I'm looking to replace the Elixirs on my trail bike with something a little more reliable. I need something with enough bite for one finger braking with 180mm rotors and must have a "bite point" adjust.
The new maguras look lovely but cost silly money. XT get good reviews but aren't the best looking. Formulas don't have adjustable contact point unless you pay extra for the adapter.
So, what are peoples thought on newer Hopes? My old mono M4s weren't the most powerful brakes but I believe the Tech levers are a big improvement?
I've recently gone from Tech X2s to new XTs and although they don't look as pretty, the difference in performance is quite soemthing. Massively more power for any given single finger input. I have a Tech M4/X2 combo on my other bike and have bought some more XTs to change them to.
I loved the Hopes and they never felt underpowered until I tried the new XTs! Had Elixir Rs before the Hopes and hated them - they felt like on/off switches to me with almost no modulation despite having plenty of power.
Hmm. Thanks for the comparison - very interesting reading. Maybe i need to see the xt brakes in the flesh...
lovely looking and feeling brakes but not massively powerful
As a life long Hope user from the very earliest ones, I'm not impressed TBH
I have Mono minis on one bike and Mono M4s on another and they're superb
My latest build has X2s and they really do lack power, I think Hope have admitted this too and are changing the design
I put them on my bike in the spring, replacing juicy 5s that were a few years old. I love them, not noticed that they're underpowered but I haven't tried anything else. They do look and feel cool though, if that counts for anything!
I found I was always faffing with the bite-point and lever-position adjust on my Hope brakes... and could never get it "just-right".
I bought some Formula RX as an experiment and did not miss the adjustments one single bit... lever position adjusted with an Allen Key and then leave it alone as it's perfect. I was so impressed I bought some TheONE for my big bike and am moving the RX to my hardtail.
Yeah, not very powerful. Got them on my Tallboy. Kept thinking the rear brake needed to be bled, and took them to two LBSs as I thought I must be doing it wrong, and changed the pads, but no difference. They look lovely though.
I went from Elixir R to Hope X2. They are less powerful, but still fine for their intended use (XC/trail). They've got way more modulation though, and the adjustability is a nice bonus. I also found it a lot easier to adjust the calipers on the Hopes to prevent brake drag, and once adjusted they seem to stay OK. My main reason for changing though was ease of servicing/availability of spares since I want to do all my own maintenance. I was also experiencing the famous Elixir "sticky pistons" which was annoying after only having them for about 8 weeks.
I have a set of the xtr's on the HT and the power is something else.. I also have a pair of tech2 (good price at Merlin) on the full sus and would also recommend on performance and looks but the xtr edge it if had to pick 🙂
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I can only recommend the Tech/M4 - I can't say how mine compare to others but servicing and parts make them perfect for me 🙂 The don't rub and the adjustment is real easy on the fly 🙂
I am now running Tech X2's on 3 different bikes - all with no problems at all.
They look good, are reliable and the Hope pads seem to last well too!
I think set up is crucial for getting max power. Check out the videos on Hopes web site for little tweaks and helpful hints.Just re set mine completely following their instructions and they do seem a bit better.Still thinking of trying the Shimanos though.
Thanks for all the comments guys. Looks like I'll keep looking for now.
change the standard hope pads to organic/resin pads,
the difference is unreal