The Mini is a new open 2-piston brake, which at 380g (inc. lever, caliper, hose & disc) is our lightest system yet. Despite this lightweight, the brake will still give plenty of controllable power. The brake features a new design of lever, which is unique to this brake and also uses its own pads. The 74mm post mount (2000/1 Manitou) requires a special bracket and larger disc.
System type: Open
Lever type: Unique new lever
Caliper No.'s: 3 & 5
Standard Disc: 145, 165, & 185
Submitted by
Jbr & hwos
a Cross Country Rider
from Truro,cornwall
Date Reviewed: June 19, 2011
Strengths: Do what they say!! Brake!! Steady solid and consistent!! Easy to setup after shimming! Easy pad swap out, Cool simple engineering, and made in Yorkshire!!
Submitted by
alanchan
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto
Date Reviewed: May 20, 2009
Strengths: Great power, good design, easy to bled, good modulation, piston are the best out of all the disc brakes I have tried.
Weaknesses: Its getting hard to find support as these brakes are old. Setting up with shims are annoying for some people. The new generation uses brackets so its easier.
Bottom Line:
People, don't be confused. This review is for the 'Hope Mini' not 'Hope Mono Mini'. They are different! This thread is for the 'Hope Mini' (old style 2 pcs. caliper)
These are better then the new Hope Mono Mini which has stock gold caliper cover and the newest generation with silver caliper but black cover.
I have had these brakes on brakes on my SW since I bilt it up in 03'. I have changed the pads out twice. They have been great stoppers with no fading. I have had no leaks and no air getting into system. They have held up really well. I am in the process of building up a Motolite and will rebuild and put these brakes on it.
Bike Setup: 02'Titus Switchblade, Sram, Rock Shox Rev. 180mm FR 160mm RR
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Submitted by
christmann
a Cross Country Rider
from Eagle, Co
Date Reviewed: March 6, 2009
Strengths: Pretty light
Weaknesses: Poor support
Bottom Line:
Since 2003 these brakes have performed well. 5 weeks ago I bought the stainless braided hoses. My bike mechanic for the last 6 years has spent hours trying to get them to work and hours on the phone with hope to figure out how to fix them. Hope sent new hoses and seals but nothin doin. My bike has been in the shop for 3+ weeks. Their tech does not know any more than the next guy. He wants me to pay another $50 to send them to some dude in Cali. I have spent $80 for the hoses, $25 for seals, $130 in labor and brake fluid. I would not recommend Hope products anymore. It should not be this difficult to fix brakes. I am now buying Avid Elixers.
Similar Products Used: My wifes bike has Avid Juicy 5 and I have demoed bikes with Hayes and Shimano.
Bike Setup: Rocky Mountain ETSX 70, Sram 9.0, XTR wheels, XT cranks, Race Face post and stem, Monkey Lite carbon low riser, Selle Italia saddle,
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Submitted by
Silentfoe
a Cross Country Rider
from Eagle Mountain, Utah
Date Reviewed: October 17, 2008
Strengths: Very light, solid lever feel, low maintenance, set it and forget it.
Weaknesses: Must buy pads direct from Hope
Bottom Line:
I bought these brakes brand new in 2001 after an MBA review comparing the Hayes, Shimano XT's and the Minis. The Minis won the shootout and since I was in the market for new brakes, I went right out and bought them.
It is now 2008 and believe it or not, I just barely replaced the pads for the very first time. Granted, I had a few years where I couldn't ride but still, I've put a lot of time on these brakes. They have excellent lever feel and stop me very well from speed. I am 200lbs and use a 160mm front and 140mm rear rotor. The only time I have a problem there is extended downhill when my fingers get tired but that is more due to my choice in rotor size than brake strength.
When I replaced the pads is when I ran into my first problem with these brakes. Hope says that due to several factors, you should only buy genuine Hope Mini pads. This may be the reason for some other not so hot reviews. The factory pads are hands down the best, you just have to order them and then wait. After installing the new pads you really need to make sure you put a screwdriver up between the pads in the caliper and pry them apart as far as you can. This system automatically adjusts itself so your caliper has adjusted for the worn pads. If you just throw the new ones in, they will rub for sure. Too easy to install and once done, off you go. I love these brakes.
Similar Products Used: Cannondale codas, Magura Julies, Avid Juicy 5,7,Carbon.
Bike Setup: Cannondale XC Hardtail, Full XTR
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Submitted by
apensity
a Downhiller
from Chico, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: August 18, 2008
Strengths: Good feel on fingers, good weight
Weaknesses: Terrible stopping power, lost ALL braking power on downhill on several different occasions (levers went to handlebars). Had LBS bleed lines, rebuild system, use 5.1 fluid, and larger rotors (7" and 8"), STILL lost all braking power! These brakes are terrible!
Bottom Line:
Terrible brakes, DO NOT use these for ANY sustained downhill!
Strengths: lack of maintenance needed, good strong lever, just about everything else.
Weaknesses: umm, they are tight and rub just a little when you put brand new pads on. but this isnt that much of a problem, it just does not have a pad contact adjustment
Bottom Line:
i bought these without pads, and with the wrong rotor, but after picking up a decent set of ebc's and the correct rotor, these things work very well. the lever was/is very tight and they did drag very slightly at the beginning, but these things are real good. i wouldnt get rid of them for the world. i like the xt's for the fact that they use mineral oil and not dot 3/4, but these (even though the rotor is small) are very good. i have not been affected by the expanding pad problem, and they do not experience any heat related probelms. i replaced them with a avid J7 185 at the beginning of last year, because i really like the pad distance setting, but i kept these around and now they are going to see another life on a different bike. i had to look through to see if i had reviewed them, and with four years and no problems whatsoever, id say these might be the best bang for the buck, even if you get them used and rebuild them.
Similar Products Used: few mechs, juicy's and 2 different xt models
Bike Setup: 35lb. AM/FR 6" setup. now hardtail DJ.
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Submitted by
tony vazquez
a Weekend Warrior
from warwickshire, england
Date Reviewed: December 3, 2007
Strengths: good stopping power, i tend to go faster than my riding ability allows so these brakes have got me out of trouble a number of times. little maintenance, in fact had them fitted ovar 4 years, got through about 5 or 6 sets of pads and not had to bleed system once. easy to set up and require little adjustment.
Weaknesses: none, other than price,but have come down since i purchased mine though.
Bottom Line:
great stopping power,smooth action, even after all this time. riden in all conditions from dry and dusty, to rain, to deep mud and never let me down. easy pad change, easy to adjust calipers. fitted at the same time as 2 friends(we took all 3 bikes to the shop on the same day) out of 6 calipers, in 4 years, one started leaking about 6 months age,which is'nt bad.
Similar Products Used: grimeca hydraulic, clarks cable..(don't bother),
Bike Setup: 180mm rotor front, 160mm rotor rear. was on gti drive when i upgraded it, now fitted to giant nrs, will up grade brakes if and when these give up.
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Submitted by
PJM
a Cross Country Rider
from Park City UT
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2007
Strengths: Picked these up from a freind who went xtr...180 front and 160 rear....They work great all the time, the pads are easy to replace. Lightweight and durable. Set-up easy. Machining and finish work impeccable. These are the pre-mono minis with silver calipers and all-black square-reservoir levers. Great looking, working, and feeling...
Weaknesses: On occation (and usually when I needed them) the front brake lever would go to the bar w/no effect....!!
Bottom Line:
At $200 for the used set, this was a good buy for sure.... Even with a taller rotor and larger pads, this Hope disc brake is lightweight, with quality machine and finish work on all the parts. This particular pre-mini brake I think came with different levers/reservoir setups during the two or three yrs. they were made. These have the super-ergo, all-black, two-finger lever with the rectangle-shaped reservoir and silver calipers. Some earlier levers have the circular-shaped reservoir. The surpising lever-to-the-bar events are far and few between....once a yr. or so...If you can get ahold of a used pair of these....FOR SURE GET EM!!!!..
Submitted by
Paul Birtles
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney NSW Australia
Date Reviewed: March 6, 2007
Strengths: They look good but I need something reliable without constant maintenance
Weaknesses: If my bike isn't ridden for some time the lever on one end (rear) of these brakes firms up causing the pads to rub eventually stopping the wheel from spinning all together. This has been happening since they were brand new. The shop where I purchased these brakes considering I purchased them on a custom $7000 Blur failed to look after me. Eventually they sent them to the Aussie importer who was just the worst it took him over 3 months to return them to my LBS and that was only after I called to tell him to pull his finger out something my LBS couldn't be bothered to do, having my bike for sitting in thier shop all this time. They also lost all the mounting hardware in the process and thought it was quite o.k. to use any old bolts they had hanging around the workshop.It goes to show that once they had thier sale they couldn't give a f**k any more & Hope U.K. should think about getting rid of thier Aussie dealer he just sucks beyond comment! Eventually I sent back to the manufactuer in the U.K. and they fixed the problem and returned them in just 1 week (now that's service)They were spot on in helping me. Now the other brake doing the same I'm going to give up on them and buy some mechanicals or V-brakes again can't be bothered with all the problems.
Bottom Line:
Haven't I said it all. Buy it if you live in England & can have them serviced by someone who knows how too. Stay well clear if you live in Australia because service is pathetic. Endeavour cycles (LBS) has lost a customer too you can't treat people this way after they have spent so much money purchasing their dream bike. The 1 chilli goes to Hope U.K. for thier good help even though their product isn't great.
Similar Products Used: First & last experience with hydraulics, why is it they can make fool proof brakes for your car or motorbike but come to bicycles and there's still loads of issues?
Bike Setup: 03 Santa Cruz Blur with all the bling. Just because you pay top dollar for the bling factor it's just a wank! Keep it simple.
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Submitted by
al
a Cross Country Rider
from dallas tx
Weaknesses: parts a bit more $ and harder to get. Not a weekness, but these are not 1-finger nose wheelie brakes.
Bottom Line:
I like em! I bought mine well used, cleaned them up, and they work awesome. They are not "stoppers", but "speed-adjusters", on my Racer-x. They have excellent, excellent modulation, very easy to scrub off just the speed you need to when entering a corner. they look cool, easy to work on, nothing comes loose - use lock-tight! the manual even says to. They do NOT have uber-stopping power, as many reviewers have mentioned. Power can be increased by going to bigger rotors, I have 160/140, which is lowest power/highest modulation. I have Hayes Mags on my commuter bike, 160/160, and they are uber-stoppers, which I consider necessary for emergency stops on the street. but much less feel. parts are harder to find, but still available. Support is iffy, not as good as Hayes. Luckily this is a very good product, so support isn't too important. Buy them used as a light, trick, reliable bake for your x-country machine. Avoid them for your 30+ lb am, fr, or dh machine. 5 stars in their application!
Similar Products Used: hayes mag, el camino, sole.
Bike Setup: Racer-x
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Submitted by
Bart Simpson
a Weekend Warrior
from Northamptonshire
Date Reviewed: January 1, 2007
Strengths: Good modulation, light, look great.
Weaknesses: Poor braking performance
Bottom Line:
From the start, these brakes have been downright poor in terms of performance. Although modulation is very good, ultimate braking power has been poor, irrespective of type of pads used, and bleeding the brakes. They have resulted in a loss of confidence on descents, particularly in technical situations, where I have found myself on numerous occasions shouting expletives whilst crampily pulling the levers moments before having close encounters with trees. Not a good trait in a mountain bike brake. The Hayes Nine brakes on my other bike, have on the other hand been awesome, in that they actually stop the bike, but they are very "grabby" compared to the Mono Minis.
Strengths: Reliable, easy to clean, easy to service and bleed, easy to customize the hose to the correct length.
Replacments are not too expensive and are easy to get hold of in UK dunno bout newhere else.
Weaknesses: the alan key screw on the reservoir cap rounds off easy as it is so small. Same with the screws on the lever clamp, and the disc rotor! Rotor comes loose all the time.
Bottom Line:
Buy them if you are into XC Street n dossin bout with as they are light reliable n powerfull, however if you want more power or take part in Competition DH then deffo M4's.
Make sure you have spare screws of all sizes that hope use, you will need them!
Similar Products Used: Shimano deore, Hope M4, Magura Julie all hydrolic. and cable deore. Out of these deffo Minis unless you want more power then the M4's.
Bike Setup: 24/7 crosser, mx comps, minis, fsa pig DH Pro headset, sun single track rims on DMR revolvers(strong as hell trust me), xt rear mech, sram x.9 rocket trigger shiftern thats ur lot.
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Submitted by
Nate
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver, CO
Date Reviewed: July 3, 2006
Strengths: You can tell these brakes are engineered well. Solid construction and simple look and design. I installed these never having done a disc installation before and took about 3 hours to get them just right. A lot of trial and error to get the alignment right. I tried them out last week and what a difference from the crappy hayes brakes that came with the bike. Hayes just can't handle the automotive brake fluid and tend to leak. Braking is effortless and the amount of "throw" on the levers is adjustable. These brakes are very powerful and I felt like I'd lock my front tire if I wasn't careful. I think that is because the Hayes sucked so bad.
On top of it all I got the the piston, rotor and lever all for $150. Can't beat that.
Weaknesses: The metal spring that the brake pads rest on is a little complicated and is a little hard to remove the pads and insert them.
Bottom Line:
Great engineering, small package, unbelivable performance at a fraction of the cost of the competition. Need I say more?
Bike Setup: '03 Blur, marzocchi bomber MX, Pushed FOX Float R
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Submitted by
Jon Davies
a Cross Country Rider
from U.K
Date Reviewed: April 26, 2006
Strengths: Reliable and strong. Plenty of feel with progressive bite point. Well made, unlike the Mono's
Weaknesses: A tad heavy.
Bottom Line:
Great brakes. 3 years hard riding and no problems. Replaced the pads a few times and replaced the DOT 5.1 Well made and the key is the discs. The new Hope range... "Mono"... have got a one piece caliper....and flimsy discs. These old Mini brakes have a 2 piece caliper and a good strong thick disc that will not warp and gets rid of heat fast. It will also take a good knocking without bending all over the place. I know which I prefer.
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