Hope V4 – which discs

Looking at going back to Hope for a new bike (current one has Sram Code RSC).  Prior to those I’d been running E4’s but looking at the Hope brake guide I should probably run V4’s (85kg kitted rider + c20kg bike). I never had any trouble with my e4’s riding in the UK but did cook them a few times and get a bit of fade, on uplifted holidays.  I reckon the E4 would still be fine for most of my riding (Surrey Hills/Wales) where descents might have a 200m drop at most but would suffer on the 6km/600m vertical descents I was riding in France and Spain.

Are thicker discs substantially better?  Has anyone had any issues running their standard 1.8mm floating rotors or compared performance/fiddle factor between those and Hopes 2.3mm solid?

Also, interesting section from their Rotor Tech Book on disc size

This maybe makes the case for differently sized discs for trips away.

I’d just go for Tech 4 E4s and throw on a bigger front rotor when you go away.

Why carry around the extra weight of V4s all the time when you’d only occasionally be using their extra stopping power ?

I’m using TRP R1 2.3 x 203mm rotors on both Tech 4 E4 (on the SL e-bike) and V4 (on the normal bike).  They work really well on both, good lever feel and last substantially longer than 1.8mm rotors.

They were also a lot cheaper when Merlin were doing them (£9 each but sadly OOS, though they have the centre-lock ones for £15).

Pads seem to make more of an impact – the green race front and purple e-bike pad rear on the V4 is ideal for me, with EBD red as good as the Hope red on the E4.  Pink Amazon specials at £11 for 4 pairs not so much.

V4 barely weigh much more than E4, especially without the pointless braided hoses

The Tech4 E4’s are significantly more powerful than the old Tech3’s.

Hope has stopped making 1.8mm rotors in the larger sizes.

I have Tech Evo V4s on 203mm G2 Clean Sweeps. Never had an issue even after cooking them at the top of MacAvalanche.

Thicker will be better for sure but they cope with normal rotors.

You can bleed the brakes to work better with 2.0 (or even 1.8) discs, such that the difference is minimal, but the 2.3s will always work ‘better’. I personally like the new Galfer ones, the TRPs mentioned are good too but they’re not normally £9!

On my e-mtb im running Hope Tech4 V4 with Hope V4 vented rotors, 203mm and they are 3.3mm thick

Im 95kg and the bike weighs 23kg, they have never let me down with UK riding

The V4 calipers each weigh a whole 10 grams more than a E4 caliper, id go with the V4’s

As for discs Hopes 1.8 floating rotor weigh 146 grams (180mm version)

The fixed rotor in 2.3mm weighs 220 grams (180mm version)

The V4 vented rotor weighs 288 grams (203mm version)

So if my calculations are correct….

Pair of V4’s with std floating rotors are 20 grams heavier than E4’s with 180mm floating rotors

Pair of V4’s with fixed 2.3mm rotor are 168 grams heavier than E4’s with 180mm floating rotors

Pair of V4’s with the V4 vented 203mm 3.3mm thick rotor are 264 grams heavier than E4’s with 180mm floating rotors

The E4 feel firmer than the V4 which have a softer bite but even more progressive power. My V4 seem happier with 2.3 than 1.8mm discs as they have space for the 3.3mm vented discs whilst my E4 kept rubbing with the 2.3mm rotors.

If I was going to hot places with big descents then I’d be tempted by the vented rotors but the 2.3 220/200 are plenty for what I get to do. According to that colour guide by Hope they’re too big!

I’ve had Tech 4 v4s since March.

They’re sublime.

I’ve had Tech 3 E4s several times in the past and the new Tech 4s are superior in every way, way powerful enough, I’ve gone down from 200mm rotors front and rear to 180 front and rear and they’re still way more powerful than the E4s and the CODE RSCs I had before.

For what it’s worth I’m about 76kg in birthday suit and ride the Peaks, Saddleworth, Wharncliffe etc so not the Alps but I’m a brake dragger and they’ve never faded.

Anyway, I’m running TRP 2.3mm rotors, the clearance is perfect, the rotors are cheap and they work nicely with the Hope all conditions pads.

The thicker the rotors, the better they’ll feel at the lever. So annoyingly, the vented ones feel better than the 2.3 galfers i’ve got on my other bike. both running V4’s.

I also have the 2.3 TRP rotors with Tech 4 V4s. At £15 a pop I’ve had another set in my basket at Merlin for ages, this thread prompted me to buy them before they all went! Since when did Merlin free delivery jump to over £60 though?

For me the difference in weight between E4 and V4 is not even worth considering on a big enduro bike so I went V4. WITH 200mm front and 180mm rear, my 100kg carcass has never been left wanting on stopping power here in the Lake District. I find the 2.3 regular (non floating) rotors not only more solid feeling but also make far less noise than regular but I am not sure if this is a thickness or non floating issue.

Thanks all.  Lots of people saying they’ve never felt underbraked in the UK – and neither have I – with old E4s running smaller rotors. The times I’ve actually cooked brakes in the UK and realised they were overdue a bleed have been descending on road rather than off road.

The issue is finding something that works well here on shorter descents, but is also enough for European riding.  Bike is a new Orbea Rise so the bike itself is on boundary of AM/Enduro – it’s something I’d ride all day but also ride to the top of a euro mountain.

I’m thinking @stevelols mix might be the answer.  V4 with solid 180’s in UK and put 200s on for European trips. Most of the time you save more weight on the rotor than you gain on the caliper but have the option when needed.