Hi All, I’ve had my guide ultimates for a few years and they have been faultless, but noticed a lack of power on the rear brake last time out. I’ve bled it very thoroughly and put new pads in but it still seems a bit strange:

– The lever needs a pump up (first pull will go to the bars, second onwards seems ok)

– The pad contact in wheel seems to be working in reverse? I bled them with the contact all the way out as usual, but if I wind it all the way towards ‘in’ the lever just goes to the bars, the opposite of what it should be doing!

Dodgy bleed? Lever faulty? Anyone else had it?

Sounds like air in the system. I had to change the piston and seals in the rear caliper of mine after 3 years and that made them feel like new again.

I’d be thinking I still had a bit of air in the system. Took me ages to get it all out last time I bled my Guides.

Sram’s Guide bleed instructions are pretty stupid. If you turn the dial in the direction of the arrow (like old Juicy and the like IIRC) to bleed, then you’ll get a more positive bite point / shorter throw on the lever when you turn the adjuster the other way once bled. Sram want you to do the opposite which makes the lever feel go from ‘not very good’ to useless for some reason.

Walleater – thanks!! I rebled them with the pad contact all the way in and they seem great now, very positive with the contact wound all the way back out. I did also get a bubble out but it may have been from connecting up the syringe again.

No problem. Weird eh? Maybe Sram printed the arrow on the lever the wrong way around and still haven’t noticed!

Not totally sure on the Guides, but all the other Avids with pad adjust wheels have worked the opposite to how i’d expect too, i.e. wind it in, and it moves the bite point closer to the bars.