Love the RSC's! One misleading thing about bite adjustment: The dial doesn't actually move the pistons in or out. What it does is it changes the point that the lever can move the plunger in the lever body. Ultimately you end up with the same result that you're talking about in terms of "bite point"...but the pistons aren't actually moving in as you turn the dial. You can however manually advance them by pulling the wheel off and giving the lever a half pull or two. I do that at the shop whenever a customer is too cheap to pay for a break bleed or get new pads. Great review! ;)
Good tip on the adjustment dial! I have these now on my carbon stumpjumper w/200mm front & 180mm rear, and that adjustment confused me. So what you're saying (if I have this correctly) is that the dial (or the in/out "wheel") is determining how much "play" in the lever BEFORE it will engage action on the brake line. Is that it? And then of course there's the typical adjustment screw for how far the lever 'sits' from the bars. I fr"kn LOVE these brakes btw. I was a shimano user until these, and it has to be the action of any sram brakes. These seem to fell in between that on/off snappy action I like on shimano, and the too much modulation I used to think that other sram brakes had. Perfect sweet-spot. Maybe would be better if they used mineral oil instead of the DOT fluid, but that's no deal-breaker. ~JSV
Agreed mate, best brakes I've ever used with super power and modulation. I agree as well with what you mentioned about the direction of the arrow-super misleading. Also had issues with the bleed instructions as you say, took 2 bleeds cos I found the same issues as you described-run out of adjustment really quickly!
MTB Obsession yeah I’m not sure why they say to bleed them that way. Its a pretty crucial part of the tech that we pay for. Absolutely killer brakes though
Hi! I had the same issue where I was confused by the ‘contact in’ arrow, but it became clear to me once I thought of it as ‘how far IN to the bar the lever goes before you make contact’ I believe it’s just a lever adjustment and no movement is happening at the pistons Cheers great review
I use feeler gauges as my beed bllock with the pads in. I measure the rotor, and add .003" (about a piece of paper). I find the SRAM bleed blocks to push the piston too far out. If do not have that, just remove your wheel, compress your brake lever a touch to push the pistons in, then remount, and you reduced the piston kickback to an acceptable level. If too far, push the pistons back in and redo.
I have never really ridden sram brakes, but a buddy of mine has had a lot of issues with a few versions of them. My first real MTB came with Shimano XT and i have stuck to Shimano since as i like to keep everything uniform. I have Zee on my Bronson v3, i can also agree with what you say though. When ever i bleed my brakes pending on what adjustments they have i fully extend lever reach and make the contact bite point as open as possible.
the freestroke/pad adjustment is a great feature to have, I got Shimano M6000 brakes and have to refill them with mineral oil when the pads wear down, but I have to burp them eventually anyway to get air out of the system, but the adjustment would make it a lot nicer.
Thanks for the info ! Shimano XT vs SRAM code R, hello to whoever is interested in my experience. I have had XT and currently I’m ridding code R, if I knew what I know now I would have replaced the code R directly on my new bike for the XT BR-M8020 (or Magura MT7 little bit overkill for me). I have had zero problems for 3 years with my XT and now ridding code R for 4 months I’m almost at the point of replacing them. So why: They just do not quite functionate as how a good set of disc brakes should + pour material quality, rotors rust, cheap paint, oversized components, (DIY) unfriendly to work one, never quite the result you where hoping for after some tlc and so long. My girlfriend rides SLX for over 2 years and are in better condition than my code R, we ride 95% of the times together. I hope that I saved some people from wasting their time, money and frustration. Something about myself I’m a perfectionist very technical skilled and realistic. (Last summer in Austria a DH bike rental place told us they replace all Sram brakes directly and sell them for dirt cheap new, they just do not want to bother using them. That should have been a motivation for me to replace them directly but I did not, regrets big time.)
The Code RSC really intrigued me. I for sure would have sprung for them, but my Hopes have been running strong for 3 years with out much maintenance at all. I love Hopes, but getting small parts always requires an online order which scares me if something breaks. I'm not sure how I'd break them, but you never know. I guess I'd have to smash something pretty hard since they're all aluminum.
Sorry, but you are getting many things wrong in this video. This Contact point adjustment dial does not move your brake pads towards or away from the disc or change the caliper piston stroke, but it only moves the bite point in the lever. Also a Contact point adjustment is not used for compensating brake pads wear. Compensating brake pads wear is already a basic function of literally any hydraulic brakes system. And for the end, the Code RSC brakes does not come with carbon levers, but they are forged aluminum.
I had Guide RSC's on my previous bike, and now I have Code R's. Basically the same problem as with the older brakes, the rear brake feels like lacking power and bite compared to the front, and I don't understand why. What is in your opinion the best brake pad for power in the back? Thanks!
Live Aeons I’d run the sram metal pads with shimano RT86 ice tech rotors. The rotors will massively improve the feel of the brakes. You may also have some contamination happening if they don’t feel strong. The Codes are ridiculously strong when bled right and matched with good rotors
As far as u know is there any performance difference between the code r vs the rsc besides the tool free lever adjustment? Just wondering if it's worth the extra coin for the rsc version.. any info would be awesome and Thank you for always answering the questions I have. I genuinely appreciate it and u have helped me make my mind up on quite a few components
cwd 123 hey mate sorry for the late reply I only just found your question. I believe the power is the same between the two brakes, but the RSC is a little lighter overall and has more adjustment available
@@mtbtelly5522 thanks for the response. Just ordered the new bike went Sram for going Shimano for stopping. Gx eagle drivetrain and XT four piston. Went with them based on ease of maintenance and price is dam good too🤙🤙
Jacob Muller yep, and really spend some time de-gassing the fluid before you bleed them. It definitely optimises the feel of them. Make sure you wind it back a bit off the arrow before you bleed them, That’ll give you room to back the pads off a touch still if you need to.
I ordered the code r and dint know mine don't have that wheel ajustment damit. New pads after bleed rubbed bad, all I could do I let out fluid and it barley did anything. They should not make the brake without it. The brake mold has the cut out for it too.?
I do have a problem with my guide calipers, on the rear only the 2 right hand pistons move, I cleaned and pushed the pistons back in and testing it I can only get 1 to move at a time??!?!
@@mtbtelly5522 na I haven't bled them, I would either have to get a bleed kit or get the shop to do it. I had a similar issue on my road bike where after hard breaking 1 piston wouldnt retract, but cleaning and putting mineral oil on the sides of the piston fixed it. But this issue is cooked and it just wears down 1 brake pad.
How much better are the rsc over the guide rs because I’m finding them a bit lacking in the power department. Also is it worth the price over a new set of brakes
Brian Richards the guide rsc over the rs is just a contact pad adjustment and a carbon lever as far as I know. The power will be the same but you can fine tune the setup more to your liking
I had guides and hated them, not enough power for my liking and went through metal pads so quickley. I have the new 4 pot XT and they are so good, plenty of power expect the front lever bite point wonders, usually on long decents. A bit disappointed, sounds like codes may be the go.
Andrew K any sram brakes will only feel optimal if they’re bled properly. If you’re not vacuuming the air bubbles out of the dot fluid in the syringe you’ll never know the potential of the brakes. Ive seen plenty of poor brake bleeds done over the years. The more air you extract from the fluid, the more solid the brake feels
Love the RSC's! One misleading thing about bite adjustment: The dial doesn't actually move the pistons in or out. What it does is it changes the point that the lever can move the plunger in the lever body. Ultimately you end up with the same result that you're talking about in terms of "bite point"...but the pistons aren't actually moving in as you turn the dial. You can however manually advance them by pulling the wheel off and giving the lever a half pull or two. I do that at the shop whenever a customer is too cheap to pay for a break bleed or get new pads. Great review! ;)
Good tip on the adjustment dial! I have these now on my carbon stumpjumper w/200mm front & 180mm rear, and that adjustment confused me.
So what you're saying (if I have this correctly) is that the dial (or the in/out "wheel") is determining how much "play" in the lever BEFORE it will engage action on the brake line. Is that it? And then of course there's the typical adjustment screw for how far the lever 'sits' from the bars. I fr"kn LOVE these brakes btw. I was a shimano user until these, and it has to be the action of any sram brakes. These seem to fell in between that on/off snappy action I like on shimano, and the too much modulation I used to think that other sram brakes had. Perfect sweet-spot. Maybe would be better if they used mineral oil instead of the DOT fluid, but that's no deal-breaker.
~JSV
great explanation on where the bite point should be, thanks
I appreciate this video. I always thought the contact dial should be go opposite of what sram says. You nailed it 👏
Odd that they still haven’t updated it
I love the fact that the best mtb tips and tech is on your channel and it’s Aussie !
T’s Life thats a big compliment, thanks my man ✌🏼
another great video, well presented.
Johannes Nilsen thanks man ✌🏼
Agreed mate, best brakes I've ever used with super power and modulation. I agree as well with what you mentioned about the direction of the arrow-super misleading. Also had issues with the bleed instructions as you say, took 2 bleeds cos I found the same issues as you described-run out of adjustment really quickly!
MTB Obsession yeah I’m not sure why they say to bleed them that way. Its a pretty crucial part of the tech that we pay for. Absolutely killer brakes though
Hi! I had the same issue where I was confused by the ‘contact in’ arrow, but it became clear to me once I thought of it as ‘how far IN to the bar the lever goes before you make contact’
I believe it’s just a lever adjustment and no movement is happening at the pistons
Cheers great review
Ah thats a great way to think about it 💡
I use feeler gauges as my beed bllock with the pads in. I measure the rotor, and add .003" (about a piece of paper). I find the SRAM bleed blocks to push the piston too far out. If do not have that, just remove your wheel, compress your brake lever a touch to push the pistons in, then remount, and you reduced the piston kickback to an acceptable level. If too far, push the pistons back in and redo.
I have never really ridden sram brakes, but a buddy of mine has had a lot of issues with a few versions of them. My first real MTB came with Shimano XT and i have stuck to Shimano since as i like to keep everything uniform. I have Zee on my Bronson v3, i can also agree with what you say though. When ever i bleed my brakes pending on what adjustments they have i fully extend lever reach and make the contact bite point as open as possible.
the freestroke/pad adjustment is a great feature to have, I got Shimano M6000 brakes and have to refill them with mineral oil when the pads wear down, but I have to burp them eventually anyway to get air out of the system, but the adjustment would make it a lot nicer.
Thanks Bro top tips 🙌
✌🏼✌🏼
Thanks for the info !
Shimano XT vs SRAM code R, hello to whoever is interested in
my experience. I have had XT and currently I’m ridding code R, if I knew what I
know now I would have replaced the code R directly on my new bike for the XT
BR-M8020 (or Magura MT7 little bit overkill for me). I have had zero problems
for 3 years with my XT and now ridding code R for 4 months I’m almost at the
point of replacing them. So why: They just do not quite functionate as how a
good set of disc brakes should + pour material quality, rotors rust, cheap
paint, oversized components, (DIY) unfriendly to work one, never quite the
result you where hoping for after some tlc and so long. My girlfriend rides SLX
for over 2 years and are in better condition than my code R, we ride 95% of the
times together. I hope that I saved some people from wasting their time, money
and frustration. Something about myself I’m a perfectionist very technical
skilled and realistic. (Last summer in Austria a DH bike rental place told us they
replace all Sram brakes directly and sell them for dirt cheap new, they just do
not want to bother using them. That should have been a motivation for me to
replace them directly but I did not, regrets big time.)
The Code RSC really intrigued me. I for sure would have sprung for them, but my Hopes have been running strong for 3 years with out much maintenance at all. I love Hopes, but getting small parts always requires an online order which scares me if something breaks. I'm not sure how I'd break them, but you never know. I guess I'd have to smash something pretty hard since they're all aluminum.
James Stoup the hope stuff has a good reputation and following behind them
For the bleed I would leave it in the middle because you can have a bit more adjustment in for worn pads
Sorry, but you are getting many things wrong in this video. This Contact point adjustment dial does not move your brake pads towards or away from the disc or change the caliper piston stroke, but it only moves the bite point in the lever. Also a Contact point adjustment is not used for compensating brake pads wear. Compensating brake pads wear is already a basic function of literally any hydraulic brakes system. And for the end, the Code RSC brakes does not come with carbon levers, but they are forged aluminum.
I had Guide RSC's on my previous bike, and now I have Code R's. Basically the same problem as with the older brakes, the rear brake feels like lacking power and bite compared to the front, and I don't understand why. What is in your opinion the best brake pad for power in the back? Thanks!
Live Aeons I’d run the sram metal pads with shimano RT86 ice tech rotors. The rotors will massively improve the feel of the brakes. You may also have some contamination happening if they don’t feel strong. The Codes are ridiculously strong when bled right and matched with good rotors
Mt lofty man, it is impossible to not cook you brakes :) my dad is going to upgrade to the RSC from the guide R brakes which his levers are seized.
Kurtis get him on some codes or saints if he wants some rolls royce braking
As far as u know is there any performance difference between the code r vs the rsc besides the tool free lever adjustment? Just wondering if it's worth the extra coin for the rsc version.. any info would be awesome and Thank you for always answering the questions I have. I genuinely appreciate it and u have helped me make my mind up on quite a few components
cwd 123 hey mate sorry for the late reply I only just found your question.
I believe the power is the same between the two brakes, but the RSC is a little lighter overall and has more adjustment available
@@mtbtelly5522 thanks for the response. Just ordered the new bike went Sram for going Shimano for stopping. Gx eagle drivetrain and XT four piston. Went with them based on ease of maintenance and price is dam good too🤙🤙
cwd 123 good combo!
I will have to give this a go as I keep rebleeding my codes but find the levers are almost hitting the bars with the pads only half worn
Jacob Muller yep, and really spend some time de-gassing the fluid before you bleed them. It definitely optimises the feel of them. Make sure you wind it back a bit off the arrow before you bleed them, That’ll give you room to back the pads off a touch still if you need to.
Have tou tried hope brakes? What do you know about them? Thinking of upgrading to them
Aaron Buckingham I haven’t tried them but friends have and I’ve only heard good things so far. Definitely worth checking out some reviews
I ordered the code r and dint know mine don't have that wheel ajustment damit. New pads after bleed rubbed bad, all I could do I let out fluid and it barley did anything. They should not make the brake without it. The brake mold has the cut out for it too.?
Chromedome 2020 yeah its weird that most brakes don’t have a basic method of altering the pad contact as the pad wears.
I do have a problem with my guide calipers, on the rear only the 2 right hand pistons move, I cleaned and pushed the pistons back in and testing it I can only get 1 to move at a time??!?!
Kurtis hmm sounds cooked. Have you flushed and bled them since that? Not sure if that could be a warranty issue
@@mtbtelly5522 na I haven't bled them, I would either have to get a bleed kit or get the shop to do it. I had a similar issue on my road bike where after hard breaking 1 piston wouldnt retract, but cleaning and putting mineral oil on the sides of the piston fixed it. But this issue is cooked and it just wears down 1 brake pad.
Kurtis yeah definitely get a bleed kit or get someone decent to flush and bleed them for you. Sounds like somethings going on there. Guides?
@@mtbtelly5522 Yea Guide Ultimates
You're right the arrows are wrong way round..very confusing.
How much better are the rsc over the guide rs because I’m finding them a bit lacking in the power department. Also is it worth the price over a new set of brakes
Brian Richards the guide rsc over the rs is just a contact pad adjustment and a carbon lever as far as I know. The power will be the same but you can fine tune the setup more to your liking
Not worth it
How about Code RSC vs Guide RS, is it worth the upgrade?
I had guides and hated them, not enough power for my liking and went through metal pads so quickley. I have the new 4 pot XT and they are so good, plenty of power expect the front lever bite point wonders, usually on long decents. A bit disappointed, sounds like codes may be the go.
Andrew K any sram brakes will only feel optimal if they’re bled properly. If you’re not vacuuming the air bubbles out of the dot fluid in the syringe you’ll never know the potential of the brakes. Ive seen plenty of poor brake bleeds done over the years. The more air you extract from the fluid, the more solid the brake feels
Andrew K but you’re right, the 4pot XT are much stronger, and I think they still have great feel
MTB Telly yeah I never did bleed the guides so that could be why. Seems to be plenty of good brakes out there now.
I got the code r. They don't have that little ajustment on the lever.
Chromedome 2020 yep just lever adjustment for yours, nice and simple
would be nice if we could hear you...
The Merida 900E would have has saints yeh??
Matt Wicks ah yes!! I forgot about that. They were extremely good on that bike 👌🏽👊🏼
@@mtbtelly5522 All good dude you just ride to many bike 🤙
Matt Wicks its like that haha. I need to work on my memory I’m getting alzheimers
Levers on code rsc are aluminum not carbon I thought? That's what mine are anyways.
Ah yep, I believe you’re right
I've never understood why Aussies pronounce Sram with SH
We’re the shining star on the English language 🤘🏽🤘🏽