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Hi Folks, I've got Sram Guide T 4 pot brakes on my new bike.
They stop me fine but I don't like how far I need to pull the levers to get them biting.
The Levers only have basic reach adjustment, nothing else.
Is there anyway I can tune the feel of the brakes with a bleed? Or is long lever throw just a feature of SRAM brakes? I was previously using XTs.
SRAM brakes have a very different feel to Shimano, they don't have the on/off instant bite of a shimano brake, instead they will have gradual modulatable power. Some call that 'mushy' but there's not a lot you can do to change it.
I disagree with the above. You can advance the pistons with the wheel out by pumping the lever and get the starting point closer to the rotor to reduce throw in the lever. It's a fine line between rubbing brakes and less lever throw and you have to play around with it. This is with guide rs BTW but sure it will apply to level Ts. I've ridden them on a hire bike and they had very little lever throw.
Without the pad contact adjust, its not easy (Im fussy about bite point now so have RSC models on my bikes). With my Juicy brakes, I use to bleed them without the pads full retracted which worked in reducing the amount of throw before biting albeit the amount would increase as pads wore down.
ahh well, are we talking dead zone before the pads bite - in which case yes, pushing the pistons out will work in lieu of a bite point adjuster.
Or, is the bite point OK and the issue is the soft lever feel with a lot of movement before you get any power? If so, that's a 'SRAM thing'.
Yeah, remove wheel, pump lever a few times to move pistons in...
I've just changed from Guide Ts to RSCs and they're a very different feel, and obviously more adjustable. I think it's a "bottom end SRAM brake feel" rather than a "SRAM brake feel".
SRAM brakes are known for better modulation so not on/off but a bleed to remove air/replace old fluid (dot is hygroscopic) can firm up the feel if they feel too soft despite biting
They feel fine once they are biting, there is just too much dead travel before the pads bite.
I've got stubby fingers so I run my levers pretty close to the bars, this means with a lot of dead travel you almost end up pulling the lever to the bars.
I have a permanent bruise on my third knuckle from catching it on the end of the brake lever!
OK, in that case do as nick said - remove wheel, GENTLY (and carefully) push the pistons out a tiny bit by working the lever, then refit the wheel. That should move the pads closer to the disk meaning less deadzone before the pads make cotact.
Cheers I'll give it a try