ive been on sram code rsc for what seems like an eternity! (probably around 7 years or so)
just recently ive really struggled to stop them rubbing with the new hs2 thicker rotors (ive tried everything imagineable)
i really fancy something different, not the new hopes as i doubt they are as powerful and mega expensive
what else is there out there? ideally very reliable, just bleed and go
and very easy to align, no rubbing etc, as its really starting to grate on me now with my RSC's
magura? trp? hayes? what is everyone using?
The new hopes are as powerful (v4 anyway) and yes they are also quite expensive.
Formula Cura 4 would be my choice for genuinely fit and forget.
hmm hadnt thought about the v4! guess they should be on a par with codes for outright power, was always underwhelmed by the tech 3 e4 i had before
The new Tech 4 V4 have a long lead time, but £190 per end from here isn't massively expensive compared to Hayes dominion A4 etc.
Apparently the new pads are meant to have a bit more bite than the old pads too.
Slightly nosey/may be interested - how old as the Code RSCs that you are going to replace and how much would they be going for?
I absolutely love my Code RSC brakes - were good, then I tried a race (actually, I didn't race, I just tried to pedal and ride faster) and now they are absolutely outstanding for stopping power.
I absolutely hate the amount of lever pull though so have the new thicker rotors just not got round to fitting them yet.
Could be interested in another set for testing my bleeding and set up ideas, but also to probably fit on another bike...
So, if you are thinking of selling them, they might be of interested to me.
Trickstuff ?
I absolutely hate the amount of lever pull though so have the new thicker rotors just not got round to fitting them yet.
@DickBarton - the thicker rotors won't change the lever pull - the pads will still self-adjust their distance from the rotor as before. Have you tried bleeding them with the bite adjuster in the middle of it's range? That way you can adjust the pads in more. The SRAM bleed instructions seem to set them so you can increase the lever throw for some reason!?
As an aside, I just put the Tech4 X2s on my hardtail instead of Shimano M6100 ( ? 6000 series anyway).
£150 an end from Merlin, lots of options in stock.
Not yet bedded in, but oh my what a difference in performance. (And so there should be at the price)
I doubt you’d be disappointed in the E4 or V4 - albeit that’s £165 or £179 an end.
PS - saying your brakes aren’t powerful enough is another way of saying you have a weak grip 😉
I had a spin on a mates bike with Hayes Dominion A4 brakes on the weekend. Serious power, up there with shimano saint, and an incredibly light feel to the lever. If I needed new brakes they would be very high on list for me.
I had a spin on a mates bike with Hayes Dominion A4 brakes on the weekend. Serious power, up there with shimano saint, and an incredibly light feel to the lever. If I needed new brakes they would be very high on list for me.
If I ever stray away from Hope, the A4's would be top of my list to try first.
Trickstuff, you know you want to!
In all honesty I had a go on a bike with some of the new Hope Tech4 E4's and I was shocked. They felt nothing like the old ones at all. The whole package just felt better.
I'm Shimano4life, but I'd consider Magura or Hayes if I had to look elsewhere.
Not actually tried the new Hayes, but Magura have tons of power and modulation.
RickDraper - Full Member
Trickstuff, you know you want to!In all honesty I had a go on a bike with some of the new Hope Tech4 E4’s and I was shocked. They felt nothing like the old ones at all. The whole package just felt better.
I'd love some Trickstuff but far to expensive for me! But interesting what you say about the new Tech 4's as I'm half contemplating a set to replace my 6-7 year old Tech 3 E4's.
Pure subjectivity, but so far I’d put the T4X2 on a par or better than the T3E4 I’ve also got.
Whether that’s true on a long downhill is another question.
haha no trickstuff for me sadly rick - would love to have some but way out of my league nowadays 🙁
interesting on the new tech 4's - i just assumed they were a slight revised version of the already mega old tech 3, and wouldnt really add much - plus not been a hope fan for a while now
may well look into them, the idea of spares is always a positive draw towards them too
i have like the look of the trp and hayes - i dont know about reliability of magura but they seem to have got alot better over recent years
DickBarton
Full Member
Slightly nosey/may be interested – how old as the Code RSCs that you are going to replace and how much would they be going for?I absolutely love my Code RSC brakes – were good, then I tried a race (actually, I didn’t race, I just tried to pedal and ride faster) and now they are absolutely outstanding for stopping power.
I absolutely hate the amount of lever pull though so have the new thicker rotors just not got round to fitting them yet.
Could be interested in another set for testing my bleeding and set up ideas, but also to probably fit on another bike…
So, if you are thinking of selling them, they might be of interested to me.
hey, i probably will be selling them to fund some new ones - they were brand new march 2020 - they seem to work rub free easily on the normal centreline rotors, but im really struggling to line up the 200mm HS2 rotors (with proper sram mounts) - no matter what i try they end up rubbing - ive done all the usual, fresh bleed, reset pistons, cleaned pistons, lubed pistons, even let out some lever end oil incase the thickness of the rotor was having an effect - (this seemed to help the most), but ultimately after a few brakes/descents they just start rubbing again
Another Saint fan here.
However I've been trying the Cura 4's and really like them.
Only downside is there's not that many people make pads for them and Formula pads are pretty expensive.
frogstomp
Full Member
I absolutely hate the amount of lever pull though so have the new thicker rotors just not got round to fitting them yet.@DickBarton – the thicker rotors won’t change the lever pull – the pads will still self-adjust their distance from the rotor as before. Have you tried bleeding them with the bite adjuster in the middle of it’s range? That way you can adjust the pads in more. The SRAM bleed instructions seem to set them so you can increase the lever throw for some reason!?
i have'nt nor hadnt thought of that - as ive always wound the adjuster all the way in as per instructions - i can see what your saying though - would give me a bit of scope to adjust the pads out when they are rubbing
just recently ive really struggled to stop them rubbing with the new hs2 thicker rotors (ive tried everything imagineable)
If they weren't rubbing with thinner rotors but started rubbing with thicker ones, then they are either overfilled or the rotors are too thick. They will stop rubbing when the pads wear down enough to give clearance. One work around is to fit one new pad and one half-worn pad to each caliper and use them like that for a few rides until the pads wear down. After that, you can swap the pads back if you want.
i tried the overfill thing - and let some spill out when i undid the bleed port on the lever, and pushed pistons back in - i immediately saw some come out so thought id cracked it
however after a descent or so it was back to rubbing again, but it did seem easier to align from the off after doing this overfill hack
the pads arent that new and have definitely worn down enough to not contact - just seem really finiky to setup with these thicker hs2 rotors, i never had this problem before on my centreline (also 200mm)
Another Saint fan here.
+1 for the Saints.
the pads arent that new and have definitely worn down enough to not contact – just seem really finiky to setup with these thicker hs2 rotors, i never had this problem before on my centreline (also 200mm)
Just for the record, I have RSCs with the new rotors and haven't had any issues. Sounds like you may still have a problem with sticky piston - the R3Pro tool is great for working individual pistons.
frogstomp
Full Member
the pads arent that new and have definitely worn down enough to not contact – just seem really finiky to setup with these thicker hs2 rotors, i never had this problem before on my centreline (also 200mm)Just for the record, I have RSCs with the new rotors and haven’t had any issues. Sounds like you may still have a problem with sticky piston – the R3Pro tool is great for working individual pistons.
haha ive got that tool too, and your right it is indeed genius! ive done the hunters silicone lube on it- like i said it seems to work for a bit then back to rubbing - the caveat maybe here i have to remove both wheels every time i ride! so whether its getting knocked or not tigtened down the exact same amount each time on axles who knows, but again this has always been the case and i never had to do it on my centrelines....good to hear yours dont though, it does give me a bit of faith i can eventually get it sorted, if i dont end up selling them for something shinier!
The August edition of the mag will have a 4pot brakes test in it if you can wait that long!
I moved from Saints to Hayes A4s around Christmas time. I got them for £130 per end at Bikester. Really impressed by them, far more modulation at lower speeds which is what I wanted. Been reliable. I've used std SRAM discs on mine and there fine.
One of my Hope E4 calipers kept rubbing and no amount of cleaning and lubing would stop it. At Hope's suggestion I gave the claiper a strip down, clean and service with new seals. Problem solved.
I am really liking my tech4 E4s, definitely feel more powerful than tech3s they replaced
Hayes Dominion A4s. After Hopes, shimanos and SRAMs of various flavours, deffo my favourites. Have them on 2 bikes now thanks to PSA on here for 60% off recently. Nirvana.
Points to note:
1) Works a wee bit better with Sintered Pads vs organic (maybe interesting trying this out in the Alps this summer - see other thread)
2) needs thicker discs - Hayes do a pair which are nice, but I couldn't fid any for the second set so just bought floating jobs off eBay that are thicker. was from another PSA off of here
The August edition of the mag will have a 4pot brakes test in it if you can wait that long!
I'll be reading that but how long did you test the brakes for?
There's a big difference between being very happy with your new brakes and actually living with the bloody things a year or two later when they've got wobbly levers, baggy o-rings, sticky plastic pistons etc etc...
Another vote for Dominion A4s. Not comparing them to a large sample (Guide Ultimate, Guide R, Hope Race) but loving them so far.
it does give me a bit of faith i can eventually get it sorted
If they are the same set you've had for 7 years and they've not been serviced I'd get a service kit and replace all of the seals etc. as suggested above. I did it with my old Guides and it was pretty straightforward if you are capable of performing a bleed already.
If you like longevity with minimal maintenance then Formula have been very good in my experience. Better than Shimano or SRAM brakes I've had.
frogstomp
Full Member
it does give me a bit of faith i can eventually get it sortedIf they are the same set you’ve had for 7 years and they’ve not been serviced I’d get a service kit and replace all of the seals etc. as suggested above. I did it with my old Guides and it was pretty straightforward if you are capable of performing a bleed already.
no these are two years old max - i ran 2 other pairs before this (total 7 years) as i simply couldnt find anything that good or consistent - so ive just stuck with them, but seems there are a few more on the market now that are as powerful
anyone know where sells the hayes dominion a4 in the uk?
Formula Cura 2pots
- No faffing getting the 4th piston to play nicely and not stick causing brake drag
- Plenty of power
- Loads of modulation
- Easy to bleed and look after
Formula Cura 2pots
– No faffing getting the 4th piston to play nicely and not stick causing brake drag
– Plenty of power
– Loads of modulation
– Easy to bleed and look after
and lots of people make pads for these.
I tend to bleed them with the adjuster all the way out...so there is the maximum amount of throw, the hope is that once bleed I need to wind it in to increase the lever throw...as I'd hope the bleed has the pads too close.
Maybe do it half way so I've scope to wind in as well though...
From memory the SRAM and Doddy bleed guide suggests winding it in so there is minimum lever throw but that then means more lever pull after the bleed...
Other then the amount of lever throw, I've found the brakes to be utterly brilliant.
Intrigued by the Saint fan club.
How would they differ to xt?
I've got xt on one bike and they are perfect. Another bike elwith xt has me constantly fettling them to match the power of the other ones.
I love Shimano because of ease of bleed and mineral oil but I want ones like on my black bike not the ones on my orange bike.
I have hope e4, v4 and xt on three bikes.
Had a 5min go on @loverofminkeys with code RSC.
(Whisper it) the codes were better than mine.
Had a 1 Min go on some saints. In a flat car park they felt the same as my xt.
Can you not go back to your previous non thick rotor set up?
I've moved from shitty SRAM code R to saints and they work so much betterer.
And before anyone thinks I am a SRAM hater, I run Guide RSC on my other bike and love them.
The saints have decent bite and the lever feels solid with much less throw than the SRAMs.
I was an avid Shimano fan until the other week when I put some Magura MT7 on my bike with 220 rotors front and back.
Jesus wept they are strong.
Quite fancy the Hayes dominion A4 to replace my saints
I was an avid Shimano fan until the other week when I put some Magura MT7 on my bike with 220 rotors front and back.
Jesus wept they are strong.
Good to hear. I'm currently running Zees but thinking about switching to MT7s. Replacing leaking levers in Shimano every couple of years didn't used to be a big deal, but now they're quite a bit more expensive and more scarce, the equation has changed.
I'm thinking of moving over as well @scienceofficer, XTs that have had a bit too much battle damage, and now just not bleeding well or feeling good, replaced one lever twice due to damage in the last 2 years and the third is on its last legs as well!
Personally thinking MT7 Pro, had them before and they're good, but i prefer natural 1 finger levers, also interested in the Hayes Dominion A4s, but can't seem to see them available anywhere for a decent price, have they been discontinued?
I’m waiting on these as a change from XTR, but they’ll work with your Code RSC levers too (I assume different seals.)
https://612-parts.com/products-2/
(Link is to some calipers, not just rotors)
Be interesting to see how they match up to Trickstuff.
Just changed my XT 4 pot to Tech 4 E4. very impressed with them. A big step up from the old Tech 3's that were on my previous bike.
I’m running some Brake Stuff thicker rotors with my Code Calipers, but one set is super old & done a bucket load of riding, so they are a bit sticky after many years service.
The extra thickness does mean the setup needs to be perfect to work, but thankfully the rotors are not like SRAM or Shimano which warp if you look at them funny.
Looking at the Cascade Calipers to swap them out to, as I recently did a full rebuild of the levers. They claim a bit more free space to allow for some flex in the system, but we will see.
Re. thicker rotors not fitting in older brakes, I had a similar problem with a pretty tired set of guides when I went from centreline rotors to thicker Magura ones. They rubbed constantly. Resetting pistons, cleaning, lubing, bleeding etc didn't work, but changing the pistons and seals sorted it completely. And made them feel a whole lot better in the process. I guess it was either tired seals or the piston had worn fractionally and don't then retract far enough to accommodate the thicker rotors. After that they were a doddle to set up and felt like new again.
Might be worth a try?
Only downside is there’s not that many people make pads for them and Formula pads are pretty expensive.
EBC pads for my R1's were £10 recently.
I swapped out my year old SRAM Guide RE's from my HT for the 10 year old ones off an old bike. So much better.
well impressed with the Magura Mt7s until i changed the pads. would try and get hold of some proper Magura ones next time rather than the [not even that] cheap ones i got from Nukeproof. i would swap the brittle levers too if they didnt feel so nice. ive got both of my lever blades held in lace woith little twigs where the pin used to be.. tried replacing twigs with nut and bolt but they didnt last. twigs ftw.
EBC pads for my R1’s were £10 recently.
How do you get an R1 pad into a Cura 4?
Personally thinking MT7 Pro, had them before and they’re good, but i prefer natural 1 finger levers,
I'm not an expert in Magura brakes, but I understood you could buy the HC version and have the 1 finger levers from stock?
glad to hear its not just me then that has struggled with alignment on these new thicker rotors - obviously made worse by the fact im constantly taking wheels in and out will not help!
but it wasnt a issue on the centreline ones, so can only assume its the thicker ones causing the headache - BTW this isnt just a bit of rubbing - its the annoying tick on every rotation, which is off putting but also alas the wheel doesnt spin very freely, ie basically comes to a stop after about 5 rotations.....so causing an amount of drag too
its more the constant ticking and having to re align them that is the issue, as stated above, maybe ill go back to the standard rotors to combat this - but i do like the feel of the hs2 rotors, they do offer a bit more bite and power
im looking at magura mt7 pro and hayes dominion a4 - i can get the maguras from the local shop i think which is handy, where as the hayes are seemingly only available now outside the uk which isnt ideal if anything goes wrong
have got me intrugied by the new hope e4's but damn they are expensive when you factor in rotors and mounts etc too
Just a note on the Maguras, is it a truth that they have 'not great' lever end reliability?
only 2 riding mates have had them, and they have both experienced (MT7s and MT5s) brake levers that would, without provocation, pish out the fluid at really unhelpful moments. Like, when you've just got the cable car up the top of an alp. it's happened more than once, put me off them.
but, anecdotal. apart form that they were absolute monster brakes!
have got me intrugied by the new hope e4’s but damn they are expensive when you factor in rotors and mounts etc too
Use what you have then.... 🙂
How do you get an R1 pad into a Cura 4?
I was responding to a question regarding "Formula" pads.
Steve at iCycles is the man for Formula brakes etc.
benpinnick
Full Member
have got me intrugied by the new hope e4’s but damn they are expensive when you factor in rotors and mounts etc tooUse what you have then…. 🙂
do they play well with sram rotors? especially these being thicker?
Mine are fine.
not so much Shimano rotors. They eat Shimano rotors.
I was responding to a question regarding “Formula” pads.
Steve at iCycles is the man for Formula brakes etc.
You were quoting me and I was talking about original Cura 4 pads being expensive.
However I’ve been trying the Cura 4’s and really like them.
Only downside is there’s not that many people make pads for them and Formula pads are pretty expensive.
Thanks for the Steve tip but I don't really need any help with my brakes.
Unless he can sell me some Cura 4 pads cheap. 😀
Evo cycles had hayes in stock when I spoke to them a couple of weeks ago.
Don't know what you want to pay for cura 4 pads but I bought some extra galfer ones at an ok price from bikester when I bought the brakes. Might be worth a look.
For anyone running the new Hope Tech 4 E4 or V4 do they still constantly chirp even in the dry? Love the simplicity and power of my Shimano 4 pots but getting fed up with leaky diaphragm’s in the master cylinder and have broken 2 levers in crashes. So thinking of trying the new Hopes but my old tech 3 E4’s were underwhelming and constantly noisy.
I’m running the previous Tech 3 levers on both bikes, V4 calipers with 220/200 discs (the new thicker non-floating ones) on my Levo and E4 calipers with 203/183 floating discs on my Moxie. I think I’ve got the new purple pads (are they some kind of sintered/organic hybrid?) both ends of the Levo and organic on the Moxie (Hope organic pads seem to last ages compared to others).
I’m trying to remember what’s been done to them over the years - the Moxie’s set are on their fourth frame and date from 2013. They had a Hope service once when they were on the first bike because a piston was being weird but since then I think there’s just been a few pad changes and a couple of bleeds. The Levo’s date from 2018 and have been through a few sets of pads and one set of discs and maybe bled once?
I like the feel, I like the lever adjustability, I like how well they keep working over the years and they have plenty of power.
I bought the red ones I think, but that was based on nothing more than a bit of internetting. I think the more expensive green ones are more of a race compound which I don't think I really need.
I've only just bought the curas so will use the stock pads first but got extras as they're a bit harder to come by.
Bikester shipping isn't too pricey either and came within a week.
Can anyone confirm if this is the correct kit for the new codes?
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/brakes/sram-code-r-b1-rsc-a1-caliper-piston-kit/
I'm going with what I have on all 3 of my bikes. Formula Cura 2. Only approx £200 a set and perform faultlessly. My original set I got when they first came out - 3 years ago? Maybe more? Not touched any of the sets I have other than pad changes (although I did have to bleed first rear as I changed bikes, internal routing)
As said previously. 2pot ftw. No faffing with pistons. Keep it simple*.
*Possibly need 4 pot for heavy loads!
@singlespeedstu i've been running Galfer pads in my Saints and am impressed, high level of bite and good wear levels. Red is pretty much sintered with black what Shimano call resin.
@Burchy1
Cheers mate and hope your all well down that end of the UK.
All good down this end @singlespeedstu , been meaning to get up your way for a while, if i make it later in the year i'll give you a shout and you can show me some of the lesser known corners 😉
It'd be a pleasure and great to catch up again.
I currently run Code RSCs and have had no end of trouble with the rear rubbing, however one thing i did find was that when you bleed you need to finish as you started i.e with the caliper syringe 1/4 full of the fluid and the lever syringe 3/4 full. I think its quite easy to overfill the system when bleeding, leading to limited space for the disc.
Once i started doing this, hey presto the rubbing was reduced significantly - i now have zero rub after spending 10mins with a park rotor tool (as mentioned SRAM discs love to warp!)
Also, if you are not directly mounting to the frame i.e 180mm mount to 200mm with adapter make sure you have the conical washers installed under the bolt head as this can stop the caliper "walking" out of position as you tighten. I still eye in my calipers by hand rather than the spin, pull the brake and hold method as well.
I never seem to have any drag on the front, however that is a direct 200m mount (Rockshox Zeb).
Will probably end up swapping to Cura 2-pots at some point in the near future though.
Quite fancy the Hayes dominion A4 to replace my saints
I missed the PSA.....merr...arrr....bugger.