Hydraulic disc brake lever feel

[fordred]

So, i was mesmerized by how smooth the braking on R785 Di2 hydraulic disc levers that thought that was the feel of all Shimano Hydraulic levels (for e.g. RS685) and went on to purchase a Lynskey Urbano that was on sale but have not build up the bike yet.
Couple days ago, I went to a LBS and molested both their R785 and their RS685 and was stunned by the big difference in how the braking action on the lever feels. RS685 just doesn't feel as smooth as the R785 and require more strength to depress the levers.

The Lynskey is meant to be use with mechanical shifting, so using Di2 is not really an option unless I remove the shifter cable mounts at the downtube, and drill holes for the Di2 cables.
So kind of stuck here.

Anyone here have compared the brake lever performance of SRAM vs Shimano? It's hard to find SRAM equipped hydraulic disc systems at the moment where I reside.

[PhilippCX]

The different feel could easily be caused by suboptimal bleeding. Even tiny amounts of air in the system can make a huge difference in feel. When properly done, there should be no softness or give in the lever at all once the pad touches the disc.

While I don't have any experience with Shimano hydraulic brakes, I can say that my SRAM red are the best brakes I have ever used on a road bike. That being said, any decent MTB brake will blow the SRAM red out of the water.

[ms6073]

Having recently managed the learning curve of installing R785 hydraulic, I will second the comment about air in the system but bleeding the system (at least the front) is pretty straight forward. What is not quite as straight forward is the relationship between decreasing lever throw and the free stroke adjustment. With proper bleed of the fluid, and no adjustments to lever throw or freestroke, the R785 feel will feel quite stiff, but with as little as 1/2 to 3/4 turn of the lever adjustment, then 1-2 turns of the freestroke screw, and now the lever will depress nearly all the way to the handlebar.