that weren't DH beasts (180/160) but pretty damn powerful and not stupidly expensive where would your hard earned go ?

ta

Hope

hello houns – hope what ?

Magura. Whichever ones were cheap. Or SLX.

Clarks skeletal, about 69 per end, with spare pads and they are white 🙂

Shimano XT. They're a lot more powerful than X2s.

Hope we can all agree for once.

Hope you get some brakes that are right for you 😀

Magura Louise BAT

Working well for me. £200 new from Merlin.

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain-bike-disc-brakes/shimano-disc-brakes/shimano-xt-disc-brake-set.html

Not because they're better than hopes (they're not) but they are better value IMO. SLX only £20 cheaper.

Shimano XT. They're a lot more powerful than X2s.

A LOT easier to break and much harder to repair (if at all) as well.You gets what you pays for.

Hope

XT's from Ribble – £65 per end

Hope

Formula Oros. Or SLX otherwise. Never met a Hope that seemed to deliver good value for money so far. I'd also consider the latest Deore 595, they're fantastic for the money, very strong though not quite as good on feel as the SLX.

XTR

SLX. Probably worth trying someone elses first though, the weird cam thingamy (cant remember the name) isn't to everyones tastes….

Elixir 5s, big fan but I mostly got them because they were white.

Juicy 3's. Cheap as ****, had them on all my bikes and powerful enough to stop a 5 Spot at speed.

Northwind – Member
Formula Oros. Or SLX otherwise. Never met a Hope that seemed to deliver good value for money so far. I'd also consider the latest Deore 595, they're fantastic for the money, very strong though not quite as good on feel as the SLX.

I can only imagine you've not tried M4's on Tech levers then.

Hope

Having tried many, and loved few, The SLX's that came on my bike last year were a genuine revelation, Everyone who has tried the say's they have remarkably good "feel". I'm currentlly running them on my hardtail, but (with the right size rotors) I'd happily run them on the DH bike (as a friend of mine has done for the past year or so, also with nothing but good to say about them)

Hope Tech M4!

Avid Elixir Rs

Hope x2, they have far better feel than my XTs.

Is a brake that can never be serviced still good value for money?

I buy Hope primarily because of the performance. Although not the most powerful, the M4 is possibly the most versatile brake available; although the X2/Mini can be drafted in for a lighter rear option if one's braking style permits. Even the larger V2 can be toned down for general trail use because of lever adjustemnts which actually do what they say they do. I can mix and match calipers and levers to give me an ideal personal set-up.

Buying Hope supports British manufacturing and British design – it keeps as much money as possible within our own economy and keeps people in employment. I can service and overhaul Hopes ad infinitum because every single component is available to the consumer at sensible money. I have a solid warranty and access to probably the best customer service in the industry. I can call Hope and talk directly with people who understand the product and who are genuinely happy to help.

Until Hope stop being the company that they are, producing the standard of product that they do, I see no reason buy anyone else's brakes.

Formula RX from UK Bike Store. You can get front and rear for approx £280.

Far superior to all the previous brakes i've run…..Hope M4/Mini Mono/X2 and Avid Juicy 5.

EDIT: Three_Fish: I thought the same until i tried the Formulas 😀 They've been faultless and by all accounts if i do encounter any problems then Toby at Propel is a great help.

I'd highly recommend the shimanos, love my old deores, fault free for more than 5 years. From everything I've read the new SLXs should be as good. That deal from ribble above is great, got to be worth a go.
On a lot more expensive note, I've recently tried a pair of Formula RX1s and they had incredible feel and power on 180mm rotors. Easily the best brakes I've tried in a long time.

SLX.

I'll never trust Hope brakes. Ever.

I run RX1's on my Zesty and was so impressed by them i bought my wife a set of the RX for her 575.

They also look ALOT better than Hope IMO.

Hope M4/Mini.

I have some XT (m765), some Hayes HFX9s and some older M4s. Have also had Juicy threes and Mono Minis.

Between the Hopes and the XT, rotors are 180/160 (XT) and 200/180. I'm guessing, factoring in rotor size power is probably about even. Hopes might be a little better in terms of modulation but it's not a fair test.

The advantage of Hope is you can buy parts. If you bend a lever blade, or the pushrod you can get new one in a matter of days, and they carry bits for older designs. Getting spares for my m765s is impossible I believe. Also pads for hope are easy to buy.

I'm not a fan of Avid (or to some extent Hayes), bleeding them is a right pain in the proverbial, unless you have the bleedkit with you, you can't just pop down to Halfords and get some DOT.

I don't know much about maintenance for Magura or Clarks.

Friends have Shimano Saint. Power is amazing, but maintenance might be an issue.

Shimano xt brakes – 65 quid each… no rotors though (not much of an expense though!)

if i were looking for new brakes atm, id go for these!

hope,just don,t get em wet !

Formulas in looking good shocker 😮
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43121659@N06/4570509834/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43121659@N06/4570510296/in/photostream/

Look good, work well, ain't gonna break the bank.

safehandsduffy1 – Member
hope,just don,t get em wet !

handy… only going mtbing in the dry… ❗

coogan – Member
SLX.

I'll never trust Hope brakes. Ever.

Personal experience, or just mouthing off again?

hope,just don,t get em wet !

Since I got sintered pads, I haven't had a single squeek from mine. Wet, dry or otherwise (is there an otherwise?).
The only brakes I would never own again would be avid avoid. Horrible things IMHO.

Im another vote for XT's but dont expect to ge parts easly if you brake them.

how much are SLX levers and calipers generally? Very tempted

if i was buying again i'd go hope X2s.

I find my XTs are good, as are my SLX, but they lack consistency regardless of the amount of maintenance performed.