My old brakes have now died and im looking at getting some new stoppers. Thinking of going 4 pot this time.

Trying to decide between spending some cash on the Hope Tech 3 E4 or going the simple less expensive route of the ZEEs

Want a brake with great power and modulation

Was runnig SLX before on ice tech rotors and just not enough power for me really

Cheers for your advice

Oli

Can’t comment on the Hopes but have Zee’s on the 29er RocketMAX and plenty powerful enough. Noticeably more powerful than the SLX on the hardtail albeit smaller rotor on that.

Simple, powerful and great modulation. You just described the hopes.
You can also add reliability, serviceability and quality.
Something lacking in disposable shimano brakes.

I bought Zee for my sus bike last year. They certainly aren’t bad, power and modulation is better than the XT I had previously, but I intend to get hope at some point for the better reliability, spares availability and quality.

If i were you in that position I’d go for the Hopes. They’re well built, but totally re-buildable if you need to. Pretty reliable, I’ve just replaced a hose on mine, but that was only cause I crashed and ripped out the hose when the bars span around. Hose kit came with new fittings although all parts are re-usable on Hopes. Brake pads are stocked nearly everywhere, personally I prefer the feel of Hopes over the somewhat “on/off switch” that Shimanos can have (but I understand that’s entirely subjective).

I think there’s probs not that much in it power-wise

But…it’s nice to have nice things, and the Hopes are nice.. (If that’s a reason!) 😆

So worth the extra over the zee. Do you need to use floating rotors for best effect.

Nah, I’ve yet to discern any notable benefit to the ones I have, other than they look cool. 😆

Functionality will be the same.
But if the seals on the Shimanos go they are written off, Hopes can be rebuilt.

Hopes hold their value second had better too.

I’d buy second hand Hopes

Cheers guys. Anyone got any they are looking to shift

Hopes

I can still get spares for 10 year old Hopes

I have Zees for sale….

Hope for sure.
I moved from SLX to the Single pot Tech 3 X2s. Far nicer in every way, noticeably more powerful, and far better modulation.
If to want to be really cool get the E4 on the front for extra power, and the X2 on the back for better modulation and control.

Winstanleys are currently doing abpout 20% off Hope brakes, so a set is only about £20 more per end than the Zees.

Had a crash last weekend on the BFe. Master cylinder (and me) hit a tree and the front brake wouldn’t work.
Being mini m4’s all I needed was an £11 rebuild kit. Shimano would have needed a whole new master cylinder at £30+ for XT or Zee.

Go for the E4, you wont regret it. Also worth noting is Hope’s factory service- sent one to them a few months back as I don’t have the tools at home to strip them and after a couple of days they popped back better than new. Can’t fault them.

Hopes. I feel like I have spent years of my life re-bleeding the Zees. I’m scrapping them and getting some E4s. I have some near 10 year old M4s and they are awesome. Hope every-time from now on!

Are the hopes more powerful than xts

Not specifically – but there’s more than enough power in the Hope to stop me, a 32lb bike and my added weight from the chips on my shoulders

I might have some v2 that I’m willing to part with. Will only use the money to buy e4 for a different bike though.

Probably got a set of Tech 3 E4’s for sale.

Can you drop me an email. Oli.burke@gmail.com

Me, or shredder? My email is in my profile.

Shredder. Want some e4s

Have to say that whilst I love the modulation on the hopes I think they lack absolute power. I’m around 100kg and have E4s with tech levers on my Nicolai, 200mm rotor on the front. It’s that point where you’re going hard into a corner, faster than you’re comfortable taking the corner at and you really want to haul on the anchors. Panic braking essentially. In that situation I wish they had more power. Half tempted to swap them out for some magura trails which apparently have the modulation of hopes but with more grab when you really give them a tug.

Interesting, I never felt underbraked on a Turner rfx in verbier last year with a 100+kg rider and a 180mm rotor up front on tech 3 e4.

I’d like some e4’s but the price of the non-carbon magura trails is very attractive.

But if the seals on the Shimanos go they are written off,

Total drivel. Spare callipers are available.

You can replace the zee calliper at the bargain price of £56.99. What a waste.
A seal kit for hope E4 will cost you a whopping £6.99 from CRC and likely won’t leak in the first place.

a new caliper is still writing off the leaking one

Amazing how many people mention reliability and spares availability in the same breath when talking about Hope.

I’d have loved hopes but they were a little rich for me. Had no issue with Zee in three years with a lot more power and modulation than SLX/XT.

However they now seem to be around £100 per end and a lot closer to Hope for comfort.

buy hope to keep the STW massive happy

Got the e4 from x2. Buying again I’d get the x2.

Almost the same power.but they handle mud better

Scamper – Member
Amazing how many people mention reliability and spares availability in the same breath when talking about Hope.

Reliability – they tend not to go wrong.

Spares availability -if you crash into a tree you can replace a lever blade instead of an entire lever.

On the other hand, I’ve had to dump entire Shimano levers and cakipefs because of leaks. If that happened witb Hopes (and my X2s are going on four years without even a bleed) it’s a few quid and an easy fix.

Shimano make great brakes that go in the bin aftet a few years. Theyre disposable brakes. Hopes can be serviced back to new.

PeterPoddy – Member

Total drivel. Spare callipers are available.

They usually cost close to the price the full brake is discounted to. You can’t get a replacement piston or seal (praying someone tells me otherwise so I can fix the ones in the shed and flog them)

You want 4 pot, great power and modulation..? Guides.

Having just bought some I’d recommend E4’s 😀

Loads of adjustability and completely serviceable. Mine replaced some XT’s due to getting fed up of them throwing a wobbly randomly, the usual wandering bite point and seal failure (2 levers and a caliper in 18 months!). Yes they are expensive but that is more than made up by them working perfectly, being genuinely adjustable and if something does fail or get damaged you just replace that bit. Add in their resale value, even 5 years down the line, and they are as much of a bargain as the discounted Shimano stuff. My other bike will most likely get some X2’s when the Deore’s play up again, one caliper in 2 years so far.

Don’t go hopes. They are hopeless!!

Is that meant to be a pun, or do you actually think that Hope brakes aren’t good? Some info to back the statement up might be useful!

Think we’re now on 4 years of running Hope E4’s across our guiding team of 4 riders, plus V4’s and V2’s before that. In all that time, not a single problem, not one.

Pat has had to bleed his a few times but that’s because:

1. He’s weird and runs his brakes French style.
2. He makes an ar$e of bleeding them when he switches the hoses over.

They’re plenty powerful, I’m 85kg and ride with a big guide’s pack most of the time, never felt them to be lacking power, although I do appreciate that Shimano’s have a different feel, which gives the impression of having more instant power.

Original Hope pads are very good too, and not stupidly priced.

Had my E4 brakes on the full-sus for over three years and their near identical M4 predecessor on my hardtail for six years odd. They feel great, have plenty of power and keep on working and feeling good – been bled a few times in total, excellent Hope pads, changed some seals once. I’d be surprised if they don’t keep working as well for a very long time.