The HopeTech X2 replacesThe Mono Mini usingThe newly designed flip flopTech lever and X2 caliper. Several features include split clamp, bearing pivot and bite point adjustment knob. BothThe caliper and lever are CNC Machined in Barnoldswick, England of 2014T6 Aluminum Alloy.This is a perfect brake for all mountain, aggressive XC or light freeride applications. Features Wide angle hose fitting allows for easier hose routingBearing lever pivotFlip-flop, split clamp lever designDrip free bleed nipp
Submitted by
Eric Taylor
a Cross Country Rider
from Berkeley, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: February 4, 2012
Strengths: Extremely well designed and produces. Top quality components, very solid, nothing flimsy. Fully rebuildable. Very tight feel, clean and consistent action. Plus no fade even on long multi-mile all-mountain downhills. Love the full CNC machining.
Weaknesses: As one reviewer pointed out, the master cylinder stick outs and gets slightly in the way of down-shifter lever. But the solid design of the brake lever is well worth working around this minor inconvenience. The brake pads could be a tad longer providing more surface area for braking friction, but Hope thinks a longer pad makes no difference and just adds weight. Will explain below.
Bottom Line:
Did some serious research before buying these brakes. What I wanted was a brake with excellent power, very tight feel, no fade, and with pistons in the caliper that don't stick. The brake I was comparing to was the XT as this brake is quite good and basically meets these criteria. People complain about an on/off feel and the grinding noise of the pads on the rotor of the XT and I will address this in terms of what I have learned about hydraulic brakes.
Stopping power is a function primarily of these factors: the leverage of the brake lever on the master cylinder, surface area of the pistons in the caliper, the friction between the brake pad and rotor (pad type) and quality (compressibility and flex) of components.
The design of the brake lever determines that amount of force transferred to the master cylinder. Combining this with the diameter (surface area) of the caliper pistons yields the total force that is applied to the brake pad. Most XC type, 2-piston brake systems are very similar in the amount of force they apply to the brake pad, such as Hayes, Shimano, Hope, Formula, Avid, etc. Hope explained to me that the force from the pistons are the main stopping factor not brake pad length. However, adding extra pad length does provide more surface area for friction, so it must have some, if minimal, effect. Now speaking of pads, the largest contributor to stopping power appears to be the brake pad. I have found tremendous differences between not only types, but brands. The Shimano pads are what creates the on/off feel of their brake. Different pads, different feel. In terms of fade, this appears to be essentially a function of brake quality. Flimsy design and parts leads to parts that flex and compress with the immense force put on them and by heat generated from use.
In the end, I chose Hope because they as super well designed and built, and the cost is more than reasonable for the quality. The XT brakes work very similarly, but are no where near the quality. Highly recommend!!
Similar Products Used: Avid Juicy, Shimano XT 785, Avid BB7 with a variety of different types and brands of pads
Bike Setup: Santa Cruz Superlight with Fox TALAS 140 fork, Shimano XT drive train with Hope BB, Hope/DT wheels, Kind Shock dropper post.
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Submitted by
acesEPIC
a Cross Country Rider
from Vallejo, CA USA!
Date Reviewed: July 21, 2011
Strengths: Specifically rating the Hope Tech X2's 183mm "floating" Front rotor / 160mm "floating" rotor
Front 183mm floating rotor = 147g, Rear 160mm floating rotor = 102g, 268g (rear caliper, hose, master cylinder) 257g (front caliper hose, master cylinder, 49g front POST adapter w/ bolts, 34g rear IS adapter w/ bolts
Bling factor for sure! The machined calipers & master cylinder bodies are works of art. Product craftsmanship is top notch. It's great to see machined aircraft aluminum is still being used & can keep up with all the rampid carbon impregnated plastic stuff riddling the market now.
The break in period was pretty quick, within one 3 hour training ride. Once the rotors were bedded in, braking was 1 finger! Wow, I have never felt lever modulation like that on these X2's. SMOOOTH lever actuation, butter smooth.
Weaknesses: The master cylinder body is big, requiring you to make do with a slightly different shifter position. Though this isn't so much a weakness as it is more something to deal with.
I had to do some grinding to the front POST mount adapter to stop the rotor from skimming across it. 2 minute modification.
Bottom Line:
I already covered many of the great strengths of these brakes. I was running 160mm rotors front & rear on my 29er. I wanted more power from the front & decided to go up to a 180mm front. This was the opportunity to try another braking system. My wife is English so I decided to try Hope's since they're from the motherland to the US.
Braking is confidently 1 finger. Power comes on smoothly & is very controllable. I really love the 2 knobs on each brake lever. First you set what Hope calls their Bite Control Point, which sets the amount of initial lever travel before pad to rotor contact. Once that's done the other dial sets the lever distance for the bar, which is individual to each rider. This can actually be done while riding if you're the type to fiddle with settings during a ride.
Man, if you've never considered Hope as a brand, take it from my experience, these should be on every rider's radar. Oh, the hoses come long. It's super easy to trim them & you don't need another olive to do this, as all the original parts are reuseable. Hose trimming is a 5 minute job, max, per hose. Easy! Hope has several tech videos demonstrating this procedure, as well, as the bleeding, which also looks much easier than Formulas were.
At about $220 per brake F or R, the price of entry isn't too bad. They're not the lightest brakes on the planet, but they are very adjustable, Modulation is awesome!, servicing is super easy for the home mechanic with basic skills, braking power is Great & they look cool.
Similar Products Used: I've run XTR M70 brakes, Formula Oro Puros, Formula K24's, Avid's, & Hayes. The X2's a bit heavier than the Oro Puro's, also the R1's for that matter, however, these brakes look sturdily built = confidence inspiring.
Bike Setup: Titus Fireline 29er, XTR M970 3x9 drivetrain, Mavic CrossMax 29er, Eriksen Ti post, Fizik Antares VS saddle,
Specialized Fast Trak LK Control's F&R, KMC X9 SL Ti nitrided chain
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Submitted by
tfrank01
a Cross Country Rider
from Fort Smith, Arkansas, USA
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2011
Strengths: Excellent modulation. Easy setup being flip flop. Looks. No fade thus far. Adjustment. Setup videos online-easy setup. Did I mention the FEEL!!
Weaknesses: Expensive but what isn't. A little noisy when wet.
Bottom Line:
Great brakes. Leaps and bounds better than my elixir's. A friend has a set as well and his feel just the same. I have never felt two avid's that were similar. I was having all sorts of problems with avids-no modulation, poor adjustment, etc... Hope fixed all of those problems. With floating rotors the price is actually reasonable. Lots of tech support so dont worry about setup. Well built and all parts are available. If you have ever tried to find brake parts you will understand. Being able to easily find a replacement brake levers and other vital parts easily is worth a million. Compatability with shifters could be an issue. They work well with my x-9 but others could be a problem. If so they make a adapter to help out. Could not be happier...oh you can get all the anodized parts in Color!
Weaknesses: price, and can be challenging to setup.
Bottom Line:
Well if you want bling for your bike, then these are the brakes to get; they look great and work even better. Unfortunately they are far from cheap. Also I strongly recommend watching videos on hope's website on how to centralize the caliper, if you are doing the install.
Submitted by
shorner
a Cross Country Rider
from Roanoke, VA
Date Reviewed: March 14, 2011
Strengths: Looks, ease of setup, POWER!
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
Absolutely a fantastic brake set. Once properly bedded, the stopping power is fantastic, even for me at 225#. I do a lot of fireroad climbing and descending, as well as singletrack, and these guys simply perform, with no fade or NOISE! Avid users will certainly appreciate this. 5 flaming plantains from this clyde--nice work Hope!
Bike Setup: GF Rig singlespeed, Stans Flows/Hope SS hub, Ikon tires etc.
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Submitted by
tinley
a Cross Country Rider
from New Forest
Date Reviewed: February 24, 2011
Strengths: Great looks, Solid, Easily serviced and blead.
Weaknesses: Expensive and heavy for the power. Needed bleeding out of the box and need regular bleeding. Not very powerful.
Bottom Line:
They may be easy to bleed and service, but then they need regualr bleeding to keep them working at full power and even then they have never been very powerful. They seem to get air in during cold weather. Needed bleeding right out the box from new. I have tried various pads to try and find more power, but now I'm replaceing them with Shimano XTR.
Similar Products Used: Hayes Sole, Hayes HFX, Hayes Stroker Trail, Shimano LX, Avid Juicy.
Bike Setup: Burls Titanium Singlespeed, Nuke Proof carbon forks, Hope Pro2 hubs with Mavic UST rims, XTR cranks.
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Submitted by
sashbike30s
a Weekend Warrior
from London UK
Date Reviewed: January 3, 2011
Strengths: Solidness, Chunky, Powerfull
Weaknesses: Although i love most of the great CNC work why did they forget your knuckles with that sharp bit? Wether it cut me or not at all doesn't matter=i don't like it!! Shifter placing could be better!! At first brakes were fine for 2weeks till suddenly my floating saw started making odd creaking noises so checked over it n maybe put the outer back in better place by flexing it very lightly? it did it again though 2months later, so i sorted simply again but it just pissed me of so now just bought a plain solid Hope saw or light KCNC disc instead which im about to test!! Noisy in the wet!!!!
Bottom Line:
I love the power in these brakes n they dont fade!! I like the fact their still just silver CNC'd, But the problem with Hope designers like many designers is they could even be rocket designers that can CNC etc with quality but do they ride bikes??? cos they forget basic simple things ie-Cutting the front of your fingers open, Gearlever fittings which we all dam need(Dooooh) etc!!!! like their rear hubs i use there bolts being total crap to?? So to all Engineers RIDE YOUR BICYCLES IF YOU ARE GONA DESIGN BIKE PARTS COS IM GETTING PISSED OFF WITH YOU GETTING CREDIT FOR NOT UNDERSTANDING BIKES!!!!!!!!!!!
Bike Setup: My own design Ti 24" BMX cruiser n cruiser fork made by Justin Burls! I run 6speed gearing and BMX stem and 5.75 bar setup with old XT thumbshifter, Saint cranks n rear derail etc
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Submitted by
prc68
a Weekend Warrior
from Portugal
Date Reviewed: November 28, 2010
Strengths: No faid, exclt progressive feel, on the fly adjustment, put and forget product, easy to mount, bleeding is easy and simple, bling factor, light for the power.
Weaknesses: Don't come in red or black
Bottom Line:
both HT and Nomad running techs. Put on and forget product, which makes me real happy. Maybe not most powerful, but more than enough for my 215lbs, and they are mega smooth and progressive. Really happy with brakes and distrib service.
Favorite Trail: The ones with small uphills and big downhills
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At: Local distributor
Similar Products Used: avids & hayes
Bike Setup: 1- '10 SC nomad with X0, RF Sixc stuff, xmax SX, and magura wotan
2- '09 Seven sola, RF deus SL, xyclone disc, and X0
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Submitted by
thubeav
a Cross Country Rider
from Decatur, GA USA
Date Reviewed: August 12, 2010
Strengths: Seems bullit proof. Very shiny. Great fit and finish.
Weaknesses: ? cost maybe. But it works so well ..who cares.
Bottom Line:
The Hopes are hugely more functional than the Avids. It's possible other brakes have caught up to this kit but I doubt it. There may be a problem fitting these with some gear shifters but my bike's SS.
If there were a compatibility issue, I'd get new shifters. Hope are just that good.
Reach and bite point adjustment dials allow for ideal lever set up and feel. There is just an overall sense of tight, efficient design. If the fit does need adjusting, it can be modified on the fly so I won't have to abandon a ride in tears of shame and disgrace.
I just got the poly hose and there is no perceived loss of power. It seems the braided hose may be slightly heavier.
The set up was simple and predictable. It did take a while to carefully remove the existing Avid kit and rotors and get the new parts torqued to place. But everything went on predictably the first time.
During this process, I did find that my headset needed an overhaul. So that was fun detour. Now it's all set up and rollin.
I love good gear. Stuff that works and won't let you down is always worth the extra effort, time, expense, what have you. Reliable and predictable.
This makes for a much better ride with a solid bike and no mechanicals.
There are also very good setup videos on Hope and Youtube. These helped me to fine tune the pads and levers faster with more confidence. My LBS offered to help but none was required. They'll see 'em at some point probably not for repairs tho.
The only tools needed were a torx wrench, 3mm, 5mm allen wrenches and a small flat screw driver. Then there was the headset issue and lots of rags to clean up nicely. Total time was right at an hour for the brakes.
Bike Setup: Felt SS. CK hubs and BB. ZTR Flow rims. Maxxis Ardent UST. Thomson seatpost and stem. Ergon grips. Time ATAC pedals. Endless Bikes cog. Action Tec chainring.
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Submitted by
TC
a Cross Country Rider
from South Coast, UK
Date Reviewed: May 16, 2010
Strengths: Top quality machining. Super easy 'on the move' adjustments. Progressive or snatch like adjustability for what ever you prefer.
Weaknesses: Nothing yet
Bottom Line:
Beautifully made levers and calipers, massive amounts of adjustabilty, don't get any fade on relatively steep decents. Look quality! For all cross/freeride perfect! 5*
Submitted by
Old school 43
a Weekend Warrior
from Kenosha, WI USA
Date Reviewed: May 12, 2010
Strengths: Design. Lever feel adjustment. Contact adjustment. Have nice power. Look like jewelry.
Weaknesses: Design, kinda. And that's it.
Bottom Line:
I have wanted to keep Hayes on my bike. Hayes is located up the road and I know the employees, so I didn't want to switch. I actually rode the prototypes! Well, I've always had issues with the brakes and wanted to try something else. The Hope's just looked cool. I watched the "bleed the brake" video at Hope.com and that's all it took. IT'S THAT EASY! No more hanging the bike from a meat hook. And than doing it again and again. They don't fade. Have nice power. I haven't had any noise come from them, I haven't ridden in super wet conditions yet, but so far so good. You can adjust the feel of the brake and it's really noticable. The only thing I ran into is the shifter thing. I knew this going in that my shifters might not work but I thought I would try them anyway. They didn't work. I could have gotten away with the front shifter, but not the rear. The XTR's work great with these. I told my wife I needed new shifters anyway.
I'm completely sold on the Tech X2's and that's not easy to say.
Bike Setup: Santa Cruz Chameleon. Fox Vanilla. Raceface. Shimano drivetrain. New XTR shifter's.
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Submitted by
elteakay
a Cross Country Rider
from Vail, Colorado
Date Reviewed: March 16, 2010
Strengths: Zero brake fade
Adjustable levers
Machined aluminum alloy
Phenolic pistons (thermoset plastic) prevent heat transfer from brake pad to piston
Package included post-to-IS adapter
Weaknesses: Buzzing sound made by rotors when new
Bottom Line:
Having shot down trails on Vail Mountain, Cougar Ridge down into Minturn, and Paulie's Plunge in Beaver Creek, (interpretation: long downhill trails that require riders to be on the brakes quite often for long periods of time to shed speed) all in one day with zero brake fade and just as much bite at the end of the day as at the beginning, these brakes delivered.
I thought I'd change out the rear rotor for a 183mm, but after a dozen rides I couldn't justify doing so as the 160mm rear gave plenty of stopping power. I'm 6'2, 180 lbs plus a pack with water, cartridges, tool, etc., so let's call it 190.
Great value for what I paid - $387 for the pair. Highly recommended.
Bike Setup: FRAME: Turner 5 Spot Large Frame w/Fox RP23 rear shock
FORK: Fox Talus RLC – fully adjustable with lock out
WHEELS: DOB Magnesium 26” rims – 36mm width for wide contact patch between tire/trail and ability to run low tire pressures
HUBS: Chris King
TIRES: Continental Mountain King 2.4
SHIFTERS: SRAM X.9 trigger shifters
REAR DERAILLEUR: SRAM X.9 Long Cage
FRONT DERAILLEUR: Shimano XTR
CHAIN: SRAM PC971 9-speed
CRANKS: Shimano XT
HEADSET: Chris King NoThreadSet
BRAKES: Hope Tech X2 - Front 183mm, Rear 160mm
CASSETTE: Shimano XT M770 9-Speed 11/34
STEM: Thomson Elite
SEATPOST: Thomson Elite
BARS: Easton EA70 MonkeyBar, Mid-rise
BOTTOM BRACKET: Shimano
CHAIN: SRAM PC 991
SEAT: WTB Laser
GRIPS: OURY Lock on
PEDALS: CrankBrothers Candy
RELEASE: Salsa Quick Release on both wheels and seat post
BELL: Incredi-bell (to ward off loose dogs or hungry bears)
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Submitted by
doismellbacon
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin, TX USA
Date Reviewed: March 8, 2010
Strengths: Lever design: great feel, smooth & solid lever action, unmatched adjustments for reach and throw, progressive & predictable...plenty strong for All Mountain riding & my 165 lbs w/ 180ft, 160 rear. Ease of setup & bleeding, great setup videos on Hope's website, and I haven't had any problem making them coexist with XT-M770 shifters.... if you do, you can always get Hope's matchmaker style clamp/shifter mount... and, of course, they look sweet.
Weaknesses: Lever design: Lever assembly must be mounted way in-board on the bars to position the levers properly...not a good choice for anybody using bars on the narrow side (mine are Syntace Vector DH alum risers w/ 16deg bend cut down to about 650mm, and they barely work), or alt bars like Ragley Carnegie's. If you run flat bars or risers of approx 660mm plus it *probably* will not be an issue. Mine squeal like mad in the wet, have tried the usual tricks other than swapping pads. 2 piece rotors will make contact w/ lower post mount on Fox forks, which requires filing the paint off the inside face of the post to avoid contact.... no problem to do, and worth it for the excellent performance of the brakes, but I know some people will get tweaky about it, perhaps including Fox's warranty department.
Bottom Line:
Outstanding performance in terms of strength, consistency, and modulation... quiet, drag free performance... plus the best feeling and most adjustable lever on the market.... not the lightest, but not intended to be. Double check bar fit issues, and if that doesn't present a problem then go for the Hope's.... you'll love 'em. Have to deduct one chili since I can't use my preferred bar setup.
Bike Setup: Foes 4X, Sram xx drive train, RockShox Reba fork
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Submitted by
crondula
a Cross Country Rider
from Durango, CO
Date Reviewed: December 23, 2009
Strengths: Adjustability - pad contact point, lever reach, simple centralizing brake over rotor. Ergonomics - can be adjusted easily between small and big hands without tools. Excellent performance in most conditions. Easy pad replacement without removing brake assembly from bike.
Weaknesses: Cost, but cost is worth it.
Bottom Line:
Great set of brakes that work really well for everything I have thrown at them, XC racing, epic rides, quick technical downhill descents, I normally ride in the Rockies--Durango, Fruita, Cortez, Moab.... I have small hands and the levers are easily adjusted to work perfect for my riding styles and wee fingers. No noticeable brake fade for long & tough descents, solid as a rock. Easy to maintain, well built and designed. Hold up well in wet conditions. Made in the UK and rock solid!
I've got an '07 Giant Reign X1, which came equipped with Juicy 5s (185F/160R). This is basically a do everything bike for me from Ontario XC to Whistler DH (though I do have a ligh Read More »
There was a thread on here a while back that I can't seem to find now . . . someone else had an issue where their tech levers dropped from the tiny hole on the MC cap. I THINK it w Read More »
Building up a new frame soon and was looking to pick up the Hope Tech M4/X2 183/160mm. I saw that Hope came out with the "EVO" model for 2012.
Is the new EVO worth ~$30 more per Read More »
Hello,
I have some question about these two models? From the outside view it looks that X2 and V2 are the same brakes. The difference is in rotors. Am I right? Read More »
