There is a fine line between being in control, and tragically, not. When braking counts (every time), its good to have a brake that you trust. The Avid CODE’s have always had the reputation of being a strong and powerful system, aiding in the control and speed of both you and your bike. For 2011, they have redesigned the CODE brake system with even more strength, modulation, reliability, and weight loss for the daily rider.
Riding : On-Trail
Some trails require more braking than others, and some don’t require much braking at all, but when you need your brakes, you want a reliable and powerful set. The 2011 CODEs are a great brake for most terrain, but really shone on our local testing grounds. We test most of our product in the Pacific Northwest, ranging from the steep and technical brake-worthy trails of the shore, to the fast and flowy lines of Bellingham and Whistler. In either case, we put the 2011 CODEs to a good mixture of both technical and flowy testing. On the more technical and steep terrain, the 4 piston CODEs equipped with the Taper Bore technology and Deep Stroke Modulation could stop you… but in most cases, you aren’t trying to stop, and the trail with wet roots and rocks won’t let you stop. It is in scenarios like this that these brakes truly shine, when brake modulation is the only thing keeping you and your bike on-line and on-trail while maintaining your traction and speed. The power of Avid’s combined technologies found in the new CODE’s allow you to go faster and brake more efficiently in short and tighter sections. These sections are typically found on the more fall line, rooty and rocky trails like that of a World Cup race course. If you look at the other side of the spectrum, say a wet and steep rock roll on Cypress Mountain, then brake power and modulation is the only thing keeping you in control as well. You have to feather your brakes the perfect amount, keeping your tires from skidding while still slowing you from tragic acceleration into the corner below. This is where brake modulation can truly show its impact on your riding, in a clear and scary form. Thanks to the Avid engineers, we continue to seek out that scary feeling that makes us get on the bike time and time again, all while being in control… right?
Tech : On-Trail
If you have been riding over the last fifteen years, then you probably remember rim brakes, which are either on or off when in steep terrain. Fortunately for us riders, the technology has changed and so has our braking method. Since 2010, Avid developed ‘Deep Stroke Modulation’ which creates a deeper and longer stroke between the valving of their integrated reservoir, allowing more accurate modulation between the rider’s finger and brake caliper. This design, along with ‘Taper Bore’ Technology, which is the straight and tapered end of the lever closure, creates a straight action between the lever and fluid pushing through to the caliper. This allows more direct and precise passing of pressure throughout the entire system. Its simple and sleek design, bedded with a 4 piston caliper helps conserve energy and aids in even more accurate and stronger braking.
When it comes to adjustability, the CODE’s have you covered trailside. Through the introduction of Tool-Free Reach Adjust and Contact Point Adjustment, you can keep your brakes running at the ideal fit for you and your riding style. Contact Point adjustment helps dial in the point at which your brakes engage, and how far through the brake stroke you are when they do engage. This allows you to maximize fine-tuning of both brakes while maintaining your preference for short or long throw braking without any tools. Also adding to trail side adjustability is the Tool-Free Reach adjust, which allows you to push or pull the lever to or from the bar, creating the ultimate fit between the rider’s finger length and brake system engagement. The adjustability and strength of the 2011 Avid CODEs have made them one of our ‘go to’ brakes for downhill use.
Tech : In the Shop:
As many bikers know, it’s important to stay in control while doing what we love, and it’s also important to work easily and efficiently when wrenching in the shop. For 2011, the CODEs come equipped with new features that help keep your brakes running at their optimal performance, while keeping our mechanics in mind. If you ride as much as we do, then most likely you bleed your brakes or change brake pads every month or two, which helps to keep your system running at its best. Thanks to the SRAM genius, we now have the ease of Top-Entry pads for tool-less and easy replacement on the fly. If you’ve changed pads before, then you know how hard it can be to re-align your caliper on the rotor, but Avid has now got us covered there as well. The CODEs come with ‘Tri-Align Caliper positioning’, which positions the placement of your caliper precisely with a squeeze of the brake. Just grab the lever, tighten the caliper bolts, and off you go. Also for 2011, the CODEs come with redesigned caliper bleed ports. By removing 1 bleed port from its previous models, the new caliper alleviates the chance of trapped air in the lines found in the older additional bleed port. This new feature also helps to save time when bleeding on the fly. With the new technologies from Avid, it makes the 2011 CODEs a ‘go-to’ brake for anyone in the market for a Downhill or Freeride brake system. The Avid CODEs are a great brake choice and are backed by the SRAM 2 year warranty.
MSRP: $235.00 USD per side
Also available in the Code Family is the Code R : $157.00 USD
For more info, check out the SRAM website at: www.sram.com
Weight: 410 Grams (160mm rotor; front post mount)
What is new:
• All new forged dual diameter, 4 piston caliper
• Forged TaperBore master cylinder with in-line tools free contact adjustment.
• Tool free reach adjustment
• Top loading pads.
Features:
• Alloy Lever w/ low lever friction – 3 cartridge bearings in lever pivot
• Two-piece lever blade with break away cam
• Four Piston caliper
• Centre mount adjustable Banjo
• Power Reserve Geometry
• Deep Stroke Modulation
• Matchmaker Compatible
