If you use rim brakes these are the way to go. I had a friend borrow my bike and take a bad wreck, which bent one of the levers (it still worked) but ended up buying another set to replace. If you dont wreck a lot I think they will last a long time.

First set lasted one riding season. (I ride every chance I get)

I've been running the avid mechanical brakes with this lever on my second bike and they work really well. The lever is pretty basic, but after a year of riding and crashing its still going strong.

Simple and effective for mechanical brakes. The adjustment really makes these levers shine, nothing better than being able to set the bias between front and back easily while on the trail without tools.

Pair these with BB7s and you'll wonder why people mess with hydraulic. These are fully adjustable, allowing you to dial in connection point of the cable relative to the pivot point. This changes the moment arm length, effectively allowing you to adjust the modulation of your brakes. They don't have carbon fiber bling, or compensate for brake pad wear, but they work...really well.

I have this lever & the SL version between two bikes, paired with AVID Ultimate Single digit "V" brakes. These levers are a great value, offering bullet-proof reliability. I went cheap w/the FR-5 lever originally, but after setting up this lever on another bike, I made the switch to the 7 lever. It's simply a much better lever - in feel, construction detail & mechanical output - than the cheaper Avid 5 lever. For [$], you get a no-compromise lever. Look no further, unless you want silver & Ti bolts w/ the SL. Highly recommended w/the Ultimate Single Digit calipers.

I have paired these with several Shimano and Avid cantis, the Avid BB7 and the Hayes mechanical disc brake and all are a perfect fit. Why? Because you can adjust the pitch of the leverage on the cable! Why aren't all levers like this? I've never had a failure or a complaint in 1 year using thing exact lever and 10 years using this type of lever.

I got these and the Avid Single Digit 7 Brakes together. This was a major change in breaking power for me.

I like these a lot. I used to have a pair of the "lizard levers" which everyone seemed to rave about but was never happy with them. They were loose from the get go, and while the material/finish was nice, they didn't feel as solid as these. The Avids are inexpensive, easy to set up and work with no fuss.

i would just have to say these are the best pair of brake levers ive bought you wont believe just how well these brake levers work. money well spent you cant beat the price.

These levers were a huge improvement over my integrated shimano combo; but I suppose that goes without saying as anything would be better. Regardless, modulation with my BB7 brakes is wonderful. I mean night and day. I think they are very good levers. I'm able to carry more speed on the trail because of these levers.