volosong

Background: I've been cycling since my teenager years, since the mid-60's. All that time, until recently, I've always had rim brakes. First Nuevo Record, then Shimano STI. Adjusting them are second nature to me, and I can get them exactly like I want them. Just a little slack, then the pads contacting the wheel rims. My latest bike has SRAM Force hydraulic brakes. I have an issue with the throw of the levers, (as compared to my experience with rim brake levers).

With rim brakes, I like about a quarter or half inch of "play" before the pads contact the rim and start applying braking power. It seems with these Force levers, I have to pull a whole lot more before any adequate force is applied to the rotor. Almost to the bars. The levers are slightly offset with the bars, so I don't think they will touch, or touch to the point where I can't squeeze more. But, the lever to the bar does stop from squeezing tighter because I don't have anything at that point to squeeze against.

Is this the way they should be? The shop says so. I want them to adjust them to mimic my rim brakes, but they won't. "Too dangerous", they say. If I understood hydraulic disc brakes, I'd adjust them myself, but they are a new thing to me.

p.s. I have two MTBs with disc brakes and don't have the same issues. They have a different type of brake lever than road bikes. Also, to add insult to injury, I took my cross bike in for a brake bleed, and they screwed those up too. Now I have to pull a lot more than I used to. The cross bike has Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc brakes.

cpach

Most road hydraulic brakes don't really have an adjustable bite point. If the levers feel spongy at all they need a bleed, but otherwise it's not especially adjustable. Those levers do have adjustable reach adjust, so you can bring the levers out a bit so they bite farther from the bar. For what it's worth, most pro road cyclists run more throw than most recreational cyclists and a lot of hydraulic systems were designed around a similar feel. You can hack a closer bite point temporarily by removing the rotor/wheel and advancing the pads very, very slightly, but not so much that your rotor rubs the pad.

Still, I don't feel like Sram has a wildly different bite point than Shimano road hydraulic, so maybe they need a bleed. Mine don't feel like they have a particularly late bite. I'd have to have it in my hand to get a good sense.

DrIsotope

With properly bled SRAM levers, you should have fully locked brakes at about half of the lever's travel. You shouldn't be able to pull the lever all the way to the bar, ever, period.

Don't let the notion of servicing your own brakes seem too daunting. Order a 2-syringe kit, follow the instructions. It's really just about doing the steps in order to get it right. If you've ever serviced brakes on a car, you can do a bike easily.

I just did the annual flush and fill on my Rival 1 levers, took maybe an hour all-in.

volosong

Thanks guys. Thing is that they just bled the brakes. Several times. It's a new bike. Took it for a maiden ride, then returned because the front rotor was squeaking, (slightly bent). At that time, I told them that I wanted the brake lever to bite earlier.

The cross bike went in because there was no bite, (front). Hadn't ridden it for quite awhile due to the winter weather and using other bikes. It was leaking so they had to order a new rotor and a new caliper.

Kinda makes me wish I had either rim brakes or cable actuated disc brakes, (manual disc brakes???).

DrIsotope

They may have bled the brakes, but all indications are that they didn't do a very good job of it, or at the least used the wrong fluid. My experience with hydraulic brakes has been 100% trouble-free.

cpach

Rim brakes have their appeal. The best cable disc setups work reasonably well, but I'd never trade good hydraulics for them. I definitely like the feel of Shimano and Campagnolo to Sram in this regard, although my gravel ebike has Sram Force HRD and it's entirely fine.