I’ve got some ancient M4’s on my HT, (total overkill for what I use it for nowadays I know) Can’t remember how old they are & I think I got them 2nd hand, but they must be just about the 1st generation 4 pots.

Anyway, theyv’e never had anything done to them apart from replacing pads when required, but they started sticking a bit lately so I did the usual, took the pads out & worked the pistons back & forth a bit, but to no avail.

Took the caliper off (after pushing the pistons out a bit) split it, took the pistons & seals out, cleaned everything with a bit of scotchbrite & brake fluid, stuck it all back together (including the old seals) & hey presto, Work like new!

There again if I’d sent them back to Hope they probably would’ve sent some new ones back.

That’s it really.

I killed my first set this year.

Corrosion ate my Evo race x2s to the point that pulling the brakes fluid pressure actually burst the piston housing and all fluid left.

Still 8 years old and well used.

Wasn’t very impressed with hopes attempt at an explanation – but I wasn’t looking for warranty I was just looking for a why .

We have 9 sets between us in the the house and these are the only ones we have killed. The oldest ones are stamped  2004

Mean while avid elixers barely lasted 2 years and shimanos liked to leak irreparably after a year.

I like my hopes.

Oldest Hopes I’m running are 2006 Mono Minis, never been serviced and still work like new. I have some older minis as spares.

So to sum up, yes Hope brakes are awesome!

Shame about yours Trailrat, just looked on Hope website & mine appear to be from 2002.

*puts head above parapet*

Of all the hope products I’ve used, headsets (4?), BB’s(3) hubs (I guess 8 pairs?), lights (4) and brakes (2), the brakes have been the only things I don’t get on with.

Dont get me wrong, they are beautifully made, and the support is second to none, I just don’t like the way they feel in operation.

Sorry. Everything else has been brilliant.

I like em, not just coz they last for ever I have still habe 11 year old minis & 9 year old m4s &  4 year old evo race m4s ,but mostly it’s the consistency: shimanos, with more immediate bite or newer srams  with loads of power, have all been great, but they’ve all done something weird on me at some point or another, my hopes just always been bang on.

Hmmm. I have E4 Race Evos on my Trek Fuel and Guide RE on my ebike. I love the build quality of the Hopes but cannot deny that the SRAM power and modulation is markedly better.  However having just had an abused hire bike in Finale with some dreadful Guide Rs I can’t help but suspect mine will let me down at some point. I keep thinking I should look to trade the SRAMs for some V4s but can’t bring myself to do it as they work so well.

C’mon Hope, brake range must be due an update to get more power out of them whilst retaining all the good stuff?

Have set of Hope V4’s on my E-bike, my only other hope brakes were back in 2001 and 2004 and they all have been faultless

Since 2010 ive run Shimano brakes (XT, ZEE, Deore ) Sram brakes (Guide, Guide R, Guide RS & Code R being the most recent) so basically a new brake set up every year! and all of them had issues at some point, leaking pistons in Shimano brakes, sticky levers in Sram brakes to name 2 issues, normally within a year of buying them

My only problem with Hopes is that they work so well that im considering buying a set for my hybrid as all other brakes feel inferior to the Hopes

Hybrid only cost £500 new so putting £300 brakes on it seems a bit extreme but they are fit and forget with a great feel

Love my Hope brakes. They seem to last longer than my bikes so I always seem to have a set laying around. I even have some original split caliper e4 on my road bike.

Currently looking for a bike to stick a set of tech2/x2 on something.

I have some mini’s from must be 2002, they needed new seals this year.

“Hybrid only cost £500 new so putting £300 brakes on it seems a bit extreme but they are fit and forget with a great feel”

Buy em used ?  That’s how most hopes came to our house.barring my race x2s evis

Have looked at used, messaged a guy on eBay who had a set of E4’s up for £245, asked what offers he would take and he said £215 which i felt was bit too much as they will have no warranty and the pads are used

Thought id do a quick google check for any deals and found them for £134 per brake, so that’s £268! so may go with them

To be fair who puts e4s on a hybrid haha.

Minis are nice and cheap used. 60-120 a pair depending on the lever I found.

Only had one set but love them. E4s on my hardtail, coupled with a decent 200mm rotor on the front. Love the feel of them.

Felt like overkill when I bought them, but they are great.

Got some Tech M4’s from 2008 on my Shan – hardly touched them and even scored a piston messing about once. They still work great

Slight hi jack. When bleeding your M4’s donyou have bite point and reach would in or out fully?

I have tried both and it doesn’t seem to make much difference but am struggling to get rid of the amount of throw mine seem to constantly have?

I’m running 2004 Mono Minis on my commuter. Went to Hope for a service in 2010 but other than that untouched. Could probably do with a bleed, but can’t be bothered.

When bleeding your M4’s donyou have bite point and reach would in or out fully?

Errr……?

Piece of piss to bleed. Make sure the reservoir’s level & higher than the bleed nipple, take the cap off (make sure the pistons are pushed right back in) loosen the nipple, wait till bubbles stop coming out, tighten nipple.

There’s a screw to adjust the reach near the lever pivot.

They relaunched the e4 a couple years ago.

I screw all the adjusters out and ensure the pistons are pushed back and insert 12mm allenkeys in to ensure they are held right back.

I find that results in a predictable bleed

When bleeding your M4’s donyou have bite point and reach would in or out fully?

Bleed them fully wound out, that way you have more space to bring the contact point in further.

Cheers!

To be fair who puts e4s on a hybrid haha.

Someone like me 🙂

To be fair my Hybrid already has a dropper post fitted, DT Swiss wheels and Deore 1×10

Its used for commuting to work with a 1 year old strapped to the front of it and its used for winter riding when i wont take my good road bike out, so good brakes are kinda essential

Not a fan of buying 2nd hand brakes in case they have any issues, must be the years of running Shimano and Sram that’s put doubt in my mind!

They are 99% awesome. The 1% left over for me is the noise rather than the power. I run 203mm rotors so feel very powerful but I wish they could sort out the irritating squeal which is constant in any conditions, new or old pads, different compounds etc.

Now follows the usual “mine are totally silent/learn to set them up etc” Yawn.

Even Hope admit it in their cut and paste set piece response to the question:

Thank you for your email. Unfortunately, most brakes can be noisy at times (mine certainly are!) and there is no way around it I’m afraid. The best thing to minimise the noise is to ensure everything is set up correctly (as you have) and not to let the pads and rotor get too glazed. One thing we sometimes do is rub a little gritty mud onto the rotor, it acts as a mild grinding paste and gives the surface a rough face for the best braking. Another thing is to take care what you use to clean your brakes, we use methylated spirit, and always make sure it is rinsed away completely afterwards.

Having done all of the above and more and also having older Hope brakes/other brand brakes that don’t squeal we can safely rule out setup. If only it was “at times” rather than all the bloody time. This set piece response is the only time I have ever felt let down by Hope customer service. Other than that they are great.