SRAM Code RSC disc brake review

For all-out power freaks, we going to give the nod to the SRAM Code RSC. It has the most anchor-dropping chops of all brakes we’ve tried.

Price: £230.00
Rotor weight: 250g (200mm)
Brake weight: 314g
Tested by: Ross

SRAM Code RSC

There’s a reason you’ll find Code RSCs aboard a huge number of enduro and downhill bikes. They offer a huge amount of power, but in a manageable and usable package.

The levers are a good shape with a comfortable width, and a good length for adding leverage and reducing fatigue. The reach adjustment lets you get things ‘just so’ and the bite point adjust allows you to fine-tune the point where the pads contact the rotor – although this is quite a small, subtle amount of adjustment.

Build quality is top notch across all parts of the brake, with the bearings offering a smooth lever pull, fast pad engagement, and absolutely no signs of rattle.

Installation was an easy process, with the Code RSCs utilising SRAM’s threaded barb/olive and Bleeding Edge bleed system.

It’s not until you use them in anger that you really appreciate them. Grab a big handful of lever and – paired with 200mm rotors – there’s buckets and buckets of stopping power, with fast engagement and no dead spots on the pull.

The modulation lets you control your speed on the steepest of tracks, feeling what the tyres are doing and adding or releasing pressure on the levers to check your speed without locking up. And that control just adds confidence, knowing that you can pick your braking points, letting you get off the brakes and allowing the bike to work in properly rough sections, then back on them when you need to. And then when you do overcook a section, grab a big fistful, drop the anchors, and the power is there to get you out of trouble.