Levo Gen 3 New brakes... What does everyone run?

[E Bob]

Hope T4 V4 for me. But in truth any high end brake is going to suit you. MT7, Saint etc etc.

Hopes are easy to bleed, and are serviceable, which few of the others are. Worse for servicing is Shimano, and if it fails or leaks, then all you really can do is throw them away and buy another lever/caliper

I like Hope because A.Ive always used Hope(from C2 onwards) and B. I've never had any leaks or problems that werent easy to sort.
I also like Hope because they no longer had a seal for an early brake(V2 generation 1- they actually changed the design very early on, though there are a few of gen 1 models about, what is available is gen2 and gen3) so because they couldnt supply a single caliper seal, they sent me a new pair of gen3 V2 calipers free gratis.

I know any other company would have said 'Sorry about that, bye now' or offered a slight discount. They wouldnt have stuck a couple of brand new calipers in a package and sent it to your house.
That was a very pleasant surprise.


And it doesn't taste very nice either.

Typical scotsman... Drink anything for a crack...

 

[Doomanic]

You can bleed brakes without changing fluid, you can't change fluid without doing a brake bleed.

 

[BikeBert]

I'm obsessed about brakes. During my 30+ years biker carrier I've tried virtually all brakes from big and small brands. I was never happy with any OEM set. Around 2010 I started to build my own "custom" brakes, which is now very popular.

My first "custom" set consisted of: Avid Juicy Seven master cylinder plus Straitline levers and Code calipers connected with Goodridge lines. It not only looked good but also worked great!

That's the history...

My Levo came with Codes which slowed me down but I was not happy. I didn't want to go the "custom" route again (I got lazy with age) so I decided to go crazy and got Trickstuff Direttissima complemented by Galfer Shark rotors (223/203) and Galfer G1652 purple emtb specific brake pads.

The stopping power is remarkable, providing a sense of control and safety that enhances every ride. The build quality is impeccable, reflecting the craftsmanship I appreciate as a perfectionist. Setting up the brakes was a straightforward process, and their durability gives me confidence that they can withstand the demanding conditions of my favorite trails.

What truly sets these brakes apart is their consistent performance across diverse terrains. I hate wandering braking point or different lever stroke of some brakes during long downhill sessions.

Trickstuff Direttissima has been a game-changer for me. They embody the precision, reliability, and performance I seek in brakes.

 

[golfatha]

I ran the Hope Tech 3s on my orange and they were good but I’ve now got the Hope Tech 4 E 4s on my Cube and a huge difference , do everything I ask my friend has the tech 4 v4s and there is only a slight difference from mine not worth the difference in money

 

[mustclime]

Probably because shimano's use mineral oil which is hydrophobic so doesnt absorb water

BUT, mineral oil has lower heat ranges…. This is why it’s not used in the auto industry. If you do bike park days you should change out your fluid after about 100 hours.

 

[CarolinaCrawler]

Another awesome set-up would be the TRP DH Evos, they seem to be the choice for most of the WC DH teams. I was at Fort William and a good 80% of the riders were using them. I had originally ordered them but canceled after some shipping issues and went with the Hopes.

I've run MT5's and Shimano xt's. The Magura's feel like they have more total power but I like the lever feel of the Shimano better.

That said, my next set of brakes will be TRP DH EVO'S. They seem to be the love child of SRAM and Shimano. I'm truly interested to see how they feel

 

[2WheelsNot4]

You can bleed brakes without changing fluid, you can't change fluid without doing a brake bleed.

So you can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead.

 

[E Bob]

BUT, mineral oil has lower heat ranges…. This is why it’s not used in the auto industry. If you do bike park days you should change out your fluid after about 100 hours.

Believe it or not the shimano fluid is up there with dot 5, the mugura is lower than all dot's as weve both thought, i change my fluid regular on all my bikes, iv felt the difference it's made on a race bike, it's a cheap and easy job to do mostly too.

 

[E Bob]

I was not expecting this.. shimano and juice lubes top all the dot's, also shows the difference between fresh fluid "dry" and old fluid "wet" again backing up it's good to change your fluid

 

[Leeky1]

Just swapped my codes out for some mt7’s on my kenevo. Absolutely brilliant

 

[Dax]

Personally I think Saints are overkill and a poor compromise for uk riding, they’re the old shimano design that suffers variable bite point and are mega grabby. In the UK we don’t have big enough vertical to need the heat tolerance to justify the compromise, maybe somewhere like Fort Bill is the exception, I’ve not ridden Scotland.

I’d buy something with more modulation and without the shimano variable bite point for uk riding.

 

[fone]

Coming from a long list of Formula and Shimano brakes (XT, XTR, deore, Saint) on my Enduro and on my DH bikes, I disliked the SRAM Code R immediately and it was the first option for an upgrade on my levo 3 alloy comp.
The only brake I liked less is the Magura MT5 I have on one of my bikes. Yikes. Liked the Louise and loved the Gustav M for years but the MT are not for me.

Now I have a new fork, new wheels are in the mail but I still run the code R.
Opted for new brake pads (trick stuff power) and kinda started to actually like the code for what the bike is used. Short local trails with jumps, longer but moderate trips in the mountains with the wife. Occasionally downhill oriented sessions in the mountains with buddies.

Will put HS2 discs on the new wheels for the new season.

 

[irie]

Will put HS2 discs on the new wheels for the new season.

Didn't like HS2 rotors, but many do, of course.

Who switched up from 200 to 220 rotors on their full power 50pd E-MTB. XTR 9120 brakes with SRAM HS2 rotor?

Who switched to the 220 rotor? Thinking of trying the latest SRAM HS2 2.0 thick rotor with the XTR brakes. Wondering if the thinner and smaller and soft? Shimano ice tech rotor is under sized for the job of slowing down and stopping the PIVOT Shuttle AM FULL CX Race, 50 pound bike? Will the ice...

www.emtbforums.com

 

[Roundbadge]

Hayes,Magura or TRP DH EVO’s.
All good stopping power but feel different.

 

[JacMc2112]

TRP DHR Evo with sintered pads are excellent. If you have smaller hands you might not like the lever reach though.

 

[mustclime]

Believe it or not the shimano fluid is up there with dot 5, the mugura is lower than all dot's as weve both thought, i change my fluid regular on all my bikes, iv felt the difference it's made on a race bike, it's a cheap and easy job to do mostly too.

Sorry, as someone that raced in the scca for years, I don’t believe it. It’s not just the boiling point, it’s the fluid stability through heat cycles.

 

[E Bob]

Sorry, as someone that raced in the scca for years, I don’t believe it. It’s not just the boiling point, it’s the fluid stability through heat cycles.

Dont shoot the messenger..i was shocked at the results myself. I'v not done any testing just gone by the testing epic bleed solutions have done, As iv said i change my fluid regular, iv felt the difference in fresh fluid in only 3 months of racing & testing, and that was motul rbf.

 

[Utah Rider]

If you have to keep bleeding SRAM Code brakes every 100 miles, you are doing something wrong. Just saying.

 

[Dax]

If you have to keep bleeding SRAM Code brakes every 100 miles, you are doing something wrong. Just saying.

Unless they needed bleeding at the start of that 100miles (not unusual with the factory bleed on lots of new bikes).

 

[Tomoooo]

The old good Shimano Saint ones. They work like a charm and are maintenance free.

 

[Roger20]

Hopes for me as well. Mono minis on a Marin for 15 years and apart from pad changes never had to touch them. Replaced the Codes on my Turbo Levo for Tech V3 and same story. You really appreciate the modulation and V4s presumably better still. Yes, they are expensive but not if you follow the principle of buy once, buy right.

 

[dumpy]

dominion a4/t4nite that you can use sram hoses with it, it doesnt make a very big diff.

yes its better than dh evos, even if the dh evo arent bad

 

[Doomanic]

If you have to keep bleeding SRAM Code brakes every 100 miles, you are doing something wrong. Just saying.

Yeah, using Codes...

 

[Brianjonesphoto]

I’m running MT5s with the individual pads like MT7 and TRP 2.3mm rotors. The thicker rotor moves the bite point out a bit and really improved the engagement point feel.

 

[Binhill1]

Hi all,

Looking at replacing the Code R on my Levo and to be honest Im not sure what to go for.

The reason for wanting to replce the Codes is down to the fact they seem to be high maintenance, requiring a bleed after less then 100 miles and worn through a set of rear pads already. I have to keep pumping them to get a decent feel which isn't always ideal when barreling down a trail.

In the past I have run Magura MT7 which were good but constantly rubbed, Shimano XT no issues, Saints really good and older stuff like hayes 9, hope mini etc.

I could easily settle on another set of saints but after reading some more recent reviews it seems they have been caught up in power terms by the like of hope, hayes and formula.

Quite like the look of Hope Tech 4 v4 but seem very expensive
The Hayes Dominion A4 sound good too but I've heard its a faff to get the larger diameter hose through the frame.
Apparently the Formula Cura are meant to be good but not seen many reviews.
Then there is the Lewis brake that has recently popped up, apparently super powerful but unknown reliability?

Im a heavier rider so need all the power I can get to be honest. Used to like the on/off feel of previous shimano brakes but could get past that if the new brakes are good.

What are you guys running and how do they compare to the Code R?

Am I better off sticking to saints or should I consider one of the above at the extra expense?

Hope brakes for 15 years now . Put a bigger rotor on front of Levo a few months ago spot on. They sell for a good price second hand as well. But I've never tried any other to be fair my last four bikes before the levo were all just frames I bought and picked componants.

 

[E Bob]

If you have to keep bleeding SRAM Code brakes every 100 miles, you are doing something wrong. Just saying.

Iv never bled a sram brake in my life... The brakes i bled regular were brembo on an R1 Race bike, and as i said they needed it, i also never washed my R1, it rarely got wet too, my mountain bike allways gets wet and always gets washed, iv got sram on the crestline, ill be changing out, just not decided what for yet, ill let this play out see if iv missed a trick

 

[ridesantacruz]

2,000 miles and have never had to bleed my Shimano 4 pot brakes.

Biggest performance improvement was going from 200mm to 220mm rotors.

What rotors did you install?

 

[Frankie_r]

I’ve tried Formula Cura 2, Shimano XT, Magura MT7 and Hayes Dominion A4: for me, Hayes are the best ones hands down

 

[E Bob]

I’ve tried Formula Cura 2, Shimano XT, Magura MT7 and Hayes Dominion A4: for me, Hayes are the best ones hands down

in what way ? Were they stronger than magura ?

 

[Frankie_r]

in what way ? Were they stronger than magura ?

Stronger than Magura, much easier bleeding, less issues with pads alignment (MT7 are a nightmare for that) and even less fading on longer descents. Magura are a bit easier to modulate, tough.