I'm looking at brake replacements (after Hope decided to stop selling service parts for the DH4) and was hunting around for reviews when I came across the bikeradar review which used Fibrax's test facilities to run dry and wet tests on a whole bunch of brakes. Right up near the top were the Shimano Deore M595 (based on stopping power) along with M4's etc, yet in human reviews lots of people claim they could stop better and they have other brakes that are more powerful. Curious!
Yep amateur mechanics in cant set up brakes correctly shocker.
A deore brake would likely stop your bike even if youforgot a pad....
Hopes need to be set up correctly and most folk just dont understand how to do it ! ( clue you dont do as their video says and just pull the lever and tighten the bolts )
My x2 races got reviewed as not powerful enough in stw mag - yet folk that borrow my bike often comment on how good they feel considering how light they are.
Tech m4s here, much better than my elixir rs and my old deore 575s.. Mind you, the deores went about 4 years without being touched, and still worked after being turned upside down!
Apparently the hopes need set up right. Mounts faced etc.. Got a mech to do it and they have been flawless in all conditions on my575.
Had old M4's, Mminis & MonoM4's. then ridden all sorts of others that are more recent.
And honestly? My favourite, do everything, dependable, it'll always stop me in the same distance brake??
Boggo Deore M??? (556 maybe? they are about 2004-5). Cost about £40 for the pair of them, levers, hoses, calipers& rotors (only 160mm). Sure, when at operating temp, they do not have the absolute power of 200mm MM4's.
BUT. They have never let me down on any occasion, in any weather and I don't feel the need to shop around for a replacement for them every year.
I do like the feel you get from current Avid Juicies with the carbon lever and hope tech trails.
Haven't maintained my DH4's since I bought them, but for one bleed!