Hope RX4 callipers vs Shimano

Getting annoyed with my Shimano pistons not retracting for a while every time I use them… dyer server always hundred wheel revolutions the pads clear the rotor again, just in time for the next corner!

I was thinking of replacing them with Hope callipers, as my experience on MTB is nothing needs less fettling day to day

Any feedback?

also, anyone know of anyone with any in stock

Happy for this to be interpreted as a stealth WTD ad too! Black/flat mount please!

I fitted some as just fancied but of bling, seem to work well. I had to buy mine in eBay second hand as none in stock anywhere, bought some new piston bores to make them prettier.

I replaced the leaking, squealing piece of sh*t Shimanos on my Gravel bike about 18 months ago with the Hope RX4s..
Night and Day – the Hopes never squeal, are very powerful, and were easy to fit.
If i buy another road/gravel bike with Shimano brakes i’ll swap them out immediately.

Night and Day – the Hopes never squeal, are very powerful, and were easy to fit.

+1. There’s a tiny chirrup under moderate braking but none of the howling din that seems to afflict road shimano calipers.

Every Shimano caliper Ive owned has leaked at some point in its life (XT, ZEE, Deore, R785 etc..)

Every Hope caliper Ive ever owned has been spot on with no issues (Mini’s M4’s V4’s E4’s X2’s)

When i come to build a new di2 disc road bike the Shimano calipers will be going straight on ebay and ill be fitting Hope RX4 calipers

I’ve now had 4 sets of RX4s and still have 2. They’re good so long as you can get all the pistons working at the same rate, but can feel weak otherwise.

I’d have said they’re about on par with Shimano R785 callipers for power, but not as good as the Dura Ace I have on the other bike.

Normally, and as above, I’d have swapped the callipers on the DA bike to Hope, but this has an odd Flatmount configuration which stops a hope fitting properly.

I’ve found a pair (well a front one in the UK and a rear from France!) so fingers crossed I’ll be joining those who’ve happily made the change soon!

Thread revival. Just managed to find a rear RX4 at AllTerrain and a front a Whinstanleys as my new gravel frame is flat mount and my old cx frame was rear post mount. Two Qs:

– Set up (going onto a set of Shimano Ultegra 6800 shifters) seems a bit of a pain. Any top tips?
– Going to need new hydraulic hoses. Any recommendations?

I have Shimano BH90 on mine. No problems.

I wussed out and got the local mobile mechanic to set mine up. But there are videos on the Hope website if you want to DIY.

One other thing – I think the design of connecting bolt at the lever changed from 6800 to 8000 so make sure you keep the old ones in case they’re not in the hose kit.

Set up (going onto a set of Shimano Ultegra 6800 shifters) seems a bit of a pain. Any top tips?

The most important thing is that you need to centre the caliper over the disc, not the pads.

Once the caliper is centred, if one side is engaging first (and thus bending the disc over to one side) thats a side the caliper seals are a bit sticky – to be fair, you shouldnt have this issue on a brand new brake.

Even if centering the caliper (not the pads/pad gap) over the disc seems to result in a teeny rub on the workstand, stick with it for the first ride and it will even out as the caliper compensates.

This seems to be critical to getting full power, just as it is with the MTB calipers (which I also run).

I loved the RX4s on my last gravel bike, currently building a new one up all Shimano but if there is a hint of bother with the Shimano calipers i’ll be buying RX4s again definitely.

The most important thing is that you need to centre the caliper over the disc, not the pads.

I’d argue that is true for all disc brakes – always get best results centring the calliper with the pads removed for best visibility. Anything else is a kludge that you can sometimes get away with.

the RX4’s do run with very little clearance. My front calliper sometimes rubs a little. the rear I need to get the mounts faced as it’s ok with 140mm disc but was too out of line to centre with a 160mm adaptor on it.

Thanks all. We set up some E4’s at the weekend, and much of the advice appears similar to what we followed for those.

One other thing – I think the design of connecting bolt at the lever changed from 6800 to 8000 so make sure you keep the old ones in case they’re not in the hose kit.

Useful – thanks

I’d argue that is true for all disc brakes – always get best results centring the calliper with the pads removed for best visibility. Anything else is a kludge that you can sometimes get away with.

Honest question – how do you centre the calliper over the disc? Is there a clever tool/technique?

I always got the impression with discs that eye-balling it was never going to be accurate enough.

Search for bike bleed block in eBay.I got one of the fat red ones in my bleed kit and it centered my hope rx4 calipers perfectly.

Honest question – how do you centre the calliper over the disc? Is there a clever tool/technique?

I always got the impression with discs that eye-balling it was never going to be accurate enough.

I’ve always just done it by eye. I reckon without the pads in you can get it good enough although getting the right angle to eyeball from both above and below is tricky. Some are easier with the bike upside down rather than in the stand.

I’ve been meaning to buy some shims to make it easier – a few co’s make them

I’ve previously used feeler gauge to centre them but for Christmas I got some 3d printed brake tools, one of which sits in the caliper body and over the disc on a Hope E4. Think they were R3pro or something like that.

I find the Giant Conduct a tempting, cheaper solution for getting drop bars and discs working together, except I’ve not long ago acquired some Gevenalle/TRP Hylex, allowing me to step away from Shimano/SRAM products…

I’m not sure I’d want to commit to the RX4, I’m sure they’re great, but you’re effectively spending an extra £160 to fix a product that shouldn’t need fixing.
I’d rather just avoid the big boys integrated braking/gearing as much as possible.

The sheer cheapness of the Conduct system doing essentially what Hope’s old V-Twin did (but for only ~£90 aftermarket) and the fact that it’s effectively “lever agnostic” you can go out and buy any mechanical levers you like From Claris to Dura Ace level, go SS, upgrade and/or move drive parts about and your braking system remains largely unaffected…

To me that’s a fantastic proposition, but I’m sure they’ll stop making them sooner or later…

Given how many shimano mtb levers have suffered terminal faults, I was always weary of road STIs but they really don’t seem to have suffered anywhere near as much. The calipers have leaked, but the road levers seem okay surprisingly.

but you’re effectively spending an extra £160 to fix a product that shouldn’t need fixing.

Depends. RX4 online from various places for £72. They come with two sets of pads (which are compatible with E4 brakes). The extra pads are worth £14 so calliper with pads is £58.

If you’re choosing between replacing a leaking Shimano calliper with another shimano or a hope theres not enough in it to worry about. While they were working not leaking I had no complaints about the shimanos…..

Though the stupid bleed screw on the Hopes cost me a set of pads by weeping slightly…..

That’s some quality Man maths there, OK £144 if you like (not sure I’d count the £28 saving on spare pads), it’s still an unfortunate cost on top of a faulty product…

I think my point is I’d rather chop in Shimano completely than pay out extra for the RX4 Fix.

That is the real genius of the groupset/STi/doubletap lever “convention”; The two bid S’s have managed to get us all used to buying a whole drive/braking system without really shopping about much, most people either pick a SRAM or Shimano Tribe, or else don’t really care and use what the bike came with…

The fact that it comes down customers either accepting a Warranty replacement calliper (that they don’t trust) or spending extra with hope to essentially buy better reliability (and possibly void their Shimano warranty?) says it all IMO. I’d be looking for a complete alternative.

I’ve always bought levers and callipers (for the road) separately since road hydros have been about. I initially bought XTR callipers to go with my R685/785 for the 3 year warranty (they lasted 4-5 before faults crept in) and for the latest GRX have just bought levers and RX4s.

So All Terrain cancelled my order saying the RX4 is being discounted (annoyingly Whinstanleys have already shipped my front calliper which I will now have to return). So I called Hope directly and told me that the new RX4+ is going to be released in about 2 weeks time!