I have Ekar on my Swiss Cross. Overall I reckon it’s a good groupset, and considering it was the cheapest option when I bought it I think it’s great. Brakes are excellent, lightweight, simple. Downsides for me are that shifting up the cassette (into lower gears) isn’t very precise – I put this down to the fact that you can shift 3 gears in one lever throw so it’s too easy to push the lever further than you need. I also find a couple of the ratio jumps on the cassette a bit big and some too small.

Chainline is fine for me and – touch wood – no reliability issues so far.

I had V4s for maybe 18 months and no matter how much I faffed with them they were never “right”. I was going to make the same comment as SirHC up there but replace Formula Cura with Hayes Dominion. I really wanted to like the Hopes. They were supposed to be the last set of brakes I ever bought but I came to the conclusion that they’re wildly overrated trash and the price:performance ratio is terrible.

Yeah, as mentioned, it’s a giant puffball. They can easily get to basketball size. Something has had a good nibble on that one already but if you’re keen to eat it then slice through the middle to make sure it’s pure white all the way through. If it’s at all yellow then I’d not bother eating. The yellowing means they’re starting to produce spores which can cause tummy upset.

Personally, I’m not a big fan. Pretty bland to eat and the texture is odd. YMMV.

The other option is wait until it reaches maturity and jump on it to spread the spores far and wide, as nature intended.

I have the Fire Maple Star 2 and it’s excellent. Boils water super fast (not a lot in it between the Fire Maple and my electric kettle at home). Also, the design is, IMO, an improvement on the Jetboil they’ve, ahem, taken inspiration from. The pan has a really sturdy handle with a nifty quick release button. When locked in place it’s completely solid and you can tip the pan with complete confidence. When folded up it swings over the pan lid to secure it in place. Manufacturing quality is great too. Oh, and contrary to what someone stated above it does have push-button ignition.

This is much more fun than reading about dream bikes.

My least favourite would be a tie between the Croix de Fer (winning this thread so far, it seems) and a Ragley Blue Pig.

The Croix de Fer has been covered pretty well already. A huge disappointment.

The Ragley baffled me. Rave reviews from seemingly everyone but I found it awful. Heavy and painfully stiff (I had an early Aluminium Orange which was widely criticised for a harsh ride which felt smooth as butter in comparison). It also absolutely hated going round corners. I’ve said before that negotiating a tight bend on that thing felt like manoeuvring a ladder through a bus stop. I think I only stuck with it for a couple of months. Got rid when I realised it was making me dislike the sport entirely.

A guy I went to university with wrote a lovely book about tides and other watery stuff:

Book of Tides

If you feel the Shimano 4 pots are lacking power then I don’t think the E4 is the brake for you. I had V4s and found them lacking.

Sell the Hopes while they’re still BNIB and take your pick from Code/Saint/Magura 4pot/Formula Cura or, my personal favourite, Hayes Dominion.

VanMoof Bike Hunters

Are you outside the UK or using a VPN? Shimano (and SRAM, Fox etc..) won’t allow retailers to sell to customers outside their region, so those parts won’t show on the website for overseas customers.

I also bear some psychological scarring from having to deal with Wheelies a few years back. I would pay quite a lot of money to never do it again.

One other thing to bear in mind is that they list most things as “in stock” on their website when what they actually mean is “we think maybe we can get hold of one of these at some point in the next six months” – IME even that was beyond them.

I lost a package and Merlin lost a loyal customer from a similar issue last year. It might not be your fault OP!

Link

Straying a bit off topic here.. But why do people get worked up if others choose to be, in their eyes, “over-biked”? What the hell does it matter if a complete stranger is riding a bike with, theoretically, 20mm too much travel for a trail centre?

Make sure they both have the same banjo connector. I think they do, but if not you’ll be spending nearly as much again on a new hose.

Lots of good suggestions already. I’d probably go with a JCW Cooper or a Focus ST.

She’s written a great bike check on her trip website. Not the spec I would go with for a world tour but she’s obviously considered it carefully. Good luck Ling! I’ll make you a cuppa when you get to NZ.

Something by Cat Power?

which model is that?

SBGH267 It was a limited release in 2018.

I’ve spent more time faffing with Hopes than any other brakes in an effort to get them set up “right”. I came to the conclusion they simply don’t work very well. YMMV but I just don’t believe they’re a good brake.

So a question; would you buy a Grand Seiko? For me it’d have to have a spring drive…

Absolutely yes, and not necessarily a spring drive, though it is a magical bit of kit.

2018 Fox 36’s

Aren’t these 46mm offset anyway? Even if they’re 51mm it’s not worth the cost of the upgrade. I’ve run different offsets, and prefer shorter, but wouldn’t pay the sort of money you’re talking about to change it.

Hope V4 are the most disappointing brakes I’ve owned. I bought them thinking they would be the last set of brakes I’d need. Tried to convince myself they were everything I’d Hoped for (sorry). They just aren’t that good.

They have a few problems which I couldn’t get past. The main one is lack of power. This has been confirmed in controlled group tests – Enduro mag did one, ironically they used the dyno rig at the Hope factory! The power they generate is only slightly greater than 2 pot Deore.

The second issue for me is that adjusting the lever reach seems to also adjust the leverage ratio. If you run the levers close to the bar, like I do, then the brakes feel a bit squishy as if they need a bleed. Wind the reach out and they feel perfect again.

Third issue is the lever action is heavy. Combine that with low power and it’s a recipe for arm pump, something I hadn’t had an issue with previously.

Oh, and expensive compared to Shimano/Magura MT5/Formula Cura. Even my Hayes Dominion, which widdle all over Hope in every way, were a good chunk cheaper.

I like Hope a lot as a company but feel they are losing ground on the competition with most of their current line of products.

One of the great strengths of the G1 is that the geometry puts you in a great, comfortable position on the bike and allows you to stay there for longer than most other bikes. You don’t need to constantly shift your weight around to keep the front down or keep traction etc, just sit and spin away. For me, it felt right almost immediately, climbing and descending.

I use mine as my only mountain bike and happily ride it on mellower terrain. The one word of caution I’d have is that the bike wants to go fast all the time. This suits me but won’t work for everyone.

Like driving an Audi RS6 around a city – it’ll do the job just fine but you might have more fun in a Fiat 500. It depends how you like to drive.

Also, the plural is “octopuses.

I think both are generally accepted aren’t they these days?

Both are generally accepted. Interestingly (actually, maybe not..), from an etymological point of view, octopodes is more “correct”.

I haven’t measured the actual angle on my XL Slash, but I’m 6’1/187cm and with the seat at pedaling height my bum is about 5cm in front of the rear wheel axle. The Fox dropper post will only just allow enough seat angulation to keep the saddle level on flat ground.

They still haven’t figured out how to give it a reasonable STA (their effective STA numbers are pure fantasy for anyone over 6 foot), and I don’t know anyone with a reactiv shock that hasn’t pooped the bed at least once.

On the plus side, at least they seem to have abandoned knock block.

I had a 2016 Slash and it’s a fantastic bike, but I think its geometry is quite dated now and the updated one is still very conservative.

Thanks Carlos, I’ve sent you a message.

A plea to those of you who have had 1st gen cranks fail:

Would anyone like to sell me the Hope crank tools that came with them? The catch is you would have to post them to New Zealand (I’d cover the costs, obviously).

Currently I have a bike with a knackered chainring and no way to remove the cranks to replace it. Nobody in NZ or Aus, including the distributor, seems to stock the tools. Hope themselves have suggested I “Try Google, there might be some on Ebay”.

Right now I’m slightly jealous of you lot who managed to remove the damn things so easily…

I have the flint jacket and agree the fit is on the casual end of the cycle spectrum. I’m 187cm, 90kg and a bit gangly. I bought the XL and XXL to try, assuming they’d be a fairly racy fit, but even the XL has more room than I’d like. Sleeve length is decent for me.

Might be tricky in the current climate but it’s worth holding a few different knife shapes to see which you like. I’d echo sentiments above about buying one high quality knife to start with rather than a set, of which you’re likely to find 2 favourites and never use the rest. A good quality Santoku or chef’s knife is a decent place to start.

High carbon steel will hold an edge longer than stainless and be easier to sharpen, but the carbon steel can rust. Depends what your priorities are.

If you do one thing, buy a decent stone and learn to sharpen your own knives. That way any knife you have can, with 5mins on the stone, be better than 95% of the knives in the average home kitchen. This stone is the default recommendation and is what I have: https://www.amazon.com/KING-KW65-Combination-Whetstone-Plastic/dp/B001DT1X9O

Check out Alex “the french guy” on youtube for helpful and engaging sharpening tutorials.

I know you said you want Hopes but are you sure? I had V4s and found them quite disappointing. Great modulation, yes, but lacking in power and, for someone like me who runs their levers close to the bar with minimal free throw, a pain to get set up well.

On Hayes Dominion now after briefly flirting with TRP Quadiems. The Hayes are incredible.

I’d echo chiefgrooveguru’s assessment, and many other’s comments on flimsy sidewalls. I really like the 2.6 Hillbilly up front but grid casings on the rear just squirmed too much cornering and and gave either a harsh or overly bouncy ride quality depending on tire pressure – bouncy seems a weird thing to say but it’s apt. I had to add some rebound damping to compensate. In the end I gave up and switched brand. I’d like to try the beefier casings but hopefully not due any new tires for a while.

Oh yeah, and they’re too fat for some internal cable routing systems!

I wouldn’t have braided again and agree with TP. I absolutely couldn’t tell the difference in brake feel and I’m fussy about stuff like that. Plus, expensive and heavy.

I run 30mm+ internal width rims. Didn’t seem to help the Conti’s…

In a word, no. I would’ve loved to get 800miles out of them! I had 3 of their DH (or whatever they call it) casing tyres explode after less than 150km. Average was probably less than 100km. All replaced under warranty and hastily sold on. It baffles me that the Athertons can run them successfully. Amazing grip mind you..

SRAM and Shimano 11sp MTB stuff is all cross-compatible. This is a quirk of 11 speed, none of the others are.

People will tell you otherwise but I’ve tried every combo and everything works perfectly.

My ears are still ringing from seeing Tool last night. Tickets were £100, they sold out in a few hours and absolutely nobody left disappointed. Live music shows are some of my best and most vivid memories. A good gig is worth every penny.

Possibly morals or common decency?

Isn’t this pretty standard practice in any tech/engineering industry? You look at the best of the competition and figure out what makes them the best, then try to improve it. Genuine question. I have no idea how these industries work but I don’t see a moral problem with what I suggested. If there’s anything about the brakes that is unique or groundbreaking technology then it should be patented, surely? Why should there be a moral obligation to make a product different if by doing so you also make it worse?

Sorry OP, this has gone way off topic.

As a serial brake-swapper, I’d love to try these. That said, I’m very happy with Hayes Dominion right now.

Rick Draper makes a good point with regards to Hope. The V4 is the most disappointing brake I’ve used. It feels like a long time since Hope brought out anything new in their brake range and there’s no reason they couldn’t tear these down and replicate the engineering.

I’d be a bit wary of the advice to just show up to a bike rental place on the day and expect a nice bike to be waiting. That’s probably fine if you’re medium sized and in Queenstown or Rotorua but less so places like Nelson or Christchurch.

Gravity Nelson advertise having Santa Cruz bikes but I don’t think they actually rent them out anymore. I learned this the hard way a couple of months ago when I specifically booked a SC to ride for a day, mainly because I wanted to demo a SC, but was given a Transition with brakes that didn’t work and two flat tires instead..

I’d second the advice to consider bringing your own bikes. Yes, you can rent something like a Giant Reign/Trance in Queenstown for £50 a day, but places like Gravity Nelson charge £80 per day. If you want to rent a Santa Cruz from Vertigo in Queenstown then you’re looking at £125/day. Then factor in that if you want to ride places like Craigieburn or Wairoa Gorge then you’re 1-2 hours drive from the nearest rental place, and they’ll only let you have the bike between 8am and 4pm. It quickly becomes a logistical PITA…