SRAM Code RSC Disc Brake and Lever [Rider Review]

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for. 

SRAM makes some of the best brakes on the market and it comes as no surprise that that the CODE RSC brakes are some of the most sought after disc brakes in the cycling industry. They have the bite and the modulation riders all over the world look for. Our buddy Larry recently got a pair, lets see what he thought:

Larry's Review

Finding the perfect brake setup has really been an elusive journey for the past several years. I have this idea in my head of how I think it should feel and I’ve been through just about every iteration and combo trying to find something that best matched this idea.

Shimanos were easy to bleed, find parts for, and had decent power however they suffered terribly on long descents from a wandering bite point. Every lever pull after the brakes was hot was a mystery as to when the pads were actually going to contact the rotor. This made braking late into corners feel really sketchy. The original SRAM Guide Ultimates ticked every box for me with a minimal lever take up, great power and modulation, easy to bleed, but in the end, they suffered from the swollen plunger in the master cylinder that caused them to fail. Next up I tried the Hope E4’s. These were beautiful to look at, consistent, powerful, and easy to modulate. The difficultly I found with them was bleeding. They were finicky to get a good crisp bite point with a little lever to take up and I could never get the left and right lever to feel exactly the same. Learning to “moto burp” was key with the Hopes, but they still left me wanting.

A set of Magura MT7’s were next. These were pretty close to perfect to me once I went through all the steps of bleeding and setting them up. These were quite finicky as well with bleeding and the delicate nature of the carbon lever bodies. They also weren’t the easiest to get centered on the rotor but once dialed they were very consistent with high power and modulation. I had a hard time finding a replacement hose after an unfortunate close encounter with a tree and decided I wanted something a little more “available” on the next build. With my latest build, after reading how great Codes are in every review, I decided to give them a try. I will always choose power at the cost of some weight penalty.

I’m not counting grams and would much rather have the power when I need it.

These have been the best realization of that ideal brake feel that I had been envisioning all along. The bleeding and setup were very straightforward. I tried a few of the tricks I had picked up for bleeding over the years working at a shop and trying to get the most out of my own brakes. After trying everything it turned out the method outlined by SRAM yielded the most consistent and solid feel. The power when needed could probably stop my truck but is very easy to feel and modulate. There is minimal lever take up and plenty of adjustment range. Over the last 3 months, the feel has remained as good as the first ride. It’s also worth noting, I swapped the original metallic pads for a set of the MTX red pads and found a whole new level of power, modulation, and quiet operation. The original metallic pads let everyone in the area know I just rode through a puddle.

Conclusion

"I actually purchased a second set for my hardtail build I’ve been so impressed with them. As always, purchasing Worldwide is easy and shipping quick. Any questions are always quickly attended to. I’m looking forward to putting some good miles on these Codes!" - Larry