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Wow! I have been wondering why it’s so commonplace to run levers super far out when it is more ergonomic to run them closer to the bar. I love running my code RS as close to the bar as possible. There is a kind of culture in mtb though that thinks that this is suboptimal, and I think I can now see why.
Also, I have been toying with the idea of switching to shimano but maybe I’ll just stick to my original plan of moving to maven base.
I just learned today that codes get spongier as you bring them in as well. Stupid design
This is why I find Code RSC to be more powerful that XT 4 piston brakes. I like the levers close to the bars and the XTs lose power when you run the levers close.
Hey!
I have a question regarding mavens compared to radic kaha.
I recently got onyx hubs which has brought the rubbing more apparent that I have with my kahas.
The short dead stroke and light lever feel has been good but I can’t stand my brakes rubbing.
Can I achieve a short (max 20mm) of dead stroke with maven ultimates and also have good pad clearance? Currently I can’t get my kahas not to rub in the stand yet alone when riding.
I don’t mind a heavier lever pull but having a firm bite point is a must.
Also a question to those who have ridden both brakes. Are mavens more powerful than kahas?
TBF, leverage rates change (increasing, generally) on all brakes as the lever gets position closer to the bar. This ain't a Sram thing.
I know it’s not just a sram thing. I thought it was only a shimano thing until recently.
I feel like you should be able to make a lever adjust that doesn’t change the leverage ratio.
Also, how come no one makes a brake lever that gives you the snappy feel but with your lever close to the bars. It would be a simple different shape.
Is that due to the design of the adjustment mechanisms or simply because the lever moves in an arc?
This is sounding like the long rear center discussion lol. My favorite part of riding mountain bikes is joining in with the half century of research and development that every rider gets to be a part of. I think we are starting to figure out something about brakes, but it might take a while to get to that sweet spot.
In Sram's case adjusting reach does not change the leverage. You just move the complete stroke of the lever further away or closer to the grip.
How the pads contact the rotor, when and so on, is determined by the contact point adjust by moving the piston in or out. The swing link doesn't move in any case, neither with the reach or contact point adjust.
Because of the arc as it changes the pull ratio. Easiest way to think about it is the way mechanical disc brakes for road levers pull on a shorter actuating arm than those for linear/V brake pull ratios. That isn't exactly how it works, but for basic visualization it should get the mind working. The interplay of the lever's home position and contact adjustment can help mitigate but the leverage effect will always be there. And of course we can't forget about the cam mechanisms/swinglinks that Sram, Hayes, Shimano and others employ between the lever and the MC piston. Personally, I ride my levers closer on my 'summer' bikes than I do on my fat bike. Part of that is winter gloves being the bulky beasts they are, but I also don't want as much leverage acting on the brake in loose conditions (sand and snow). On the other bikes, I prefer close and light action. Not saying which is better, just a preference, a "different lever strokes for different folks' if you will :D.
Interesting as I run my levers/bite point relatively far away from the bar. I wonder how my dominions a4 will hold up against my shigura and complete shimanos. Didn't come to riding the Dominions apart from braking them in a bit.
Has anyone gotten their hands on the new hope evo gr4s yet? Seems like they’re back ordered everywhere.
Don’t they launch in September?
Ah didn’t see that before but looks like that’s correct so I guess not
It’s In like every single article about them “ from 1st of September 2025”
Recently picked up the Hayes dominion to try, only to find out I have the dreaded pad rattle. I stretched the retainer clip out to an uncomfortable amount and still have a terrible rattle. What are some other tricks people have done? Shrink wrap around the pin didn’t fit (wouldn’t fit through the caliper hole)
Just wait is my tip, the pads will generate enough dust they get stuck to the pistons in time. Every time I get new pads or give the brakes a good clean and remove the dust I get the rattle again, but it goes away in a week naturally.
A piece of tap over the top of the caliper touching the pads and springs will stop it, but it eventually melts from the heat.
Because of the way the kingpin (pad retention pin) is designed you can't wrap the middle portion to stop the pad movement, which is where the noise is coming from mostly
Stretch the spring more - but the key is stretching it open right at the base where the two halves connect. Need to do it with needle nose pliers.
I'm neurotic about quiet bikes and never had them rattle over many, many sets of pads after doing this.
Has anyone had any luck lever bleeding mavens with just the syringe? I feel like I've tried in the past and it's only made things worse. I was hoping to avoid a full bleed because I am lazy.
Yes, but it involves using a funnel on the lever side. I essentially bleed maven's like you'd bleed a car. I put the funnel in the lever side and fill it, I think put a syringe on the bleeding edge port 1/3 full. I put one hand on the bleeding edge port wing nut and another hand on the lever blade. I pump the brake lever 3-5 times and then hold it tight. While holding the lever I loosen the bleeding edge wing nut, allow the master to push fluid into the syringe and then close the bleeding edge port and then let go of the brake lever.
The one thing you have to manage with this approach is any fluid that may be trapped in the lever prior to you starting the bleed process. I find that that it's best to do a quick procedure of pulling VERY SLIGHT vacuum on the caliper bleeding edge syringe to pull any bubbles out of the caliper that are low lying fruit, and then push a small amount of fluid upwards to the lever/funnel. I do not push much, as I do not want to introduce fluid that has contaminates from the caliper side all the way up into the lever. I only push enough to get any air that is in the lever assembly out and into the funnel.
Lastly, I wind the reach adjusters out super far to maximize leverage of the lever over the system so I can push as much fluid into the syringe with each bleeding cycle as possible. I also usually start the process by hitting the caliper, line and lever assembly with an off brand theragun massager. I picked this trick up from my LBS... seriously, it's worth spending 20 bucks on amazon for one of these specifically to bleed brakes, shocks and other items as it vibrates the air bubbles to the extreme ends of the system so you can eject them. The other nice thing about the funnel is that you can finish by rotating the lever assembly down and flicking the lever, as well as winding in the contact point and do the same thing. I do this usually once in the middle of my bleed process, and then finish with this to ensure I don't have air trapped in the lever.
I've seemed to have good luck with it. Are you referring to using a syringe for ONLY a lever bleed?
yeah, I've tried using some Pinner bleed cups and do the lever bleeds like I've done with shimano brakes and it did not go well. I feel like I've only had success with full bleeds. Wanted to see if folks are having some success with lever bleed with syringes and how they are doing it.
I added the zip tie lever trick to my Maven bleed process with good effect. In doing that I'm only bleeding the lever with the syringe by pulling a slight vacuum/flicking the lever, pressuring the system then closing it off. Hopefuly that helps.
I've been using the Pinner cup and SRAM adapter on my Mavens, and using the overnight zip tie lever trick has helped a lot. But I also appreciated the suggestion above to do a car brake bleed. I might try that next time I have to do a full bleed. Mavens are really hard to get all the air bubbles out of.
i found the 2 syringes Push only or very light vacuum + working those pistons in and out many times work pretty great, there's so much air always trapped behind the pistons, also i bled a couple with the Bionol and found it way easier to bleed compared to the maxima oil that seems to love air and keeping it
Are you putting in bleed blocks and winding the contact point out (away from the arrow) or just leaving it as is and slapping on the pinner cups.
I am so frustrated with my Mavens, they seem impossible to get consistent.
I got one good bleed on them and then the bike sat for a few months over winter while I moved and it went to shit. Every other bleed/piston massage seems to only stave off the pump-up bite point for less than half a day of riding. I’ve even had two different shops work on them in addition to myself.
I really want them to work right because everything else is great but if Hope’s new GR4s have firmed up the bite point then I think I’m getting rid of the Mavens.
If anyone has suggestions other than “must be a bad bleed” or “try massaging the pistons”, I’m all ears.
Both, depending on the day and how much effort I'm willing to put in.
If I'm really feeling like a go getter, I put the bike in a stand with both wheels off, tilted waaaaaaaay up with the rear axle near the ground, unbolt the rear caliper, and hang it from the frame (with a bleed block) so it's all uphill from the bottom of the caliper to the bleed port in the lever. God I hate internal hose routing. Then I leave the lever zip-tied overnight and bleed in the morning, combined with multiple rounds of piston massages. These bleeds tend to help a lot.
But I've also done quick and dirty lever bleeds where I just stick a pad spacer in between the pads and leave the caliper in place on the frame. These (predictably) tend to be less fruitful.
To the point of hating internal hose routing, anyone have a recommendation for the best available stick on cable guides?
Post a reply to: Nerding out on Brakes shall we? Not another tech deraliment