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Submitted by
Alex
a
from Sheffield
Date Reviewed: May 30, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | British made! Strong calliper, strong lever, good brakeing performance, easy to bleed and sevice, pads are cheep and they look "cool" | | Weaknesses: | Hoses arent very flexable...? | | Bottom Line: | Old (clasic) design, brilliantly made! Change the standard hoses, set them up well and the will out perform the new hayes and avid! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nick Errington
a Weekend Warrior
from Connecticut
Date Reviewed: May 19, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | allofem | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$430.00 | | Purchased At: | monk a moo | | Strengths: | Modulation, feel, power ,looks. | | Weaknesses: | Rear needed bleeding right out of the box. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano xtr | | Bike Setup: | intense 6.6 | | Bottom Line: | So far these brakes are very, very good. I only have around 6 rides on them so we'll see how they pan out in the long run. The set up was pretty easy. Except that the rear brake had hardly any fluid at all straight out of the box. This was not a big deal as I had to shorten the rear hose anyway. Filling and bleeding the rear was a breeze. The overall quality and feel of the brake is second to none, the levers feel perfect as does modulation and stopping power. However. Do not just grab a handful of front brake when you need to stop, you will get sent over the bars if you do this. Trust me I know.
Not cheap brakes but I do feel they are good value based on the quality.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael H.
a Cross Country Rider
from North Central, Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: March 22, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | Ewok Forest | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$250.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Great power, superb modulation and very bling. Don't need to remove the wheel to worth with the pads. | | Weaknesses: | Bit of a pain to set up. Perhaps a little heavy for pure XC use. Little more expensive than some of the other brakes out there. | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes HFX-9s, cable actuated mechanical discs. Tried Juicy's of various levels. | | Bike Setup: | Extensively upgraded Gary Fisher Cake 2 DLX. | | Bottom Line: | I've had good experiences with a variety of Hope products so after hearing good reviews on the M4's, I thought I'd give them a go. I don't know if there are two version of the M4 anymore (Mono vs. regular) but these are definitely the Mono M4's.
I picked up the 203mm post mount front and a 180mm IS rear. (I'm a clyde class rider, so I make use of bigger brakes as I live in a town with a substantial river valley and most of our local trails have a fair bit of up and down)
Set-up took a little longer than other brakes have in the past, but it was well worth the added time to do it right. Break / bed in time was about 2 hrs of riding.
Once bedded in the brakes produce phenomenal power. I need only 1 finger to slow myself from a good speed to a trackstand while going down a 15% grade. Two fingers could easily launch you into an endo if you're too vigorous.
All that power does not come at the expense of modulation, though. Just yesterday I went down a snowy / slushy / muddy descent that made me appreciate the modulation and feel these brakes have to offer. In spite of the less than ideal surface, the brakes left me in total control without locking up.
Although QA/C has been a bit hit and miss in the past (see the previous reviews) it looks like they've got these down pat now... The M4's (mono or otherwise) are great brakes (just check out the other M4 reviews).
If you're not counting every gram or cross country race, these are wonderful brakes well worth the added weight. They take a little longer to set-up, but once done, they reward you with great power and modulation. May not be quite enough for pure DH work, but Hope has other brakes for that. Plus they look sweet. A little pricey, so the value chilis suffer a bit, but other than that, an outstanding product. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
cracker666
a Weekend Warrior
from northants
Date Reviewed: March 2, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Stops quicker than slammin into a wall | | Weaknesses: | Price, and setup,
Get the mounts spot faced and away you go. | | Similar Products Used: | Avid 3,5, | | Bike Setup: | Giant Trance 3 upgraded to Full Xtr, Hope Mono M4 | | Bottom Line: | Bloody good brakes, once properly setup.
Using Superstar pads.(from ebay) Very good.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stephen Furness
a Weekend Warrior
from Auckland
Date Reviewed: January 16, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | SPCA | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Strengths: | Very strong, great modulation, I feel confident that they will stop me, I weigh about 95 KG or 210 Ibs so they are made to work hard some days. | | Weaknesses: | I purchased the 2007 with a 203mm floating rotor on the front and I dont think the extra money is well spent, ( Looks good tho ) | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes nine | | Bottom Line: | Great brake, great modulation , well made | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nurettin
a Weekend Warrior
from TURKEY
Date Reviewed: January 1, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | cross country | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | bike parts | | Strengths: | Easy to install. powerfull.mostly silent when braking | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes . Hope mono mini | | Bike Setup: | Specialized epic s-works, chris king ,mavic ust, xtr component | | Bottom Line: | If you are heavy you should buy 4 pad included brakes. like this. After use hayes (I think very good brakes) Hope mono m4 stopped me very strongly. no fear to stopping.but maybe little heavy than some other.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy
a Cross Country Rider
from France
Date Reviewed: October 4, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | This is a follow up to the review I wrote in 2004. I moved back to France a couple of years ago and to a town near the Jura and the Alps last year, so my still lovely Hopes do bigger downhills than they did at the beginning... They are still great - pivots on the levers are starting to show a bit of wear, they have had the fluid replaced twice (don't buy the Hope bleed kits which are a ridiculous ripoff, just get some plastic tube and a jam jar. The bike they're on gets used every day for around a 40km commute and the Hopes still work beautifully. Just pad changes once in a while (less often than the Deore LX disk pads on my other bike, which is used less) I use Hope pads and have had good luck with them. Seals are still the originals, no sign of leaks, just a clean every now and then (basically when I change the pads). Solid levers really feel dependable and the quality of the construction I am sure contributes to the longevity. | | Weaknesses: | They still howl a lot when they get hot on big downhills (but then so do my Deore LX disks on my other bike). They can rub sometimes, and went through a spell where they rubbed really badly, though I think that this was due to the accumulation of a winter's grime on the pistons. The springs (to back off the pads - in between the pads) are, frankly, pathetic and break almost instantaneously, which can't help with the rubbing, but it has never given me any serious problems. | | Similar Products Used: | Deore LX disks - not really in the same league. When you use the Hopes, you understand what modulation should feel like. | | Bike Setup: | Norco hardtail, all standard XT kit apart from the Hopes. | | Bottom Line: | After 3+ years of hard use and embarassingly little maintenance the Hopes are still going very strong. Pivots on the levers will need to be replaced soon and a fairly thorough cleanout and overhaul of every part of the mechanism can't be far behind, but in view of the number of hours these have put in, in all conditions, used daily on and off-road I really can't complain. If you look at an investment in terms of aggravation saved and sheer reliability, the Hopes actually start to look quite reasonably priced. Well, almost... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from Charlotte,NC USA
Date Reviewed: September 10, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | USNWC (Catawba) | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Excellent stopping power,Cool Looking | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | Older Hayes | | Bike Setup: | Specialized S- Works FSR. | | Bottom Line: | These brakes are awesome!! Easy to mount and adjust.In 45 min. I was riding.Excellent modulation and stopping power.Hang on if you grab a handful of these brakes or you may go sailing over the handle bars!I am 195 lbs. and it sure is nice to have brakes you can count on.I love them. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mat
a Cross Country Rider
from devon, england
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | strong solid product and it feels it too.....and its made here.... | | Weaknesses: | i have riden much better | | Similar Products Used: | hayes 9, xt | | Bike Setup: | marin attack trail | | Bottom Line: | perhaps i have a duff set or i have a particular expectation but i like the breaking to feel solid and 'safe'. dont get me wrong, these will stop me but i do not like the feel at all. i have bled and re bled but to no avail. i am constantly left wonering if they are stopping me. i have had hopes before that were better than these.
on top of this, i am going through pads like they are going out of fashion, at least 5 packs this year and as any brit will tell, you we are currently having the worst ever weather on record (its august it shhould be 25'c not 12-15'c and winter storms) so riding is not a frequent thing!
i do live in a very gritty place and my componants wear out quickly, (on third cass and chain in a year) but i just expect that bit more you know.....
sometimes having a pimp looking bit of bike bling is not value for money.
buy if you like alot of modulation
dont buy if you like that hayes 9 'on or off' feeling. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Javier
a Cross Country Rider
from Mexico
Date Reviewed: August 2, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Modulation, lever shape, great stopping power | | Weaknesses: | Front rotor was a little out of true, nothing major but wanted to mention. | | Similar Products Used: | First time using hydros | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale Rush, M960 cranks & rear der, XT cassete & front der, Carbon Lefty SL fork, DT 4.2 rims with Hope Pro 2 rear hub & Lefty front hub, Mono M4 front brake/Mono Mini rear with floating rotors. | | Bottom Line: | This is the '07 model, after some initial setup problems, they've been working great, modulation is excellent, the lever shape is just perfect, they offer good power and you can lock the wheels if you want, but these babies strong point is modulation: they shine in technical situations where you want to slow down but want to keep the wheels going.
I give them a 4 just for the setup problems but probably was my fault as this is my first time installing hydro brakes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Javier
a Cross Country Rider
from Mexico
Date Reviewed: August 2, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Modulation, lever shape, great stopping power | | Weaknesses: | Front rotor was a little out of true, nothing major but wanted to mention. | | Similar Products Used: | First time using hydros | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale Rush, M960 cranks & rear der, XT cassete & front der, Carbon Lefty SL fork, DT 4.2 rims with Hope Pro 2 rear hub & Lefty front hub, Mono M4 front brake/Mono Mini rear with floating rotors. | | Bottom Line: | This is the '07 model, after some initial setup problems, they've been working great, modulation is excellent, the lever shape is just perfect, they offer good power and you can lock the wheels if you want, but these babies strong point is modulation: they shine in technical situations where you want to slow down but want to keep the wheels going.
I give them a 4 just for the setup problems but probably was my fault as this is my first time installing hydro brakes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Javier
a Cross Country Rider
from Mexico
Date Reviewed: August 2, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Modulation, lever shape, great stopping power | | Weaknesses: | Front rotor was a little out of true, nothing major but wanted to mention. | | Similar Products Used: | First time using hydros | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale Rush, M960 cranks & rear der, XT cassete & front der, Carbon Lefty SL fork, DT 4.2 rims with Hope Pro 2 rear hub & Lefty front hub, Mono M4 front brake/Mono Mini rear with floating rotors. | | Bottom Line: | This is the '07 model, after some initial setup problems, they've been working great, modulation is excellent, the lever shape is just perfect, they offer good power and you can lock the wheels if you want, but these babies strong point is modulation: they shine in technical situations where you want to slow down but want to keep the wheels going.
I give them a 4 just for the setup problems but probably was my fault as this is my first time installing hydro brakes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe Price
a Weekend Warrior
from East coast Canada
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | Monkamoo | | Strengths: | Durability | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes, Juicy's | | Bike Setup: | '05 Stumpy 120 | | Bottom Line: | This is a follow-up to a review I did two years ago. These brakes get better with age. In two plus years of use I have not had to do any service or fix anything. Truly set and forget. No piston problems,no leaks, I'm still using the original pads. These are the best "feeling" brakes i've used, comfy levers, amazing control. I've considered new lines and two piece rotors, but it's not necessary. Maybe if something brakes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Neil Facey
a Weekend Warrior
from Worcester
Date Reviewed: June 8, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | cwmcarn | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Great stopping power,reliable,fit and forget based on riding 2-3 times a w/k off-road also to work everyday. | | Weaknesses: | lever squeaks a bit. | | Similar Products Used: | Avid,Hayes,more hope. | | Bike Setup: | On-one,pace rc-40's,xtr drivetrain,tompson,etc. | | Bottom Line: | Very good brake,never ending power,put some bf goodrich hose's on em and they'll serve you well for years. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Regan
a Downhiller
from Australia
Date Reviewed: April 21, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | POWERFUL!!! They are very smooth with heaps of modulation. There also very light for a DH brake. The two piece rotor seem pretty tough and are LIGHT! The new 07 Levers are superb! They have a much nicer feel than previous models. There easy to work on and bleed and very reliable. The 07 calipers are now post mount style so no fiddly shimming needed. They are just so perfectly made and look AWESOME! | | Weaknesses: | Nothing, but if I had to pick on somthing mabey a little on the pricy side... | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes mags, Shimano Saint and XT, Avid Juicy 5’s and 7’s | | Bike Setup: | Giant Glory, Boxxers, Hadley Hubs, 07 Hope Mono M4's, XTR/Dura-Ace, Thomson, Easton...THE WORKS! | | Bottom Line: |
*NOTE* this is a review of 07 Mono M4's set up with 203mmm and 183mm rotors.
For 07 Hope have really stepped it up a notch and created the most gorges set of stoppers on earth. The levers have been total redesigned. The pivot has been moved closer to the bar, similar to Juicy's, and the lever has been made thinner, more like Shimano. There also lighter and overall have a much nicer feel.
These are by far the best brakes I've owed! They're easier to work on than any other brake I've had. Power is similar to Juicy's, maybe a little more. But the biggest thing is smoothness and modulation they just rule! They overall finish is second to none!
I thoroughly recommend these to anyone, you will not regret it!
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim
a Downhiller
from Sydney
Date Reviewed: March 13, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | They look the biz, nice feel to the lever, don't lock up. They're there, they work, what more could I want. Great for controlling your speed with small amounts of braking. | | Weaknesses: | The pads take a long time to ware in. I mean a long time. You may go a while with no braking power but don't let this turn you off, they will come good.
They don't have a lot of braking power. If you want to stop fast, then this probably isn't the best brake for you. If you want to slow down, then they are ideal.
The pivot where the line enters the caliper can come lose after a crash and cause fluid to exit the system. | | Similar Products Used: | Mags - lock up or do nothing at all. | | Bottom Line: | They are decently priced, the floating rotors look hot. They control your speed if you want to slow down and down lock up your wheels, causing loss of traction. This is why I like them. I can't stand brakes that just grab the hell out of your rotor and stop the wheel straight away. If you do the type of riding where you want to stop, maybe not your best option. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Liam
a Weekend Warrior
from Ireland
Date Reviewed: February 16, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Chainreaction | | Strengths: | Good weight for the product. Gives a feel of quality and the CNC machined calipers are a nice touch. Nice modulation front and back. | | Weaknesses: | Rotors are too flimsy they really need beefing up. Pad retention pin needs to be redesigned as it can work itself out. Stock pads could be better. Very time consuming to get set-up just right. Bit of a pain to keep "tuned". | | Similar Products Used: | Loads from Hayes, Formula, Magura, Shimano XT and Deore 525, and also Hope Mini's (the originals...very good) | | Bike Setup: | Turner 5, XT, Marzocchi SL, Easton, Mavic on Hope hubs. | | Bottom Line: | Some time out of each month I get real performance from these and some times I wonder what's going on because they just don't work well and they overheat and I get so much pad drag. The back gives the most problems. I've sorted out the leaks now and upgraded to braided hoses.... makes them better but an expensive upgrade. Stock pads are poor and I use Fibrax which has made an improvement. I've had my back pad work loose because of the sh*te design of the pad retention pin. I'm coming round to the belief that Hope need more time testing products before they go out. I don't think I could buy these again and I don't think I could honestly recommend these to anyone who wants a consistent brake that is trouble free. And they are a lot of money. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Davidson
a Weekend Warrior
from Utah
Date Reviewed: January 28, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Blackhawk Loop Trail. | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Light weight with very good modulation.
The potential fro powerful brake performance is there. | | Weaknesses: | Carefull set up is essential or this is a no go brake.
The system is prone to leaks.
It is recommended to try different pads other than Hope to get the best from these babies.
The pistons tend to stick especially on the back. | | Bottom Line: | I have held back from saying anything about these brakes but they have been inconsistent in performance and reliability. Agreed they work very well when they are working...no arguement there, but to keep them sweet all the time is a labor of love.
I can best say that I am looking forward to the new brakes that Hope are now bringing out, with the "hope" that they have doen some intensive product testing on them. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Fred Wardale
a Weekend Warrior
from U.K
Date Reviewed: January 24, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Glentress | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Good CNC machining to give a work-of-art look.
Reasonable weight.
when free of problems they work well.
Good modulation. | | Weaknesses: | Rotors bend too easily as they are actually fragile.
Leaks from the joints.
Inconsistent performance and poor quality on the pads.
Pad retaining screws comes out of its own accord. | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes, Formula, Magura and Hope Mini. (Not Mono Mini) | | Bike Setup: | Turner 5 Spot | | Bottom Line: | If I could reduce the number of times that I have problems to just a couple a year then I would feel considerably better. As it is I have problems every few months and this is an expensive piece of kit. This is a "freeride" brake and it should have "freeride" sized rotors....they are just too fragile. Fortunately I have been able to straighten both the front and rear rotors every time they have bent, but this is annoying me. The inconsistent after market pads has also been a problem which I rectified by now using Fibrax. Overall there is too much in the way of maintenance to warrant this system over the competition. Hope is much over-rated. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
wenisman
a Weekend Warrior
from sydney
Date Reviewed: January 24, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | ones with big rocks | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | good looks, decent power, modulation | | Weaknesses: | could do with a bit more stopping power, the rotors are way too thin as they bend or warp very easily. | | Similar Products Used: | hope m4 originals, avid juicy 5s | | Bike Setup: | intense 6.6, usual kit (wheels, saddle, handlebars) | | Bottom Line: | been using these for a year now and i cant fault them. they have gone from dusty trails in utah, to the mud of the uk, through slowing tracks in france... handles it all!
people complaining about squeeling brakes in the wet... the challenge is to find a disc brake that doesnt squeel in the wet.
the install was no more painfull than any other disc brake i have installed, but bleeding and changing hoses is by far the easiest of all the brakes on the market (no aftermarket bleed kit required either so saving some $$$).
the only maintainence i have had to to constantly straighten these rotors. im thinking of changing to grimeca rotors to get away from this but otherwise a solid peice of kit. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jack
a Weekend Warrior
from Pewsey, Wiltshire
Date Reviewed: January 7, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Ae forest | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | Classified Ads on MBUK | | Strengths: | Crazy powerful, looks like the Dog's Bollocks | | Weaknesses: | Annoying to set up, more expensive than other brakes second hand. | | Similar Products Used: | cable disk brakes - the less said the better; Hayes nines | | Bike Setup: | Kona fire mountain + Rear mono M4, Front mono Mini | | Bottom Line: | Bought these after my cables died on me second hand as a job lot with some Mono Mini's as well. The usual story, a pain to set up but trust me, take the time to do it and it pays off. Cycled 30km SPAM race today and they really shined, have just bedded them in properly and they bite and hold like crazy.
To be honest they are too powerful for my bike, i bottomed the forks out just by slamming on the brakes so make sure your bike can take it. Otherwise these are brilliant, they are up for sale alot on the MBUK 'for sale' section so go and buy them! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
geoz
a Weekend Warrior
from Königstein, Germany
Date Reviewed: December 1, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | lbs | | Strengths: | excellent stopping power, very good modulation, top quality finish. | | Weaknesses: | none. | | Similar Products Used: | hayes nine. | | Bike Setup: | proceed fst light, rock shox pike, swinger 4-way, xt crank, x0 complete, | | Bottom Line: | excellent product, requires a bit more care during setup, but offered flawless operation so far. would recommend it any time. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nick Wolsink
a Downhiller
from Germany
Date Reviewed: November 21, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Winterberg / Germany | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | Stappenbelt | | Strengths: | Great stopping Power yet modulated. These brakes feel good and stay good! I run the M4 on my rear wheel and the M6 at the front | | Weaknesses: | Initial setup is quite a lot of work, when new they don't feel super yet. | | Similar Products Used: | HopeM6, Hayes9, Avid Juicy5/7. | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Demo9, Marzocchi888RC2x, FoxDHX5, HopeMono6/4, Deemax UST, Truvativ Howitzer BB&Cranks, MRP System3 Chainguide. | | Bottom Line: | These brakes are great, same story as with the M6 > do get the floating disks to go with it, these have at least 20% more power, this is not due to the "floating" but due to a larger disc surface. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Downhiller
from Redcar, Cleveland, UK
Date Reviewed: November 1, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Hamsterly | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Chain Reaction Cycles | | Strengths: | Look fantastic, oodles of stopping power | | Weaknesses: | pain in the arse to set-up, both reservoirs leaked initially | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes | | Bike Setup: | 02 Santa Cruz Bullit, White Bros UD150, Simano LX, | | Bottom Line: | I don't know why people are slating these brakes so much. They are a fantastic peice of kit.
The only downside is that both of the reservoirs on mine got a leak about 3 days into using them. I got them checked out at my local bike shop, got them fixed and never looked back. I've not had one leak since. I haven't experienced any drag with them at all. The only other problem I had was that they took an age to bed in. but thats my fault for buying the 8in rotors and mainly only doing light/medium DH. So i'd recommend you only get the 8in versions if ur gonna be doing medium/heavy Dh regularly. I am intenting, tho, to take a trip to France next summer tho and ride Les Gets et al. I'll let you know how they get on later!
in conclusion: if you have the cash, get them! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brandon
a Cross Country Rider
from St Paul, MN
Date Reviewed: October 9, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Lebanon/Memorial | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | NowBikes and Fitness | | Strengths: | Machining of parts, look, modulation. | | Weaknesses: | The set up is a challenge, but once done...it doesn't get much better. | | Similar Products Used: | Avid Juicy 7, Hayes 9 | | Bike Setup: | NINER S.i.r.9 | | Bottom Line: | The set up on these brakes were a challenge. I have to admit I was getting quite frustrated with the whole thing, but I waited it out and it was well worth it.
I don't know if I would say it was HOPEs fault. The tabs on my fork were a little off, which didn't help at all and one of the rotors was the wrong size. With a quick call, I received a new rotor and I was on my way.
Modulation is incredible. These are a one-finger kind of brake. Anything more than that and you probably won't stay on your bike...and you may not with just one finger. The feel is great and they are as quiet as a brake can be.
Bottom line, the tolerance on these brakes is quite small. The calipers and the rotors need to line up properly and be right-on otherwise there is going to be some noise. If you dont want to take the time and you don't have the patience...do not get these brakes, they are not for you. But, if you don't mind the initial time and you want the BMW M-series of disc brakes...check these out! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
C.D
a Cross Country Rider
from Newcastle England
Date Reviewed: September 27, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Any of the 7 Staines | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Merlin | | Strengths: | Pretty.
Double pistons should be an asset.
One piece caliper should create big braking power. | | Weaknesses: | Low on power for the size. Leaks. A lot of trouble to set up. Temperamnetal! | | Bike Setup: | Marin Mount Vision | | Bottom Line: | Not too impressed. A lot of trouble and very Temperamnetal. Expensive for what you get and could do with more power. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nick Jenkins
a Weekend Warrior
from Scotland
Date Reviewed: September 22, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Black at Glentress | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | ? | | Weaknesses: | So many Design faults: Rotors are flimsy for their intended use and they warp. They are easily bent. The smallest piece of grit makes the pistons stick and Mountain biking always puts grit into brakes. Banjo leaks, they require DOT 5...why?.. the original pads are poor and also squeel in the wet. They are difficult to set up and to adjust with all the shims. The pin that holds the pads in place has fallen out. I had to buy a special tool from Hope, on top of the purchase of the brakes, so that I could fit them properly! They are too expensive for what they are!! | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes, Magura, Formula and Hope Mini. | | Bottom Line: | I've had a year of real frustration with my set up front and back. There are major design faults with these brakes...see above..and they are expensive on top of all that. It took ages to get them set up properly with the aid of a special tool from Hope. I would like to say that they work well but I've not had the opportunity to find out and that is not on. I suspect that there are quality control issues as well. If there were no other brakes to compare them to then I would probably think that they were still bad but compare them to what is around now and they are really poor and far too expensive and far too much trouble to keep in working order. I don't think Hope are any help either. All in all I would not recommend these and I will not be buying from Hope again. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rod Hunter
a Weekend Warrior
from Leeds U.K
Date Reviewed: September 1, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Jacob's Ladder | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Merlin | | Strengths: | The way it looks and the colour combinations. They are a good weight too. Good feel and good lever design that is ergonomic. | | Weaknesses: | Just not consistent performance. A bit under powered. The discs warp easily and bend easily. Poor stock pads and the usual lazy piston syndrome. Can leak a bit too. Need plenty of tender loving care. | | Bottom Line: | This is a rag tag effort from Hope with a poor quality control on this brake. I accept that there are good ones out there, I just didn't get them. Its expensive and should be better than it is. I think the design is great but the same old problems come back again and again. And they are lazy pistons usually sticking and dragging, a leak now and again, low power for a brake of this size and I think the rotors need to have more metal in them because one of mine has warped (and it only needs a bit and it gets even more brake pad drag) and the other has bent. This brake needs constant tender loving care and given the probs I am looking for another make. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Don
a
from Upper state N.Y
Date Reviewed: August 31, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Reasonable weight and they stand out as lookers. | | Weaknesses: | Need carefull setting up and a maintenance schedule. | | Bike Setup: | Ellsworth Truth with the usual trimmings. | | Bottom Line: | I got these so I want to say they are the best. I keep them running but they need more attention than I like to give them. I hate to say it but I think they are over rated. I feel that I do more for the brakes each month than they do for me and that is not good VFM. I cannot say they are bad brakes as they work well when they work well, I just get tired of working on the sticking pistons and I guess that is taking me away from Boutique brakes like these. Somebody compared these to maintaining a Ferrari?? These do not give Ferrari performance at all. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stewart Potter
a Weekend Warrior
from U.K
Date Reviewed: August 30, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Karrimore N.Wales | </
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