[gregnash]

So got a new bike this year with SRAM code r and while the modulation and feel is nice, comparable to my old SHIMANO SLX M675, I have had to bleed the, already with less than 400 miles on them. Put about another 115 miles since the bleed and they are starting to fade again already.

Anyone else experienced this???


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[twodownzero]

I have a brand new bike with the SRAM Guide REs, which use the Code calipers with Guide levers. So far I've ridden my bike twice and the brakes fade like crazy mid ride every time. It's driving me insane. I'm going to call SRAM tomorrow.

I bled them numerous times already and really tried to get every bit of air out. I am going to bleed them again of course, but damn!

 

[HerrKaLeu]

Fading mid ride sounds more like overheating. Bleeding only solves air in fluid problems.

Do you already have larger rotors? Possibly icetech or similar. Look into better pads. Maybe describe your riding and weight to determine if it is heat.

 

[twodownzero]

Fading mid ride sounds more like overheating. Bleeding only solves air in fluid problems.

Do you already have larger rotors? Possibly icetech or similar. Look into better pads. Maybe describe your riding and weight to determine if it is heat.

They are not even too hot to touch. It isn't heat related. I hope I just didn't get all the air out. There was air in them when I bled them again after my ride. I religiously followed sram's obstructions this time so I hope it's solved. This has been weird though because this isn't my first rodeo and I've never had a problem before.

 

[gregnash]

Fading mid ride sounds more like overheating. Bleeding only solves air in fluid problems.

Do you already have larger rotors? Possibly icetech or similar. Look into better pads. Maybe describe your riding and weight to determine if it is heat.

Not really mid ride, more like as soon as I start heading more downhill than uphill. Riding where I live requires a decent amount of climbing prior to the downhill with some undulating terrain and I start to notice it after I am about 2 miles in.

Rotor-wise I am running what came on the build, so 200mm front/180mm rear and really only happens on the rear as I don't use the front brake all that much (though this is teaching me to use it more). Could it possibly be the pad type being overheated/overwhelmed by the amount of braking I am doing? Since I live in No. NV temps are in the high 80s to 90s right now and dry hot. Seems like once I start putting the miles on them after a bleed is when I start fading. Last time it went from just fading to the next ride as soon as I headed downhill significantly I almost completely lost the rear brake (lever to the bars with little engagement).

Reading around the interwebz this seems to be a common issue with the GUIDE version but everyone raves about the Codes being the next best thing (but heard the same about the Lyrik too and I am very underwhelmed by it). Gonna shoot an email to GG to see what they say.

 

[Sidewalk]

So far, 4 Guides, 2 Levels, 2 Codes (4 bikes total). Only one Guide caused an issue, and it was an early model. It was the stuck piston which I fixed myself.

Codes have been fine at multiple bike park trips, let alone my normal riding.

 

[chadbrochills]

I had Guide T's, which aren't far off the Guide R's, and they were complete ****. From my experience, anything less than the top tier Guides (Ultimate/RSC) are just junk. That's why I upgraded.

 

[twodownzero]

Not really mid ride, more like as soon as I start heading more downhill than uphill. Riding where I live requires a decent amount of climbing prior to the downhill with some undulating terrain and I start to notice it after I am about 2 miles in.

Rotor-wise I am running what came on the build, so 200mm front/180mm rear and really only happens on the rear as I don't use the front brake all that much (though this is teaching me to use it more). Could it possibly be the pad type being overheated/overwhelmed by the amount of braking I am doing? Since I live in No. NV temps are in the high 80s to 90s right now and dry hot. Seems like once I start putting the miles on them after a bleed is when I start fading. Last time it went from just fading to the next ride as soon as I headed downhill significantly I almost completely lost the rear brake (lever to the bars with little engagement).

Reading around the interwebz this seems to be a common issue with the GUIDE version but everyone raves about the Codes being the next best thing (but heard the same about the Lyrik too and I am very underwhelmed by it). Gonna shoot an email to GG to see what they say.

Mine is doing the exact same thing! It worked fine on the climb, then I get to the top to shred and my brakes act just like yours almost immediately. There is NO way they're getting too hot...my 2 piston Levels on my hardtail do fine on the same trail. Then I get home from my ride and they're not even squishy again, but a bleed pushed a lot of air out of them. Just keep bleeding and see if they get better. That's all we can do. It is irritating though for sure. The first ride it was my front brake, imagine descending without that. Yesterday it was both but the rear was worse. Since it's both brakes on my bike, I can't imagine they're both defective unless there's a design flaw. There's no leak so I don't know how the air could get in there unless I just wasn't successful getting it all out. I bled yesterday until there wasn't any bubbles so I'm at a loss if it happens again.

 

[gregnash]

I wish their damn bleed kit was cheaper, one thing I loved about the Shimanos was that was stupid cheap. But I digress, I have an email into GG to see what their thoughts are. I will have them bled again (local shop only charges me $10) to bleed them and the kit starts at $65 from what I can see. If the same happens again then I will start entertaining swapping them to something else like the new Shimano or Hayes Dominion A4.

 

[twodownzero]

You can get a kit on amazon to do it for something like $20. You don't need the SRAM branded stuff. I have both SRAM and Amazon kits and either one does the same thing.

 

[gregnash]

You can get a kit on amazon to do it for something like $20. You don't need the SRAM branded stuff. I have both SRAM and Amazon kits and either one does the same thing.

Funny you say that as I was just looking at the RevMega kit on Amazon. For whatever reason a while back when I tried pulling up the bleed kits only the SRAM branded was showing. Looks like I will be getting myself a kit and some DOT fluid (bleh hate that they aren't using mineral oil but whatever).

 

[PuddleDuck]

Sounds like a warranty issue. Somewhere here on MTBR I recently saw a similar issue that SRAM warrantied

 

[twodownzero]

So update on mine. The fourth bleed was a charm. Shredded down the same downhill where mine were acting up and they're stiff as a high school kid on prom night now. Not sure how I had or got air in them, but they are working great. Keep bleeding!

 

[gregnash]

So update on mine. The fourth bleed was a charm. Shredded down the same downhill where mine were acting up and they're stiff as a high school kid on prom night now. Not sure how I had or got air in them, but they are working great. Keep bleeding!

Good to know. Plan to purchase a bleed kit this week and then hopefully this will help remedy the issue. Like I said, I do like the brakes, they have a great feel to them (when they work) and have good modulation. Wonder if they are just super temperamental or finicky for whatever reason?

 

[newboy04]

AVID/SRAM brakes blow bloody chunks. I had Elixirs back in the day that didn't work and now I have Guides that don't work. Multiple warranty replacements and re-bleeds for both only for problems to reoccur 100% of the time by virtue of sitting in my garage. There must be an inherent design flaw in these turd muffins, at least the OEM versions. I don't know how they are allowed to keep putting these things on bikes.

I am actually so triggered now that I'm gonna go take the last Guide off my bike. Do yourself a favor and run yours over a few times too. Then pick your choice of Hope/Formula/Magura/Shimano/Hayes/TRP. I'm ashamed to say I pawned my Elixers to an unwitting buyer before but I'm thinking about just sticking the Guides in the bin. Don't sink anymore money or time into these lemons.

 

[twodownzero]

Good to know. Plan to purchase a bleed kit this week and then hopefully this will help remedy the issue. Like I said, I do like the brakes, they have a great feel to them (when they work) and have good modulation. Wonder if they are just super temperamental or finicky for whatever reason?

Mine would feel fine by the time I got home from the ride, they'd just like to get all spongey mid ride while I was enjoying the DH. It apparently doesn't take much air to cause them to act up.

 

[JSGN]

Good to know. Plan to purchase a bleed kit this week and then hopefully this will help remedy the issue. Like I said, I do like the brakes, they have a great feel to them (when they work) and have good modulation. Wonder if they are just super temperamental or finicky for whatever reason?

I got Code RSC brakes and I use this kit :

https://www.epicbleedsolutions.com/products/bleed-kits/sram/sram-bleed-kit/#reviews

Works perfectly. No hassle.

 

[gregnash]

I got Code RSC brakes and I use this kit :

https://www.epicbleedsolutions.com/products/bleed-kits/sram/sram-bleed-kit/#reviews

Works perfectly. No hassle.

I had forgotten about these guys. Ordered today along with the RS Charger bleed kit. $66 shipped to my door ain't bad for everything for both kits.

 

[gregnash]

Hopefully the bleed kit gets here soon. Riding on Tuesday I had a couple instances where I was just about pinching my own fingers on the grips with the one finger pull. Rear can almost got to the bars without much effort, front is doing a bit better but not a whole lot. Checked Strava and since last bleed I have put just under 150 miles on the bike.

 

[JSGN]

Hopefully the bleed kit gets here soon. Riding on Tuesday I had a couple instances where I was just about pinching my own fingers on the grips with the one finger pull. Rear can almost got to the bars without much effort, front is doing a bit better but not a whole lot. Checked Strava and since last bleed I have put just under 150 miles on the bike.

Hopefully you get the kit in time!