Hi,
What are the best Hydro brakes?
Taking into account weight, power, cost?
Are there any good ones with a mix and match combo i.e. caliper and different lever?

having owned a few (shimano x2, avid x2, hayes x3, formula x2, hope x2) i would say overall id go for hopes. they are not the lightest, not the cheapest and (IMO) not the prettiest but they ARE reliable, powerful and also importantly they are not modular units so you can replace the tiniest little parts, no matter how obscure. their customer service is second to none and ive never heard of them quibbling with warranty etc.

after learning several times over how hard it can be to get replacement parts for brakes and never successfully getting anything replaced on warranty despite a good case for it, ill be sticking with hope from now on…

Well, they’re overkill for the riding I do (I do like to stop though), but I have only excellent things to say about the new Saints 180/160. They replaced XTR which I thought were good for the purpose but I like a more powerful brake.

I’ve had a few years on Magura Louise FRs too, which are also very good (still have those on the tandem). Never had good experience with Hope, but haven’t had any since the first Mono Minis/4s were released. Never tried Avid’s properly, but found the moderation a bit lacking on them.

The Saints are not THAT heavy, are pretty discrete and never need more than one finger. They are adjustable for reach and free stroke too which means if you’re a fanny like me, you can have your front and rear feeling exactly as you want. I love them – can you tell?!

I paid about £220 for the pair from CRC, IIRC…

I hate Hope and have not had good experience with them either from a reliability point of view or customer service.

I’m a massive fan of the sheer braking power that Formula Oro offer (and the weight is good too) but for ease of use, wide availability of parts, hassle free warranty (on the one occassion I needed it) and general fit and forgetness then Shimano gets my vote (and money).

Magura and Shimano ranges get my shout.

Shimano XTR on four bikes here, 180 on the front if you feel you need it.

Another Magura vote here

Not had any problems with Avids. Got 3s, 5s and 7s on the bikes here.

I love Hope. I’ve got ten year old calipers that are still going strong and I know I can still get all the parts for them. Not the lightest or the most powerful but the most serviceable and the most controlable. My other half runs Avid and they’re okay to work on but I personally don’t like the initial grab of them. Plus they munch pads quicker then my Hope brakes.

Maybe if you let people know exactly what you want from your brakes. Are you a tinkerer? Do you do your own servicing? Are you likely to keep them for year and years or change them because you fancy some new kit next year? Where do you ride? What times of year? What type of riding? All these factors might effect what people recommend.

I got the SLX and absolutely love them, just learnt to bleed em and now they feel amazing.

My vote goes to Maguras.
Although I dare say Shimanos are top stoppers too.

Maybe if you let people know exactly what you want from your brakes. Are you a tinkerer? Do you do your own servicing? Are you likely to keep them for year and years or change them because you fancy some new kit next year? Where do you ride? What times of year? What type of riding? All these factors might effect what people recommend.

Well, I would like my brakes to be able to stop me when I pull the levers? I don’t really want to be constantly messing about with them (bleeding, adjusting etc. )I will service myself if I can? If they are good, why change them? I did not know that there were different brakes for different areas and seasons? I would hope they will work all year round and wherever?
Thanks to everyone for your replys. Allways fancied some Hopes, but think I will give them a miss as there seems to be more negatives.

Well, if you said you were going to run them for a year and probably end up buying some new kit new year just for the hell of it and wanted fit and forget, I’d probably say Shimano. If you ride local trails in the flat lands on a racing sled, then why not XTR. If you like to ride steep stuff on heavy bikes, then SLX.

However, if you want something that will last the course and you’ll always be able to get pads and seals for (as well as tiny circlips and pivots) get the Hope. If you ride somewhere really gritty, I’d say look at a twin pot system as they have more clearance than a 4 pot. I’d be more than happy to buy Hope again, but as I bought Hope last time around, I don’t need to!

If you like to scrub speed rather than control it, I’d say try Avid. As I said before, good brakes, but a little grabby for me. Not my first choice on sketchy stuff.

Shimanos 🙂 Easy to bleed, and use mineral oil as opposed to DOT4, which is just plain nasty. Whilst it’s a minor point to many, to me, it’s nice knowing that you’re not going to ruin EVERYTHING should you spill the odd drop of brake fluid when tinkering.

Formula, pretty easy to bleed, parts seem readily available, I’ve got the K24’s and they’re light, v. prudy and could stop a train!

Onzadog you dog!! Now I’m thinking Hope again!!
I like the idea of being able to get any part however small rather than having to fork out for probably the best part of a new brake? I also like the fact that they are british made!! And they look like a person has made them rather than a machine?
What is the best Hope brake then?????

Magura UK support is second to none so spares are not a problem either.

shimanos XT’s. overall that is. Completely fit and forget. Pads cost a fortune though.

Hope’s I would say are the best as brakes and feel the best but I’ve found hopes have to be set up absolutely perfectly and can be a pain in the bum to get right, hence the amount of mis-informed threads about ‘bedding in’. Shimano take two minutes to set up properly, hopes can take a few rides. Mini’s are excellent and look nice too.

Swapped recently from hope Mono Mini’s to SLX.

On balance, I think I prefer the feel of the Hopes – more feel but less ultimate power.

Would have cost an extra £100 to spec the new Hope X2’s on the new bike, so I’ll just have to get used to the Shimanos!

I’ll second the Formulas. K24’s are light, powerful and have sweet, tweakable modulation. Can also take a damned good kicking.

Sexy too… mmmm.

As much as I love Hope kit, I really didn’t think much to the new tech lever when I saw all the pictures of it. It looked bulky and lumpy. However, having seen one in the flesh, it looks and feels fantastic. Personally, I’d rather have grub screw adjustments (how often do you really need to tinker with them) instead of thumbwheels that are just begging every passer by to come and have a twiddle. Still, a spot of really light thread lock should sort that!

i have Magura on all my 3 bikes and give them the thumbs up. Easy to bled and work well with great modulation. Some people say they are not the nicest looking but for the price you cant really beat them.