motorbikemike45
Member
Do not buy any bicycle with Artek Vigorous disc brakes. They are junk and could cost you your life. For serious. My rear disc brake failed to work the other day. I tore it down and found the pad that moves with the lever had jammed in the caliper, not moving against the disc when the brakes were applied. I replaced the pads in the rear caliper, adjusted them carefully, and went for a ride today. I was on a bike path going down a slight incline at about 28-30mph when a truck pulled completely across the crosswalk directly in front of me, blocking it completely. I pulled both brake levers, hard, and nothing happened. No brakes at all. I was able to swerve onto a lawn alongside the path and lay the bike down. After I got up, I checked the brakes and neither was working. I'm alive with no serious injuries because there was a lawn right there. If I'd been riding in traffic on a road or street with a curb, I'd be writing this from a hospital bed, or not at all. As it is, I have grass stains, a few minor skin abrasions, and a really foul mood to deal with.
I pushed the bike home, tore the brakes apart and found both front and rear brakes jammed the same as the rear had jammed earlier. The caliper bores where the pads should move in and out in are too large, allowing the pads to cock and jam. I've had disc brakes before on my bikes and swore by them as the best brakes I've ever used. The fault lies with the crappy Artek Vigorous calipers. Rather than replacing both brake units with good quality mounts and calipers at more than $60.00 each, I'm buying a new bike and stripping the good parts from this cheap one from Toys R Us. It has been nothing but trouble.
The GEBE drive system and Robin engine have performed flawlessly. I will transfer them to the new bike without any modifications needed. Remember, saving a few dollars on a bike with cheap brakes is not worth your life.
PS. Yes, I was wearing a helmet.
I pushed the bike home, tore the brakes apart and found both front and rear brakes jammed the same as the rear had jammed earlier. The caliper bores where the pads should move in and out in are too large, allowing the pads to cock and jam. I've had disc brakes before on my bikes and swore by them as the best brakes I've ever used. The fault lies with the crappy Artek Vigorous calipers. Rather than replacing both brake units with good quality mounts and calipers at more than $60.00 each, I'm buying a new bike and stripping the good parts from this cheap one from Toys R Us. It has been nothing but trouble.
The GEBE drive system and Robin engine have performed flawlessly. I will transfer them to the new bike without any modifications needed. Remember, saving a few dollars on a bike with cheap brakes is not worth your life.
PS. Yes, I was wearing a helmet.
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