Gusset’s Hydro Chute brake is unchanged for 2012 but by using a well proven base design and pimped up rotor, it still delivers decent braking at a discount price.
The Gusset design reminds us more than a little bit of the previous generation Avid Juicy brake but it has some extra tweaks added to the package and some of the more irritating ones removed. For a start you don’t get the cup-and-cone washer adjustment of the Avid mount, just a simple, faff-free direct mount.
The flip flop master cylinder design makes it easy to install whichever side you like your front brake on. The lever sweep uses the same power and enhancing geometry introduced by Avid so they feel more powerful and controlled than average dyno results suggest.
The bleed screws are compatible with Avid syringe kits. They run Avid pads too, which is handy as the originals don’t last long. The real bonus with this brake though is the shark tooth ‘R Series’ rotor, which looks great, shifts mud well and saves significant weight over the normal hefty discs you get on budget brakes.
This article was originally published in What Mountain Bike magazine.
