[toodles]

Check out Morgane Charre's custom air line mods to her Saints in this Vital slideshow - http://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/2012-WORLD-CHAMPIONSHIP-DH-FINALS-ACTION,4271/Slideshow,0/sspomer,2

 

[Ian Collins]

gotta say i'm blown away by the renthal bars, and i'm quite happy with code brakes....

random musings:

-everyone whines about codes but mine have been great...i'm a big sram advocate, but in all honesty they've held up well and have all the power i need at a good price....the new codes look good but i'll keep rocking these cheap things for a while longer.....

-there are 3 things i consistently destroy on DH bikes: handlebars, cranks and pedals

the renthal fatbar is the first bar i haven't bent, and it just feels right....so comfortable on the wrists...i'm a pretty neurotic rider in terms of cockpit setup and these things put my mind at rest...i don't ever think about the bar or the position of my hands...i've had a couple huge crashes and they're dead straight and bar none(no pun) the stiffest bar i've felt....with 4 different heights these things are really the perfect handlebar....

 

[Mo(n)arch]

saints. 810s were pretty much without fault for me.

Same here. 4th season on them. Never had a problem. And since I use the Saint rotors on my Session, they are not even hauling anymore.
Buddy of mine had to change the levers two times (warranty). Since then no problems either.
Pretty much everyone I know who are riding now something else, wish they had good old Saints on their bikes.

 

[tabletop84]

Which year?
I've had the production 2011 The Ones for 2 years now, including a full season in the Alps and a full season in Whistler and have not had a single issue. They've surprisingly been the most reliable brakes I have owned, and I ran Saints / Codes etc previously which all needed bleeding and maintenance much more often. Personally I found every Avid brake I owned to range between inconsistent and dangerous and would probably not try them again, Shimano I liked however they seem to have dropped the ball with reliability compared to their original (circa M800) offerings in the later M810 and M820 units - excessively long lever throw and some leaks.

Not sure if I just got lucky, but I'd happily buy the Formulas again. I bought them expecting very little (Italians!), but two seasons and many sets of pads later, I'm thoroughly impressed.

Mine where 2009 or 2010 I believe. Code is a 2012 model with X0 levers. I think I'll swap the code for shimanos too because they too develop an inconsisten feel but oddly after the lift ride. Like I set them up with the lever length, ride, get in the chairlift, then I want to go down again they feel different. Maybe I should bleed them again but I already did very carefully.

The difference is just that the formula held up great but on long slopes in the alps they began to fade and develop a really inconsistent feel. The codes seem too be more durable in this respect.

In the thread I posted many people had problems with a membrane in the lever which got air in the system. You can tell if it's damaged when you remove the lever from the bar and check if there is fluid below. I had this too and sold them.

 

[BrazilianMonkey]

Has anyone been using the Formula RO's? How are they modulation/power wise in comparison the the m810 Saint brakes? Are they reliable? Is there any noticeable brake fade on long descents? I can't seem to find to much info on these guys.Thinking of picking up a set, but after reading that some people have had issues with The One's I'm hesitant, even though I know quite a few people that love them.

ive been using saint m810 and now im using a formula RO, formula have same power with better modulation, no fade and lighter than saint, but if you get one dont forget to bleed and change oil, formula factory bleeding is really poor

 

[slyfink]

It depends how you mate them - the 4 pot caliper results in a longer lever throw because it has a greater total slave piston area for the same master cylinder area as the other Shimano brakes. After a careful bleed you can get the throw sitting further out but eventually they'll work their way closer to the bar. Few guys here are just pumping them with more fluid regularly to keep the lever throw reasonable but that's a pain.

Noticed this on the M820s and M810 with XTR lever combo. My M810s did the same thing with the stock levers but I've noticed the XTR lever with the M810 caliper is no better, possibly worse.

As for the leaking, that seems to be a random occurrence, seen it from M810 and M988 (XTR trail) which from what I can see isn't very different from the new M820 lever, hopefully it's fixed but I'm dubious.

I haven't seen the throw issue in the regular XT brakes, and I don't think it would occur because the master / slave ratio is more reasonable on these - they have less throw and seem to be more consistent.

Udi (or anyone else who can help me out...)

I'm having trouble with my M785s on my trail bike. It seems a bleed will get me a couple of weeks of riding, and then all the power of my brakes is lost. My last bleed was while I was in Sedona, and I've had maybe a half dozen rides since then, almost all in sub-freezing temps. When the shop bled my system the oil was wretched, really dirty. Which I found odd caus' the brakes were only on my bike for maybe 4 months before that. I also changed the pads with the bleed.

Now that biking season is here again, I've pulled my bike out to see what needs to be worked on, and my brakes suck again. They're crazy loud, and have no power. I can't even do a skid. I haven't looked at the pads, but since they were new 10 rides ago, I can't imagine them being worn. There might be some sort of contamination on them, but there is no trace of oil or leaks at the caliper body. On the other hand, the lever is filthy with oil on and around the lever and reservoir.

I'm wondering if anyone knows of an issue with seals on these or if there is any other known issue. I don't want to pay for a bleed (I would do it myself, but with a 2 month old and a 2.5 year old, I don't have much time for wrenching right now), only to have this happen again in 5 or 6 rides. I bought these brakes to replace my 2005 XTs thinking they would be an upgrade in reliability and power. The old brakes only needed to be bled every 2 seasons or so. I don't want to be bleeding brakes ever 10 or 12 hours, that seems ridiculous.