Bontrager Speed Limit Brakes Review

I'm amazed, simply amazed at how many product reviews there are for these Bontrager Speed Limit brakes and how few of these reviews address the seemingly glaring performance problems every set has. 

I have used both the alloy brakes pictured as well as their carbon counterparts. At $299 and $450 you'd expect perfection, but no. Here's a list of serious issues I've encountered with both pairs of brakes:

1. The "Unique Power Amp Linkage" rusts. At first I blamed this on the salted roads of Iowa in the springtime. But with my second pair I road exclusively on nice roads in mid-summer and they still rusted somehow. 

2. If you ride a larger tire than 23mm you'll scrape on the rear caliper. I used these brakes on my Salsa Podio and my Focus Izalco with several wheel combos and got the same results. 

3. The fiberglass coating on the carbon version chipped off in some spots, presumably from the caliper arms flexing under hard braking. 

4. Like all single pivot designs, one brake pad always wanders into the rim. For more info on brake types, see the link at the end of the article. 

5. A major selling point on these bad boys is the weight, something like 200 grams a pair. But Sram Red and Campy Record weigh less and are cheaper to buy.

So why, you may wonder, if these brakes are such junk did I buy two pairs on separate occasions and use them on two different bikes? 

Because they look cool and I'm vain. Happy? 

Honestly, if you ride a small tire and you don't mind having to constantly check to see if your pads are rubbing these are great brakes. 

Hey, here's a link to a Demand Studios article I wrote about brakes. Check it out!