The C2 brake is a development of our original hydraulic disc brake featuring a closed 2-piston caliper and the popular pro lever. We produce calipers to fit almost all disc mounts on frames and forks. The outer half of the caliper can be changed to accommodate the different fixing points.
System type: Closed
Lever type: Pro
Caliper No.'s: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 9:74, & 11
Standard Disc: 145, 165, & 185
Submitted by
aybarssurucu
a Cross Country Rider
from Izmir / Turkey
Date Reviewed: March 5, 2011
Strengths: Adjustability, strength, amazing material quality.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
Yeae 2011 and I have the first series when Giant had the licence to use them with MPH brand. Still going strong and haven't been bleeded for 3 years...
Strengths: works really well, never serviced. very easily adjustable.
Weaknesses: not as powerful as modern brakes.
Bottom Line:
this brake is over 10 years old, has had 3 owners, i've had it for 2 years (free from a mate!) and i've never had it bled or serviced! still works really really well, very easily adjustable even with gloves on. has a braided hose which looks sick and is really strong. ultimately, not as powerful or strong as current hydraulic discs, but clearly way ahead of its time! if you can get your hands on some, go for it!
Bike Setup: 2004 Santa Cruz Blur XC (Alumium) / XTR / Pace / Hope / Race Face
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Rob
a Cross Country Rider
from Sunderland, MA
Date Reviewed: May 4, 2008
Strengths: Adjustable, durable, maintenance free
Weaknesses: for XC rider they are slightly heavy
Bottom Line:
I'm an XC racer. As such, I have been know to obsess a little bit about weight. That said, i've never even considered swapping out my brakes for a newer or lighter set! There is something to be said for durability and reliability. The adjustability of these brakes is amazing. I think that despite the weight penalty they make me a better rider. I haven't done a lick of maintenance since getting them almost 2 years ago used. They've been ridden through every condition imaginable and function perfectly. Sure I have to adjust them when the temperature changes, but it's a few twists of the know and I can dial them in exactly how I want. Too bad Hope doesn't make these any more. I guess they don't have to because i'm convinced that these things will last forever.
Submitted by
Matt
a Weekend Warrior
from Berkshire
Date Reviewed: March 22, 2008
Strengths: A great all rough brake, I have used it for around 2 years on my Dr Jekyll and will continue to use it for a lot longer. The adjustable thumbwheel is a great feature which gives total control of modulation
Weaknesses: My back brake seems to be a little on the weak side even after bleeding but i just pull harder on the levers
Bottom Line:
These brakes are amazing and i will be buying another pair if i can when mine give up the ghost and at the price they sell for now you can't go wrong. getting hold of a rotor for them is a little tricky as it is a weird size on a big'un hub
Strengths: reliability, easy of set up and maintenance free. Hope stands behind they're products better than any bike company I've every dealt with.
Weaknesses: A little tricky to setup initially other than that smooth sailing.
Bottom Line:
These brakes cant be beat without spending a lot of money. They are utterly reliable, and the adjustability of a closed system is nice. These sat in the box for two years and came out working as good as the day I stored them. They handled the abuse of two years of dirt jumping and urban riding that managed to destroy a kona scab frame, a set of race face cranks, two sets of pedals and a marzocchi Z1 drop off QR20 with a snapped stanchion. The rotors aren't the lightest out there but they are tough and don't bend like lesser ones do. If you should happen to break something Hope is a great company to deal with and they were quick to send new parts to me at their cost even though my idiot wrenching was to blame for the breakage.(don't overtighten the banjo bolts or the bleed nipple, they can damage the caliper. doh!) These brakes aren't the lightest or prettiest and unfortunately the are no longer made to my knowledge, but if you can find a pair you will not be disappointed. I dont post reviews very often, but this product deserves it's high rating and I'm glad to add to it
Similar Products Used: hope m4, hayes hfx9, avid bb7
Bike Setup: I had these on a kona hardtail setup for dirt jumping for a few years then they sat in my garage in a box for a few years and now they are resurected on my wife's new KHS AM1000, Bullet bro's ZYZZX fork (yes the ancient classic and it still tracks better than most of whats out there, the aftermarket damper from stratos makes it rideable.) deore/sun rhino lite wheels, kenda kinetics tires, truvative cockpit, xtr short cage derr, rocky mountain chainguide, raceface cranks, and an XT shifter. Hope C2's with 6 inch rotors front and rear.
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Submitted by
omer ahmed
a Cross Country Rider
from bristol
Date Reviewed: May 10, 2007
Strengths: RELIABILITY, RELIABILTY, RELIABILTY. power is better then avid, and control is something i believe that no other brake will surpass
Weaknesses: they dont make these any longer, a shame relly cos i would buy them over all the new junk thats out there.
Bottom Line:
i have had these since 2001. changed oil once since new. changed pads once at front side only. They never leak, they never squeal, they never rub, they always work everytime, all the time. Power is on my 195 (yes a 195) disk is the best i have tried. for all those of u who who are unhapy with your brakes try these or the new moto v2's. after 6 years i am thinking of buying the new hope v2 moto's for my stumpjumper. v2's are 2 pot, with paad adjustment like these. i think HOPE have come full circle since the C2's by going 4-pot, 6-pot, and now they finally seen sence and decided. right, 2 pot (v2 moto's) WITH pad adjustment screw like the original pro lever c2's.
Bike Setup: big hit, boxxers, xt-xtr drive train....and hope c2.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Ryan
a Cross Country Rider
from Bozeman, MT, USA
Date Reviewed: October 24, 2005
Strengths: - The best pad retraction of any brake - Silent (mine are, at any rate) - Good power, but not the very best out there - Outstanding modulation - Zero maintenance - Can adjust the lever travel until contact
Weaknesses: - Mine came with a bad batch of rubber, so all seals had to be replaced. They've been fine since. - Finding DOT 5.1 is a hassle, and although DOT 4 works, it feels too viscous. - The closed system requires you to manually adjust the brake as the fluid volume changes due to temperature. I almost never find this to be a problem due to braking, but I notice it as the ambient temperature changes. Overall, I like this feature as the need to adjust it is less of a hassle than the ability to adjust throw is a benefit. - Setting them up with shims is a bit of a hassle, but there has been no adjustment since then.
Bottom Line:
This is by far my favourite brake for one reason: pad retraction. Not only do they never drag, but there's enough room for a second rotor between the pads. The front (before it was stolen) and the rear have been silent all along, the power and modulation are great, and I like the ability to adjust the level travel before pad contact. I don't find having to adjust them due to temperature changes to be a significant hassle.
I just bled it for the first time in three years. The dark brown fluid that came out suggests I should've done it sooner, but they felt fine and didn't seem to be boiling, so I put it off. And now that I've done it, I can't tell the difference! Very low maintenance product.
Simply put, they just work exactly as they should. Since I changed all rubber pieces, they've been perfect. I recommend the red "race only" compound pads for a little extra power, although I've heard they hold up poorly in the wet.
Strengths: well, they're hope, aren't they? as far as i'm concerned, they're brilliant brakes; i have only a few minor niggles with them, and that's mainly because the ones i've got are four years old (i did say that they were second-hand). they also add a certain 'je ne sais what' to my rig; the whole black-and-silver colour scheme is utterly lovely...
Weaknesses: the adjuster knob has a tendency to seize periodically, when it's hot, and the topcap is made from pretty soft alloy - my mate managed to round it off because he opened it up with an adjustable spanner (thank you so much, you mong...). also, as with any hope hoses, they're not easy to fit into frame-mounted hose guides
Bottom Line:
as with any hydraulic disc brakes, these are relatively easy to maintain; i would just make a point of saying that you must be really, really meticulous when it comes to bleeding these; even the tiniest bubbles in the lines can make them turn to crap. i predominantly use these for street - they're probably nowhere near powerful enough for anything like DH or heavy freeride (but, i wouldn't know - i'm not a DHer). i can't recommend these enough for anyone, really - they're absolutely cracking brakes, and the on-the-fly adjustment that the closed system affords you is wonderful. having said that, i am looking to possibly pick up some m4s, purely because they stop you like a brick wall... either way, i love these brakes with a passion, and they look brilliant.
Similar Products Used: cable discs (tektro), hope m4s, various bmx brakes (including the oh-so-highly-regarded 'fly brakes' - which are complete arse!)
Bike Setup: azonic steelhead pro frame, atomlab gi hubs laced to mavic ex325 rims, dmr cheiftan mk2s, dmr v8s, blackspire ds-1, xt rear gearing, and a rather embarrassingly bad rockshox fork, which will remain unnamed - suffice to say, i'm changing it soon... picture here:
Strengths: good looking all CNC'd, reliable, simple and easy to maintain. NO drag, easy adjustment using thumbwheel.use them for trials, xc, dh..whatever you want.
Weaknesses: what weakness?
Bottom Line:
these brakes are the dogs! i have used these for about 5 years now, and have only had them rebuilt a couple of times, despite this they continually work perfectly and withour problems, they have a really nice progressive feel, and can stop you quickly and easily from any speed. compared to my mates bike which has hayes there is no contest, his are like a switch, either on or off, the hopes are perfect. add a set of braided hoses and you're laughing. There has been a lot of talk latley about closed systems "pumping up" and locking on long dh runs, who cares? you can adjust the brakes using the thumbwheel on the fly with no problems and no loss of control. i cant believe hope no longer manufacture these brakes, in my opinion the greatest and most versatile brake around has been lost RIP C2's :( :(
Strengths: Hope,Adjustable pad placement ,hydraulic
Weaknesses: squeal hardcore when wet, only 2 piston, Hopes customer service sucks
Bottom Line:
These brakes are good. They should probably be on a xc bike but on the dh rig the hold they're own with regualar maitenence If you have the Big'un hubs you get funny rotor sizes like 7&3/4 inches in the front but this size works the best on boxxers so get this is you need speed but stopping is only needed at the bottom
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I got a 1999 Klein Attitude Comp that has a 22mm mount to the rear chainstay and need a Hayes 22mm or Hope C2 Brake for it. Be cool to put a correct brake on the back and avoid th Read More »
Hi guys just a quick (not that quick at all really :) ) question please.
The only hope caliper that i can fit to my Trek Y frame is a C2 no.1 caliper.
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