Need some new brakes to replace my Hopes, preferably with 200mm discs.
Any recommendations?

Thanks
Dave

Make like the QR thread, and go with Shimano.

I like magura louise a lot 🙂

hayes?

got some nearly new 9’s for sale if your interested

Shimano or Avid are a very safe bet. Why what’s happened to your Hopes?

After years of using hope brakes switched to magura louise’s last year
and wished i had done it sooner!

Magura Louise, great brakes any size rota all for £110. Just won the best Trail brake in this months MBUK

Not a clue what they’re like, but:

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=product&productId=1230&categoryId=130

…? 8″, ready-to-go, £149.

Avid elixir cr’s!

Just had some Hayes Stroker Rydes from Merlin for about £100 for my 2nd bike and I am very impressed. I’ve got Mono Minis on my main bike and I’d have to say that the Rydes are easier to set up, have more power and probably have a better feel.

SLX!

09 Saints are £120 an end @CRC with 203mm 6bolt rotors.

Just got some for my Prophet and first impressions are very good. They don’t quite have the initial modulation of my old M4 Mono’s but once into proper braking their just as easy to control. Build quality and general lever feel is 100% better plus I reckon they have about 25% more power. No more wobbly levers or reach adjusters that wind themselves in. Pad clearance is greatly improved so hopefully no more dragging pads doing my head in near the end of long rides.

I still havnt ridden them in the wet but so far I havnt heard any squeeling.

An added bonus is they will even take my stock of Goodridge M4/XT pads with a bit tiny bit of filing done to the pad backing plate. They are out of 203mm post mounts at the moment so I ordered the the brake for an IS fork then ordered the Hayes 203mm PM adapter in the flood sale. 😉

Currently got 08 XTs with 203mm rotors on the DH bike. I cannot imagine anyone, or anything (buses, tanks etc included) that would need more power!

Just bought a set of Saints from CRC for my Gemini, most impressed when I tried a mates the other week. Also am in the process of building up a Prophet and went for SLX for that, they feel great (in my living room) too!

Personally I swear by Formula Oro. I had Hope HFX9s, didn’t get on with them, then moved to Juicy 7 and didn’t really enjoy that either. They were sticky, they dragged etc etc.

Then I switched to Formula Oro K18s and haven’t looked back – no draggy pads, no stick pistons, and v simple to replace the pads. Everything you could want, and ridiculous powerful (and well-modulated) to boot.

Another vote for SLX
Currently £55 an end at wiggle without adapters and discs, allowing you to select your own adapters / discs
don’t forget to update your details and get £5 off. If you do 2 seperate orders with £5 off then you can get a set of SLX brakes for under £100

NB Rear doesn’t show on website but if you search for it, then it comes up.

I know they are cheap, but has anyone used the Clarks S2 Hydraulics?

Their web site is a bit more “style over content” ie they haven’t even listed the S2’s yet but they are shown here Bike Europe

My other half has louises, admittedly older ones. I was never impressed, they had similar feel and power to my hope mini, not a patch on my M4. I’ll have to try the new ones.

I’m running saints on my DH bike and I’ve gotta say that I think they’re great too

Have Juicy Carbons with 203 rotors, much prefer them to my old Mono M4s

I’d second Elixir – have an EX9 with 185mm disks and they feel significantly better than Mono minis on my Orange 5

Avoid Avid Juicies – they’re unreliable in the UK and Alps for different reasons (so I hear from mechanics and guides). Hayes HFX might be old and primitive, but they’re strong, simple, reliable and super cheap if you can still find them.

Another vote for Elixirs. Plus with Avid you have the option of running Matchmakers, which I’m impressed with.

My Avid Juicys (5’s and Carbons) have been fine in the French Alps, Spanish Alpujarras and the Canadian Rockies.

brakes that have been on my bikes:

Hope M4
Hayes Nines
Fromula K18
Formula K24
Formula Mega (same as the One’s)
All with 200mm F/185 Rear

The Hayes were the weekest performers. The M4’s were better. The Formulas got better with each progression (as list).

K24’s on the HT now and Mega’s on the FS

The mega’s are OTT really – stupidly powerful

Anything from Formula… I love my Oro Puro’s 🙂

I have had two sets of juicy 7’s for 2 years, a pair of 5’s and a new pair of elixirs, and i can only say good things about Avid. Bought an M4 and got shot within a week, wrong lever feel for me, and low on power. Shimano’s seemed good but jittery.

If I had the choice then Magura Louise….simply awesome. however I need the flip flop design for my hire bikes and use formula

The K 18/24 are Ace.

The “the one” is simply gorgeous and very powerful with loads of feel and one finger endo’s always possible. However as the mag review said it took me a while to get use to the squishy feel and long lever throw…that said on constant long descents I did not get achy braking fingers.

So either Louise FR or The One.

I’ve just got a set of secondhand XT (M775) and i have to say im liking them a lot. Bit of a pain to bleed when swapping the hoses over, but thats a one off. Pistons are a little bit sticky, but a bit of a lube up and they’ll be dandy!