectral wants to go flat out. Standing on the pedals on the small steep climbs is slightly more reactive, surging the Spectral forward that little more eagerly. We need more body language to get the wheels over the roots, but again the 2.4in Mountain King's tread impresses.

READ MORE >>