[Closed] A New Hope

Had a good look at this yesterday, really stunning and would be top of the list for a new bike except for the fact it’s still uses a proprietary rear hub so unable to use any of my wheels

Yeah but that's starting with 5/6 isn't it.... Surely....

Does it honestly look that much different than other brands though ? The close ups maybe as the carbon weave is lovely.... but overall, you could stick any decal on there and i'd not bat an eye. There's nothing groundbreaking in there.... nicely finished with annodised tatt though 🙂

Looks good, if it's anything like the 160 rides lovely and fully made in the UK. Makes it pretty special if you ask me.

There’s nothing groundbreaking in there…. nicely finished with annodised tatt though

I think that is one of their points, it's not chasing the mostest slackest longest market but aiming to be a good solid bike.

it didn't give me the wow factor when I got up close and personal with it yesterday. the 6 pot calipers on the moustache ebike on the hope stand though

Be interested to see the geometry when it's released, looks ace! The HB160 looks incredible in the flesh, but it is very conservative and has a bit too much travel for me. Heard mumblings of a frameset/rolling chassis option and PB mentioned they're looking to do a full carbon frame including the rear end in the future... One to keep an eye down the line I think!

Looks great to me and preferable to the HB160. A bit unfair to criticise Hope for not bringing out anything 'innovative' or different. What bike company has brought anything out that has been truly innovative? It's all slight tweaks to geometry, suspension platforms and fettling around the edges of what is basically a pretty mature design and configuration. All manufacturers have narrowed down their designs to what actually works best, so the design is optimised -it's no surprise or coincidence that all bikes on the market today basically look the same.

What Hope have done is to look at other stuff to seek performance improvements, like their bespoke rear hub...this is innovation, but people brush it off and criticise it for being different from other manufacturers. They really can't win.

It's another alternative to everything else out there. It'll be better made than pretty much everything else out there, and engineering driven product rather than a marketing driven one, with attention to detail you wont get with any other manufacturer.

You pays your money and make your choice... They deserve no more or less criticism than any other manufacturer out there.

Also, whats with the wheels? Have a Hope logo but different name? Finally getting with the times and producing up to date rims? Heard there's updates to the cranks as well and did here mumblings on here of new brakes, could a big year for Hope!

They're claiming it's much more modern on the geometry.

I agree it looks like a generic carbon FS bike, but that's not a criticism and Hope have always been about functional aesthetics, no?

I'm sure it'll be a hell of a bike if they get the geo right.

Are the wheels new ergo not shi*e?

Edit what lawman said

Current wheels are not "shite". Anyway, rims must be due an update… they need something about 30mm wide internal in the range.

I like the look and engineering of their bikes, I would buy them if they were lighter. Perhaps they should do some carbon rims so the weight dropped a bit more.

Anyway, rims must be due an update… they need something about 30mm wide internal in the range.

Odd that they haven't updated their rims, can only think that they must have bought thousands and thousands of the narrow rims in the first place.

They must have lost so much money as we all moved away from making their wheelsets the default choice.

shi*te was an obviously a little tongue in cheek, but they really aren't very good

They must have lost so much money as we all moved away from making their wheelsets the default choice.

We ? I bought some recently 🙂

Have used their hubs over the last 8 years or so, but never bought the wheels. Too heavy, too narrow and often a PITA to set up tubeless as well. New rims have been longer overdue really. Be interested to see how they match up to Hunt's offerings weight wise, the 30mm version of the new rims with hubs needs to be circa 1,800g just to be competitive really. I know Hope prioritise durability over weight, but a little less heft would sell a whole lot more wheels!

Really nice looking bike and actually probably a better travel option. I’m 6”1 and so bigger wheels suit me so having a choice is great. I don’t really get the fuss over the rear hub I’ve got 6 26” bikes and 1 29” and 1 27.5+ boost bike the boost wheels don’t fit on any of my other bikes so how is that any different? I’ve still got hubs and brakes I bought in 97 that are still going strong. I recently got in touch with hope about a 2004 bulb hub i bought off here (or rb I can’t remember)I was having trouble with. A few emails later and I was sent a brand new axle foc. That’s why next new bike will definitely be a hope I’ve just now got to decide which one.

And it’s all made in the uk which is a massive plus for me.

Those new rim profiles and widths on the front page look promising. I hope they drop a bit of weight off the new rims too whilst keeping strength ,which will be some feat as they have gone wider . My Tech Enduros have been absolutely 100% reliable but are a bit hefty.

I'd expect a 32h "enduro" 29er Hope wheelset to come in around 2 to 2.1kg.

Any lighter and it's unlikely to be burly enough.

Hmm, the bike's way out of my league both pricewise and my ability.

Hope wheels have been pretty bombproof IME and I'm hardly at the "float like a butterfly" end of the spectrum. I've one rim with a ding in it but that was my fault - I'd delayed pumping up the tyre and tried to hop a water bar but caught the back wheel.

Tony, not sure why you say the Hope rims are hard to set up tubeless, been a piece of p*** in my experience, and we've four bikes with them.

Bloody gorgeous that. Some similarities to my RM, but far better finished.. different league in that respect! I'd have one of those next if I could afford it, but I suspect it'd be the kind of price I find offensive. 😀

"but I suspect it’d be the kind of price I find offensive. 😀"

Probably a similar price to a Rocky Mountain! 😉

My TechXC have been the simplest in the world tubeless. The 35W were a bit harder but OK.

I imagine it will be similar to the 160. Not overly expensive compared to similar quality brands.

Probably a similar price to a Rocky Mountain! 😉

Yeah, probably one of the new ones, indeed. My full bike was about the price of a new frame!

I’d expect a 32h “enduro” 29er Hope wheelset to come in around 2 to 2.1kg.

Any lighter and it’s unlikely to be burly enough.

I know it's Hope & their rims are made of a soft cheese, but even so, they should be able to do that without really even thinking too hard about it.

Given a set of off the shelf XM1501's weighs ~1750g (based on an XM481 rim thats 30mm wide) it makes them look horribly heavy at 2.1kg. The XM1501's are the same weight as their XC wheelset. I've seen wider rims on road & CX bikes now.

the new rims look awesome in cross section

I'm hoping the new master cylinder reservoir caps are available for existing HB owners. And the cranks seem to be an "EVO" model - wonder what the changes there are?

Given a set of off the shelf XM1501’s weighs ~1750g (based on an XM481 rim thats 30mm wide) it makes them look horribly heavy at 2.1kg.

EX1501 wheels in 29in boost are a touch under 2kg and cost about £800 IIRC.

`<blockquote>EX1501 wheels in 29in boost are a touch under 2kg and cost about £800 IIRC.</blockquote>

Given I've raced a set of 28h 1650g XM481s on DT 240s for coming up 2 years & they are still straight and true, and I'm a total back with line choice and smashing wheels into everything, I'd say the same rim with more spokes on the XM1501 wheelset is something durability wise Hope can only dream of at the moment.

Based on my experience with the above, and the XM1501s I run on my trail bike, I don't really see the need for anything heavier, as strength hasn't been an issue.

Admittedly, they are a chunk more pricey new. But they do come up second hand at reasonable prices regularly.

Yeah DT have changed the game for alu rim durability, the XM481 is tougher than some much heavier rims - but at the £400-ish level of Hope Hoops I still think 2.1kg is acceptable for a 29in enduro wheelset.

Well it's not even a question of what I think, that's just what 29in enduro wheels tend to weigh.

I would like a set of XM1501s for my Stage 6. Maybe come sale time.

I have a pair of 30mm xm1501’s going spare 650b non boost fitment....nudge, nudge.

I really rate them and have a new set in boost on my new Mojo HD4

I like it but I'd like to know what size frame it is in the picture. It looks really low and short. Maybe I'm just getting used to longboat geometry but the front wheel looks really close to the cranks.

I also wonder what their reasoning is for doing away with the radial brake mount. Didn't work as well as they hoped, or just because they want to sell frame sets? It was one of the anti-standard features that I loved on the HB160.

I said on here the other day we're well overdue for new Hope rims so I'm glad to see them. Not that it matters much now. When I worked in the bike trade Hope Hoops with their staff purchase price was an absolute steal but I don't have access to it now.

I wonder if they'd do a service where I send back my battered 35w's and have them rebuilt.

They’re claiming it’s much more modern on the geometry.

On the one hand they'll probably convince more people to buy it than there are people looking for a "conservative" bike. On the other it's subtly saying the 160 is going to be revamped soon to catch up.

would be top of the list for a new bike except for the fact it’s still uses a proprietary rear hub so unable to use any of my wheels

The whole point is really that it comes as a frame, wheels, brakes etc that are optimised to work together. And the sort of person spending £5500 on a bike isn't scrimping and saving to do that, it's a big wad of disposable income. On 48month finance it's more expensive than a Fiat 500!
They'll either (or both) a: be paying an LBS to do all their spannering, not making do froma spares box in the shed. b: not bothered about having to spend another 4% on a spare rear wheel for their mud/trail center/alps tyre choice.

I've always argued that buying an expensive complete bike (especially if done infrequently) is better looked at like buying a motorbike or a car. You don't go into a dealer to buy an Audi A4 estate, and walk out because it's no interchangeable parts with the ford focus you've kept in the back of the garage just in case the new car breaks?

The HB160 is a really good looking bike - that HB130 above just doesn’t do it for me, certainly not on looks anyway.

If I had the money I would be getting an order in for one of those. #dreambike

I'm skint though..............:(

I think it looks good and if it lasts as long as my other Hope products then its worth the money have a 9 year old light and a pair of XC hubs which are 2003 and 2005 still working great doesn't look as smart as my Trek EX 9.7 though.

No electric motor.

I'm out.

Looks good but plastic and 29er...2 things I'm not keen on.
Saying that, I doubt it makes no difference to anyone else.
Looks good though.