Of the current crop, shimano, sram, hope etc. Which are the least faff? Are there any that don’t need the pistons balancing regularly?
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Hope I think, had my E4’s for 6 months and ran X2’s and Minis for years with no issues. I liked my Sram Guides but the levers can be a bit fussy and pistons can get sticky and Shimano brakes have patchy reliability, though the 4-pot ZEE/Saint don’t seem to be affected by the wandering bite point of the latest 2-pots. New Deore 4-pots might be the best banjo for buck brake at there at the minute. But if you want to play it safe and just have a reliable, fuss free brake I think Hope is the way to go.
Re balancing pistons? I shove em back in when I have new pads on my Hope E4's but that is it
Saints for me everytime. And if they fail, then more saints.
Everyone I know that has tried new Codes says they are brilliant! Not sure if that’s specifically the RSC model over the R model...
Cant say my Guides (3sets - older RS and newer R) have had any issues so far. Bled the old ones and one pair of new ones with no dramas. When I change brake pads I just push the pistons all the way back in with a hard plastic tyre lever.
I would love to try some Codes and some Magura MT 4 pots.
I've just ordered a set of Magura MT5s at £70 an end so hoping those fit the bill. Plus £30 an end extra for a lever upgrade.
I dumped the Codes that came on my Enduro, they were only the basic version but I didn't like them. Stuck Saints on and they have been faultless, real one finger braking on some real steep stuff without any issues. Not had Hope's for years so can't comment on newer versions but didn't like the old versions I had.