SRAM Code R or RSC ?

MarioM

Likes Dirt
New bike is coming shortly and has Shimano MT4100 levers to MT420 calipers . I`ve never been a fan of Shimano but the bike shop guy reckons these are pretty good . Me I`m not convinced with that , and would change to different levers if I were to keep them . I`m wanting to change them out and my question to anyone that has experienced both code R and RSC is apart from the obvious is there a difference in feel / performance between the two ?
 

Rorschach

Didnt pay $250 for this custom title
Give the M4100 ones a go - they're Deore level ones and really good for the money
I have the Deore M6100 ones and they're more than good enough if you don't need the tool-free adjustment
 

BurnieM

Likes Dirt
MT4100 levers are good but not servowave.
They use the lastest I SPEC-EV clamps.

MT420 calipers are Shimanos cheapest 4 pots but still good braking with good feel.
You can use resin (D03S) or sintered (D02S) or even Saint/Zee finned sintered pads (H03C).

XT M8100 levers will work with these brakes if you want servowave.
 

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
I would also be giving the Shimano a good go before a swap to SRAM. We scrubbed the last of SRAM brakes from bikes in this house about a year ago, going Deore 4 pot and XT 2 pot on the boys bikes.

My HT has MT500's and they have been trouble free for the 2 years I've owned it.

Current Shimano brakes in my house are 1 x XTR, 3 x XT, 3 x SLX, 1 x Deore and 1 x MT500.

We have 2 sets of SRAM Guides removed and sitting in a bag.
 

MarioM

Likes Dirt
I would also be giving the Shimano a good go before a swap to SRAM. We scrubbed the last of SRAM brakes from bikes in this house about a year ago, going Deore 4 pot and XT 2 pot on the boys bikes.

My HT has MT500's and they have been trouble free for the 2 years I've owned it.

Current Shimano brakes in my house are 1 x XTR, 3 x XT, 3 x SLX, 1 x Deore and 1 x MT500.

We have 2 sets of SRAM Guides removed and sitting in a bag.
I will give them a go ( and keep an open mind too , not just look at them and say I hate you ) as I`d have to wait for the codes anyway . I`ve had XT before on a new bike and did not like them much so swapped straight to guides as I`ve always had Avid / Sram .
 

The Duckmeister

Has a juicy midrange
MT4100 levers are good but not servowave.
They use the lastest I SPEC-EV clamps.

MT420 calipers are Shimanos cheapest 4 pots but still good braking with good feel.
You can use resin (D03S) or sintered (D02S) or even Saint/Zee finned sintered pads (H03C).

XT M8100 levers will work with these brakes if you want servowave.
ServoWave is available down to M6100. But you need an allen key for reach adjust (as with the M4100s).
 

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
I will give them a go ( and keep an open mind too , not just look at them and say I hate you ) as I`d have to wait for the codes anyway . I`ve had XT before on a new bike and did not like them much so swapped straight to guides as I`ve always had Avid / Sram .
Apart from the action/feeling.

Like car manufacturers, the standard pads on a bike are the happy medium between longevity and performance.

IMO the biggest and cheapest upgrade you can do to a vehicle is drop some performance pads in there, same with a bike.
 

MarioM

Likes Dirt
Apart from the action/feeling.

Like car manufacturers, the standard pads on a bike are the happy medium between longevity and performance.

IMO the biggest and cheapest upgrade you can do to a vehicle is drop some performance pads in there, same with a bike.
Yeah I know which is why I`ll only ever run sintered pads . While they swap hoses for me they`re going to chuck some sintered pads in there also .
 

The Duckmeister

Has a juicy midrange
As for the SRAM options, RSC have a cammed lever/master piston similar to Shimano's ServoWave, while the R is a more basic direct connection. Stock pads don't help, but the R feels like you're braking with wooden blocks.

If sticking with the Shimanos & upgrading to metal pads, it's strongly advised to upgrade the rotors, as the stock ones at that level are rated for resin pads only; they're not hardened enough for metal pads and will wear quickly.
 

BurnieM

Likes Dirt
My Marin HT came with M4100 and MT420.
For some reason the front had resin pads and the rear sintered.

BH90 hoses are standard with MT420.

My bike came with centrelock RT64 rotors which are the cheapest Shimano make for sintered pads.
(RT66 is the cheapest 6 bolt for sintered pads)

Parts may not be as specified due to supply chain issues you might want to check before replacing anything.
 
Last edited:

mark22

Likes Dirt
New bike is coming shortly and has Shimano MT4100 levers to MT420 calipers . I`ve never been a fan of Shimano but the bike shop guy reckons these are pretty good . Me I`m not convinced with that , and would change to different levers if I were to keep them . I`m wanting to change them out and my question to anyone that has experienced both code R and RSC is apart from the obvious is there a difference in feel / performance between the two ?
Recently purchased a new bike with those levers and calipers, man those levers are weak I could not live with them.
Changed em for some XT on the same calipers. Great improvement.
Getting close to the power of my Guide RS
 

Labcanary

One potato, two potato, click
As for the SRAM options, RSC have a cammed lever/master piston similar to Shimano's ServoWave, while the R is a more basic direct connection. Stock pads don't help, but the R feels like you're braking with wooden blocks.

If sticking with the Shimanos & upgrading to metal pads, it's strongly advised to upgrade the rotors, as the stock ones at that level are rated for resin pads only; they're not hardened enough for metal pads and will wear quickly.
I stupidly engaged in an internet argument about this. Some muppet was telling a noob that it didn't matter. Sure, do it to your own bike internet random, don't tell someone else to do it when they have NFI how to monitor rotor wear.
 

MarioM

Likes Dirt
I stupidly engaged in an internet argument about this. Some muppet was telling a noob that it didn't matter. Sure, do it to your own bike internet random, don't tell someone else to do it when they have NFI how to monitor rotor wear.
Spill , did you win , lose or draw ? Sometimes internet arguments are just what you need to blow off steam . Now , can we kick it off again ? It makes no difference . Metal on shit rotors is ok . The internet said so .
 

MarioM

Likes Dirt
I gave up. It was like playing chess with a pigeon.

View attachment 391774
Thats gold . Its not just the internet though . I just sold a bike tonight but had someone come and have a look at it the other day . They were sitting on it and asked why it didn`t have a dropper . I gave him a look to say WTF and he goes if it had a dropper I`d buy it . Ah , OK I say no worries thanks for coming and looking at it . I then sneakily depressed lever and might have giggled when he almost fell off . I cost myself a sale that day me thinks .
 

Labcanary

One potato, two potato, click
New bike is coming shortly and has Shimano MT4100 levers to MT420 calipers . I`ve never been a fan of Shimano but the bike shop guy reckons these are pretty good . Me I`m not convinced with that , and would change to different levers if I were to keep them . I`m wanting to change them out and my question to anyone that has experienced both code R and RSC is apart from the obvious is there a difference in feel / performance between the two ?
The levers are shit. I took them straight off my new bike. I've kept the cheapo 4 pot calipers because I CBF re-routing internal lines yet and I chucked some Saint levers on.
XT levers would be good, as would SLX and you can do a warranty voiding remove the 2 pin blank screw and pop on a Phillips head or socket cap screw to make the servo wave feature work.

But if you're a SRAM kinda person, why mess around, just get what you are comfortable with?
 

link1896

Mr Greenfield
All jokes aside, if you’re in a brake camp already on more then two bikes, stay there. If a one bike owner, and trying to decide, remember the marketing machines and OEM deals are what gets the sram and shimano stuff out there on mass. Don’t be a sheep


From experience, I’d rank the current offerings that are sanely priced as follows

Hayes Domino
Hope
Formula
Magura


…….Daylight gap……


Sram
Shimano
 
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