Clarks sells the complete M2 system for £40. That’s a front and rear set for less than most brands charge for a set of pads — absolutely staggering. Surely, then, there must be a catch? Well, not really.

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Visually, the M2 looks very similar to Shimano Alivio, but in some ways it actually trumps it. For instance, the caliper is a lighter one-piece design, and the pads are top-loading, so you don’t need to remove the wheel to fit replacements. It’s compatible with Shimano pads too, which means spares are easy to come by

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Setting them up was easy — no cutting or bleeding required. The rotors were a little warped out of the box, but once straightened up, both brakes ran drag-free.

Overall performance was good, if a notch or two below its competitors. We put this down to a couple of things. Firstly the pads don’t sweep the full braking surface of the rotor; around 3mm is left untouched.

Secondly, the lever blade has a pronounced curve to its cross-section, so when you pull it — and you’ll need to pull it hard — it digs into your finger.

There’s not a lot you can do about the uncomfortable lever, but fitted with Shimano pads, and a 180mm rotor at the back, the M2 should pack a bigger punch.

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