![]() ![]() The second cohort is targeted at cross-country and downcountry riders, who still need plenty of stopping power without upsetting the scales. We’ve kitted these brakes out with 200mm rotors front and rear to get the most out of their four-piston calipers and tested them on an e-MTB and our enduro bikes. This year, our expert reviewers have tested a selection of the best mountain bike brakes, split into two broad genres.įirst, there’s a selection of the most powerful stoppers, aimed at downhill, enduro and electric mountain bike riders. I have found the pistons can get quite sticky, and so a bit of maintenance is needed occasionally to keep them performing consistently. I ride a lot of Code R brakes on test bikes, testament to their popularity. On the face of it, these are exceptional brakes, given their cost. I experienced next to no lever-body flex, which certainly helps give the brakes a crisp feel. The lever stroke is light, and achieving maximum power is easy with a single finger. I had no issues running these brakes on downhill bikes or e-MTBs. At its maximum, the power provided is amongst the best. The power curve feels linear, building predictably as you pull the lever, though right at the end of the lever’s stroke the power builds to a real crescendo. Pull the lever a touch more, though, and the full force of the brake comes through. When the pads bite the rotor, there’s good initial power, but they aren’t overly grabby, helping the front wheel maintain grip on loose or slippery surfaces. As such, I ran the levers a touch further out with the Code R than I might otherwise, in order to get the bite point where I like. The SwingLink reduces the dead stroke in the lever movement by making the pads move further per unit of lever movement early in the stroke. This is because the Code R uses SRAM’s DirectLink pivot, rather than the SwingLink found in the Code RSC. With the factory bleed, there’s quite a bit of lever free stroke before the pads contact the rotor. Simply put, with the HS2 rotor, there is power in buckets – backed up with decent control too. It’s easy to see why Code brakes are popular with gravity-fed riders. The Code R brakes were tested using SRAM’s HS2 rotors. SRAM claims this can reduce caliper fluid temperatures by up to 20 degrees Celsius. A small metal heat shield separates the leading edge pad’s backing plate from the caliper body. The two-piece aluminium caliper holds a long sintered brake pad, kept in place with a single bolt. The dial is easier to rotate if you push the lever blade out a little while you twist it. ![]() ![]() The blade’s surface is smooth, rather than textured.Īdjustment on this budget brake is limited to lever reach, but an external dial gives a good range of adjustment. The aluminium lever blade is a touch longer than Shimano’s offerings and has a relatively straight profile, though there’s an upturned end to keep your finger locked in place. It can be a bit of a fiddle to set up, getting the clamp and body aligned while threading and screwing the bolt in, but once done, it’s an easy setup to use and adjust to your preferences. The clamp is a separate hinged item, with the brake lever body being held between the clamp’s T25 bolt. This enables easy integration of SRAM shifter or dropper levers, although aftermarket Shimano adaptors are also available. As with all of SRAM’s brakes, the lever attaches to the bar with its Matchmaker clamp. ![]()
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