# Avid Code VS Avid Elixir Cr



## freshferrari (May 15, 2009)

I'm in the process if buying a new set of brake for my downhill bike and get figured out which one of these 2 brakes would be the better buy....
Can anyone help me???


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## brillantesdv (Oct 24, 2007)

weight: Elixir
power: Code
price: Elixir

most people will probably find enough power with Elixirs though.


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## CheeseSoda (Jan 8, 2007)

I have Codes on my "everything" bike, and my buddy has Elixirs on his. Having done my fair share of riding on both, I'm definitely a Code man. The Elixirs feel "bottomless" in a way. While that's nice for some situations, I prefer the Codes because they're CRAZY solid. Not a bit of flex anywhere. You know exactly when you're fully clamped on the rotor, and as a result it's about 10 times easier to know when you're going to lock the tires compared to the Elixirs... And when you're going full tilt about to hit a garden, it's a very handy thing to be able to feel. I've also not been able to glaze the pads, boil fluid, etc. which had been a slight issue before with a few other brakes.


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## 69nites (Aug 20, 2008)

if you factor in that you get the same amount of power out of a code with a 160mm rotor as an elixir with a 203mm rotor the weight savings aren't as large and you since less of the weight is in rotational mass I don't really say elixirs have any real advantage in the weight department unless you're running them with small rotors.

elixirs have MUCH better level modulation. I actually just pulled the trigger on some elixir levers to mate to my code calipers to make my own personal superbrake.


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## Prettym1k3 (Oct 11, 2005)

I'm running Elixirs. I had Codes with 8"/7". Northstar was about the only place I liked having my Codes, but they had major issues with getting air in the lines, and I had to bleed them every 2-3 days of riding up there.

I'm running the CR's now on my DH bike with 8"/6". I find the modulation far superior, and can't wait to ride them at Northstar. They're lighter, and a better brake all around.


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## 69nites (Aug 20, 2008)

Prettym1k3 said:


> I'm running Elixirs. I had Codes with 8"/7". Northstar was about the only place I liked having my Codes, but they had major issues with getting air in the lines, and I had to bleed them every 2-3 days of riding up there.
> 
> I'm running the CR's now on my DH bike with 8"/6". I find the modulation far superior, and can't wait to ride them at Northstar. They're lighter, and a better brake all around.


Sounds like a line installation issue you had with your codes. You cut those down yourself?


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## CheeseSoda (Jan 8, 2007)

They had banjo sealing issues for a while. I got two bad sets from the factory that had that same issue, where they would get mushy after a couple days. I talked to Customer Support and the guy hand picked me two good sets and shipped them to me with a bleed kit just in case. I've now got 700+ hours of riding on mine without any issues. Well worth the effort.


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## nmpearson (Aug 13, 2007)

^yeah one of my pairs had a problem with the banjo seals and sram was awesome about helping out. the codes are just simply the strongest brake i've ever felt. the elixirs are pretty dang awesome though. i'm just switching because i don't really need the power anymore


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## thecrackerasscracker (Jan 12, 2008)

my elixir rotors make a lot of vibration and noise even when dry i put mt juicy rotors on and no prob so ot deff the rotor design


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## CheeseSoda (Jan 8, 2007)

thecrackerasscracker said:


> my elixir rotors make a lot of vibration and noise even when dry i put mt juicy rotors on and no prob so ot deff the rotor design


False.
That just means your calipers are "off" enough to work with the more solid rotor, where as the milled out G3 has more edges to let you know "hey, we're out of alignment".
While I prefer the Codes, I don't have any issues with the newer rotors. They work as well or maybe better than my G2's. I haven't used the G3's in HEAVY mud though, so no word on that, but I imagine they clean/shed pretty well.


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## RYAN E (Jan 11, 2006)

Iv'e had both the 07' and 08' Codes. Now im running the Elixr CR's. 203 in front and 185 rear. They codes have more bite, but it comes fast without great modulation. The Elixr's dont grab as quickly but there's is always even steady power. All u have to do is pull harder and the Elix's will be there. I havent used the Elixr's on any resorts but have yet to fell any unecessary fade.


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

I can't beleive anyone has not mention the new Saints....great modulation and the power of codes


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## nmpearson (Aug 13, 2007)

^i was going to try them, but everyone i heard from saint just spend your money on avid. they didn't say they were terrible(except one person) but just that it's not worth it


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## Prettym1k3 (Oct 11, 2005)

SHIVER ME TIMBERS said:


> I can't beleive anyone has not mention the new Saints....great modulation and the power of codes


I think Saint and Marz pays you.


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## CheeseSoda (Jan 8, 2007)

I LOVE Saint cranks/bb but other than that I get sick of their proprietary this and that... Just use regular fricken hardware like everyone else. Your non-standard thread patterned bolt is not going to perform any better than one I can get at the hardware store.


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## Raptordude (Mar 30, 2004)

Prettym1k3 said:


> I think Saint and Marz pays you.


Nah it's the truth. I went from a solid pair of Juicy 7's to Saints, and I really enjoy the extra modulation in the Saints. You can use better braking techniques and feathering the brakes is a piece of cake. I'd be willing to try Codes or Elixirs, but I would certainly throw Saints in the mix, they're a phenomenal brake.


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## 69nites (Aug 20, 2008)

new Saints are a great brake but the OP was asking about which are a better buy between the Codes and the Elixirs...


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## Sghost (Jul 15, 2008)

Codes on a full DH bike.

Elixirs on a less than full DH bike.

I use Saints with 6 bolt rotors on my DH race rig.


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## 6thElement (Jul 17, 2006)

CheeseSoda said:


> They had banjo sealing issues for a while. I got two bad sets from the factory that had that same issue, where they would get mushy after a couple days. I talked to Customer Support and the guy hand picked me two good sets and shipped them to me with a bleed kit just in case. I've now got 700+ hours of riding on mine without any issues. Well worth the effort.


I had the problem with the Codes I picked up for last season, had to bleed them constantly. RMA'd them early this year and got a brand new set back and no problems so far :thumbsup:


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## Iceman2058 (Mar 1, 2007)

OP - brakes for your DH bike = Codes. Why would you not want the extra power and higher resistance to heat build up, when weight is probably not an issue at all?

As for the Saints, yeah, amazingly powerful brake, but I find them too sensitive in the lever (a matter of habit probably) - the Codes are more predictable I find.


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## CheeseSoda (Jan 8, 2007)

6thElement said:


> I had the problem with the Codes I picked up for last season, had to bleed them constantly. RMA'd them early this year and got a brand new set back and no problems so far :thumbsup:


Yup. The quality control was a little shoddy, but hot dang was customer service good :thumbsup:


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## deadatbirth (Jul 23, 2007)

do the Elixrs need adapters for a 203mm rear? and if so, can i use my Hayes adapter?
and im assuming their 203mm front is a Post mount?


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## $ally Hu$tle (Apr 6, 2007)

elixir cr > codes IMO. unless you're a fatso.


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## CheeseSoda (Jan 8, 2007)

Do you have ANY technical reason for saying that?


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## PB Matrix (May 22, 2005)

How did the Code Caliper / Elixer Lever combination work out.


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## $ally Hu$tle (Apr 6, 2007)

CheeseSoda said:


> Do you have ANY technical reason for saying that?


um yeah duh because the elixir is better. unless you're a fatso.


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## dbabuser (Jan 5, 2004)

Just because you're riding downhill, does not mean you necessarily need a dh specific brake. IMO, 185 lbs and less (like me) can ride normal xc brakes. I did a bunch of dh runs on my sx (4x) last year with 6" rotors, no problems. But if you're heavy or like to drag your brakes a lot, you might want/ need to go bigger.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

freshferrari said:


> I'm in the process if buying a new set of brake for my *downhill bike* and get figured out which one of these 2 brakes would be the better buy....
> Can anyone help me???


Codes. I have them. They are for downhill. Why would you not want that power/head dissipation?

If you are building a no-holds barred racing rig (and you have the skills to match), go for a smaller rear rotor (185mm) or even a different system on the rear that is lighter, works great on my rfx (205 front with 165 rear M4s).


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

CheeseSoda said:


> False.
> That just means your calipers are "off" enough to work with the more solid rotor, where as the milled out G3 has more edges to let you know "hey, we're out of alignment".
> While I prefer the Codes, I don't have any issues with the newer rotors. They work as well or maybe better than my G2's. I haven't used the G3's in HEAVY mud though, so no word on that, but I imagine they clean/shed pretty well.


Nope, various Avid hydro brakes are notorious for crazy vibration, sometimes it goes away, and sometimes you have to change things like the pads, rotor, adaptors, and so on. In rare cases nothing works except switching to different brakes. It's due to a combination of all these parts allowing a resonant frequency to propagate, and by switching one of the parts in the system you might solve it, but you might not. This is a widespread problem and not limited to any one avid hydo brake.


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## Iceman2058 (Mar 1, 2007)

Jayem said:


> Codes. I have them. They are for downhill. Why would you not want that power/head dissipation?
> 
> If you are building a no-holds barred racing rig (and you have the skills to match), go for a smaller rear rotor (185mm) or even a different system on the rear that is lighter, works great on my rfx (205 front with 165 rear M4s).


I can't think of any reason NOT to run 185mm in the rear with the Codes, racing or no racing. 203 is not justified there, plenty of power available with 185 (and probably enough with 160 also, come to think of it - I've never tried so I won't post about it though...).


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## blkss (Mar 1, 2009)

1 of each! hehehe... Well, since Im still building my bike and have no experience actually using either, I will just tell you what Im doing. Avid Elixir CR on the front and Avid Code on the rear. I picked up and installed the Elixir on Saturday and I hope to have the Code in a few weeks.


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## 69nites (Aug 20, 2008)

blkss said:


> 1 of each! hehehe... Well, since Im still building my bike and have no experience actually using either, I will just tell you what Im doing. Avid Elixir CR on the front and Avid Code on the rear. I picked up and installed the Elixir on Saturday and I hope to have the Code in a few weeks.


that's a little bass ackwards.


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## blkss (Mar 1, 2009)

69nites said:


> that's a little bass ackwards.


Haha... Well, Ive read that the elixir cr has better modulation and Id rather have that in the front and more power in the rear. I guess we'll see how it works once its all together. ; )


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## 69nites (Aug 20, 2008)

blkss said:


> Haha... Well, Ive read that the elixir cr has better modulation and Id rather have that in the front and more power in the rear. I guess we'll see how it works once its all together. ; )


get a 160 on the rear with the code then. It's going to be ridiculously unbalanced if you have an 8" front and rear with the code in the rear and the elixer in the front. with the 160 in the rear and 8 inch front you're going to have about the same amount of power front and rear but very different lever feels.


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## blkss (Mar 1, 2009)

69nites said:


> get a 160 on the rear with the code then. It's going to be ridiculously unbalanced if you have an 8" front and rear with the code in the rear and the elixer in the front. with the 160 in the rear and 8 inch front you're going to have about the same amount of power front and rear but very different lever feels.


I was actually planning to run a 185 Code rear. But, I guess I could try the 160 first and upgrade if I didnt like it. Wouldnt a 185mm be a little better for keeping cool and preventing fade?


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## 69nites (Aug 20, 2008)

blkss said:


> I was actually planning to run a 185 Code rear. But, I guess I could try the 160 first and upgrade if I didnt like it. Wouldnt a 185mm be a little better for keeping cool and preventing fade?


that's going to be your issue. on anything lift assisted you're probably going to end up with some fade with the 160. But with the 185 you're going to have a substantially more powerful brake in the rear that's going to be consistently locking up. With Codes you really have to learn to have a light touch to threshold brake properly. That's going to be hard when you have the forgiving elixer lever for your front brake.

I understand that there's different strokes for different folks but I don't think there's a way to really balance an elixer front/code rear. On the bright side if you end up not liking it you can just resize the lines and move the code up front and put the elixer in the back.

I've got my elixer levers sitting here waiting to get mated to code calipers but the weather here really isn't allowing for much riding to test after I do install them. Once I do I'll properly review my elixer/code hybrid brake.


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## blkss (Mar 1, 2009)

69nites said:


> that's going to be your issue. on anything lift assisted you're probably going to end up with some fade with the 160. But with the 185 you're going to have a substantially more powerful brake in the rear that's going to be consistently locking up. With Codes you really have to learn to have a light touch to threshold brake properly. That's going to be hard when you have the forgiving elixer lever for your front brake.
> 
> I understand that there's different strokes for different folks but I don't think there's a way to really balance an elixer front/code rear. On the bright side if you end up not liking it you can just resize the lines and move the code up front and put the elixer in the back.
> 
> I've got my elixer levers sitting here waiting to get mated to code calipers but the weather here really isn't allowing for much riding to test after I do install them. Once I do I'll properly review my elixer/code hybrid brake.


thanks for the helpful info! ill definately be keeping this in mind... your elixir/code hybrid is definately something im gonna keep an eye out for. are you going to post the review in the dh/fr forum?


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## Iceman2058 (Mar 1, 2007)

Just save yourself the trouble and stick the Code up front, the Elixir in the rear, and be done with it. No point going through all that trouble to learn to ride with an unbalanced set up, when you have all the parts needed to build it right from the get go. 

BTW, the Codes offer more than enough modulation to be used in the front with no issues whatsoever.

BTW2, you shouldn't really have to worry about brake fade in the rear - under most circumstances they should only see a fraction of the action that the front puts up with...


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## $ally Hu$tle (Apr 6, 2007)

Iceman2058 said:


> Just save yourself the trouble and stick the Code up front, the Elixir in the rear, and be done with it. No point going through all that trouble to learn to ride with an unbalanced set up, when you have all the parts needed to build it right from the get go.
> 
> BTW, the Codes offer more than enough modulation to be used in the front with no issues whatsoever.
> 
> BTW2, you shouldn't really have to worry about brake fade in the rear - under most circumstances they should only see a fraction of the action that the front puts up with...


I think he said he already bought them...donno how switching hoses would go..and flipping levers...


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## Iceman2058 (Mar 1, 2007)

$ally Hu$tle said:


> I think he said he already bought them...donno how switching hoses would go..and flipping levers...


That's it, he would just have to switch and flip (then bleed them of course...). :thumbsup:


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## blkss (Mar 1, 2009)

I already have the elixir mounted up on the front, but I have yet to purchase the rear (code). Im taking into cosideration all of the advice I have read here and I will be making a decision in the next few weeks. Gotta wait for some more fun money to come in. ; )


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