Levo SL Gen 1 Official Levo SL Thread

[George_KSL]

Looking at changing my forks to Lyrik Ultimate 160mm. The 42mm offset is cheaper than the 51mm. Is there going to be much difference by going this route or best sticking to 51mm?

Current SL is the last Specialized 29" trail bike with old/longer offset. Definitely get the 42mm offset. It won't make any dramatic difference, but the increased trail will provide additional traction and calmer steering.

Levo SL can only benefit from that in my opinion and having ridden my wife's SL with ZEB fork, it rides fantastically :- ).

 

[bbkp]

thx for sharing your experiences.

yesterday there was a warmer day, about 10 degress, and it seems i have a different fork.
the harshness on small bumps has reduced so significantly that I will not change to the Z1 coil.
so thank you everybody for sharing your opinions and experinces with 51/44.

one final thought for 160mm. if for some other reason
I will change fork I dont think I go for 160mm.
the seat angle of the levo is not the steepest, so I think with flatting the angle
I will loose more of pedalling comfort and effeciency than I can gain from another 10mm on the front in the downhills.

one year later and after a couple of cold harsh rides i decided to switch to the Z1 coil.
I just mounted it, switched the coil to xtrafirm an give it try.
AMAZING.
uphil and downhill is going so much better.

I dont know what it is specifically, but 36 instead of 34, 44 offset instead of 51, coil instead of air,
it just works for me. so happy i finally changed it.

 

[chamaruco]

I have a 2020 SL Expert, and I ride some rocky terrain (new fav trail pic) and have cracked my bash guard (aka rock guard).

I'm looking at replacement options... weighing between just get a Spesh OEM replacment, or there are a couple aftermarket metal guards. I'm tempted to go aftermarket metal, but I'm wondering if anyone here has run one longer term and how it has gone. It occurs to me that the design of the OEM version might be semi-fragile on purpose.... meaning, breaking it is part of the design to keep the frame safe, vs having something unbreakable and transferring the shock energy to the bolt holes or elsewhere. or maybe I'm over thinking it.
thoughts?

View attachment 69367

View attachment 69368

Did you replace it? I'm in the same issue

 

[AaronMc]

Current SL is the last Specialized 29" trail bike with old/longer offset. Definitely get the 42mm offset. It won't make any dramatic difference, but the increased trail will provide additional traction and calmer steering.

Levo SL can only benefit from that in my opinion and having ridden my wife's SL with ZEB fork, it rides fantastically :- ).

Great stuff thank you, the forks are now here! Going on Wednesday!

 

[KnollyBro]

My wife and I are very happy with our Ohlins setup (RXF-36 M.2 AIRTTX18 170mm fork, TTX 22 M Coil shock ) on our mulleted Levos.

 

[George_KSL]

Love it ! Tell more, what sizes are these? Medium both? Standard shock size, BB flipchip in which position?
Any chance you could photograph one of them with seat up?

I actually put 170mm for on wife's LevoSL as well as instead of KSL wanted overall lighter bike for her.
I am debating mulleting it as well, but the seat angle might become issue, although the seat can be slided pretty far forward to offset it partially (it negates roughly 2 degrees).

 

[KnollyBro]

Love it ! Tell more, what sizes are these? Medium both? Standard shock size, BB flipchip in which position?
Any chance you could photograph one of them with seat up?

I actually put 170mm for on wife's LevoSL as well as instead of KSL wanted overall lighter bike for her.
I am debating mulleting it as well, but the seat angle might become issue, although the seat can be slided pretty far forward to offset it partially (it negates roughly 2 degrees).

Yes, they are both medium. My wife an I are almost the same height 5'7-8" but she has longer legs. The shocks are 210x55. I run a Cascade link on mine. The flip chip is set on High. IMHO, mulletting the bikes have made them more maneuverable on the predominantly techy type trails we ride. I have ridden mine on every double black trail in the Whistler Bike Park and on a variety of trails throughout BC without issue. We care more about riding down hill than riding up hill so the seat angle is not that important to us. Besides, my wife can kick my ass riding up any climbing trail we have around here and she says its the nicest climbing bike she has ridden (ok, maybe its the motor ). She is in her early 50s and I am turning 60 so your experience may vary!
I had a Kenevo but it was too heavy to be fun on the way down. I have ordered a Kenevo SL but when it arrives is anyones guess. Our Levo SLs have been very good to us!

Where we ride:

 

[chamaruco]

Great video. is there a way to enjoy this suspension without brakes…?

 

[KnollyBro]

Great video. is there a way to enjoy this suspension without brakes…?

Thanks. Haha... not with our current skill set .

 

[apac]

Thanks. Haha... not with our current skill set .

Great riding maan. Fully under control. I wish all riders were less in a rush.

 

[George_KSL]

Ok that's really nice riding and very inspiring. You guys are the age of my dad and also my wife's parents and I wish they would be active like this. We give them all the support in regards to bikes but to much avail. I will keep showing them your video for the rest of the year. You

You will love the KSL when it comes. I had one for few months, same as LevoSL for my wife. At first I thought of doing two KSLs, but despite the KSL being better in every single way almost, the lower weight of SL and more nimbleness in the end proved to be better choice for my wife who isn't such a hardcore rider. With similar builds except shock, the KSL is 20KG and SL 18KG. Sounds about right and my wife says it's the best bike she ever had, and the happyness she has every time she goes for ride is insane :- ).

Our 'stealth' builds. No mud because recovering from Omicron (despite booster in December). Not enough energy to run up the stairs :- /.

 

[sdcoffeeroaster]

Yes, they are both medium. My wife an I are almost the same height 5'7-8" but she has longer legs. The shocks are 210x55. I run a Cascade link on mine. The flip chip is set on High. IMHO, mulletting the bikes have made them more maneuverable on the predominantly techy type trails we ride. I have ridden mine on every double black trail in the Whistler Bike Park and on a variety of trails throughout BC without issue. We care more about riding down hill than riding up hill so the seat angle is not that important to us. Besides, my wife can kick my ass riding up any climbing trail we have around here and she says its the nicest climbing bike she has ridden (ok, maybe its the motor ). She is in her early 50s and I am turning 60 so your experience may vary!
I had a Kenevo but it was too heavy to be fun on the way down. I have ordered a Kenevo SL but when it arrives is anyones guess. Our Levo SLs have been very good to us!

Where we ride:

View attachment 82382

So does running the flip chip on high give you additional clearance when the shock is bottomed out? In my case I didn't want more than 66 deg fork angles either so I am in the low flip chip setting if I understand this correctly. In checking my 2021 sl expert carbon I found that I barely had 2 mm of clearance before their was contact with my 210x55mm DVO shock (using this instead of the 210x52.5mm dpx2), which would lead to the frame cracking on a very hard bottoming hit IMO. The DVO has a bottoming 0-ring too and so in checking it I had my shock travel limited to about 51mm and it was very close, adequate but not enough to go another 2.5mm, too close to risk damaging a very expensive frame for 2.5mm of shock travel so I installed the spacer to limit travel and 52.5mm and sleep better at night, lol.

 

[KnollyBro]

Ok that's really nice riding and very inspiring. You guys are the age of my dad and also my wife's parents and I wish they would be active like this. We give them all the support in regards to bikes but to much avail. I will keep showing them your video for the rest of the year. You

You will love the KSL when it comes. I had one for few months, same as LevoSL for my wife. At first I thought of doing two KSLs, but despite the KSL being better in every single way almost, the lower weight of SL and more nimbleness in the end proved to be better choice for my wife who isn't such a hardcore rider. With similar builds except shock, the KSL is 20KG and SL 18KG. Sounds about right and my wife says it's the best bike she ever had, and the happyness she has every time she goes for ride is insane :- ).

Our 'stealth' builds. No mud because recovering from Omicron (despite booster in December). Not enough energy to run up the stairs :- /.

View attachment 82420

Very nice! I think the best thing in the my life is getting to ride with my wife. We are both very fortunate men! You; however, are in the luckiest category by finding two black bikes. The only Kenevo SL they will send to Canada with be the crappy white and grey color version. I may have to bring out a can of spray paint, if it ever arrives! Happy trails!

 

[KnollyBro]

So does running the flip chip on high give you additional clearance when the shock is bottomed out? In my case I didn't want more than 66 deg fork angles either so I am in the low flip chip setting if I understand this correctly. In checking my 2021 sl expert carbon I found that I barely had 2 mm of clearance before their was contact with my 210x55mm DVO shock (using this instead of the 210x52.5mm dpx2), which would lead to the frame cracking on a very hard bottoming hit IMO. The DVO has a bottoming 0-ring too and so in checking it I had my shock travel limited to about 51mm and it was very close, adequate but not enough to go another 2.5mm, too close to risk damaging a very expensive frame for 2.5mm of shock travel so I installed the spacer to limit travel and 52.5mm and sleep better at night, lol.

View attachment 82456

Running the flip chip on High does give the BB more clearance but I am also running a Casade Link which also changes both the progression rate and adds travel. I also had my shock's shim stack tuned to add more HSC. At your weight, age and stated level of aggressive riding, will you be bottoming out an air shock that often ?

Levo SL Link

 

[sdcoffeeroaster]

Running the flip chip on High does give the BB more clearance but I am also running a Casade Link which also changes both the progression rate and adds travel. I also had my shock's shim stack tuned to add more HSC. At your weight, age and stated level of aggressive riding, will you be bottoming out an air shock that often ?

Levo SL Link

Well seems to me it would only take one unexpected hard hit to crack a frame. And we all know how "unexpected" things just seem to happen on mtn bikes right? I have bottomed out the shock or nearly so off of some smaller jumps and while tuning with a volume spacer might reduce that possibility (I did add one to the DVO after that) I think with the std components Specialized must have had this in mind limiting the shock travel to 52.5mm. Like me I trust they are engineers that design things for a reason.

And the pics don't lie, lol. I was not able to slide a 2.5mm hex wrench into that gap and 2mm barely fit. It's a very good spot for a crack to initiate too by the looks of the machining done there. Maybe I'll take the volume spacer out of the DVO one day and run it down to close to 55mm just to take a pic of that. But is the minor gain is worth the risk to the $10K+ bike? But I do wonder how others were getting around this. I think the Casade link (they only talk about results with 52.5mm travel) and flip chip on high is one way probably but would love to see a similar pic of how close it gets. I'm sure you've checked that. The reverse mullet setup will also mitigate the less slack resulting from putting the flip chip on high too.

And while I don't go crazy on downhills I do the drops, rocky technical section and faster riding of my younger partners with a bit more caution on loose SoCal downhills. I started riding at age 68 but rode Observed Trials back in the 70's for at least 3-4 years so those skills allowed me to progress pretty fast...too fast for my own good I think and broke my collar bone, 2 ribs and my shoulder blade on one of those stupid unexpected crashes that should never have happened. So I now know I am mortal and ride accordingly to live to ride another day rather than surf the recliner for 3-5 months healing up.

 

[KnollyBro]

Well seems to me it would only take one unexpected hard hit to crack a frame. And we all know how "unexpected" things just seem to happen on mtn bikes right? I have bottomed out the shock or nearly so off of some smaller jumps and while tuning with a volume spacer might reduce that possibility (I did add one to the DVO after that) I think with the std components Specialized must have had this in mind limiting the shock travel to 52.5mm. Like me I trust they are engineers that design things for a reason.

And the pics don't lie, lol. I was not able to slide a 2.5mm hex wrench into that gap and 2mm barely fit. It's a very good spot for a crack to initiate too by the looks of the machining done there. Maybe I'll take the volume spacer out of the DVO one day and run it down to close to 55mm just to take a pic of that. But is the minor gain is worth the risk to the $10K+ bike? But I do wonder how others were getting around this. I think the Casade link (they only talk about results with 52.5mm travel) and flip chip on high is one way probably but would love to see a similar pic of how close it gets. I'm sure you've checked that. The reverse mullet setup will also mitigate the less slack resulting from putting the flip chip on high too.

And while I don't go crazy on downhills I do the drops, rocky technical section and faster riding of my younger partners with a bit more caution on loose SoCal downhills. I started riding at age 68 but rode Observed Trials back in the 70's for at least 3-4 years so those skills allowed me to progress pretty fast...too fast for my own good I think and broke my collar bone, 2 ribs and my shoulder blade on one of those stupid unexpected crashes that should never have happened. So I now know I am mortal and ride accordingly to live to ride another day rather than surf the recliner for 3-5 months healing up.

While I agree that things can happen at any time while riding an mtb, these bikes are designed to take hard hits and with properly set up suspension and proper technique, one should be able to land off of any 3-4' drop without feeling anything. Altho I try to avoid dropping to flat, over 4', as I too consider myself "older and wiser" with a multitude of ongoing injuries. It sounds like you know a enough about bike setup to consider increasing your HSC if you are bottoming out that often on high shaft speed impacts. When I had an air shock, I was using 2 volume spacers. Much can be said for proper technique which we can all benefit from working on, at any age. Personally, I switch between two drop techniques as listed below. I much prefer steep tech but the second drop in my video is over 5 feet to flat and I didn't feel a thing. YMMV. Know your limit, ride within it!


and everyone's favorite Pinkbike instructor:


My first jump trail of the year:

 

[sdcoffeeroaster]

While I agree that things can happen at any time while riding an mtb, these bikes are designed to take hard hits and with properly set up suspension and proper technique, one should be able to land off of any 3-4' drop without feeling anything.

So there's the key in my opinion, the bike was designed for a 210x52.5mm shock and it shows. I was very careful to check first seeing so many using the 55mm travel. I suppose it's unlikely you will bottom it completely but the possibility is there from what I can tell.

My issue is more of trying to use full travel or close to it given my weight and riding. My Focus was so progressive after mid stroke that there was just no way to use that last 10-12mm even on the hardest intentional hit. I think I'm getting closer with the DVO and found that their newer bladder design allows me to lower the bladder pressure below 170 to 150 psi. The Spec feels much more controlled and pretty linear which so far is working out for me. The Focus wallowed a bit thru mid stroke but this Spec doesn't and really isolates things like wash board surfaces so well. I am using my Lyrik Ultimate instead of the fox 36 grip2 but they both worked well.

 

[KnollyBro]

So there's the key in my opinion, the bike was designed for a 210x52.5mm shock and it shows. I was very careful to check first seeing so many using the 55mm travel. I suppose it's unlikely you will bottom it completely but the possibility is there from what I can tell.

My issue is more of trying to use full travel or close to it given my weight and riding. My Focus was so progressive after mid stroke that there was just no way to use that last 10-12mm even on the hardest intentional hit. I think I'm getting closer with the DVO and found that their newer bladder design allows me to lower the bladder pressure below 170 to 150 psi. The Spec feels much more controlled and pretty linear which so far is working out for me. The Focus wallowed a bit thru mid stroke but this Spec doesn't and really isolates things like wash board surfaces so well. I am using my Lyrik Ultimate instead of the fox 36 grip2 but they both worked well.

View attachment 82458

Like I said, Your Milage May Vary on the setup, the type of trail you enjoy riding and your level of expectations as to the capabilities of the bike. I didn't like the linear feel of the stock rear suspension so I upgraded to the Cascade Link. I don't like the maintenance costs of air shocks and like the feel of coil shocks so I went with the Ohlins. In the end, I waiting for a Kenevo SL to show up, which I think has a much better suspension setup, but it weighs more. First World problems Happy trails!

 

[sdcoffeeroaster]

My oneup dropper post showed up early today but of course the stock cable is NOT compatible with it and they did not include a screw on cable end that will fit it. The existing one is about 1.7mm too wide and must be ground down to fit. A friend fixed his by grinding it down and this works. Mine in about 9.8 mm X 6mm diam and I need less than 7.4 x 6mm. The ks lev droppers use this screwed up arrangement too. I could just buy new lever for $50-60. but the existing one, remote SRL LE lever, works just fine. I did not try to grind my cable end today until I had a back up one in hand. I could not find one online that actually listed the dimensions so I bought a couple of new LEV screw on ends. Does everyone just buy a new dropper lever? The x-fusion dropper has two issues for me. You can't insert in any lower than about 25mm from fully inserted on the medium bike (150mm dropper) and I think even then it's rubbing internally. And the x-fusion dropper seems to take a really hard push downward to get it started on it's drop. Since my skinny butt is already giving me some issues, soreness and saddle sores too, I wanted to fix these two issues. I'd like to run it down to about 15mm for my short inseam. Running it a bit long make the sore butt issue worse too with some rocking side to side.

 

[turtleblitz]

My oneup dropper post showed up early today but of course the stock cable is NOT compatible with it and they did not include a screw on cable end that will fit it. The existing one is about 1.7mm too wide and must be ground down to fit. A friend fixed his by grinding it down and this works. Mine in about 9.8 mm X 6mm diam and I need less than 7.4 x 6mm. The ks lev droppers use this screwed up arrangement too. I could just buy new lever for $50-60. but the existing one, remote SRL LE lever, works just fine. I did not try to grind my cable end today until I had a back up one in hand. I could not find one online that actually listed the dimensions so I bought a couple of new LEV screw on ends. Does everyone just buy a new dropper lever? The x-fusion dropper has two issues for me. You can't insert in any lower than about 25mm from fully inserted on the medium bike (150mm dropper) and I think even then it's rubbing internally. And the x-fusion dropper seems to take a really hard push downward to get it started on it's drop. Since my skinny butt is already giving me some issues, soreness and saddle sores too, I wanted to fix these two issues. I'd like to run it down to about 15mm for my short inseam. Running it a bit long make the sore butt issue worse too with some rocking side to side.

What size oneup dropper did you get?
I have noticed the initial stickiness of the x-fusion dropper which is annoying but fine but the main issue I am having is it just feels harder to get it fully out of the way for drops than on previous acoustic bike (2018 SantaCruz Hightower with RockShox Reverb Stealth 31.6).
Both 150mm droppers and frames different enough though to be the reason for the issue. Same seat on both bikes too.
Have tried keeping the overall seat height lower but noticed soreness on my knees on longer rides so I am thinking that trade off is not going to be good for my knees long term and I should just bite the bullet and get a dropper that can drop a bit further than 150mm once I check the max insertion etc etc. Annoying that the lever is not compatible from what you say.

 

[sdcoffeeroaster]

What size oneup dropper did you get?
I have noticed the initial stickiness of the x-fusion dropper which is annoying but fine but the main issue I am having is it just feels harder to get it fully out of the way for drops than on previous acoustic bike (2018 SantaCruz Hightower with RockShox Reverb Stealth 31.6).
Both 150mm droppers and frames different enough though to be the reason for the issue. Same seat on both bikes too.
Have tried keeping the overall seat height lower but noticed soreness on my knees on longer rides so I am thinking that trade off is not going to be good for my knees long term and I should just bite the bullet and get a dropper that can drop a bit further than 150mm once I check the max insertion etc etc. Annoying that the lever is not compatible from what you say.

It turns out they sell a cable kit that has a set screw type cable end included. I'm assuming that will work and I told them, why not include the cable in with the cable because it's a new bike and I don't need the cable, lol. The 150mm should be able to be inserted all the way into a medium carbon frame....I'll know in a few days and will repost. I plan to cut a KS LEV cable end down by 1.7mm to fit since I already order a few of these. I did not want to take a chance on ruining the one on the bike and not having a bike to ride but it's raining hard here now so no riding.

With my saddle sore issues and just sore butt I think lowering the saddle enough to get some leg bend at the bottom of the stroke helps. The fact that I have to occasionally bounce on the x-fusion hard to get it to drop and my weight alone won't do it is aggravating my "condition". I was running the new Ergon SMC core. Lots of padding and taller which really didn't translate into more comfort for me like I hoped. I'm back to the sq lab 610 I have...lighter and thinner and seems to be a bit better for me right now.

My other major issue with this bike is the scraping and squealing of the code front brake I can't seem to fix. Back is OK. New pads, resin and centerline rotors too. Perfectly centered now too. The noise comes and goes and I think it might be heat related and possibly a stuck piston. So far I think sram brakes are a bit subpar. Rotor looks flat but have to come up with a better way to check that.

 

[turtleblitz]

My other major issue with this bike is the scraping and squealing of the code front brake I can't seem to fix. Back is OK. New pads, resin and centerline rotors too. Perfectly centered now too. The noise comes and goes and I think it might be heat related and possibly a stuck piston. So far I think sram brakes are a bit subpar. Rotor looks flat but have to come up with a better way to check that.

I am starting to agree about SRAM brakes. Have tried to be a fan for too long now.
I was happy with the Codes on the Levo SL up until this week. They are now 3 months from new and I am riding 1-2 times a week. All of a sudden I noticed the rear lever is starting to get close to the bars feeling a bit squishy.
I used to have that exact problem on my last acoustic bike that had SRAM Guide R which seemed to need bleeding every 5 minutes until I gave up and threw them in the bin. Changed to SRAM G2 RSC. I liked them but did have the same problem you mention of sticky piston every now and then.
If the Codes are heading down that road of being unreliable I might just have to wave goodbye to SRAM and move to Shimano XT or similar finally. Have enough spares to keep with them for now though.
So many people I know keep saying all the little annoyances like you describe and I have had on and off with 2 bikes with SRAM brakes just isn't worth it.
I will try new pads which I already have and do a better job of bedding things in this time and also do a first bleed on the Codes but squishy brakes is not something I like if it keeps coming back every few months. It might be looking like no more DOT fluid in my future.
Overall though I love the Levo SL. Its nice to have only a few of these annoying little things as my biggest issues and still have a huge smile every time I get out on the trails.

 

[sdcoffeeroaster]

I am starting to agree about SRAM brakes. Have tried to be a fan for too long now.
I was happy with the Codes on the Levo SL up until this week. They are now 3 months from new and I am riding 1-2 times a week. All of a sudden I noticed the rear lever is starting to get close to the bars feeling a bit squishy.
I used to have that exact problem on my last acoustic bike that had SRAM Guide R which seemed to need bleeding every 5 minutes until I gave up and threw them in the bin. Changed to SRAM G2 RSC. I liked them but did have the same problem you mention of sticky piston every now and then.
If the Codes are heading down that road of being unreliable I might just have to wave goodbye to SRAM and move to Shimano XT or similar finally. Have enough spares to keep with them for now though.
So many people I know keep saying all the little annoyances like you describe and I have had on and off with 2 bikes with SRAM brakes just isn't worth it.
I will try new pads which I already have and do a better job of bedding things in this time and also do a first bleed on the Codes but squishy brakes is not something I like if it keeps coming back every few months. It might be looking like no more DOT fluid in my future.
Overall though I love the Levo SL. Its nice to have only a few of these annoying little things as my biggest issues and still have a huge smile every time I get out on the trails.

I agree with you, love my sl but not the brakes so much. I paid so much for it and now to shell out $3-500. to convert the brakes to something else continually makes me want to make the Codes work. I even bought the very expensive bleed kit and watched on video on the very convoluted bleeding techniques. Compare to the mt520's I had on the Focus (cost $50 for each caliper) the Codes are so difficult to fix. But I'd need new levers, new shifter too I guess to replace the x01 setup? I get that far and then step back and figure it's not a design flaw somewhere is it...I mean brakes are brakes right, lol? I can make this work by being methodical and checking everything. Or am I delusional? Don't answer that rhetorical question, lol.

 

[KnollyBro]

I agree with you, love my sl but not the brakes so much. I paid so much for it and now to shell out $3-500. to convert the brakes to something else continually makes me want to make the Codes work. I even bought the very expensive bleed kit and watched on video on the very convoluted bleeding techniques. Compare to the mt520's I had on the Focus (cost $50 for each caliper) the Codes are so difficult to fix. But I'd need new levers, new shifter too I guess to replace the x01 setup? I get that far and then step back and figure it's not a design flaw somewhere is it...I mean brakes are brakes right, lol? I can make this work by being methodical and checking everything. Or am I delusional? Don't answer that rhetorical question, lol.

Code RSC brakes have good modulation and are very adjustable. Once you get the hang of the bleeding, it can be done in under 5 minutes as you usually only need to do a lever bleed. If you have good stopping power but the noise bothers you, turn up the radio as it will resolve and sound related issues .

 

[sdcoffeeroaster]

Code RSC brakes have good modulation and are very adjustable. Once you get the hang of the bleeding, it can be done in under 5 minutes as you usually only need to do a lever bleed. If you have good stopping power but the noise bothers you, turn up the radio as it will resolve and sound related issues .

LOL, who rides with a radio on? A good way to miss the sound of a rattling rattle snake or get hit by another rider, lol. I have the Code R brakes and plan to do a full bleed just to experience the pain and insure that things are right. The brakes are not spongy but the noise can be a bit unbearable for the rider and those around him too..to me it says POS and a clueless owner as well. And it's always been a sign for me of "something is not working right" when I hear others squealing away.

I talked to another rider who had two different shops here work on his Code R's to quiet them down and eliminate the fade he was experiencing...no luck and when sram sent him a new complete set he immediately sold them and converted to Shimano with no future issues. Like so many, he was tired of screwing around with SRAM brakes when there are many other better options. It's not a coincidence that so many think Sram brakes suck is it? Yes the noise bothers me like the noise of a rattling EP8 would, unpredictable, metallic scraping or clanking in the case of the EP8. And the brake squeal does indicate reduced braking performance/vibration or lack of friction. This bike came to me slightly used and the rotors on it were obviously overheated and multi-colored. But now that it's raining it's time to learn how to perform a full bleed, as convoluted as the process looks compared to the simple bleeding of a Shimano. I'm sure once I do it I'll think differently. And then there is that caustic DOT fluid VS mineral oil to contend with, lol. I am hopeful I can resolve this and not have to resort to a complete brake change over.

 

[chamaruco]

the best way to solve this issue is replacing them with shimano xt
even one piston performs better.

 

[sdcoffeeroaster]

the best way to solve this issue is replacing them with shimano xt
even one piston performs better.

Yeah I think you might be right about that. The bike is only 38 lbs and I'm 145 lbs so probably don't even need 200=-203mm rotors.

 

[George_KSL]

The noise for Codes can be multiple things: If you're on RS fork, having Torque caps help a lot in stabilizing the wheel. The classic SRAM Centerline disc, in 200 and 220mm is quite flexy as well, after all, their new one is thicker, but still nowhere near as thick as the competition nowadays (like TRP disc). Hence, the front brake in particular can get noisy, esp. under heavier/stronger rider who flexes the front a lot.

Then there are pads who retain the power of sintered, but accoustics of organic, like Trickstuff Power. But boy, are they gone in a whim :- D You go on two rides and they're gone... but they're damn powerful and silent.
After paying few times for them I went back to full-metallic again.. noisy but no need to replace every week.

But these are ultimately still a great brakes. They're at top tier of power (below Magura, Trickstuff, etc... but on par with Shimano, Hayes..and of course, lot more than Hope), very nice modulation, pretty easy service, good parts availability at every bike shop (and bike centre/park).

And SRAM brakes are now specced on 90perc. of all bikes from factory. Of course you'll hear about their troubles lot more (and damn, I remember having the sticky piston with 3 pairs of Guide brakes few years ago, such a shitty design). The reviews don't (all) lie/sugarcoat, reviewers and pros are universally very fond of Codes. And difference between R & RSC is just matter of smoothness (due to bearing) and bit more modulation. Same power though.

 

[sdcoffeeroaster]

The noise for Codes can be multiple things: If you're on RS fork, having Torque caps help a lot in stabilizing the wheel. The classic SRAM Centerline disc, in 200 and 220mm is quite flexy as well, after all, their new one is thicker, but still nowhere near as thick as the competition nowadays (like TRP disc). Hence, the front brake in particular can get noisy, esp. under heavier/stronger rider who flexes the front a lot.

Then there are pads who retain the power of sintered, but accoustics of organic, like Trickstuff Power. But boy, are they gone in a whim :- D You go on two rides and they're gone... but they're damn powerful and silent.
After paying few times for them I went back to full-metallic again.. noisy but no need to replace every week.

But these are ultimately still a great brakes. They're at top tier of power (below Magura, Trickstuff, etc... but on par with Shimano, Hayes..and of course, lot more than Hope), very nice modulation, pretty easy service, good parts availability at every bike shop (and bike centre/park).

And SRAM brakes are now specced on 90perc. of all bikes from factory. Of course you'll hear about their troubles lot more (and damn, I remember having the sticky piston with 3 pairs of Guide brakes few years ago, such a shitty design). The reviews don't (all) lie/sugarcoat, reviewers and pros are universally very fond of Codes. And difference between R & RSC is just matter of smoothness (due to bearing) and bit more modulation. Same power though.

Yes initially I did like the feel of the codes a lot. I think they are same thinkness as my xt 203's at around .170mm or so. The Shimanos were not that flexible. I am running my Lyrik Ultimates right now and I do have the torque caps that came with the control cf wheels but don't have the tool to remove the end caps and planned to borrow that. I did change to resin and same issue as the metallic one. I did try to bed them several times now and re-centered too. I watched a guy online clean the centerline rotor and they were resonating like crazy just squeezing them with the cloth, lol. I have been tempted to put my 203mm shimano rotors on and shim the caliper up 1.5mm to try that on the front. Funny thing is the back brakes are totally silent which makes me think I might stuck piston issues although I did manage to manually actuate all of the in and out.

 

[KnollyBro]

LOL, who rides with a radio on? A good way to miss the sound of a rattling rattle snake or get hit by another rider, lol. I have the Code R brakes and plan to do a full bleed just to experience the pain and insure that things are right. The brakes are not spongy but the noise can be a bit unbearable for the rider and those around him too..to me it says POS and a clueless owner as well. And it's always been a sign for me of "something is not working right" when I hear others squealing away.

My suggestion was an analogy based on how to inexpensively "repair" an insignificant issue like how to fix an annoying noise in a car . We don't have that many rattle snakes or other bikers attacking us while we are riding on trails around here. Noisy brakes are rarely a concern as they scare away the bears and cougars. Some riders use cute little bear bells or yell out a lot but who needs that when you can have built in bear alarm with SRAM brakes! Then again, if I am using Code RSC brake levers, Code RS calipers, a Magura 220mm front rotor, a Shimano Ice Tech 203mm rear rotor and stock Code metalic pads, I must sound like a clueless owner who can't pick a brand and be a dick about it. My wife swears by her Shimano Saint brakes but often complains about the engagement point as the reach adjustment only goes so far, especially with new pads. I am not sure if you have ever ridden in the rain but I can't recall any brake rotor that does not squeal when they get wet.
Once again, if we are not spending money and time on our bikes, we should be out riding them!