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Hope Tech M4 Disc Brake System

4.87/5 (15 Reviews)

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MSRP : $275.00


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Product Description

HopeTech M4 Disc Brake Speed is nothing without control.The HopeTech M4 provides ample power with excellent modulation all packed into a lightweight and reliable design. Ambidextrous "flip-flop" design, CNC machined from a solid billet of 2014T6 Aluminum alloy, with a spit clampTo allow easy set up and choice of position.The lever and pivot assembly offers "onThe fly" external reach and bite point adjustment dials forThe most customizable feel.To eliminate lever linkage freeplayThe pivot featur


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Reviews 1 - 15 (15 Reviews Total)

User Reviews

Overall Rating:4
Value Rating:4
Submitted by Fleas a Cross Country Rider

Date Reviewed: October 22, 2012

Strengths:    Reach and bite pt. adjustments are why I bought them. Did not disappoint.
These felt like butta' from day one. ...and I cut the hoses and bled them with a syringe. Good power. Excellent feel.

Weaknesses:    Kinda pricey - I'm more used to buying BB7's.
The chunky lever was a little tricky to locate properly. Had to remove the gear display from my shifters (no biggie), and move the flip-flop clamp on the shifters as well. I did not use a Matchmaker, but everyone else I know who has these did.

Bottom Line:   
They are great, but I am taking away a point for whatever pads came with them. I am told they are organic. I weigh ~185# and they overheat and fade on big hills, and especially on panic stops. It pains me to throw out the organics to use semi-metallic at almost $60 for the bunch so I am waiting until they wear out. In the mean time I am not following anybody on any long downhills.
At normal "XC" speeds they are unmatched in superior feel and power.

Expand full review >>

Duration Product Used:   One season

Similar Products Used:   BB7?

Bike Setup:   Rigid AM 29er
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by grant arnold a All Mountain Rider from united kingdom

Date Reviewed: March 18, 2012

Strengths:    build quality, looks, modulation, adjustability/set up.

Bottom Line:   
these brakes work very well indeed, they feel fantastic under your finger. theres no slop in the lever before the pads touch the disc, they feel like a motorbike, exactly what i wanted, the bite point control and lever reach control means i can set them up exactly like i want, the levers are very long and you can really mount them far away from your gear shifters for one finger braking. one thing i love is the fact that the mounting surface is machined flat so that in contacts with the bike or the mounting bracket perfectly meaning excellent brake alignment to start with, then you can slide them easily left/right to get the disc in the center of the caliper because theres no paint. they are so good i just bought the rear one to match yesterday.

one thing i dont like is that the pads dont seem to bite as much as shimano. i dont know what type of pads they come with or what pads my shimano have but i get the feeling they could possible be a bit better and i have no complaints so far at all. so if they get better with the hope discs iv just purchased yesterday i will be over the moon.

the bottom line is i love them so much that i bought the rear one this week to match the front.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   brechfa, wales

Duration Product Used:   1 Year

Price Paid:    $200.00

Purchased At:   cant remember

Similar Products Used:   shimano slx, shimano deore

Bike Setup:   lapierre spicy 316 2008, mavic en321 rims, renthal fatbar handlebars with renthal dua stem, rockshox domain fork.
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:4
Submitted by naton a All Mountain Rider from Victoria, Australia

Date Reviewed: February 27, 2012

Strengths:    -Excellent power
-Excellent modulation
-Excellent email support / online videos
-Really easy to set up as long as you know what you're doing
-Lever shape is spot on

Weaknesses:    -Lever is bulky, hard to get a good handlebar setup
-Heavier than many "equivalent" brakes

Bottom Line:   
I run 180mm rotor on the front and 160mm on the back - "floating" rotors - and I also got the braided steel hose option. I weigh about 210lbs, and these are my first Hope products. I bought them because the company seems to put build quality above shaving grams. They look nice, pretty chunky, but that matches me and the rest of the bike.
These brakes do their job really well. Amazingly well. So well that you forget about them. They're the only brakes I've ever used that have that car-like dependability to them. I've chucked slick tyres on the bike a couple of times just for fun, and sometimes it feels like when I really jam on the front brake, the head-tube is about to separate from the rest of the frame. Never had fade issues, but there aren't many long descents on the trails I ride. So they're plenty powerful.
People mention price as a negative, but I feel they're comparable to other top of the line brakes out there, and the build quality on these things leads me to believe I'll have them for a long time.
The setup was really easy. Some people seem to have difficulty getting the caliper aligned due to the long pad? Perhaps their using the avid "squeeze and tighten" method. *shrug* The quality of the machining on all the mounting hardware is so good that you can really just put the calipr where it needs to be and tighten the screws. Squeeze the lever to check pad alignment, adjust if necessary. The videos on the Hope website are good in this regard.
They are heavy, so I guess weight weenies can shop elsewhere, but if there's one place on your bike where reliability should trump weight, it's the brakes. I've had a few spills and smashed the levers around a bit, not a mark on them! Heavy = tough.
The ultimate test is would I buy these brakes again. And the answer is a resounding yes. I can't imagine ever buying another brand of disc brake to be honest.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Wallaby Track, GDT

Duration Product Used:   6 months

Price Paid:    $440.00

Purchased At:   Online

Similar Products Used:   XT and XTR with Ice Tech pads, rotors, bunch of Avid stuff, Formula RX and R1.

Bike Setup:   Orbea Oiz frame, 2012 XT Groupset, crappy Jetblack Wheelset, Geax Saguaro 2.2"
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:4
Submitted by OO7 a All Mountain Rider from Los Angeles, CA

Date Reviewed: February 20, 2012

Strengths:    1. Power - These things have AMPLE stopping power and are very capable of bringing 200lbs of rider and bike to a stop quickly.
2. Modulation - This might just be the best aspect of the brakes. They have a very linear pull and the modulation is SUPERB. I can scrub a little bit of speed coming into a corner, dump a lot before a switchback or come to a complete stop, all very easily and it is easy to avoid locking the rear and skidding out.
3. Adjustability - Between the lever reach adjustment and the bite point control, getting custom tailored lever feel is very, very easy.
4. Ease of maintenance - Bleeding these brakes is a snap and no special tools required. Same for seal replacement. Very easy to do.
5. Replacement parts - not that I've needed them yet, but in a search online, every single part on these brakes is available for purchase, as well as for many of the older models no longer in production. If something comes up, finding replacement parts will be a snap.

Weaknesses:    First and foremost, I'll just get it out of the way now . . . these things are expensive for sure. Secondly, they are definitely not the lightest things on the market either. Can also be a bit finicky to get set up as the tolerances between the retracted pads and the rotor is quite small.

Bottom Line:   
Overall, these are really great brakes. They can be a pain to get set up properly, but once they are correctly dialed in they really are "set it and forget it." They are heavy, but not astronomically so and in comparison to some of the other powerful brakes out there, they aren't terrible. Good deals can be had if you shop around, but given the reliability of these things and availability of spare parts, I would be quite comfortable buying used. These brakes are an excellent choice for the All Mountain and/or aggressive trail rider. Possibly a bit overkill for an XC oriented bike but mainly just because of the added weight. The modulation would allow these brakes to work just as well in any setting. Because of the power, modulation and tuneability of the levers, I'll be using Hope's for a long time . . .

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Backbone

Duration Product Used:   1 Year

Price Paid:    $225.00

Purchased At:   LBS

Similar Products Used:   Avid Elixir 5's, various v-brakes

Bike Setup:   2011 Santa Cruz Blur LT
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:3
Submitted by PHRANQUY a Cross Country Rider from South Saint Paul, MN, USA

Date Reviewed: January 30, 2012

Strengths:    Easy setup, adjustable, matchmaker clamps, pretty, single finger operation

Weaknesses:    Price

Bottom Line:   
I realize that generally speaking brakes like these would be a bit overkill for my application, but because I've done some longer distance events (50+ miles, 6+ hours) I state that they seem to be a bit of a hand saver. I've faced some pretty gnarly decents with these brakes and the fact that I have never needed more than 1 finger to operate them speaks to their strengths. Although the price could be a deterant for some, one thing I've learned is if you're going to do something, do it right the first time. On that note though, I am going to look at picking up a set of the Tech X2 brakes to see how they feel and possibly drop a little weight off my bike.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Cuyuna Recreational Area

Duration Product Used:   1 Year

Price Paid:    $430.00

Purchased At:   eBay

Similar Products Used:   Avid Juicy 3, Avid Juicy 7, various hayes products

Bike Setup:   2011 Lenz Sport Leviathan 4.0 with a mix of SRAM X0, Ritchey, DTSwiss and Hope components
Overall Rating:4
Value Rating:4
Submitted by oilyragman a Cross Country Rider from UK

Date Reviewed: August 23, 2011

Strengths:    Best set of hope so far, Looks great Works well on the uk trails

Weaknesses:    Faid under extreme conditions, do need bleeding after heavy use.

Bottom Line:   
Great brakes, perfect for the uk trail centers but did fade in the alps after a day of hard riding, easliy fixed after bleeding them, just a bit of faff having to do it!

Expand full review >>

Duration Product Used:   2 Years

Similar Products Used:   All the previous hopes, Shimano Saints

Bike Setup:   Nicolai Helius FR with CCDB and fox vanilla forks, with a rider carrying a few extra KG's!
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by Alex Burnside a Weekend Warrior from Devon, England

Date Reviewed: July 7, 2011

Strengths:    Power, modulation (I have never accidentally braked too hard) , easy to adjust, they look great, easy to bleed (This was only required because I cut the hose shorter)

Weaknesses:    Personally I did not like the stock hope pads. And they were quite expensive.

Bottom Line:   
I only have one on the front as I decided to save the weight and money and go for the X2 on the back and as a front brake it is great I chose the M4 on the front because I like to try a bit of everything and the M4 is supposed to be a good all rounder, so far I have not been disappointed and I don't think I ever will be!! I don't really have anything else to say about these brakes that hasn't been said already I just wanted to add another positive review because I LOVE these brakes, along with anything made by Hope they are amazing.

Expand full review >>

Duration Product Used:   6 months

Purchased At:   Southfork (lbs)

Similar Products Used:   Shimano, Hayes sole, Hayes nines, Grimecca

Bike Setup:   SC chameleon frame with plenty of Hope gear!!
And the rest is always changing!! :P
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by AustinBiker a Cross Country Rider from Austin, Tx

Date Reviewed: June 30, 2011

Strengths:    Modulation, modulation, modulation. Oh and power... never ran out of braking power. Problem free with only maintenance in two years being replacing the front pads.

Weaknesses:    There are lighter brakes out there, but these aren't heavy

Bottom Line:   
While swapping my kit onto a new frame 2 years ago, I asked my LBS owner what I should upgrade besides the wheels (got the I9's then). Best advice I've gotten in a while was to pick these up. Flawless braking power, easily modulated, I have virtually ignored they exist unless I'm yanking the lever to scrape speed. How many pieces of gear do you own that you can "set and forget"?? Buy them.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   WC, CP, Zilker

Duration Product Used:   2 Years

Price Paid:    $400.00

Purchased At:   Hammerhead

Similar Products Used:   XTR, Magura Marta SL, Avid Juicy, few others on demos

Bike Setup:   RacerX 29er, Hope w/Hope matchmaker, X0 2x10, Thomson stem/post, Syntace Flat Carbon Bar, I9's with Stan's Arch, eggbeaters, Gobi saddle
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by drnich a Weekend Warrior from Hidden Valley PA USA

Date Reviewed: May 28, 2011

Strengths:    Excellent power and modulation. Gorgeous machining. Easy to Bleed with the bleed kit. Easily adjustable.

Weaknesses:    Not as light as some other high end systems.

Bottom Line:   
I have been running Hope brakes for the past 6 years and have not been disappointed.

Expand full review >>

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Price Paid:    $500.00

Similar Products Used:   Hope M4, Hope Mini Mono

Bike Setup:   2011 Ellsworth Evolution, RS Reba, XX drivetrain, King Hubs etc.
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:4
Submitted by Manchicken a Downhiller from United Kingdom

Date Reviewed: April 24, 2011

Strengths:    modulation is amazing, looks the part, adjustments actually make a difference.

Weaknesses:    None

Bottom Line:   
Well i can off a set of hayes which in my honest opinion were better off being melted down and just left in a small puddle on the floor. These have amazing modulation and sooo much power at one finger braking. The adjustments on them actually make a difference to, you get a nice click when you make an adjustment just like you get on a good fork. The craftsmenship is second to none, you just cant beat the look of them and the levers themselves feel great, fit your fingers perfectly. Considering the size of them they dont weigh to much but its the quality your paying for. My mates had a set for just over a year now, still on his first set of pads and they've only now needed a bleed. Dont take stupid time to bed in so cant complain but once they have, oh my god are they an amazing brake. if you got the money, dont waste it on avids of hayes, get a set of hopes, theyre simply the best

Expand full review >>

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $395.00

Purchased At:   LBS (price in £ not

Similar Products Used:   Hayes stroker ryde (dump), shimano deore (mates bike), hope mono m6 (mates bike) and hope mono mini

Bike Setup:   perfect for me
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by Rookief16 a Weekend Warrior from Tulsa, OK

Date Reviewed: February 4, 2011

Strengths:    Craftsmanship, looks, ease of adjustment and modulation.

Weaknesses:    None

Bottom Line:   
I had the Avid XO’s on my 2009 Epic and they squealed and chattered terribly when they heated up. I tried the Avid Elixir’s that came stock on my 2011 and the same thing happened, lots of noise. I chose the Hope Tech M4 based on reviews, I am not disappointed, first look out the box and you can tell immediately the quality is off the chart, the install was very easy as well (I’m not a bike mechanic). After my first ride I was thrilled no noise, no chatter, just smooth braking with unlimited modulation. I bought them with the braided stainless hoses installed.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   United States

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $450.00

Purchased At:   Wiggle UK

Similar Products Used:   Avid Elixir and Avid XO

Bike Setup:   2011 Specialized Epic Expert Carbon 29er, 2 x 10, Sram XX rear cassette
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by Simeon a Weekend Warrior from Greece

Date Reviewed: December 11, 2010

Strengths:    looks,modulation,power,feeling,made in UK

Weaknesses:    none

Bottom Line:   
It's the best brakes I've ever used. Even better than Avid and Hayes. I never had Shimano, sorry...
I think HOPE makes brilliant items, from brakes to stems or seatposts. Well done Hope. Buy these brakes, you'll love them!

Expand full review >>

Duration Product Used:   6 months

Purchased At:   crc

Similar Products Used:   avid code

Bike Setup:   specialized enduro '06 with fox DHx5, fox 36 van rc2 fork,hope tech m4, sram x0, hope DH stem, sunline bar, deity grips, sdg saddle, hope pro2 wheelset, schwalbe bih betty 2.4
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by chaseman a Weekend Warrior from Dorset

Date Reviewed: December 8, 2010

Strengths:    Awesome looks, easy setup, great modulation, powerful.

Weaknesses:    The price.

Bottom Line:   
This is by far the best brake I have ever used, don't think, just buy. You won't regret it. I only have one on the rear, being a DJ rider, but it is plenty powerful enough for all the trails I have tackled. This brake would suit any type of riding, from XC to trials to (maybe?) DH.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Puddletown Jumps

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $180.00

Purchased At:   UK Bike Store

Similar Products Used:   Magura HS33

Bike Setup:   Atomlab GI frame, Fox Vanilla R 2005 forks, FSA Orbit headset, Halo SAS Pro 24" wheels, FSA platinum BB, OctaneOne bars and stem, TryAll grips, DMR Moto Digger 24" tyres.
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:4
Submitted by midlifechrisis a Cross Country Rider from Ipswich

Date Reviewed: November 19, 2010

Strengths:    Incredibly versatile brake.
Looks amazing

Weaknesses:    Not cheap, but is decent value.

Bottom Line:   
I had endless troubles with my old XT brakes. Pistons sticking, dragging on discs, lack of power. Gave up on them eventually & got the Hope Tech M4 front & rear. First impressions when I collected my bike from LBS after fitting was "wow", these are amazing looking bits of kit. On a Ventana they look perfect, as the Ventana also has a lot of milled aluminium. Looks the biz. Secondly & more importantly, they work superbly. Most of my everyday riding is fairly flat lowland stuff, where I need to be able to trim speed with good modulation. I like to visit the bigger stuff when I can, where I need big stopping power. I weigh 225lb & like to hammer the downhills & brake late. The Tech M4 does both well. There is so much modulation, I've never accidentally grabbed too much brake on the flatter stuff. With surprisingly little extra squeeze you can stop on a dime. Love them. Not a lightweight XC brake, but hey, who's counting 100g when you can brake later & harder?

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Beast, Coed y Brenin

Duration Product Used:   6 months

Price Paid:    $300.00

Purchased At:   Phil's Bike Co.

Similar Products Used:   XT brakes

Bike Setup:   Ventana el Ciclon with Fox DHX5 Air shock, Hope 2 hubs, DT Swiss 500 rims, Hope ceramic bb, XT drive, Fox Float 140 forks
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by thasingletrackmastah a Cross Country Rider from the netherlands

Date Reviewed: October 31, 2010

Strengths:    no drag at all, stops on a dime, pads last forever.
Easy bleading, no spongy feeling.

Weaknesses:    none.

Bottom Line:   
Great product, ordered now a second pair for my other bike.
If you like problem free breaking and no nonsense, buy them.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   all I can ride

Duration Product Used:   1 Year

Price Paid:    $400.00

Purchased At:   CRC

Similar Products Used:   hayes mx1, avid BB5.

Bike Setup:   On-One inbred single speed.
Reviews 1 - 15 (15 Reviews Total)

Review Options:  Sorted by Latest Review | Sort by Best Rating

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