The Mono caliper is machined from single billet of 2014 T6 aluminium offering unrivalled stiffness and enhanced lever feel. It uses the Mini lever with a fixed caliper housing two opposing pistons. Caliper pistons contain stainless steel inserts to isolate the caliper from the heat generated in the pads. An open system allows for automatic pad wear adjustment and enables the brake to handle the highest temperatures without “pump-up”.
Submitted by
Mark Doyle
a Cross Country Rider
from England Date Reviewed: July 2, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Natural
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Theese brakes look fantastic.
Weaknesses:
Lack of consistent performance.
Similar Products Used:
Avid V-brakes
Bike Setup:
Steel hard-tail.
Bottom Line:
Some may think that buying a pair of disk brakes of ebay isn't too clever, but these were in fantastic condition. I put the brakes on the bike and was seriously disappointed by the braking power when compared with my Avid V-brakes. I could grab the levers either front or back and still pedal. I have since blead the brakes, changing the fluid to Dot 5.1 and put on new Superstar pads both front and rear and completed approximately 200 miles. There performance has improved but the don't feel as though they have fully bedded in. It even seemed that the performance changed over night. When I compare my girlfriend's v-brake which are xtr levers with Avid ultimate V's I am seriously disappointed by the performace of the Hopes even in the wet. The brakes have develop some feel and bite but are no where near the feel and bite of the V's. I am going to keep fettling with them but it is all getting a bit silly.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
martylane
a Cross Country Rider
from chico, calif., usa Date Reviewed: May 20, 2009
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
monkamoo.com
Strengths:
Very reliable, little maintenance required; do not lock-up due to overheating even on long long descents; minimal size, great high-tech looks; affordable
Weaknesses:
Not very powerful, modulation not all that great.
Similar Products Used:
Hayes hfx-9 xc, avid bb7, avid bb5
Bike Setup:
Specialized Epic, 160 rotor front, 140 rotor rear
Bottom Line:
I've been very happy with the reliability of these brakes, and the fact that they require little to no maintenance. Modulation and power is not so great -- really, the Avid rim brakes I had on my bike before had better power and feel. Power is "single digit" sufficient, though, so it's not like the brakes don't stop. I have Avid bb5 on a 29r, and they perform better in terms of modulation. These brakes could probably do with a larger front rotor, though you'd lose the minimal setup. Bottom line: performance is good for xc use; reliability, low maintenance, and minimal size make them worth having.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
TBest90662
a Cross Country Rider
from Foothill Ranch, CA, USA Date Reviewed: December 21, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Chupacabra
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Rock-n-Road Cyclery
Strengths:
Great modulation and lever feel. Extremely smooth feel and maintenance free. Brake pads/rotors appear to be less susceptible to contamination...especially when compared to the Avid line of hydraulic brakes. Floating rotors help reduce brake fade and do look nice... especially when one takes advantage of custom colors (rotor hat, piston bore caps, etc.).
Weaknesses:
Bleeding must be done properly or you will trap air in the master cylinder.. I highly recommend reviewing the Hope technical video for bleeding. There's one very important step in the bleed (towards the end) that will guarantee 100% consistent performance (properly 'rolling the diaphragm' on).
Similar Products Used:
Avid Juicy & Elixirs, Magura Marta SL, Shimano XTR, etc.
Bike Setup:
Specialized Enduro SL, 27.4 lbs, XT, XO, Roval Traversee' wheels. Hope Mono Mini brakes with Ti hardware package.
Bottom Line:
Best quality brake I've ever used with decent power (not the most powerful cross country brake). However, note that I use them on my 6" travel trail bike (7" rotor front, 6" in back) and have had no problems (I weigh 145 lbs though).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Stan
a Weekend Warrior
from Derbyshire Date Reviewed: November 16, 2008
Favorite Trail:
most places in the peak
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$230.00
Purchased At:
Samways Derby
Strengths:
very easy to bleed, good modulation, quite nice looking.
Weaknesses:
pump, lever needs ajusting quite alot (ajuster screw seems to slack of)and braking power is inconsistent relative to whether ie: quite bad role through in the wet. not overly powerful.
Similar Products Used:
avid jucy 7, hayes stroker trail, hayes nine, formula oro
Bike Setup:
charge ti blender, marzochhi wc 4x forks, bulbs on 729's truvative and xt groop set
Bottom Line:
quite nice, a little disapointed though, almost had some bad accedents due to role through (I know how to keep the pads and rotors clean so its not that)and the pump is quite bad, not through doing masive decents or anything like that realy just a good raz through the woods seems to do it, the lever dipresses right to the bar some times with out any stoping power at all, a few moments of pumping the lever and ther back . I bleed them regulary so I dont know why it happens, when they work there good but I've used better, the jucys and the formulas are sweet! I'm going to try XT 775 now, I've herd there very good.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
dirtysac
a Cross Country Rider
from Yorkshire Date Reviewed: October 25, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Afan
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
leisure lakes
Strengths:
Awesome Power, look very cool, very light
Weaknesses:
crap standard bolts
Similar Products Used:
avid juicy 7, M4's, moto vented
Bike Setup:
Giant Trance X0 demo 09, 2lbs lighter than stock and 203mm floating rotors F/R, braided carbon look goodridge hoses.
Bottom Line:
I went from M4's to new mono mini's not be pure choice but for other reasons. I am mega impressed. They have as far as I can tell the same stopping power as M4's, they never pump up, they just try to put me over bars everytime, they are awesome. Granted there must be some difference between M4's and these but I honestly can't tell. I have never ever run out of power or brown'd my pants with these babies.
I do downhill my bike and race on europes most severe runs and I do very well with out a so called downhill bike, I also XC and enduro. I only have 5" of travel and don't run six pots these do the job and save me a bucket load of weight. My bike is throwable without being 40+lbs infact its less than 23lbs with 5" of travel F/R. So downhill boys you can kiss behind because I beat you down the hill in 90% of all cases, fact. My race results prove that.
I may ride a USA designed bike built in Taiwan but the brakes are UK designed and built and nothing USA designed or built comes close.
Just try them and you will understand, we may dumb brits but we know how to stop and we know how to make things light.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
allgrainbrewer
a Weekend Warrior
from Portland, Or Date Reviewed: September 9, 2008
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$170.00
Purchased At:
Universal Cycles
Strengths:
Tough single billet construction, easy mounting and set-up, great stopping power even with 6" rotors.
Weaknesses:
Over-tightening the master cylinder cap causes fluid leak. Haven't had the best of luck bleeding even with the spendy Hope bleed kit.
Bike Setup:
Chumba XCL, Pike 454 Dual air, Hope Pro II hubs, XT drivetrain
Bottom Line:
Great brakes. I'd buy them again. Very reliable, great feel and modulation. Even on long descents they stay firm.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jay
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto ON. Date Reviewed: August 12, 2008
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
net.
Bottom Line:
i love em!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
MOO
a Racer
from Jerusalem Date Reviewed: August 5, 2008
Favorite Trail:
all
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Great XC brake!! Never had a single glitch. Nice singlr finger modulation. Look very Cool. They will stop a lighter guy on a XC bike on a dime!
Brlliant if used what its intended for!! Not for DH or FR. Has saved my butt many times. Keep themm clean, change the pads before they are toast and they will keep functioning virtually mantance free. Love them!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
slowrider
a Weekend Warrior
from Midway City Ca U.S. Date Reviewed: August 4, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Porc
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
used
Strengths:
Light, sexy, effective as a xc brake
Weaknesses:
Set up hassles of is mounting and the small resevior allows the fluid to overheat enough to cause brake rub on long DH runs.
Similar Products Used:
Most Hayes, Shimano etc
Bike Setup:
1fg
Bottom Line:
great, hot looking light xc brakes.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
MRFIX
a Cross Country Rider
from Israel Date Reviewed: June 10, 2008
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Looks nice, light
Weaknesses:
Unfortunately, during the last 28 months that I own them I am facing allot of problems with the Hope mono mini breaks getting in and out of service:
• front brake was locked several times – not during riding, took the bike off the car, got on my bike and the wheel did not role (I do not take the wheel off during transportation).
•rear break got 3 times over heated and locked during XC ride.
•Twittering Sounds from the brakes on regular basis.
•Rear brake does not provide breaking power.
I must say that every ride I am terrified "what will be this ride with the hope mono mini".
Similar Products Used:
Hayes HFX 9 Carbon
Bike Setup:
SRAM XO+FOX+AMERICAN CLASSIC
Bottom Line:
Got in and out from sevice, emailed hope several times but no comments from them.
Got some info that the 2008 Min are OK but not sure If this is the right place to put my $$$$ after bad experiance
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mr Fix
a Cross Country Rider
from Israel Date Reviewed: June 10, 2008
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Lookes nice, very light
Weaknesses:
I am the owner of 2 sets of Hope mono mini 2006.
Unfortunately, during the last 24 months that I own them I am facing allot of problems with the Hope mono mini breaks:
front brake was locked 4 times – not during riding, took the bike off the car, got on my bike and the wheel did not role (I do not take the wheel off during transportation).
rear break got 3 times over heated and locked during XC ride.
Twittering Sounds from the brakes on regular basis.
Rear break does not provide breaking power.
Similar Products Used:
Hayes HFX 9 on my Hard tail bike
Bike Setup:
SRAM XO +fox +American classic
Bottom Line:
Emailed hope several times to get some service but no comments, put the breakes for service several times but the problems came back.
Friends says that the 2008 Mini are ok but not sure based on the past, if this is the right thing to do with my $$$$$
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dean
a Cross Country Rider
from UK Date Reviewed: May 31, 2008
Favorite Trail:
The Next One
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$320.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
Perfect for XC: light weight, excellent modulation, fade is non-existent, no squealing, look pretty cool (if that is important to you), easy to set up, self-adjusting, low maintenance, easy to change pads
Weaknesses:
Stopping power not as good as I expected from discs, though still far better than v-brakes. Changing pads improved things.
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
Alite 4000, XT/717 wheels, Mono mini brakes, Shimano gearing
Bottom Line:
These are my first disc brakes and were purchased as an upgrade from v-brakes. They have been truly excellent. I splashed out on the posh version with braided stainless steel lines, floating rotors and phenolic pistons. Not sure if the extra money was worth it, as I haven't tried the standard version, but it certainly hasn't hurt.
Not sure why people have problems setting these brakes up - it took me 10 minutes and I have never needed to readjust since even though the wheels come off regularly to mend punctures, etc.
The gripe made above about lack of stopping power is trivial and was improved with a set of new, softer pads (the stock pads are too hard). As an XC rider, it is more important to be able to slow down and remain in control rather than to stop on a dime and the superb modulation does this.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dan
a Weekend Warrior
from Connecticut Date Reviewed: May 1, 2008
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Bicycle Works LLC in Middlebury, CT
Strengths:
Stops on a dime and give you nine cents change. by far the best looking brakes going...
Weaknesses:
none yet
Similar Products Used:
hayes stroker (also reccomended), avid bb7, deore mech.
Dam good brakes, certainly the best i've ridden. With the right hard to find adapters these brakes would be appropriate on any ride. They Definitely look impressive. You dont see to many cnc'd billet calipers or levers on the competitions brakes. Castings are allways weaker. Overall a great brake setup, find regular mini's on ebay all day for like 100-150$. So go get em foo...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Phil
a Downhiller
from CA Date Reviewed: April 6, 2008
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$160.00
Purchased At:
universal
Strengths:
modulation, strength, sound, looks, weight
Weaknesses:
there is some pad knock but overtime it gets better
Similar Products Used:
juicy 5/7
Bike Setup:
dj/street/park hardtail
Bottom Line:
this brake is so nice. at first i hated it somewhat because of the pad knock but after a while it gets better. the modulation on this brake is extremely nice. i can always control how much i want to brake easily even after going down a trail for long periods of time. and i ONLY have a rear brake so it can take some serious heat. this brake also looks amazing the CNCed levers and caliper just look and feel so good. this is the perfect brake. everything feels really nice. its also really light and has a nice floating rotor. the only thing that was a tiny bit disappointing was the pad knock but its worth it. hope has stepped it up quite a bit and i would recommend this brake to everyone.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark Sullivan
a Cross Country Rider
from Mooresville, NC USA Date Reviewed: December 11, 2007
Favorite Trail:
N E w/in 100 miles
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
The Cycle Path
Strengths:
1. Excellent fit and finish. 2. Once they're properly set up, that's it. (More on that) 3. Excellent modulation and stopping power. (More on that)
Weaknesses:
1. Initial set-up is a little more involved than most folks would like. 2. The bleed kit is totally silly and I hate using it. Avid and Hayes have the best and most user friendly bleed kits. Actually, once you use Avids kit, you'll want to bleed them all the time! 3. Can't think of anything...
Similar Products Used:
Hayes HFX-9 Carbons, Juicy 7's, 5's and 3's, Magura Marta's, Old Shimano Deore, 07 Hope Mono M4's, 06 Hope Mono M6's.
Bike Setup:
06 Specialized SJ HT S-Works Carbon frame single speed, Fox X100 fork, Truvativ Noir carbon crank with bash guard and 32 T chain ring, 18t rear cog, DT Swiss Hugi hubs with XR4.2D rims and DT Swiss Super Comp spokes, Race Face seat post and stem, Specialized carbon riser bar, Hope Mono Mini LTD Edition brakes 07 model.
Bottom Line:
I will elaborate from above....
These brakes, and other brakes I've tried, are a little involved to get set up perfectly. Folks that don't have patience and a little technical skill should have a competant bike mechanic set these up. Hope does do a pretty good job of explaining to set them up and I've actually used the same procedure to tweak other manufacturers brakes as well.
For anyone who thinks these brakes don't have any stopping power...check a couple of things. 1. These are XC brakes, not Free Ride or DH! Deal with it and use the appropriate brake for your riding style.
2. Keep your dang hands and brake fluid and chain lube away from the pads. Contaminated pads are the #1 reason for lack of power.
As for brake leaks...you should adjust the banjo bolt to make the straightest line to where the line is affixed to the frame and make sure it's tight. These brakes are designed the same and use the same style of hose hardware that cars and motorcycles use...and you don't see rampid leaks from those. After installation, you should check all of the bolts and fluid connections to make sure they are snug and after the first few rides as well. You'd do the same for suspension pivots on your bike. The modulation on these brakes is absolutely wonderful!!! (I wish my truck's brakes were as good. With plenty of stopping power. But again...these are XC brakes. These have the carbon levers and Ti hardware. Stupid light with a trick Union Jack printed on the res. cap.
Don't buy the bleed kit. Set the res. so it sit's horizontal and put a tube on the caliper bleeder into a jar and keep topping off the fluid at the res.
Did hope actually think everyone would have a spare tire and rim laying around to use as a low pressure air source?!
BTW I have the 07 Mono M4's on the SJ FSR and they rock on aggresive riding!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
pimpbot
a Cross Country Rider
from oakland, CA Date Reviewed: December 5, 2007
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
jensonusa
Strengths:
Light, good stopping power, excellent modulation, long pad wear, top notch customer service from Hope.
Weaknesses:
sometimes a bit squeeky, slop in lever pivots, one set of fouled piston seals.
Similar Products Used:
Avid BB7, Magura Clara dual piston, Deore Mechanical
Bike Setup:
2003 Stumpjumper FSR-XC, Redline Monocog 29er.
Bottom Line:
I had these on my Stumpy, them moved them to my MC29er.
Great brakes. I've had slop in the levers since just about day one, and the lever pivot bolt can't adjust it out. It can be tight enough to make the lever feel draggy, but still be sloppy. Go figure. I probably need a new bushing kit.
Also, my pistons got fouled during one super muddy ride, and they started getting a sticky feel at the lever. The good folks at Hope re-sealed them for me for free 4 months out of warranty.
Really good power, but maybe not the best. Good enough to stop my 200 pound ass with 160mm rotors on the steeps of Northern California. Excellent feel. Easily the best brakes I have owned.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jared Harden
a Cross Country Rider
from Southeast USA Date Reviewed: November 8, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$360.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
They are VERY well made, come ready to bolt on and are fairly lite. I am 200lbs. and 6'2" tall and they stop me very well. The modulation is awesome, they work really well with only one finger through technical areas.
Weaknesses:
They're pretty pricey but worth it.
Similar Products Used:
Avid BB5 and BB7, old 2001 CODA hydraulics (crap).
Bike Setup:
Cannondale 1FG, FSA X-Drive cranks and BB, Race Face Diabolus bars, Thomson Elite Seatpost, Crank Bros. Eggbeaters, blah, blah, blah
Bottom Line:
I'm really impressed with the stopping power of these brakes. I'm a fairly big guy and for cross country and technical trail riding they are awesome. I have no regrets. Take the time to bed them in properly.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
carlo montecillo
a Downhiller
from laspiñas cit,philippines Date Reviewed: October 15, 2007
Favorite Trail:
james wat(dh)
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
craigslist.com
Strengths:
well,i don't have much to compare it to,but basing on experience ,it the best brake system i've used because of modulation capabilities.
Weaknesses:
it lacks stopping power.
Similar Products Used:
hayes hfx9,shimano deore,and some bb7's
Bike Setup:
2004 bullit,shimano105 r der and cogs,truvativ cranks,42t single chainring with mrp design chainguide,lx shifter,hussefelt stem,tiogadh bars,5thelement,bomber fork,hayes hfx 9 brakes,sun rims,maxxis minions,thompson seat post,azonic a framepedals,and yeti grips....nice....
Bottom Line:
i don't regret getting them,its well worth the money!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Lance
a Cross Country Rider
from Cape Town South Africa Date Reviewed: October 13, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Jonkershoek/grabouw
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
The CNCing is masterful, the anodizing is sweet. the colour is fantastic. the Floating Rotors are very cool looking and add a very industrious look to the wheels. The bleeding is so much less messy than other brakes with dot4/5.1 which is a plus as i'm attached to my paint job. The levers feel good and solid but not woody. the brake takes a while to bed in, which is good, once bedded in the pads feel better on the rotor. The rotors make a cool buzzing noise when applying brakes, but has little transfer to the lever unlike the avids which pulse into the fingers. The ti hardware is going to stay pretty and is strong reliable stuff. The brakes are strong, the scrub speed very well, but have nice modulation for xc speeds in singletrack. The thing is, you can scrub speed off quicker and more fluidly than most other brakes, release them and rail the corners, while other brakes needed to be dragged damn near throught the corner for the same effect. The wow facter is the the looks.
Weaknesses:
They are not as strong as Avids, but then not as bitey, so they promote a more fluid riding style. Thats a plus actually, Avids will ride better on the steep steep stuff but they also cook quicker, oh wait thats also a plus!
Similar Products Used:
Hayes, Shimano, and lately Marta SL
Bottom Line:
Buy these because your mates will respect how pretty they are, and you'll out brake them everytime. I'm waiting for a long term test result aswell so stay tuned.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
simon chetwynd
a Cross Country Rider
from newbury, uk Date Reviewed: August 11, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
Banjo Cycles, Newbury
Strengths:
1st off, it comes supplied as a fully bled and assembled system, just bolt on and go. Its smaller and lighter than the Giant MPH3 brake I replaced. Modulation is great and as for power, on tarmac and slick tyres it'll lift the back wheel with only two fingers on the lever - how much braking power do you need? No noticeable drag. Good price when compared to other makes.
Weaknesses:
Straight out of the box there's too much lever movement before the brakes bite but this goes away after a couple of hard brake applications. Just have to remember to bed the brakes in before you hit the trail. Brake comes with a rotor which I didn't need and this obviously adds to the price. Downside of the system being supplied fully assembled and bled is that the brake line (I bought a front) is a little long for a 115 mm travel fork. Not really a problem but if you want to shave grams then you'll have to chop the line, reassemble, refil and bleed the system. Personally I prefer to buy a fully assembled and bled system and I'll live with a little extra hose length.
Similar Products Used:
Giant MPH3 I bought a brand new 2nd bike with Giant brakes and it was only then that I realised just how bad the front brake (also Ginat MPH3) on my other bike had become after a crash and so bought this brake as a replacement. Side by side, the brand new Giant MPH3 and the brand new Hope mono mini have the same performance. You can't tell any difference between them (both v. good). The Hope is however noticeably smaller on the handlebars.
So far, good, very good. Hasn't been put through a winter of mud and abuse yet though.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Beaux Deuk
a Weekend Warrior
from Dallas, Ga Date Reviewed: May 16, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$195.00
Purchased At:
Bicycle Jones
Strengths:
light weight, stunningly good looking, very easy set-up despite other's experiences, very easy to bleed, great modulation, they include a generous assortment of washers to help with the set-up,
Weaknesses:
none so far, needed bleeding & to have the hose cut down appr 4" from the get-go (I've never bought disc brakes that didn't need an initial bleeding though)
Similar Products Used:
Avid Juicy 5's which needed bleeding every 2 weeks,old school Maguras,
Bike Setup:
Marin FS, Chris King h-set & hubs,DT Swiss rims, Thomson stem & seat post, XTR cranks & derailleurs, Hope Mono M4 on front, Mono mini on rear, Easton carbon bars, etc.
Bottom Line:
despite having a ton of air in them from the get-go; they'd lock up the tire even with my 200+lbs, every oz of extra material has been machined off of these, modulation is un-believable, Avids were powerful but much closer to ON/OFF switches, my Mono M4's have been great (but they do weep a little fluid from the reservoir) and despite this, I haven't bled them since I first installed them, after seeing how easy to modulate the M4's were-got these Minis and they're just as good albeit definitely less powerful
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dennis
a Cross Country Rider
from Netherlands Date Reviewed: May 14, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Malmedy
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$600.00
Purchased At:
www.moniquesbikeshop.nl
Strengths:
I have the new ultra-light Mono Mini PRO version of these discbrakes. They look stunning, weigh only 605 gram, and have great modulation.
Weaknesses:
Not as powerful as the competition like the Formula oro puro and Avid ultimates. They are lighter though.
Similar Products Used:
Hope MonoM4 180/160mm, Shimano Deore.
Bike Setup:
Titus RacerX tricked out.
Bottom Line:
These brakes are XC-only. I can't understand how people find them lacking in power, they are great, just don't use them for agressive DH riding. It took a while for them to break in, but now they brake well. Not great, but good enough for agressive XC-style riding. Compared to my other brakes (MonoM4's) the mini's don't offer as much power, but retain the modulation. And they don't squeal when braking, which is a big plus. Also, no leaks yet, but you have to tighten all the nuts and bolts before installation, as tehse can be a little loose with Hope products. It was that way on my MonoM4's too.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dwight
a Racer
from Littleton, CO Date Reviewed: May 7, 2007
Favorite Trail:
ANY TRAIL > 4hrs
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$220.00
Purchased At:
Green Mountain Sports
Strengths:
Post Mount+Float Rotor.
Weaknesses:
NONE
Similar Products Used:
Hope Minis + Hope XC4 Closed ( Very dangerous )
Bike Setup:
DEAN ACE 3.0 / RS PIKE 20mm
Bottom Line:
Compared to the Old Minis these brakes are great. The Post Mount and Floating Rotors are outstanding. My Minis lasted me almost 6 yrs. The Mono Minis are a step above. No Squaking/Squeaking with great modulation. Easy Setup. A Work of Art. I'm not a fan of British products but these brakes take the cake. 180mm/160mm (F/R)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Michael Lawson
a Weekend Warrior
from Cardiff , Wales, UK Date Reviewed: May 3, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Coed-y-brenin
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$220.00
Purchased At:
Muddybum Bikes - Wales
Strengths:
So simple to setup - Now that the system is no longer reliant on shims the setup is a breeze. Awsome stopping power - looks good ! And Hope is a great company to deal with !
Weaknesses:
None , and i mean that !
Similar Products Used:
O4 Hope mini 06 Hope mono M4
Bike Setup:
Marin Wolf Ridge , Fox Talas RLC , Fox DHX Air 5.0 , Full XTR, Chris King etc
Bottom Line:
These brakes really are very good . They look good , they feel good , they are british.
To be fair i had painful issues with the older minis with squealling , but the new ones dont suffer from this at all.
I really think Hope have sorted there act out - 5 Massive stars!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jason
a Cross Country Rider
from Charlottesville, VA Date Reviewed: April 25, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$370.00
Purchased At:
Chain Reaction GB
Strengths:
Forged not molded turds. Power. Modulation. Light weight. Most advanced designers of brakes for bikes period. Looks.
Weaknesses:
marketing and availability of options from US retailers.
Similar Products Used:
1 set of Hope C2's for the past 7 years on 4 bikes. These are still going strong. also, all others due to being a bike shop dude for 10 years.
Bike Setup:
ML 7.5, DUC, Mavic 729's, DT Revos on front, Camps on rear Big'un rear hub, XTR drive crap, Geax Blade 2.25 up front, maxxis mobster in rear. 203mm floating rotor up front and a 183mm fixed in the rear.
Bottom Line:
Set them up right! There is no way to just throw something ("high performance") on your bike and expect anything better than the quality of the installation. Take pride in what you do, and you will be rewarded with superior performance every time.
The banjos are not going to be in the best position out of the box. This can lead to them getting kicked around and leaking. this is not a design flaw, but rather a feature that allows you to adjust how the lines follow the seat stays and the fork leg. By moving them closer to the frame/fork they will be protected and look cleaner than anything on the market.
I went with the 203mm rotor for more power and the mini caliper for the simplicity. I didn't feel the need for 4 pots when these puppies will throw my 200lb butt over the bars with one finger. I ordered these from Chain Reaction because the Britt's have all the options on their website. When you buy Hopes, it is not just one box and you are done. You have options!
I have always loved the quality of Hope and it looks like I will not be disappointed this time.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
William
a Cross Country Rider
from Seattle, WA USA Date Reviewed: April 12, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$360.00
Purchased At:
monkamoo
Strengths:
Bling, these things are beautiful. Great stoppers with one or two fingers, awesome modulation feel, feedback, and control; reliable and quiet. No fade issues, but I haven't really tested a long downhill yet.
Weaknesses:
No lever adjust.
Similar Products Used:
Hayes Nines.
Bike Setup:
Yeti 575
Bottom Line:
This review is for the new '07 model. I am a bigger rider - 200lbs. and ride in really wet conditions. I had heard about Hopes sqealing and after the first 3 hours of riding I have not heard a peep out of them. In fact, they are much quieter than the Hayes they replaced. I went with the 160mm up front, which is a HUGE improvement in stopping power. I went with the standard one-piece rotors and couldn't be happier. They came pre-bled and post mount so installation was super fast and easy.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Clive
a Cross Country Rider
from U.K Date Reviewed: April 9, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Glentress
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Leisure Lakes
Strengths:
Reasonable weight and nice finish.
Weaknesses:
Same problems as the previous model.
Similar Products Used:
Hope Mono Mini 2004, Magura Julie, Hayes Sole.
Bike Setup:
Kone King Kikapu
Bottom Line:
Guess what ???...2007 brakes..nice new look but same old problems! Mine came with a bent front rotor, my back brake piston sticks on the rotor and I've had a leak from one of the banjo joints. In other words all the problems that I had with my 2004 brakes that Hope assured had been sorted out. Took ages to bed in and still nothing like the power of Formula, Hayes or Avid, rotor for rotor! These will be going on Ebay soon.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Shane Walz
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland, Or, USA Date Reviewed: March 27, 2007
Favorite Trail:
too many to list
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$370.00
Purchased At:
Universal Cycles
Strengths:
They look sick and offer unmatched single finger stopping power.
Weaknesses:
Lots of extra cable length, even on an XL frame. Plus a slightly finicky setup. Brake pad installation isn't a snap due to the spring.
Bleed kit was troublesome. It didn't include the '07 master cylinder cover which is a different shape than previous mini's (bleed kit was $50!). After getting them bled properly (Hope was cool with sending out the updated MC cover) they've worked great. I've got confidence to storm down trails I would have ridden the brakes on previously.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
joedirt24
a Cross Country Rider
from southeast pa Date Reviewed: March 15, 2007
Favorite Trail:
beaver valley
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$325.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
CNCed, very smooth.quality, phenolic piston help keep the heat away from the fluid. EZ setup. Very progressive no surprises with the action
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
Salsa Dos Niner. 160mm non floating rotors
Bottom Line:
I was going to get Magura Marta. I seen these 2007 models have a phenolic piston to keep heat away from the fluid. They are eye candy. Never had any fade or other problems. With all break systems I make sure it's clean after every ride and flush the fluid every once in a while.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Greg Detwat
a Cross Country Rider
from Manchester U.K Date Reviewed: February 8, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Marin
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Strengths:
Nice CNC machining and light
Weaknesses:
Not enough power and very unreliable with leaks and pad probs.
Bottom Line:
Won't buy from Hope again. I've done everything that should be done to get these to work well and still they give trouble. 180x160mm is not as powerful as most of the competitors brakes of that size. Leaks and most of all always ...ALWAYS sticking or lazy pistons has got me down so much. I'm going with Formula.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bart Simpson
a
from Northamptonshire Date Reviewed: January 23, 2007
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.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
JetFeet
a
from Arizona Date Reviewed: January 8, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Gooseberry, UT
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$130.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Easy of setup Superb Consturction Super light weight
Weaknesses:
Brake "pump-up" on steep, slow section of XC downhill.
Similar Products Used:
Magura Marta, XT Disk, Avid Juicy 5 & 7,
Bike Setup:
Turner XC setup
Bottom Line:
I've had virtually no problems with these brakes. In fact, I purchased another set of the Hope Mono Mini for my hardtail. If I were a downhiller or a freerider I would recommend some of Hope's more robust disk brakes. I would recommend these to my Gradmother if she MTB'ed.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike R
a Cross Country Rider
from Akron, Ohio Date Reviewed: December 17, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$360.00
Purchased At:
Speedgoat
Strengths:
Feel--perfectly linear braking from dab to death grip
Weaknesses:
Set-up is a little old skool with all the shims
Similar Products Used:
Hays disc
Bike Setup:
Klein Palamino, soon to Moots
Bottom Line:
Of all the hydraulic disks I've ridden, none have such a confidence-inspiring feel as the Hope. Only on one occasion--a fairly long steep desent in wet conditions-- did I feel like I could use a little more power. I can see were heavier riders (I'm 160 lb.) on "all mountain" rigs could want more stopping power. (That's why they make a 4-piston model) But I ride cross country and am thrilled with these brakes so far. I am taking these with me to my new bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jim Roystone
a Weekend Warrior
from Bristol Date Reviewed: December 13, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Coed-y-Brenin MBR
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Light weight and they look fabulous.
Weaknesses:
Fickle, need constant attention, stock pads are poor, leaking joints and need more power.
Similar Products Used:
Magura, Hayes, Formula, Shimano XT.
Bike Setup:
Giant Trance Frame custom build.
Bottom Line:
I would not buy these again and cannot recommend them. Too many problems for me to cope with. They have not been reliable fix and forget brakes and that is what I want ....especially at this price point! I'm runnin 180x160 and if you run the same with say.... Shimano XT ..then you get plenty of pewer, but for me these Mini's are not pulling their weight!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Cliff
a Racer
from Encinitas, CA - Wellington, NZ Date Reviewed: November 13, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Poto MI, Hermosa Creek CO, Rock Ridge AZ
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
THIS IS A FOLLOW UP REVIEW to my 9/23/2006 initial impressions review. I have less than three months on these brakes but I have an additional 20 rides on them since the first review.
These are 2006 HOPE Mono Minis, I've been riding in New Zealand with 2000'+ vertical per ride. I try and avoid wet days but we all know that is not always possible. I race in the open/elite men catagory for cross country events and weight 185lbs.
I'm running the HOPE 2 piece rotor in the rear only with an XT up front. I find my rear brake will squeel on longer [1 minute of constant braking] and/or wet decents. HOWEVER I can not get the front to squeel - no matter how hard I try [draging my front brake for 3+ minutes on a long decent]. The XT rotor provides a more modulating feel as well. I have never felt as if I was out of control due to lack of braking. The pads are showing little wear and overall I am quite happy.
Weaknesses:
The loud squeeling on prolonged and or wet decents can be a bit much - it can be a good "horn" to let people know you are coming! ;>) - but it strongly appears that an XT rotor may help this as mentioned above.
Similar Products Used:
see previous review
Bike Setup:
see previous review
Bottom Line:
I would buy HOPEs again.....same with Shimanos.....For a XC racing application I believe all the "top end" hydros work fine. It becomes a mater of budget, asthetics, servicability, parts availability, etc. when it is time to buy. HOPE Mono Mins win for asthetics hands down IMHO. Most likely this brake nor any other "top end" choice will make or break [no pun] your race.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sam
a Weekend Warrior
from Melbourne, Australia Date Reviewed: October 30, 2006
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
cambria bike
Strengths:
They look factory, they're bloody strong and beautiful modulation. HEAPS of colour options. they're very light
Weaknesses:
dunno why people keep complaining about the set-up????
Similar Products Used:
juicy 5, juicy 7, HFX-9, XT, BB7
Bike Setup:
Yeti 575, hope mini mono 7" rotors with braided goodridge lines.
Bottom Line:
I just can't bring myself to part with these brakes. I've taken them from bike to bike over the last 2 years because I just love using them so much. I like the lever shape and feel and they look so cool. They're a sinch to bleed and offer superb modulation. the pads seem ok even though lots of people complain about them, and I do get a bit of squeel sometimes depending if it's wet. The 6" rotors were good for my old XC bike, but had to upgrade to the 7" rotors for the 575. A noticable increase in power but maintained the superb hope feel.
Set-up is time-consuming, but once they're set that's it! Just spend time doing it right the first time and you're fine. I had to spend a bit of time re-training one of the pistons on the rear, it got a bit lazy/sticky a while back. 20 minutes later good as new. I don't see this as a negative aspect because it happens to all brakes eventually.
The only problem I have encountered is that the aluminium they use for the calipers is a little soft and you have to be careful not to over-tighten the bolts when you mount them to your frame or fork. I stripped one of the threads on the rear caliper, but an easy fix with a recoil. Just drill it out and recoil it with a stainless steel thread and voila...better and stronger than new! cool.
I love hope brakes. I've used all the other brands and they're good too, but none come close to the feeling hopes have. It's not just the stopping power or the modulation, but the craftmanship, they're appearance (bling!) and the way they sit so neatly on your bars. That's my opinion anyway. See ya!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Alex
a Cross Country Rider
from Florida Date Reviewed: October 27, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
www.monkamoo.com
Strengths:
Good looks, complete package, hasn't ever leaked, silent operation when properly set up
Weaknesses:
Flimsy 1-piece rotors need to be replaced. Upgrade to the 2-piece when you purchase the brakes.
Similar Products Used:
Many
Bottom Line:
First, if you weight 200+ lbs, please don't fault the product because you bought a low weight, low piston count caliper. Buy the correct brakes for your size. I'm 160lbs and these things have more power than I need. I can flip the bike on level ground easily if I grab too much front brake, but these things are so easy to control, I'm never in danger of that even when I float the back tire.
First, use Hope's 2 piece rotors instead of the all steel ones, world of difference and they don't warp (so far). I warped the ones that came with my brakes in a week. Take the time to set the calipers properly with the shims, it's easy to do, and if you skip this step, you'll be very unhappy with dragging rotors and noisy operation. My rotors don't drag one bit.
Also, use the recommended brake fluid, and take care to bleed them properly. The pistions retract properly every time on my Hopes and don't allow the pads to drag. I put the value at 4 chilis because i had to buy 2 new rotors, but since then my Hopes have been flawless for a year and the only things i've done was proper set-up, fluid bleeding, and pad changes.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jay McKenna
a Cross Country Rider
from Ireland Date Reviewed: September 29, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Chain Reaction
Strengths:
One piece caliper.
Weaknesses:
Whispy rotor, leaks, poor on power, expensive, a lot of messing around to get the best out of them, poor stock pads.
Similar Products Used:
Hayes, Magura, Shimano XT and Deore 535, Formula.
Bike Setup:
Marin Rift Zone 2004, sock apart from Marzocchi Marathon 105mm Forks.
Bottom Line:
There are well better brakes on the market than the Hopes. Even at 180 x 160mm I still am unhappy with the power delivery. There is a lot of modulation but not enough grunt when it matters. I am a x-country rider. The original pads that came with the brakes are a poor choice. My bike shop recommended a change to Fibrax and that has improved performance. I have warped or bent my front rotor, I don't know which because they get very hot but are spider-web thin too. I have had leaks as well but most of all the adjustment are done with shims!! Hope need to move into the modern world. I could cope with one or two of these problems but all together they add up to a poor brake.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Oni
a Weekend Warrior
from Honolulu Date Reviewed: September 24, 2006
Favorite Trail:
the technical ones
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Looks really good. Nice alternative from other brands. Nice having the IS ones, allows me to swap out the adaptors and run different sized rotors.
Weaknesses:
Doesn't seem to be as powerful as some other offerings, so have to run larger
Similar Products Used:
Avid mechs, Shimano mechs, XTR discs, Hayes HFX-9, El Caminos.
Bike Setup:
Yeti 5.75, Pike 454 fork.
Bottom Line:
I've got the 2006 brakes, with the smaller sized housing and different fittings from early models. Swapped out the gold bore cap for a black one, and replaced the stock levers with Dangerboys. Also running the IS with adaptors, not really by choice, but it's worked out well. Also using Kool stop pads.
If you have to apply a label to my riding style, it would have to be 'all mountain', in that I like to go up and down and ride technical trails. Got my bike around 27#, and I really like it, basically I'll ride anything I want on it. I weigh about 185 lbs with gear.
These brakes were a gamble. Some of my riding buddies are running them, as well as the M4s. I couldn't figure out which ones to go for, so I opted for the minis.
I find the 160mm rotors to be a bit underpowered when compared to some other 160mm set-ups I've run. I would get fade on DH sections and I just didn't have that confident feeling that I could grab the lever and really stop if I needed to.
Ran them with a 203 mm rotor on the front, and that was better, but it was a little grabby and I didn't like having two different sized rotors on the same bike, too hard for replacements.
Am now running the 180mm f&r and am happy. Finally. It's a good compromise between weight, stopping, compatibility and what not.
So, bottom line? Weeellllllll...I like the how the brakes look better then how they perform, although with a bit of tweaking, they're better. In hindsight, probably should have gone with the 180mm M4s instead, just didn't want the extra weight. Didn't think the install was too difficult, one of the added benefits of the IS brakes.
Oni
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Cliff
a Cross Country Rider
from Wellington, NZ via Poto and San Juan Trail Date Reviewed: September 23, 2006
SET-UP: EASY. I mean easy. All the negative reviews about set up had me concerned, but from the box to complete installation [one rotor only - as my front already had a XT rotor on it] took ONLY 40 minutes. Keep in mind I did not have to adjust the hose length due to my frame size. This is always a nice benifit of having a larger frame. Again, with the IS [International Standard] disk tabs it is only a matter of choosing the proper spacer to align the caliper centered on the rotor, in my case - one medium spacer for all 4 bolts. There is no vertical component to be concerned with - as it [the I.S.] should be. The Avid J7s required an adapter and spacers for the vertical alignment and the horizontal setting was made via tightening a bolt that is in a slotted hole, which is far more finiky that the HOPEs The HOPEs are far more straight forward and clean.
The levers are easily clamped and positioned to your liking with the tightening of the compact calmping mechinism.
LOOKS: These things are WORKS OF ART. The construction of the calipers and levers is on a completely higher level than ANY of the aforemention brake sets. Clean CNC'd Aluminum abounds. I find myself staring at these things! They are truely sharp looking.
OPERATION: Again this is very early in my experience with these brakes - but out of the box they are excellent. Great modulation and stopping power for this 185lb rider - even on the steeps....much more testing to come.
Ther are simply only 2 Hydros I'd ever recommend to riders - XT or XTR [NON-dual control] and now these.
...to be continued.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Al Pickering
a Cross Country Rider
from U.k Date Reviewed: September 13, 2006
Favorite Trail:
7 Staines
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Looks and weight.
Weaknesses:
Inconsistent performance added to overheating and dubious pads.
Bottom Line:
Front and rear 180 X 160mm and a catalogue of reliability problems from sticking pistons to excess heat build-up and warped rotors (both) poor stock pad choice, leaks, and so awkuard to adjust with the stupid shim system that is so antiquated. Not as good as the previous Hope Mini brakes and Hope must pull their socks up if they are to compete with the opposition!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Eric
a Cross Country Rider
from Berkeley, CA Date Reviewed: July 19, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Joaquin Miller park
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
speedgoat
Strengths:
modulation, weight, power
Weaknesses:
setup, finiky, floating rotors squeal
Similar Products Used:
shimano XT
Bike Setup:
Asylum 29er, white brothers, FSA
Bottom Line:
I can easily see why these brakes are hit or miss with a lot of people. They are a little trickier to set up than other systems because you have to use shims rather than fixing bolts. Also, my brakes had a leak from the factory, and the floating rotors squeal once in a while. Given all this, once I positioned the calipers, shortened the lines, rebled the system, and tried some one piece rotors, these brakes have been amazing. The modulation is great and with a 180 rotor up front, I rarely use more than one finger, even on long technical downhills, and I weigh 190. So, if you are mechanically inclined and do not mind a little work, these brakes will reward you with amazing performance. I only give 4 chilis overall due to setup, but if it was based on performance once setup, I would give these brakes a 6!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Johnny
a Racer
from Foothills near Denver, CO Date Reviewed: July 15, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
craigslist
Strengths:
LIGHT, and bottom-line works.
Weaknesses:
Sometimes you "hope" there is enough power, but everytime the bike stops.
Similar Products Used:
XTR
Bike Setup:
yeti asr-sl
Bottom Line:
This review is hard. It could go 1 or 5 stars. Feels "cheap" and not like XTR solid platform; however, I ask myself "Does it work in all conditions like my XTR?" YES. Sometimes I wonder (despite relatively new rotors and pads), but the brakes work great and seem to be way lighter than the XTR. I can understand why people hate these, but they have done what I asked and commanded of them. I ride hard and not afraid to hit over 30 mph with these as my saving grace.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brad Custer
a Racer
from Durao, CO Date Reviewed: July 13, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Telegraph
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
Rage Cycles
Strengths:
Lightweight
Weaknesses:
Stopping Power sucks
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
Titus Racer X, SRAM XO Shifters and rear derailer, Xtr Front Derailer, Race Face cranks, Mavic Crossmax XL Disc, Monkey lite Bars, Thompson Stem and seatpost, Chris King Headset, Time Carbon Ti pedals, and then some
Bottom Line:
I went from XTR v-brakes to disc for the first time and can say I'm not impressed. My wife has the Hayes carbon disc brakes and you can feel a huge difference just from riding around a parking lot. I would prefer my XTR v-brakes over these disc brakes but my Titus Racer X won't alow it. I don't reccommend these to anyone who wants a good disc brake. If anyone has an idea of how these might work better please let me know. At this poing I'm probably going to invest in the SRAM XO disc brakes.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Zipperfoot
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix, AZ. USA Date Reviewed: July 10, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Javelina-South Mountain
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
eBay
Strengths:
Stopping power, Feel, Looks, Strength, Weight.
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
XTR
Bike Setup:
06' Santa Cruz Heckler with the best of the best...
Bottom Line:
I have the 180mm front and 160mm rear two piece rotors. Installation was a breeze, very little break in time before they saved my a** on several descents. Bought them from www.monkamoo.com on eBay. Great seller. They appear to be very reliable and are lightweight. No problems so far.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kazman
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Angeles, CA Date Reviewed: June 20, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Lower Rock Creek
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
JensonUSA
Strengths:
Nice Design, easy setup (comes pre-bled). Two-piece rotors look sweet. 160mm rotors front and rear are more than enough stopping power for x-country riding.
Weaknesses:
Could not adjust length of hose as directed in instruction manual. Once I loosened up the connector at the brake lever (as per instructions), fluid started leaking. This may be my lack of knowledge of working with hydraulic brakes.
Similar Products Used:
none - first set of disc brakes. Previous brakes XTR and LX V-brakes.
These are an exceptional value. Quality build all around. You can now customize colors of reservoir caps, caliper piston caps, etc. Other brakes I looked at were Avid Juicy 7's. Downhillers may want to go with the M4s with larger rotors.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jimmy
a Weekend Warrior
from Toronto Date Reviewed: June 16, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$440.00
Purchased At:
Universal Cycles
Strengths:
Fantastic feel. Strong. Lightweight. Easy to bleed. Use real brake fluid. Easy to setup. Dead silent. Almost no break-in time. Fit and finish is incredible.
Weaknesses:
What no dancing girls? Where's the dancing girls?
Similar Products Used:
Avid, Hayes, and Hope.
Bike Setup:
Giant Trance 1
Bottom Line:
I read all the negative reviews on MTBR.com which made me skeptical about purchasing them but thought I'd give them a chance. I purchased the new 06 model which includes the two-piece rotor and the post-mount calipers with I.S. to post adapters (much like Avid and Hayes). Wow, what can I say. Installation was easy. I decided to shorten the brake lines and bleed the brakes; a task, that if performed by myself, could be performed by anyone. Break-in time was almost non existent. A short ride down the street with both brakes applied was all these brakes needed to deliver massive amounts of deceleration. The brakes are absolutely dead silent. The two-piece rotor looks fantastic and is so light. The engineering and attention to detail is incredible. They resemble a fine work of art. I could not be happier with my purchase as these are, by far, the best components on my bicycle.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jo
a Cross Country Rider
from Merseyside U.K Date Reviewed: May 13, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Glentress
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
Merlin
Strengths:
Bling bling. No weight. Good levers and very good feel/modulation. Can feel the bite point.
Weaknesses:
Leaks, cylinders or pistons are always sticking and dragging especially the back. I've bent both rotors and replaced both at £20 a go! I think they need more power. I'm using 160 X 140mm and I'm 160 lbs.
Similar Products Used:
Loads of cable and Hydro...Hayes, Avid, Magura and Shimmy
Bike Setup:
GT I-Drive, LX/XT Marz Marathon. Hope Hubs on Mavic hoops.
Bottom Line:
A nice brake as a fashion accessory. If it works for you then it's luck. Me and my mates have had just too much trouble with this make to be happy. I'm in the process of switching to the new Shimano LX disc brakes. I don't want to have to faff about all the time to get something as vital as my brakes to work. I think it's inconsistent quality control. You take pot luck.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Phok Iou
a Cross Country Rider
from Montreal Date Reviewed: April 15, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Anything to climb
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Jenson USA
Strengths:
Lightweight,power,easy to setup
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Coda, Avid,Shimano
Bike Setup:
1FG with Rohloff Speedhub with gelfer disk, 160mm F/R
Bottom Line:
Super nice brake, plenty of power, nice modulation. No drag.Fits my style/need perfectly.Not very expensive for the quality of product , construction is flawless. These are XC brake , if your into DH/FR there is better product out there designed for that purpose To people who says there is not enough power , don't put oil on the disk or on the pads ! Put it on the chain !
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jason D'Antonio
a Cross Country Rider
from Pittsburgh, PA Date Reviewed: April 5, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Kenosha Pass, Colorado
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
speedgoat
Strengths:
levers have incredible feel allowing for lite or powerful stopping. so far very reliable, no maintenance required. lite weight and hands down the coolest looking brakes out there!
Weaknesses:
none so far. pads/disc hiss a little on long downhills but what brakes don't?
Similar Products Used:
v-brakes; my first set of disc brakes
Bike Setup:
racer-x, sram/XTR (ala speedgoat), race face cranks, standard thomson issues, FOX and ritchey Z-max tires
Bottom Line:
follow up to a previous review: these brakes have been a dream to ride looking back on v-brakes (even top end v-brakes). the guys at speedgoat set them up very well. they provide a reliable range of power allowing lite touch or hammer-down stopping. i bought koolstop pads based on reviews here but keep them on the shelf as the stock pads are fine, so far. wet, dry, mud and snow are no problem for these. i am a xc rider so they work perfectly for me but may not for heavier, brake happy riders. with some finesse, you need no more than these brakes - i just wish i could ride more!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Thijs Besselink
a Cross Country Rider
from Arnhem Date Reviewed: March 29, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Montferland, Zeddam (NL)
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
bike-componts.de
Strengths:
Beautiful and practical design, easy to install and bleed, almost no maintenance, lightweight, direct feel, long lifetime pads even in rainy conditions
I'm using these brakes for more than a year and I'm still very satisfied about these jewels. I never had problems with them except on a Switserland 1200m downhill, they went overheated. Dissapointed? No! These are XC brakes. Lots of people use these brakes for wrong purposes. When I'm driving in Holland on my favorite track (and that's sure no flat track) I'm happy to have these ones, they do exactly what I want them to do, in all weather conditions. I have used Magura in rainy conditions before and that was really hopeless. Brake pads disapeared, mud comes easy into te clamp. And lots of maintenance on Magura
If you are a real XC biker you gotta have these, and thats not only for their great looks.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Alex
a Racer
from Melbourne Date Reviewed: March 15, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Yarra Trails
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Looks, weight, power (for XC race use), reliability in both wet and dry
Weaknesses:
Fiddly pad change. Pads can wear down fast in wet/sandy conditions. Does actually need to be bled after 1 year (lets face it this isn't really a weakness)
Similar Products Used:
Avid BB7's, Shimano XTR, XT (both types)
Bike Setup:
Scott scale, F80RLT, XO, lots of carbon, 9kg
Bottom Line:
I really like them. Maybe its Melbourne, but I know of about 10 people with Mono Mini's and all have been faultless. No squeal, no leaks, no fade.... just the slight mouse-like squeak which you never hear unless you're riding slowly.
These brakes have survived a 7-day race in Alice Springs, a 4-day dust-then-mud fest in Tasmania, plus 3 months overseas in every type of conditions imaginable. They needed next to no work for the year, and are as good as new since their recent bleed. I have also just got the alloy centre rotors and have noticed no loss of power with the change. A friend who had the XTR brakes on the same o/s trip had to pull the pads out and lube the pistons every 2nd ride, wheras I only needed to clean off the pads once in a while. The local distributor recommended isopropyl alcohol (CD cleaner) for this and it works a treat.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Puftercowboy
a Cross Country Rider
from Wyoming Date Reviewed: March 10, 2006
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Light weight and trick
Weaknesses:
under powered and unreliable
Similar Products Used:
Hayes and Magura
Bike Setup:
Cannondale Jekyll 1000 + lefty
Bottom Line:
This business of "it's got to be set up properly" is just a smoke screen. If these brakes are good enough then they aint gonna rely on me rebuilding my bike to get them to fit work properly. Besides a lot of very good feel there is not enough grunt when I need it. They leak from the pistons too and one join and get way too hot on long going down singletrack.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rob
a Racer
from Tampa, FL Date Reviewed: March 6, 2006
I use these mostly for FL XC (technical flat ST, no big downhills). For what I ride, these ar INCREDIBLE. super light, they look awesome, and the bite hard without grabbing a handful. I can't speak for riders who spend more time in elevation, but I flew my bike out to UT last year and put in almost 150 miles between Antelope Island and Park City. Never rode any big long drops so I was a bit heavy on the brakes just because I wa sout of my element, but I had ZERO fade and they NEVER let me down. That was my #1 concern going out west with this bike (having brakes too small) FAR from an issue. With years of experience, comes less time on the brakes, the more you actually learn how to ride, you might find that you don't need bohemoth brakes.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike
a
from London, UK Date Reviewed: February 9, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
Lightish, looks.
Weaknesses:
Non
Similar Products Used:
Most modern brakes
Bike Setup:
Cannondale Super V with 80mm headshock. 160mm discs F&R
Bottom Line:
I put a set of these on my wifes bike and they suit her very well. Stopping power is very good and would probably suit any rider under 200lbs unless into DH or FR - lets face it - they are an XC brake. I'd say they were possibly just as good as my Mono M4s though I havent tried them on a DH run.
A friend bought a Marin Wolf Ridge with these minis on it but a 180mm front rotor and they dont seem to have anywhere near as much power as my wifes - maybe they are sensitive to pad material and caliper alignment?
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Gus
a Cross Country Rider
from Utah Date Reviewed: January 23, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Speedgoat
Strengths:
Very pretty and light with good levers and exceptional modulation.
Weaknesses:
A bit flimsy. the pad retention pin is not threaded and can work loose. I get dragging pistons. I could do with maybe a bit more power.
Bottom Line:
Had I known I would have gone for bigger brakes. My set up is 180 x 160mm Front and rear, I'm 6'3" & 190lbs and I don't think I get enough stopping power when the going gets real steep. Most of the time they are O.K . I got the feeling that Hope have shaved off a bit too much weight off these babies 'cos my rotors are verging on the flimsy.... real cross-country brakes like it says in these reviews. if you want more power/versatility without much of a weight penalty I' maybe try the Hope M4.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
mike m
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego Date Reviewed: January 12, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Noble Canyon
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$256.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Super Modulation & Power. Lightest Brakeset out there when you have the two piece rotors. Best Looking brake set. Not too expensive. Appears to be of very good quality but only time will tell.(will update if it ever goes to crap). oh yeah great cable bleedless adjusting. no brake drag period.
Weaknesses:
none of thease are really weaknesses but i will note that they have a semi long pad wear in time.
Similar Products Used:
Hayes hfx 9 (2003)
Bike Setup:
Titus Moto-lite, fox talus rlc,fox rp3,hope mono mini w/160mm 2-piece rotor(red koolstops), chris king hubs and headset, x.o triggers, x.o rearder., xt front, xm 819 rims, thomson masterpiece seatpost and elite stem, terry fly saddle, sram cassete and chain,
Bottom Line:
I read all of the reviews on this brake and was skeptical to buy them, but i couldnt resist so i did. i love this brake. Wow it is so precision. the power i had read was not that much but it has more power than my hayes, plus the modulation. i didnt have a super clear idea of what great modulation was but now i do. the modulation of thease brakes make the power of them so much more useable. you always feel of and are aware of the point of when the wheels will lock up, so maximum braking efforts are done without hessitaion. i have a feeling that the people that don,t like thease brakes either are useing the stock hope pads and not the red koolstops or i think they are freeriding some 45pound sled dragging the brakes cuz they cant really ride. one more one thing kool also about thease brakes is that they have had ZERO-DRAG-ALL-THE-TIME, i can't tell you all the dragging i had w/my hayes(i never knew i was this fast) if thease things continue to perform like this for a good three or so years i will have no complaints.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tom (^!^)
a Downhiller
from Oxford Date Reviewed: December 23, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Red BullRun
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$140.00
Purchased At:
www.wiggle.co.uk
Strengths:
great buy amazing power very reliable and they look really good. There is a great difference between the Hope's and normal non-hydraulic rim brakes!
Weaknesses:
Seals go easily and my first brake was faulty and had to be sent back! but hope gave me a full refund and even paid for them to be fitted which saved me the trouble of doing it!
Similar Products Used:
shimano and hayes
Bike Setup:
Dirt Jump with marzocchi Z1's and alex rims
Bottom Line:
If your going to buy some hydraulic disk brakes make sure they are Hope! The hayes ones just do not cut it and brake too easily! Also parts for hopes are real easy to get hold of where as the parts for Hayes brakes are a bit more complicated and harder to find. DO NOT BUY THE SMALL DISKS was a big mistake they are not powerful enough for fast riding but they will be fine for trials and XC!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Keith Wakeley
a Weekend Warrior
from Yorkshire England Date Reviewed: December 16, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Lots
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
Cyclesense
Strengths:
Feel, Light weight, looks good, made in England. Plenty of power
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
First Disks, used XTR V's, magura Racelines etc
Bike Setup:
Santacruz Superlight, XT, Pace RC 40s. Hope Mini Front, Magura Raceline rear.
Bottom Line:
Lots of people on hear have said these lack power!? Are you all weak? I ride plenty of steep downhill, freeride etc and am not light at 14 Stone (196 lbs). I find these plenty powerfull enough to stop me. They are nice and light and look good, if you want more power why not get stronger, go climbing more it's great for finger strength you know....
Top brakes and will be fitting some on the rear just as soon as I sve some more cash.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Fred Flintstone
a
from Quebec City, Canada Date Reviewed: December 14, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Light weight product with a nice finish, can get them in different piston colors.
Weaknesses:
Needs a better rotor design for more power and cooling. Pistons seem to get grit in the cylinders a lot and they always bind.
Similar Products Used:
Hydraulics from Hayes, Formula and Avid.
Bike Setup:
Turner Burner, Float RL. Mavic 317 on hope disc hubs.
Bottom Line:
I think with a bigger surface area on the rotor this brake would be good. Also some attention to the seals on the pistons is needed. I use the biggest sizes and these still get too hot to handle hard descents. I get pad drag a lot too, especially on the back which seems to be almost always a problem to fettle. the stock pads are not the best either.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Don
a Cross Country Rider
from Nova Scotia Date Reviewed: November 22, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Weaknesses:
Fragile little brake wthout the power I want even for X country. The rotors are way too fragile and small surface are. They get overheated and fade, the pads are not as good as they should be.
Bottom Line:
The best description is a little way back on these pages....these are like toys. Not built chunky enough for todays X country, pads need improving, they need braided hoses as standard, larger pad design, better quality control all round and more meat on the rotors. You can bend the rotors just by looking at them. Mine overheat often too. I've had a lot of reliability issues with these over the past 12 months. Not impressed.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Carl Willouby
a Cross Country Rider
from Utah Date Reviewed: November 5, 2005
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Good levers and good modulation. Nicely finished kit.
Weaknesses:
Poor brake power and too much heat build-up. Pads could be better too.
Similar Products Used:
Formula B4 SL, Shimano Deore Hydraulic, Hayes HFX 9 XC.
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Superlight
Bottom Line:
Don't feel a way Carl I'm no fan of these brakes. I was using my race hardtail the other day with Avid "V" brakes and I felt like there is no power difference from them and these Hope Mono brakes. I got them front and back 180/160 and they have no way enough power. I get lazy piston syndrome, heat build syndrome, poor wet braking syndrome, leaking at the joints ( but my Hayes did that too ). I would most likely not get these again.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Carl Ainsdale
a Cross Country Rider
from U.K Date Reviewed: October 30, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Glentress.
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
Merlin
Strengths:
Very light and they look really pretty.
Weaknesses:
Too much like a toy. Not beefy enough. Not powerfull enough. Prone to problems. Stock pads are lousey.
It's got to be an area for disagreement because I am a bit disappointed with the performance and build of these Hope Mono Brakes whereas other riders seem to be made up. For me the pads that come stock are poor, and since replacing them with Fibrax they have been better, but I still get some pad drag, especially in the wet. For me I want a bit more power, I've got 160 X 145 Rotors as recommended for me as a X-Country rider. These brakes are clearly not powerfull enough at this rotor size and I am 175lbs. I'ts O.K for a lot of the time but the hairy-arsed descents which need that extra power, fazes these brakes and I lose confidence. I also feel that these are nothing compared with the original Mini Brakes they replaced. These Mono's are more like toys than robust Mountain Bike brakes and I'd like a beefier pair of disc rotors too, and I am prepared to put up with a few more grams for the performance. We're not talking a lot here. It's either these or Hope's M4 which is too much of a jump, but for me I think I will be going to another manufacturer in the future.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Fred
a
from France Date Reviewed: October 18, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Freeride
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Cheap and very good looking (Mono M4 rotors) Easily serviceable and awsomepower modulation
Weaknesses:
Noisy when wet as most disc brakes
Similar Products Used:
XT , Hayes, Magura
Bike Setup:
Rocky Mountain Flow, Pike, Race Face, Maxxis...
Bottom Line:
Many users complain about the lack of power ... XC brake only ... blabla bla .... I don´t know the weight of those guys but they seems too fat to ride a mountain bike. I am weighting 70kg and have been racing down most downhill sections in the Alps ... those brakes offer an incredible power and power modulation when set up porperly.
First you need proper organic pads : Koolstop, EBC
Second you need a good rotor setup : depending on the terrain I run 180/160 with Mono mini rotors or 200/180 with mono M4 rotors.
I service the brakes once a year but they do not need to be. Most people service their brakes when it´s not required ... change the pads and adjust the levers that´s good enough.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dan O
a Cross Country Rider
from Edmonton, Alberta Date Reviewed: October 10, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Jenson, USA
Strengths:
Great stopping power, modulation, ease of setup
Weaknesses:
None that I can think of
Similar Products Used:
Hayes, Avid mech., Juicy 7
Bike Setup:
Foes FXR, xt, Fox talas fork
Bottom Line:
This a great brake, I should have put these on when I built the bike up 2 years ago. I would recommend these to anyone, awesome stopping power when you need it, feather touch when you don't. Don't be fooled into buying other brakes these are the best bar none.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jason D
a Cross Country Rider
from Pittsburgh, PA USA Date Reviewed: October 6, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Kenosha Pass, Colorado
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
speedgoat
Strengths:
well made, strong, very light, no hassle, very smooth action, a lot of feel yet plenty of stopping power, so much cooler looking than those other brands!
Weaknesses:
none so far
Similar Products Used:
XTR V-brakes (these are my first set of disc brakes)
Bike Setup:
titus racer-x, fox RLT100, fox RP3, race face dues cranks, nokon cable housing, thomson usuals, hope bulb disc hubs on x717 rims, time ATAC pedals, and ritchey Z-Max
Bottom Line:
These are my first set of disc brakes and i cannot believe i waited this long. they are so much better than v-brakes. so much more feel and smoother action. so far no bad squealing but i bought a pair of kool stop pads just in case. i rarely see these on bikes but the guy at speedgoat who sold me my bike uses them - that was good enough for me to try them. fairly affordable - definitely worth it! heck, my v-brakes required more maintenance than these brakes. at 150lbs, these brakes are perfect and they are the coolest looking brakes out there!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Todd Narkawicz
a Cross Country Rider
from Newbury Park California Date Reviewed: October 4, 2005
Favorite Trail:
All singletrack
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$380.00
Purchased At:
monkamoo.com
Strengths:
power and modulation, Cool looks, and simple to maintain
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
older Hope mini's, Shimano disc brakes
Bike Setup:
Intense 5.5, Swinger 4-way shock, Manitou fork, WTB wheels, Thompson post and stem, Easton carbon bar, WTB pure stealth saddle, WTB trailbear tires, and of course Hope mono mini brakes.
Bottom Line:
Just installed my new Hope mono mini’s, have only 3 rides on them, and can’t give these brakes nothing but praise. I was using Hope mini’s before and wanted to upgrade to the new one piece caliber and 2 piece rotors. I also went with bigger rotors, 180mm fr and 160 Rr, the larger size rotors definitely provide more stopping power than my old mini’s. I found the installation to be easy and to cut the hose length was simple too. I am a big fan of Hopes and experienced the notorious squeal with my first set of mini’s, but with the excellent customer service from Hope, I was able to resolve the problem. The folks at Hope are great to deal with, always helpful and willing to make the customer happy. As for my new mono mini’s, I have yet to experience any brake squeal or leaks. In other reviews a few riders complained about leaks. These brakes are so simple in design, it seems that a leak most likely would be due to a hose connector not being tight or loose reservoir cap. Anyone looking for a excellent XC or all mountian brake system this is it. Biggest fan or not, I can only give these brakes highest score of 5 flamin chili’s
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
az
a Weekend Warrior
from bay area, California Date Reviewed: October 3, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$470.00
Purchased At:
universal, speedgoat
Strengths:
comfortable lever, good modulation, excellent quality craftsmanship, easy to bleed
Weaknesses:
prone to squealing, major overheating issues to the point of fade, difficulty getting aftermarket parts for these brakes (ie: EBC, Fibrax or Koolstop pads, or non-Hope rotors in Hope sizes - 160 or 180mm). seals on master cylinder have odd leaking issue after bleeding brakes (which goes away after a ride or two)
Similar Products Used:
none. previous brakes were Avid SD-7 rim brakes which work awesome but like all rim brakes, eat up your rims and like all cable brakes cramp up your forearms on long descents
this is an update to a previous review. if you bike anywhere on mountainous terrain, DO NOT purchase mono minis with anything less than 7 inch rotors. My advice (if you are looking to buy Hope) is to get a M2 caliper with a 7 or 8" rotor in the rear and an M4 caliper for the front with an 8" rotor.
In order to try and solve my overheating/fade woes I've done the following steps - which have added up to a lot of $ (on top of the $160/per brake I originally spent): 1. i upgraded to goodridge braided stainless hydro lines (actually the ones marketed by Hope - but they are made by Goodridge) - not sure how much it helped the issue, on the plus side they are bombproof and look the tits
2. upgraded to a 7" front rotor (which is the largest size that the M2 caliper can handle) - got the new 2-piece rotor which has an aluminum spider. Aluminum sinks heat better than steel, so this should help move heat away from the braking surface.
3. this upgrade required a step-up adapter which adds 2 steel bolts and a CNC aluminum plate and therefore a bunch of weight.
4. bought Hope organic compound pads. they seemed NO different than the stock sintered metal compound.
5. bought Koolstop pads.
so far the Koolstops seem better than the Hope pads and the 7" 2-piece rotor is working better than the original 6". the front brake is operating well now, no squeal and so far no fade (tho I haven't tested it yet on a very long descent). It would be really nice if Hope had the foresight to offer a M2 caliper version that would fit an 8" rotor. The fact that they DO NOT, means to me that the M2 was not designed for anything other than light duty cross country use. If you are more of an "all mountain" rider, you'll definitely want burlier brakes. I don't get it - Avid and Hayes have 2 piston brake designs for all purposes (from XC to downhill). Not sure why Hope breaks down each category into different numbers of pistons...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bruce
a Cross Country Rider
from Pisgah, NC Date Reviewed: September 29, 2005
Favorite Trail:
too many to choose
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$185.00
Purchased At:
biowheels
Strengths:
Good modulation and stopping power for all around XC riding. Quiet in dry conditions. In 15 months of steady riding I've had no leaks, pad or cable issues. The levers are still have buttery smooth action.
Weaknesses:
Considering they are designed for XC riding/racing - none other than being noisy when wet.
Similar Products Used:
Always had rim brakes prior to these.
Bike Setup:
Ellsworth ID,Hope hubs, Mavic 717 disc rims.
Bottom Line:
I weigh 150 lbs and ride 30-50 miles/week of WNC single track and fireroads. These brakes give me great control. On the very long and steep descents, I can see where more pistons would be nice, but I still never have to stop to rest my forearms like the old days. Whenever the pistons start to stick, I clean them with rubbing alcohol and the problem goes away - everytime.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tony
a Cross Country Rider
from Gainesville,Florida Date Reviewed: September 19, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Santos in Ocala,Florida
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$155.00
Purchased At:
Speedgoat.com
Strengths:
very strong,works well in rain,very good looking
Weaknesses:
they Leak,the rotors dont stay very true unless you have the two piece version,the stock brake lines bend very easy,they need to be bled more often then other disc brakes I have owned
Similar Products Used:
Hope Mini,Magura Julie,Magura Clarie
Bike Setup:
Cannondale F800.lefty fork,Magura XC rear hub,Mavic UST 819 Rims,Race Face dues crank,XT drive
Bottom Line:
This is my second time I have tried Hope disc brakes and I am just not happy with them, they have this problem of leaking and it gets onto the rotor that can cause all kinds of bullsh**. SOme people are very happy with Hope disc bakes but I have had so much better luck with Magura !
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Will Connrad
a Cross Country Rider
from Utah USA Date Reviewed: September 15, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$420.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
I think O.K value for money as they are light and pimpy.
Weaknesses:
For me they need more brake power and a bit more of a robust design and I get lazy piston syndrome a lot. There are better pads than the stock Hope ones.
Bottom Line:
These are O.K but nothing more for me. Pistons do stick a lot especially after wet and dirty rides and I would like a bit more power even though I do X-country. I think that the stock pads can be bettered.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
az
a Cross Country Rider
from SF, California, USA Date Reviewed: August 10, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Skeggs point
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$320.00
Purchased At:
universal cycles
Strengths:
good modulation, light weight, comfortable levers, very easy to bleed (especially compared to Hayes)
Weaknesses:
stock pads squeal when they get hot. on long downhills, the system does not cool well enough, overheating causes first squealing, then fade. When fade occurs, my option has been, stop and wait for the brakes to cool (which can take a long time on a hot day), or squirt my water bottle on the rotor, which is potentially risky - i suppose the caliper and/or the rotor could warp or have some other structural failure as a result of doing this, but so far it hasn't happened to me yet (knock on wood).
Similar Products Used:
these are my first hydro disc brakes. I have worked on Hayes hydros tho.
Bike Setup:
'02 Ventana Saltamontes, 4" front and rear. conti 2.3" tires on WTB laser disc rims, running stan's tubeless system. etc.
Bottom Line:
coming from rim brakes, despite the weaknesses, they are still an improvement. I upgraded my cables to the braided stainless lines that Hope sells (which I believe is made by Goodridge). a costly upgrade (almost $100) but it did help the fade somewhat - at least the system takes longer to generate enough heat to cause fade. as a fringe benefit the cables look awesome. The cables seem way more indestructible than the stock plastic lines and also feel like they won't expand at all when they get hot (which would cause fade).
I tried getting new pads from Hope, with a semi-organic compound, I couldn't tell any difference between the pads that came with and the pads they sent me tho. I suspect they may have screwed up and sent me the same sintered metal compound - which generates lots of heat and noise. I would like to try the after-market pads from EBC or koolstop. Incidentally, the juicys (with the stock pads at least) also squeal, and they're supposed to be the best brakes out there.
Word of advice - DON'T buy the Hope bleed kit, the instructions make absolutely no sense and you don't even need it anyway. These brakes are super easy to bleed and can be done by 1 person. I've had to help my friend bleed his Hayes (as well as disassemble the lever-plunger assembly and the caliper) and it was a major pain in the ass.
I'm only running 6" rotors front and rear. It's possible that an 8" rotor up front might help, donno if more metal means more mass and surface area to absorb and displace heat.
So, it depends on where you're riding. I would NOT recommend these brakes if you do a lot of long descents. Which is kind of obvious anyway - these are cross country brakes - NOT freeride or downhill brakes. I doubt they even qualify for "All Mountain" - but i guess it depends on the terrain. But if you ride places where the ups and downs are more interspersed (so you aren't squeezing the brakes for long periods of time), they work well.
the craftsmanship is quite nice and the mechanics are simple, it's easy to take these apart and work on them. I haven't had any major issues setting them up, tho I highly recommend having your disc tabs properly faced.
They are kind of like old british sportscars tho, require a lot of attention. I used to sand down the rotors between each ride and sometimes even the pad surface. But soon found that this does nothing and possibly makes things worse. Eventually the squeal comes back and now I find the thing to do is, take off the rotors, run them thru the dishwasher, put them back on and rebed them. this last part is pretty simple if you have a hill handy. ride down and brake with a series of short hard stops. this deposits pad material in the "pores" of the rotor metal.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Anthony Turner
a Cross Country Rider
from Lancashire, England. Date Reviewed: August 4, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Ambleside/coniston
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Merlin cycles
Strengths:
Light, extremely good looking, great modulation and lever feel. Easy to get spares and bling up. Does exactly what it says on the tin.
Weaknesses:
Could do with a bit more power as I'm 100 kilo's.
Similar Products Used:
Pro max, Hayes, xt
Bike Setup:
Club roost, Marathon s, full 04 Xt, Hope hubs xm819's, Easton, Continental vert's plus even more hope stuff.
Bottom Line:
Great Xc brake, which is what it's designed for! Does get pumped up on long decents and does need some setting up around the disc mounts, but when set up it's fit and forget.
Pick your pads wisely as green pads in the wet are totaly useless. I use EBC sintered pads and have no problem with them even in the wet british weather. As for noise; the odd occasional squeak when it's wet and that's it. Great. If your a big downhiller then go for something more powerfull like the M4's as these are XC brakes, not freeride brakes. I love my mono mini's.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark Schofield
a Cross Country Rider
from U.K Date Reviewed: July 31, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Glentress
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$550.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Very light brakes with designer looks and exceptional modulation.
Weaknesses:
Short of power, they require too much pampering and setting them up can take all day, even requiring a facing-off tool! Frequent brake drag. The stock pads are poor.
Similar Products Used:
Formula B4 SL, Hayes HFX Mag, Shimano XT Disc Brake M765 and Hope Mini Brakes.
Bike Setup:
2004 cannondale jekyll 1000 stock apart from Hope hubs on X317.
Bottom Line:
I would like to say great things about this brake. I like the Hope Mini Brakes so much that I presumed these Mono brakes to be better. I find that they lack power and need maintenance with what can be best described as monotonous regularity. The stock pads are lousey and that is not acceptable for a brake that is supposed to be of this quality. Also the amount of time it took to properly set up these brakes was awesome. My Hayes and Formula have needed half the setting up time, required half of the maintenance, but worst of all the 3 year old Hope Mini brake which I still have on my hardtail leave these Hope Mono's for dead.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Gervais Rackham
a Weekend Warrior
from North Vancouver, BC Canada Date Reviewed: June 30, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$350.00
Strengths:
Looks good on any bike. Nice and light with great levers and exceptional feel.
Weaknesses:
Not quite powerfull enough for all round off road riding. Takes a lot of time to get set up right and the pads like to drag on the discs far too much.
Similar Products Used:
Formula Avid and Hayes set ups.
Bike Setup:
G.T IDXC 1.0
Bottom Line:
Nice looking brake and I guess one of the best looking out there. I get a lot of drag on mine and that is both front & back ...it's like the pistons seem to stick in the bores & not go back fully. This seems kind of common 'cos my local bike shop knew the problem right off once I'd taken the bike back to them with this drag thing. Other than that the feel on these is the best that I've tried. I do think that they lack power. I'm 185lbs maybe 195 loaded up & I don't get enough bite on the steep stuff. I agree about the pads, I've changed mine away from Hope pads & the power has got better.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John Clark
a Cross Country Rider
from Lancashire U.K Date Reviewed: June 29, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Coed-y-brenin Karrimore
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
Lbs
Strengths:
Ethetically pleasing design in black & gold with custom colour options available. One piece caliper is an attempt to avoid any tendency for the caliper to spread under pressure. There has been considerable effort made to reduce the overall weight, although you will have already noticed that the majority of the weight saving is in the redesigned rotor.
Weaknesses:
The pursuit of lightness brings with it disadvantages. I have these Mono Mini's on the front and rear as 180mm and 160mm set-ups. Coming from the Hope Mini set-up (as 185mm front and 165mm rear) on my old bike I have to say, unequivocally, that the Mini has neither the same power nor the cooling capacity of it's predecessor but they both enjoy the same exceptional level of modulation.
Similar Products Used:
Formula B4 SL, Hayes HFX 9 XC, Magura Julie and Marta SL, Hope M4 and Mini.
Bike Setup:
'03 Specialized Epic Marathon, mostly XT, Middleburn Cranks, X-Lite Bars and stem, Fox Forks and Fox RL rear shock, Hope Hubs laced with Sapim spokes to Mavic X717 disc specific rims, Continental Gravity pro 2.3 tyres.
Bottom Line:
These disc brakes look like a piece of art. I have these Mono Mini's on the front and rear as 180mm and 160mm set-ups. Coming from the Hope Mini set-up (as 185mm front and 165mm rear) on my old bike I have to say, unequivocally, that the Mini...course for course... has neither the same power nor the cooling capacity of it's predecessor but they both enjoy the same exceptional level of modulation. I would personally have liked Hope to have kept the original "Gothic style" rotor to use with the new one piece caliper and that way to have had the best of both worlds. Ultimately it is all about the way that you ride and the use you put your bike to. I am not that impressed with these brakes and would not buy them again, and I sympathise with others here who feel the same way. Equally it is obvious that there are riders here who have strong feeling to the contrary and have nothing but praise for these Mini's. As a self standing brake they are very good, as prograssive development from the Mono they leave question marks.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
doug
a Cross Country Rider
from san jose, ca, usa Date Reviewed: May 27, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
these are pretty and well made with nice hardware and fittings. mine didn't work very well with hope pads. i finally switched to KoolStops and the brakes were transformed...night and day
Weaknesses:
the stock pads on mine were useless. another set of hope pads i bought were a little better. kool stop started making pads (i asked them to)about 6 or 8 months ago and waalaa! the brakes are now excellent
Similar Products Used:
V brakes
Bike Setup:
racer X 160mm front disk only
Bottom Line:
ok this is for all you idiots out there that complain about the brakes "getting too hot". these brakes don't get any hotter than any other brake. the heat comes from the energy dissipated in the brake as it slows your dumb ass down.
if you want the bling bling and a good brake.....buy the Kool Stop pads.
i have NO noise, NO fade, good power and great modulation with the Kool Stop pads.
CALL KOOLSTOP!!!
before the Kool Stops I had noise,fade,and not enough power.
this
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Van Dergroot
a Weekend Warrior
from B.C Canada Date Reviewed: May 26, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
lbs
Strengths:
Very bling bling Nice and low weight. Great levers. Real good feel right up yo the bite.
Weaknesses:
Nowhere near enough power. The rotors are way too small The pads are way too small. They get real hot on descents, squeel like stuffed pigs and fade.
Similar Products Used:
Products from Magura, Hayes, Formula and Hope Mini brakes.
Bike Setup:
Specialized M$ FSR with a mix of Sram and RaceFace. Hope hubs with Mavic 317s. Hope Monos front and back, 180mm F and 160mm B.
Bottom Line:
I need more power than these brakes can give. They are too dainty for a full-on X-Country brake for today's needs. The rotors bend way too easy. My front one has bent twice. The pads are small, gripping on a small rotor, and that creates heat and fade. I find myself squeezing harder and harder to get enough braking power and that's not good. Add to that they squeel like stuffed pigs and I have to say that I would not buy them again. Good luck to you guys who they work for.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
norman campbell
a Cross Country Rider
from atlanta Date Reviewed: May 15, 2005
Favorite Trail:
n.Ga,Tenn,carolinas
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$160.00
Purchased At:
jenson
Strengths:
I have Mono mini's on three bikes and love them,except! NO POWER or FEEL(modulation)
Weaknesses:
The pads must go!! Kool Stops are EXCELLENT! not to many dealers so I have bought them from the factory
Similar Products Used:
Hayes,Magura
Bike Setup:
Blur,ID,Truth all XT with Mike Garcia(odds and Endos)built wheels.
Bottom Line:
The brakes have a good look to them and the levers fit my fingers well, once you replace the pads they work without a flaw.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Anthony
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland, OR Date Reviewed: May 14, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Surveyors
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
Jensonusa
Strengths:
Good modulation, cheap, nice looks, light, good break lever feel.
Weaknesses:
Break in time
Similar Products Used:
This is the first set of disc breaks I've used.
Bike Setup:
full suspension rocky mtn.
Bottom Line:
I got these back in September and the first few rides I took with these I got really frustrated. As the other reviewers stated, they squealed a lot and got really hot. However, after a month or so all the problems went away. They still do make a little noise, but so do my friends Hopes that cost $300 each. This isn't an issue, the noise when I first bought them was unbearable. So after using them for a while, I would recomend them to someone who is looking for quality lightweight breaks at a good price. I haven't had to do a thing to them and they still work great. I mainly do crosscountry rides, but these have enough power to stop on steep decents.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ratt
a Cross Country Rider
from Carlsbad, Ca Date Reviewed: April 24, 2005
Not uber powerful, noisy when wet or when they get hot
Similar Products Used:
Avid mech, Xtr, Xt double and four pott, Hayes
Bike Setup:
Lite weight FS XC bike
Bottom Line:
When I first built my bike it had the best of the best, money was not object or at least I was willing to stretch the budget. Now reality has set in and I have to weigh the performance to dollar formula a bit more. As parts wore out they weren't replaced with XTR and Chris king but XT and American Classic. At $129 I think the dollar/performance ratio is pretty high with these brakes even at the street price of $150. If you keep score on the brake section of the mtbr board the Marta SL are the top choice in the liteXC disc catagory with the Formulas the top choice for the weight weinies. But both brakes cost a whole lot more and way out of my price range.
These brakes come pre-bleed so setup was a breeze and required no shimming for me. I originally ran 160/160 front and back but it didn't take much to overheat the fronts on 1 mile steep descents. This didn't causing much fading but the noise was LOUD. I am currently using a 180mm rotor with an adapter up front and the noise has gone away. The '05 rotors are 2-piece and supposedly lighter and better at heat dissipation so this may not be an issue now.
These are not super powerful brakes but I would compare the power to XTR and XT single pott brakes with maybe a slight advantage to the Hope in terms of modulation and cnc bling.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rob
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego Date Reviewed: April 19, 2005
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Good power for cross country. Great modulation. Excellent brake lever feel.
Weaknesses:
Constant squealing! Annoying noise! Can't brake without high pitched wail - no matter what pads I tried! Fragile spring. Overheats on minor descents.
Similar Products Used:
First set of disc brakes. I used Avid Arch Supremes, which I've now returned to.
Bike Setup:
Ellsworth Truth with all the trimmings.
Bottom Line:
This was my first set of disc brakes, so I had high hopes. I used 160s front and rear. They were installed by the shop, so I can't speak about ease of setup.
After a couple rides of break-in I was very impressed with the smooth feel, modulation and excellent lever feel. I could go way deeper into a corner before braking, increasing speeds dramatically. My bike felt super solid, except for the constant lever rattle over rocky terrain. But, after a few rides, the harsh wailing and squealing began. I talked to the shop, and they recommended sanding down the pads occasionally. Seemed like a poor solution, but it did work for a while. However, I had to sand them down before EVERY RIDE to eliminate the wail. I tried different pads - four kinds - and they all squealed the same after a few rides. I tried some anti-squeal gel from the shop - that just made them work poorly.
I actually began to dread pulling the brake while riding. Dogs would howl at my approach. Other trail users flashed an evil eye towards my disruptive bellowing ride. Despite how great they worked - THESE SUCK! My rides became stressful - and that's just about the worst thing a product can do.
I tried to deal with it for months, then the other problems surfaced. Coming down a steep half-mile descent that I needed to brake the entire way, the brakes just disappeared. Luckily, it was near the bottom where the trail had a bit of a run-out. My old V-brakes never did that!
Then the springs started failing. This may be because I needed to remove the pads before every ride to sand, but the springs that spread out the pads started slipping off and getting sucked into the disc, bent beyond repair. I had to contact Hope for some freebie replacements. Very nice about it, but a bit tiring.
These brakes needed more attention than any part I've ever used on my bikes in 25 years of riding. I've pulled them off and put back my Avid Arch Supreme V-brakes that work nearly as well, and need no such babying. I'd love to go back to discs, but just don't know what brakes will get around the squealing.
These brakes work great on flat stuff and very short downhills, but the deafening wail is unacceptable at any price.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Peter Gromov
a Weekend Warrior
from Moscow, Russia Date Reviewed: April 1, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Neskoochniy sad
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$460.00
Purchased At:
Omni Bike, Moscow
Strengths:
After installation is not present ïðîáëåìì. Forces suffice for a relief of Moscow and for small mountains. Good modulation. I am absolutely assured of reliability of my Hope! Design, certainly!
Weaknesses:
It is a lot of time up to a set of full capacity. In current of month. But if a number is small mountain - there is no this problem!
Similar Products Used:
Hayes MX
Bike Setup:
Hardtail Author a-gang (as at M. Prokop - the World champion in 4õ 2004), Rear forx - Fox Vanilla. The hinged equipment of an average level.
Bottom Line:
If is money and there is no desire to repair brake most - you it will approach! I did not hear, that someone in Russia broke such brake or had problems with quality. One minus - its price!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dandy Jak
a Cross Country Rider
from Canada Date Reviewed: April 1, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Light and sweet looks.
Weaknesses:
Flimsy and too light weight for any serious brake power. Rotors are too fragile. They overheat. Squeel a lot, especially the back.
Bottom Line:
I have these brakes front and back. The pads rub a lot and squeel like hell...but not all the time. They are good on the flat but for me there is not enough power on hard downhill sections and they are expensive.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sam
a Cross Country Rider
from Nelson, New Zealand Date Reviewed: March 25, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Vancouver North Shore
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$410.00
Purchased At:
Chainreactioncycles.com
Strengths:
As everyone else here has said, the looks are a major selling point, I also had them recommended to me by a mate who's been runiing them on his Scott team for a couple of years now. They're really nice and compact, and look good and light on an xc setup bike. not a butch downhill brake at all. And they work bloody well too.
Weaknesses:
Price. I bought mine in the UK where they're made and paid more than most others seem to have here! And the rotors are a little fragile, I have ahd to replace the front one already, but then I will go and drop the wheel on concrete!
Similar Products Used:
XT, shimano Deore Hydraulics
Bike Setup:
Cannondale '03 F800 CAAD5. Lefty DLR Ti, Full '04 XT (apart from brakes) Eggbeaters. Matte silver flame paintwork. woof woof.
Bottom Line:
Nice light and sexy XC disc brake. XC - not downhill at all. I like 'em. They're choice.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ian McGraw
a Cross Country Rider
from Adelaide Australia Date Reviewed: March 25, 2005
Favorite Trail:
so many
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$180.00
Purchased At:
Speedgoat
Strengths:
This review - for mini's with new aluminium rotors Excellent machining quality. Powerful perfomance, solid feel. Very light. Mechanic friendly (eg -cutting hoses without having to re-bleed), and they look great.
Weaknesses:
Rotors are light, but a little fragile. I have had no major bends or buckles, but users should be aware that the rotors are a little more fragile than other thicker rotors. (they are however easy enough to re-true)
Similar Products Used:
Hayes - not even close
Bike Setup:
Giant NRS Fox rear, sid fork, XO with Grip shift, xt cranks, Thompson bar/stem, race face carbon bar, tubeless wheels with Stans.
Bottom Line:
I am very happy with these brakes. They have far more power than my old Hayes, and I do not know why other riders have been disappointed. I use them as an xc brake (what they are designed for), but in saying that, long climbs mean long decents, and I have not had over heating or fading problems. I weigh 70 kg and ride 1000, up to 2000 vertical metres in one ride, including runs down the local downhill race course. Perhaps significantly heavier riders, or guys who 'ride' their brakes a lot should avoid the minis, but I have had no problems and find them consistent and powerful. I don't know if steel rotors would have heated up more (I'm using alloy rotors) They have knocked about 300 grams off the bike and yet imporved braking performance and brake feel. They do take a little setting up, but I beieve overall they are far more mechanic friendly than my old hayes.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Phil Almond
a Weekend Warrior
from England Date Reviewed: March 9, 2005
Favorite Trail:
The Marin Trail N.Wales
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
lbs
Strengths:
Light and pretty
Weaknesses:
Not enough power. Constant disc rub. Flimsy rotors. Overheating. The pads are made of a compound that is different from the sort that Hope used to use and give less grip as a result and I think that is the power problem. Expensive for what they are like so much Brirish stuff ie..Pace. The stuff is made down the road, doesn't have to be shipped into this country from abroad but costs more.
Similar Products Used:
Hayes. Avid. Mini's
Bike Setup:
SPecialized M4 FSR
Bottom Line:
I would not buy these again for all the reasons above. They are simply no where near as powerful as the Hayes, the Avid or the Hope Mini that they are supposed to replace. If riders feel that they get enough power out of these brakes then they are either not using them on steep downhills or else they must weigh 6stone. And my break hose split as well as the guy in the review below. It split at the lever union on the right when I had a crash and the bars went 180 degrees. I see now why Hope are including a braided steel option with each brake they sell or as an after market addition....at a price of course.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Taylor
a Cross Country Rider
from Arlington, VA, uSA Date Reviewed: March 7, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Wakefield Park
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
Jenson
Strengths:
Does break very smooth. (Modulation?) One of the lightest, most affordable brakes.
Weaknesses:
Hydraulic. Sucks.
Similar Products Used:
Magura Louis
Bike Setup:
Pace RC 1 carbon fork baby! (Ghettofied Cannondale now rigid single speed) Eggbeaters
Bottom Line:
I wrote this so you would reconsider hydraulic. How would you like to be ten miles deep in a trail and you snag your line and all the fluid comes out (your walking back). . . I've done that twice now. The bleed kit blows, is not found in most repair shops, and can ruin your pads. I dont care about modulation, I'm gonna switch to some Avid ball bearings or anything else mechanical. Hydraulic does not belong outdoors.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Beland Derren
a Cross Country Rider
from Modesto, CA. USA Date Reviewed: February 5, 2005
Favorite Trail:
anything single track
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
gift
Strengths:
Well machined, awsome feel, brake strong, no fade on long downhills, easy to set up.
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
XTR, Hayes
Bottom Line:
These are the first disc brakes that I have owned myself although I have used or tried others from friends. I have only owned these for a month but have put several humdred miles on them so far and still can not find a problem. This includes fast rolling single to steep tech. downhills. No over heating, no noise {if you keep your hands off the rotors and keep them clean}, and as far as power more then plentifull. I don't know what others are riding, but these brakes for me are awsome. As far as set up. It took me no time at all to get them perfect and they have stayed that way since. Even cutting the brake line was easy if you follow the directions. Anyway these brakes get a 5/5 on all fronts. The bottom line is if you are a XC addict and like to ride fast and brake hard (not a downhiller) then go for the Mini.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jim Cameron
a
from Up State N.Y Date Reviewed: January 20, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Bottom Line:
This is an update from my previous review. The pads that Hope now use are not sourced from the same manufacturer as the ones that they used to use for the Mini. I've changed my pads to Fibrax......big improvement, stronger braking/less heat. Also...go for braided hoses, Goodridge do a set, increases the performance again. Basically you shouldn't have to spend on these after market improvements to get this to perform well but for all you Guys out there that have had the same problems as me I'm just saying that you can get them to work well if you do these upgrades. Still marking down though 'cos they were expensive to begin with...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris
a
from Funfax, VA Date Reviewed: January 12, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Similar Products Used:
The Original Mini; and I Loved 'Em
Bottom Line:
Man, my Mono's got really hot and pumped up a bit (and started to rub) but I didn't notice any loss in power. Hell, I even rode Downyville this summer without incedent or perceptable loss of brake performance. I loved my original Mini's and I love my Mono's even more; and I have had nothing but the most attentive customer service frome Hope in the past. That said, my front brake sqeals terribly, but it stops just as well as any. My friend had some problems with leakage, but then again, I never worked on his brakes so I don't exactly know what happened. I really like my Mono's, and besides, my girlfriend thinks I look good in black.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Michael
a Cross Country Rider
from Boulder, CO Date Reviewed: January 7, 2005
Favorite Trail:
All of Them
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$180.00
Purchased At:
Used Front, Supergo Rear
Strengths:
Beautiful machining work. Very slick looking. Like the lever feel. Modulate very well. Light weight. Much easier to bleed than my Marta SLs.
Weaknesses:
Not very powerful. Easily squeal, sound like a bus. Very hard to setup so the rotor doesn't rub. Rotors come out of true very easily.
Similar Products Used:
Magura Marta SLs, Avid Mechanicals, Hayes HFX
Bike Setup:
Several Bikes...
Bottom Line:
3 stars for power. 4 stars for modulation. 5 stars for looks. 4 stars for lever feel. 4 stars for price. 4 stars for bleed. 4 stars for setup. 3 stars for rotors (come out of true super easy). 2 stars for noise they produce very often.
Bottom Line, I would most likely not buy these again. I am running Marta SLs on my trails bike, and I love the power and modulation of those, however, I am not sold on the lever feel at all. Monos are better, but I really like how Hayes feel. I was building up a trials bike and saw these for super cheap at a supergo grand opening in my area. The bike is currently undergoing a remake to become a XC race bike, so the light weight of the brakes will make them a keeper. I've been running them all through the winter on my commuter/single speed XC rig, and these are so damn loud on the cold snowy days. You get them wet, let them dry and you better put in some ear plugs. Much more effective than a horn to get people to move out of the way. They also took more than any other brake I've ridden to brake in. Not recommended, unless all you care for are looks.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sean
a Cross Country Rider
from Gaithersburg, MD Date Reviewed: December 28, 2004
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Hope USA
Strengths:
beautiful machining, great lever feel, easy to cut hoses
Weaknesses:
lack power; pads came pre-contaminated; rotor rivets create "clunky" feel during trials type moves; pad guide bolt no longer threaded in, contributing to clunky feel
Similar Products Used:
Hope Pro (C2) 185/165, Enduro 165/165, M4 165/145, Mono Mini 160/160, Mono Mini 160/140, Mono Trials 160
Bike Setup:
Mono Mini 160/140 w/ 2-piece rotors: '04 Specialized S-Works Epic
Mono Trials: Coustellier St. Blaize w/ Brisa Pro fork
Bottom Line:
This review is in two parts, the first is for the Mono Mini with 160/140 2-piece rotors (with the Al center), and then one for the Mono Trials.
Mono Mini 160 fr/140 rr 2-piece rotors: I've used Hope brakes on my bikes since 1997. They’ve always impressed me with their quality of manufacture, their feel at the lever and complete lack of required maintenance once they’re set up. Points which typically dissatisfy me are that they often come in with contaminated pads due to an improperly tightened bolt at the caliper. This pair of brakes marks the 6th and 7th time this has happened. Thankfully, HopeUSA has always been great about sending out new pads and crush washers to rectify the problem.
Setup: Setting these up is exactly like any other Hope brake…tedious. Having worked in shops for many years, I’ve come to appreciate the ease of setup with such brakes as Hayes and Avid. Though the setup is certainly time consuming, I feel the reward is a setup with as few mechanical interfaces as possible. You’re left with only one pair of bolts to potentially loosen rather than 4. Because of the direct mount caliper, I long ago purchased a disc tab facing tool, which is all but absolutely required with Hope brakes if you don’t want to alarm the entire forest with howls and squeals. Knowing what was required, I encountered no issues setting them up.
Break-in: These specific brakes seemed to require more than usual break in duration. Typically I have been able to set up my Hopes and go for a ride…by the end of the ride, they were good to go. Not so this time. I’ve spent considerable amount of time bedding in the pads and still feel that the brakes lack power. I’ve tried all my usual tricks to no avail. Perhaps the new pads are contaminated as well.
Initial riding impressions: They definitely don’t yet have enough power to satisfy me. I have their 160/140 setup with steel rotors on another bike and they feel and work flawlessly. In addition to the lack of power, another gripe about these brakes is due to the two-piece rotor assembly. With the brake locked (or nearly locked) at low speeds (such as when riding through a particularly nasty rock garden flat or uphill) the steel portion of the caliper can partially rotate around the Al portion. There is about 5deg of rotation in the rotors. During normal type XC riding it’s not noticeable, but when you’re in a technical section requiring trials type moves, it feels like you have a loose headset and broken rear axle. That sloppy feeling is only magnified by their use of a pad carrier/retention bolt that is held in place with an o-ring rather than threaded in like their older brakes. The bolt moves back and forth in it’s seat.
Conclusion: I’m a huge fan of Hope brakes, but absolutely hate the new retention bolt and 2-piece rotor design for my applications. They now have a similar feeling as Hayes brakes (with the sloppy movement) which has always bothered me about Hayes. If I can get the power issue worked out, I’ll be able to cope with the sloppiness of the brake, but the two issues combined are mess and leave me feeling disappointed.
Mono Trials: For those who may not be aware, Hope is now making a version of their Mono Mini specifically aimed at trials riding. The slave piston is now made from aluminum to save a bit of weight; additionally the diameter has been increased to bump up the power ratio. The pad surface area is also noticeably larger than on the standard Mono Mini as well as the swept area of the rotor. Still due to generously sized holes on the rotor, it’s the same weight as the standard 160mm rotor. I don’t believe they’re advertising it on their site yet but they should hit the market sometime in January. I’ve been riding them now since October and feel that they’re the best brakes Hope has made to date, with one flaw…
Setup: No extraordinary issues. See above review.
Break-in: Typical of what I expect from Hope. They worked reasonably well out of the box but after a few hours of tooling around on my trials bike, they’re phenomenal.
Initial riding impressions: My biggest gripe is with the terrible new pad retention pin. See my comments above on the same subject. On a trials bike, this should not be tolerated especially from Hope, who has always made such well thought out, quality products. Other than that issue, I couldn’t be more impressed by the brake. It has more power even than my 185mm M4. Wheel lock up is effortless. As expected, the feel at the lever is slightly spongier than the standard Mono Mini, but I prefer the lever to be a bit soft rather than blocky. My forearm feels much better at the end of the ride and my tendonitis doesn’t creep up on my nearly as quickly.
Conclusion: The best brake Hope has made to date with that one exception. I would love it if all their brakes had this much power at this weight. I’d use them on my other bikes as well, but they say that due to the Al slave piston, the brake doesn’t deal with heat well enough to function at high temperatures (which it will never reach in a trials application.)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jim Cameron
a Cross Country Rider
from Up State N.Y Date Reviewed: December 16, 2004
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Very low weight and cool design. Nice finish. Great feel to these brakes with good levers. Good stopping power as a X-country brake.
Weaknesses:
It is true they can get a little out of their depth on hard downhill as the rotors are kind of small and thin.
Similar Products Used:
Hayes, Magura and Avid.
Bike Setup:
Marin Mount Vision. SRAM. Easton. Hope Hubs/MavicX717 Disc.
Bottom Line:
I had to fiddle about a lot to get these babies to work properly but apart from some pad rub I can just ride them with no maintenance now. Basically this is a great Cross Country brake that is very light and has fantastic feel. The problem is that 10 years ago, when we were all on hardtails, the X-country riding was a lot milder than it is now and I guess these brakes would have been just brilliant then. Today most guys like me ( A Cross Country Rider ) do heavier duty stuff than simply trails becuase the full sussers let us and we get into some tuff technical downhill sections that can last for 10 or 15 minutes or more (Not Downhill...just part of courses). This is when the Mono Minis get real hot and sketchy. I think the caliper is good and I know that I have been lucky because I know other riders that have gotten leaks and screaming rotors. But I think that Hope should have kept the old Mini Gothic style rotors to go with the new caliper design and with the extra surface area it would have had more braking power and run cooler. IMHO.
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Submitted by
Tony Macdougal
a Cross Country Rider
from MA Date Reviewed: December 10, 2004
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
No real weight in them and they look cool.
Weaknesses:
No real braking in them and they are a pain in the A** to keep working. Fragile rotors and skinny pads.
I expected a lot more from Hope than this pile of trouble. I can never go out without one set of pads dragging all the time. It's right what they say... it's all hit and miss with Hope, you either get a great pair of brakes or complete S**t which is what I got here. Of course they get too hot all the time with drag like this I'm seriously disappointed.
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Submitted by
Babar
a Cross Country Rider
from France Date Reviewed: December 7, 2004
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
on the web
Strengths:
Modulation, easy to mount, powerfull, endurance...and one of the most beautiful product weight, durability (comparing to marta's) price vs the competition
Weaknesses:
hum...squelllleeeee at the end of long downhill...like my magura marta
Similar Products Used:
magura marta, Formula B4
Bike Setup:
Intense spider XVP, Fox F80X, Sram XO, XTR crankset, mavic Xmax SL disk, Easton Carbon handelbar, Extralite the post, king headset...
Bottom Line:
well I don't understand some review below, these breaks rocks and are definitively is huge improvment over my Magura marta...The power is great and here all the time (not comparable to marta on/off) and the modulation is a dream... No more regular bleeding and I could put my bike in the trunk of my car without risk to put buble in the line. The price is a good argument...and comparing the competition it is the best ratio price/performance. My pair of hope mono mini weight 750grs with all hardware, spacers and the line uncut (that's what I need to do soon)... the finish and looks is a peace of art...and there's no plastic part for the pistons. I weight 82kg or 180lbs fully loaded (camelback, shoes, helmet, cell phone, tools...) and 160mm rotors front and rear are perfect for my use. I will sell my marta's to put mini on my other bike (specialized FSR S-works 2001)
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Submitted by
John Jameson
a Cross Country Rider
from Vancouver Date Reviewed: November 26, 2004
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Nice looking kit. Looks well made.
Weaknesses:
Heat and more heat. Make sure you get the biggest rotors to clear some of the heat. Power goes down as the heat comes in. Brake pad drag. Short pad life.
Similar Products Used:
Hayes. Magura. Formula. Avid.
Bottom Line:
I'm so grateful to Hope because my toaster broke the other day and these brakes I've finally found something they can do well and that's get hot enough to make toast. How can some guy back there in one of the reviews say don't keep your brakes on all the time when you are going downhill! What else am I supposed to do and it's saying nursemaid the brakes. No way Hosey these brakes just don't make it. Too much heat in too little rotors and too samll pads...I read the babble on the Hope web site about this brake being more efficient at cooling than the Mini...Bull!
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Submitted by
reece
a Cross Country Rider
from Canberra, ACT, Australia Date Reviewed: November 23, 2004
Burner set up for cross country racing/enduro, 180mm front/160mm rear
Bottom Line:
First things first: These are a brilliant looking brake, can't ever dismiss that! Otherwise I couldn't go past the Deore Hydro 555.
Other than cosmetics, I've found the Mono Minis to be excellent brakes: they were easy to install and setup, run drag free, modulate well and have heaps of power (look good too).
If left in the rain (I ride my bike to work) all day, they squeal like a pig for the first one or two hard stops (braking power is unchanged) - then they go quiet. Actually, squeal-like-a-pig is a conservative estimate of the noise these things can make, it's truly terrifying at times! I'll definitely try some Koolstops as mentioned in the various reviews here.
Highly recommended for XC/trail work - plenty of the power you want and the modulation you need.
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Submitted by
Magikalm
a Cross Country Rider
from Slovenia Date Reviewed: November 18, 2004
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$300.00
Strengths:
Very light product with a beautiful design. A very good amount of feeling at the levers and good control.
Weaknesses:
Not very powerful and in the summer they overheats. I get the calpier sticking on. It is a lot of money.
Similar Products Used:
Hayes and Formula.
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz
Bottom Line:
This is a good set of brakes in the winter when the weather is cold and they do not get hot. In the summer my brakes get too hot on the front brake and it gets weak. I think this brake is not as powerful as the Hayes or as reliable as the Formula.
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Submitted by
Darius Rydahl
a Cross Country Rider
from Colorado Springs, CO Date Reviewed: November 16, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Palmer Park
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$280.00
Purchased At:
PricePoint
Strengths:
Great modulation, easy to install, pre-bled lines...
Weaknesses:
None.
Similar Products Used:
Avid mechanical disc
Bike Setup:
Santc Cruz Superlight, Rock Shox Psylo SL, Fox Float...
$
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