# Any reviews from people that bought the 2011 Avid Code



## SentralSteve (May 27, 2010)

Anyone have a few runs on these yet? Looking at getting a pair and from what I have seen and read they are pretty damn nice.


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## Iggz (Nov 22, 2006)

They own. 


What else can I tell you?


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## ustemuf (Oct 12, 2009)

I have them. They are a lot better than the old codes. Super beefy, forged, black chrome look. Awesome modulation, supreme stopping power. 

I got them for $350 shipped (the pair) off e-bay.


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## ustemuf (Oct 12, 2009)

oops silly me i forgot... duh!! a picture of course.


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## tls36 (Dec 10, 2005)

Spent about 4 hours on a bike with them shuttling and they are definately a more progressive feel and as strong if not stronger than the old Codes. That is not to say they require some getting used to how fast they will haul your butt down from warp speed-impressive! A better "feel" than my older white Codes. The scale does not lie either, they are lighter, on my hit list!


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## Iceman2058 (Mar 1, 2007)

Must. Buy. Now.


Have. No. Money. :madman:


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## sdo1982 (Jun 14, 2010)

How are they to bleed? I find the old Codes a pain in the ass to get all of the air out of.


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## frango (Oct 10, 2004)

ustemuf said:


> Super beefy, forged, black chrome look.


Is it OEM? Aftermarket is silver chrome, I guess.


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## Nick_M2R (Oct 18, 2008)

So how would they compare to the 4 pot saints?


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## ustemuf (Oct 12, 2009)

frango said:


> Is it OEM? Aftermarket is silver chrome, I guess.


? not oem.. it's not really silver chrome, it's more like a black chrome.

all the pictures i saw online looked silver.. but when i got them, that was not the case. that is why i posted the picture below, so you can get a sense of what they really look like.

forged goodness.


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## kenbentit (Jan 2, 2003)

I've been running a set for the last few weeks and they've been working quite well. The modulation is a bit different than my Saints (more grabby) but I've been able to adjust my braking style. Power is pretty similar between the two as well. I need to get in a few long runs to really get a good feel for them though. Lift access would be nice right now...


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## charvey9 (May 13, 2010)

I'm not happy so far. 

I bolted on the rear caliper on Sunday and it felt mushy. I figured it was just a bad factory bleed, but upon closer inspection brake fluid seeps out when I pull the lever hard. I haven't taken it apart yet, but it looks like I have some bad seals where the hose bolt connects to the caliper body.

The front works, but when I squeeze that one to the bar I can see the fluid seep out a little in the same location. What are the odds of the same seals being bad right out of the box on two sets of calipers?

The shop I bought them from said they'll contact Avid for replacement seals once I figure out if that is the problem.


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## slimguns (Jul 18, 2010)

I have the Code R's and once set up, THEY ROCK!!! Love them!


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## mr.niles (Feb 5, 2007)

i been thinking about getting a set, and i was going to ask a stupid question, but on second thought.....if iggz says the own, i'm sure they more than good for me....


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

Nick_M2R said:


> So how would they compare to the 4 pot saints?


tried and true...I am sticking with Saints


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## frango (Oct 10, 2004)

ustemuf said:


> ? not oem.. it's not really silver chrome, it's more like a black chrome.
> 
> all the pictures i saw online looked silver.. but when i got them, that was not the case. that is why i posted the picture below, so you can get a sense of what they really look like.
> 
> forged goodness.


Thx. Black chrome is good too


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## camarosam (Jul 26, 2009)

kenbentit said:


> I've been running a set for the last few weeks and they've been working quite well. The modulation is a bit different than my Saints (more grabby) but I've been able to adjust my braking style. Power is pretty similar between the two as well. I need to get in a few long runs to really get a good feel for them though. Lift access would be nice right now...


So they still don't have the modulation like saints? Or just a different type of feel?

Looking into the Hope tech v2, and I just saw this so now I'm curious.


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## Internal14 (Jan 21, 2004)

SHIVER ME TIMBERS said:


> tried and true...I am sticking with Saints


So you're still riding an old steel bike with a HiteRite and four finger moto levers then? Tried and true right? Why evolve afterall.....:madman:


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## bxxer rider (Jun 7, 2008)

camarosam said:


> So they still don't have the modulation like saints? Or just a different type of feel?
> 
> Looking into the Hope tech v2, and I just saw this so now I'm curious.


stick to the v2's, you wont be disappointed :thumbsup:


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

I wouldn't bother, Avid quality has never impressed me. I have my old Codes finally working "ok" with sintered metal pads (they were atrocious with the organics), but it's just piss-poor engineering IMO. I have to take the entire lever off the Fing bike to adjust lever reach, WTF? They can't come up with a one-peice caliper like Hope has been doing with their Mono M4s (I own a pair) for 6 years? I think the ergonomics suck, but I can't hold that against avid, as different people have different needs in that area, but otherwise the quality control and engineering is poor compared to others. I have a set of shimano brakes as well, they are rock solid. I am not a fan of buying the same product that claims finally to have "solved" the problems of the old one. Just get it right and make a decent product from the get-go. It's not like brakes are excessively complex. Master cylinder, caliper, seals, tubes, expansion reservior, etc...


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## charvey9 (May 13, 2010)

I'm still regretting my decision to buy a pair. I should have went with the Saints.

The rear caliper pushes fluid out right where to line comes in to the caliper when you grab the brakes hard. I took the caliper body apart and inspected the seals for leaks. They both seem to be fine, but appear to be too thin to get an air tight seal when the caliper body is bolted back together. There is a groove on each side of the caliper body at this connection that those o-rings sit in to hold them in position. This groove is so deep (or the o-ring is so thin), that it pretty much swallows up the entire thickness of the o-ring when the caliper is assembled.

I rode the bike once like this, and it was all I could do to grab the lever with two fingers and pull back in order to get the rear brake to lock up. Not fun.

My LBS contacted Avid, and they were quick to agree in sending out a new caliper but are out of stock until the end of December. Maybe this is a known issue, but so far I am the only person I have read with this problem.

The front caliper also appears to have the same "leak", but it isn't as bad. The front is rideable, but performance is seriously lacking. Furthermore, I did a bleed job on the front caliper and when I push down on the caliper plunger to fill the line and lever resivior, I can hear air coming somewhere out of the lever assembly.

For the time being, I've swapped the SLX brakes off my AM bike until I can get all these problems figured out. This is not what I paid $400+ for. I wanted to try some avid/sram products since I had never built a bike with them before, now I regret it.


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## fixbikeguy (Aug 28, 2008)

With the amount of pre-2011 Codes that I've sent back for warranty issues I would never buy a set. I'd ride Saints or Hopes all day long without hesitation. 
Avid/SRAM needs to do some more homework in order to make brakes without issues.


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## nmpearson (Aug 13, 2007)

the 2011's are a totally different brake as far as quality. i could never get the old codes to feel right for more than a few runs. i decided to try the code r's out and it's been easily the best brake i've ever owned...great price, and about 20 runs into it, they still modulate amazing and have a great feel to them. I've mounted a few pairs for customers and none have had problems. Things are different. I loved the elixirs, now it's nice to have a stronger "elixir"


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## bapesta (Feb 12, 2008)

bleeding is HARD! can avid lover give us some tips?


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## bullit43 (Dec 29, 2010)

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/tech-tuesday-bleeding-avid-brakes-2010.html


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## ajdemo76 (Mar 25, 2009)

nmpearson said:


> the 2011's are a totally different brake as far as quality. i could never get the old codes to feel right for more than a few runs. i decided to try the code r's out and it's been easily the best brake i've ever owned...great price, and about 20 runs into it, they still modulate amazing and have a great feel to them. I've mounted a few pairs for customers and none have had problems. Things are different. I loved the elixirs, now it's nice to have a stronger "elixir"


Looks like the Code R's are pretty much an Elixer lever and Code caliper?


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## The Dude (Jan 19, 2004)

been rocking the saints for a year on my sx. overkill is underated tho. i know they will work when i need them too.lever feels awesome. pads last and last. and they look the biz.


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## mefistofeles (Jun 1, 2009)

The Code R's feel quite different from the Code 5's and even the Elixir R's. First of all they look awesome,they look better than the Code 5's and even the Saints.

In terms of stopping power they feel more powerful than the Code 5's off the bat. The Code R's have superb modulation it's easy to lift the rear when you grab the front brake,not only that but they have enough control that you don't have to worry about going OTB versus the Code 5's. In fact I feel that the Code R's even have better modulation than the Saints.

In terms of absolute stopping I can't say that they're better than the Saints but they definitely seem stronger than the Code 5's. However compared to the Saint's I don't feel that I'm losing out very much in terms of pure power. 

The Code R's are a great brake and able to compete with the Saints,at a lower price. Try the new Codes you won't regret it. In fact I've often thought about eventually replacing the Code 5's on some of my bikes with the Code R's,they 're that good.


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## Jim311 (Feb 7, 2006)

Interesting thread, I love the *look* of the new series of Codes and if they're anywhere close to the stopping power of my last generation Codes they've got to be awesome. I've had no problems with mine whatsoever, so I'm not sure what all the quality complaints are about.


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## charvey9 (May 13, 2010)

Still waiting for my replacement caliper from Avid. Been over a month now.


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## dustmuncher (Jan 11, 2012)

Don't you hate it when people dig up old threads. Just wanted to comment.

My experience is that the code 2010's where a much better brake than the code 2011, though I have gone through one set of the 2010's (apparently a known engineering defect). 

The code 2011 is far more responsive than the older ones but feel really plasticky - you need to pull the leaver far to far under heavy breaking. Due to the first issue the reach is to short - as soon as you start pulling to hard with one finger the leaver starts running into your fingers and you need to move to a two finger grip. And finally when bleeding and pressurising the system there is a small fluid leak at the leaver side of the leaver - it does not seem to let air in or prevent bleeding but if you pressurise the system many time you can get a fair bit of fluid to escape from the leaver. It will be interesting to see if they have let air in after a month.

At first I was puzzled with the feeling of the leaver; but, after bleeding the system three times to try and improve it I finally realised that squeezing the leaver as hard as I could results in the caliper flexing. No kidding here. If you get a good look at the caliper (perhaps take the wheel our and put the bleed block in though I could see it without doing this) while squeezing the leaver as hard as possible you can see the caliper flex away from the contact points - it even looks like the metal behind the pistons bulges in the center. If you put your hand on the caliper you can feel it move. Perhaps this is just part of the "better modulation" in the code 2011's but it seems like a design problem to me.

Anyway, I like the idea of the codes; but, they certainly don't deliver to the level promised by the marketing folk.


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## 8664 (Oct 17, 2005)

i changed from 2011 code to 2012 code R and they are great! for me is this the better brake!


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## Iceman2058 (Mar 1, 2007)

dustmuncher said:


> Don't you hate it when people dig up old threads. Just wanted to comment.
> 
> My experience is that the code 2010's where a much better brake than the code 2011, though I have gone through one set of the 2010's (apparently a known engineering defect).
> 
> ...


Sounds like a lemon to me, or repeated bad bleeds. What you are describing does not correspond in any way to my experience with the 2011 Codes. From day 1, it's been all awesome stopping power, great modulation, and nowhere near ever wanting to add a second finger, and complete consistency - you get the same result every time you pull on the lever. If you get them really warm you can feel a slight pump in the lever SOMETIMES, but it does not affect performance at all. That's the only niggle. In that respect, they are far superior to the old Codes - power was never a problem there, but consistency sure was.

Have you tried dialling out the bite point to the max (i.e. getting the pads engaged as soon as possible in the lever throw)? Maybe you are running a really late bite point, with short reach, and thus not getting enough lever travel?


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## jmountain (Jun 11, 2011)

I have 2011 Code R's and am plenty satisfied with them. I squeeze the lever, the bike stops and the modulation feels good.


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## tls36 (Dec 10, 2005)

My experience with them is super positive, but have not had them apart yet, so dust may have a point. So far, so good and I like the feel of them WAY better than the older ones these replaced.


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## Gemini2k05 (Apr 19, 2005)

I've had my 2011's for ~16 months now, after having some previous gen for a year. I've gone through at least 3 sets of pads. Bled them once 6 months ago. They feel good as new still. I've very happy with them. Enough so that I put a second set on my mini-DH bike. I'm big (~215 lbs) and ride very long (15 minutes plus at my slow pace), very steep tracks, often non-stop.

The pad contact adjust thing is kinda weird though, don't know if I like it. My brakes engage VERY quickly. If the above poster is having problems with his its probably a bad bleed or he hasn't set the contact pad adjustment properly.


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## GRR gravity riders (Dec 25, 2010)

Ive had too sets of Codes, the first was a pre 2011 set and were a pain in the ass to bleed and had issues. Now I have a set of 2011 Code R's and they are much better. I don't mess with adjustments too much but for power and feel their perfect for this 245lb downhiller. I plan to swap the lever out for a Straightline and run floating rotors, undecided if Im gonna use Hopes or Hayes for that...


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## frango (Oct 10, 2004)

I spent last season on Code 2011 in front. Really liked it. No leaking, no overheating, even with fancy Alligator Windcutter rotor, but a bit of hassle to set on such rotor.
I've just replaced the Code with 2012 Shimano XT with Ice-Tech rotors 
The only thing I have to do, is to shorten hoses. First impression is very good


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## Johnny No.5 (Mar 20, 2008)

Almost a year on mine, early on the rear would get mushy after a big hit (jumps and drops) but pumping the lever would bring it back. After an extremely thorough bleed they've been trouble free. At 140lbs I'm on the lighter side of riders so they offer more than enough power for me and have great modulation, couldn't ask for any more than they provide (and honestly I wouldn't need any more either).


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## sambs827 (Dec 8, 2008)

I've got the 2011 CODE R's on my bike and LOVE them. I've ridden Saints and just like the Codes more. Got the set for $300; they were a set of brand new take-offs by some dude spoonsored by Shimano. From what I hear the Code R's need bleeding less often than the Codes. They are easy to modulate and have plenty of power.


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## B-Mac (Oct 2, 2008)

They rock. Powerful, quiet one finger braking. I've had no bleed problems either.

My previous brakes were the old codes. Always had bleed problems with the old codes. 

I have noticed the lever pump that others note above - if you don't allow the lever to return all the way out, they can pump up on you a bit. This stops when you allow the lever to move all the way out.


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