Hope Tech4 V4 - Long-term + Multi-Rider Review
Hope offer plenty of colour options, but it doesn’t get any better than raw/raw/raw!
Funding
Let’s get business out of the way before you read this independent review! I buy all the products you see on my site at full price or through online sales and these reviews are 100% crowdfunded by you guys buying competition tickets. This month, you can win some Trickstuff Direttissima brakes, Rulezman Suspension and a complete Hope Bike Build including some amazing Tech4 brakes as reviewed here.
To win, all you need to do is head to my competition site, answer a simple question and you have an extremely good chance to win: current odds at the time of publishing this article are 1/116!
The giveaway is guaranteed to happen on the end date regardless of how many tickets are sold. No extensions, no minimum ticket sales.
These competitions fund my reviews which I believe are the only truly independent MTB reviews online. All of the prizes and all the products you see are bought by me - no sponsored posts, no freebies and no back-handers.
Thanks, Paul.
Intro
Hope arguably made the original MTB disc brake back in 1993. Since then, they have stuck to their guns, making solid bike components. They build products they want to ride that will easily last in the long, wet, Northern UK winters of Barnoldswick. They do everything the right way: they never outsourced to the East for more £££ when they could have, they don't borrow from banks, they only launch things when they are ready and not because of an event or bike show.
At around £580 GBP for a pair, the Tech4’s aren’t cheap, but I will argue they are exceptionally good value considering they are made in the UK, entirely machined from 7075, and will literally last a lifetime thanks to Hope’s legendary spare parts availability.
Hope Tech4 V4 Details:
One piece caliper
16+18mm pistons
Tool-free lever adjust
Dot 5.1 fluid
Loads of colour options
Braided or plastic hose
Every rotor size possible, floating and vented options
Price: £230 / €290 per brake (+10 for braided hose)
What’s changed?
The one-piece caliper is essentially the same as the previous V4 with machined fins for added cooling and 16+18mm pistons. The only change to the caliper is the pistons, which are now stainless steel with a phenolic insert.
The lever, on the other hand, is all new. A long lever blade for added leverage equals power and sensitivity at the fingertip. The lever moves on sealed cartridge bearings to keep things smooth. There are still tool-free reach and bite point adjust dials, and these can be wound in all the way to the bar and all the way out to about 80mm reach and 55mm bite point from the grip - suitable for every hand size.
The new lever also has a hinged clamp, which makes popping the brakes on and off easier compared to the 2-bolt design. Unfortunately, they still are not flip-flop levers like most SRAM, Formula, or Magura – not a huge downside for private riders but difficult for demo and rental bike scenarios.
Hope claims this lever gives an increase of 30% power compared to the previous brakes.
Huge range of adjustment from the Reach and BPC - no tool required!
The lever runs on sealed cartridge bearings for an exceptionally smooth action.
Setup
Setup is super easy wirh external frame routing as they come bled out of the box. Changing hose length is the same as older Hope brakes with a small barb to tap in with a hammer, and a brass olive and small copper washer. I’ve had 5 pairs of these brakes now and have always chopped the hoses and fitted them without needing a bleed.
The brakes come with multiple pairs of pads from Galfer. Red are standard which are OK, then purple and green are exceptional performers. I found there’s not a huge power improvement between green and purple, but the purple squeal a little and the green wear nearly twice as fast. I rarely ride in wet conditions, and the green and purple pads have been flawless. Sintered would be a good option for winter riding.
I’ve had mixed luck with the Hope matchmakers for these levers depending on which other shifter or dropper lever I am using; of course, getting the controls in the right place is a personal preference and partly comes down to luck.
Hope offers nearly every rotor size possible from 140 to 225mm. I’ve been using 200mm front and rear with no issues. I did try 220s originally, but this was generating more power than I could ever need at 75kgs.
Bleeding is fairly simple as always with Hope. I use the easy bleed kit from Hope which makes life easy when doing a gravity bleed. Not the cleanest method as you have to spill some oil when replacing the main piston diaphragm, but I don’t find that a huge problem as I’ve needed to bleed them so little. I find that leaving these brakes with some rubber bands pulling the levers overnight seems to help keep any little air bubbles pushed to the top of the main piston diaphragm and keeps them feeling solid every ride.
Hope also offers some open-source 3d print instructions to make some of their tools to help with brake setup which is a nice touch.
220mm straight on to my custom Supreme Dropouts - more power than necessary on a 27.5” wheel.
Which one wears fastest? The green seemed to wear about 2x as fast.
On the Trail
The first thing to notice is the lever action is incredibly smooth with nearly no noticeable friction or pressure to activate the lever. The modulation is sublime and goes on forever. Even on the hardest tests I can do, I never feel like I am using more than 40-50% of my finger strength and the pistons are still offering more power.
Some people feel like these brakes have a soft bite point, which is true, but I think that this is just the great modulation that builds up gently (I also use the braided steel hoses which should provide a firmer feel than plastic). That soft bite point relates to the hydraulic pressure, but the mechanical bite of fresh green or purple pads once they contact the disc is strong.
Having so much usable power on tap with so little effort required is absolutely fantastic, I really feel like I can focus more on my riding as these brakes do exactly what you need and with ease. They are just so easy to feather and control the power, unlike any other brake I’ve tried.
My local bike park has a brutal ‘freeride’ track and is the only brake I haven’t overheated down the 600m drop over 2.5km. No bite point change, no fade, and no noises.
The new 2.3mm rotors also work great. If you want to run 200-220mm rotors you definitely want a rotor thicker than 1.8mm as they simply stay straighter for much longer to avoid annoying dragging and the need to straighten them often. For really wet conditions, go for the vented rotors: these work better in the wet as the water gets pushed into the centre of the rotor and escapes out more easily than a single disc.
The vented rotors are super expensive, but stay extremely straight, have a longer wear life and expel water through the centre.
Reliability
I’ve been using one pair of Tech4 for over two years now, and aside from occasional bleeds, the pistons have been straight and aligned since day 1 with no tweaking and no changes in bite point whatever the temps. I’ve never had any other problems with multiple pairs of these brakes and have only had one complaint from one of the many pairs I have given away in comps: this was a spongy brake that the owner couldn’t bleed properly (despite having the skills) which were returned to Hope. We never found the cause but after the swift warranty replacement, they worked perfectly.
I’ve heard a few other stories along the way with people having bleeding issues or the brakes simply not working after flights to the Alps, but these were usually resolved with a good bleed.
The brakes seem more sensitive than most if the rotor isn’t perfectly straight, or the pistons and caliper aren’t aligned well. I put this down to the pistons being extremely low friction so a bent rotor will push the pads back into the caliper leaving a spongy feel. This could also be when using thin rotors; the V4 caliper is designed originally for the 3.3mm vented rotor, so with the thinner one, the pistons are further out than ideal, but Hope says the 2.3mm rotors also work perfectly and I agree, in Hope’s free 3D printing there is a tool to bleed the brakes correctly for 2.3mm and thinner 1.8mm rotors
Thanks to Hope’s all-metal construction and spare parts program, a pair of these brakes, with the right care and attention, will literally last your whole life.
Above: Pistons still even after a year of use and no specific maintenance
Verdict
In my opinion, the Hope Tech4 brakes are the best brakes that money can buy. Once you combine the great feel, huge power, durability, and reliability, along with the color and spec options, plus the spare parts program, nothing else comes close.
Feedback from Comp Winners
I also reached out to my comp winners with a few questions to get their feedback:
How did you find the packing, fitting, and setup?
Fitting and setting up was relatively easy, I'd say no different to many other brakes with the exception being SRAM that I find to be a pain for several reasons.
What type of riding do you do?I do a bit of everything; mostly longer trail rides but uplift days when I can.
How do you find the on-trail performance: power, modulation, bite point consistency, fade, noise?
Performance is unmatched. Power is on the cusp of too much sometimes and I'm probably still getting used to it. Modulation does help with controlling the power though. I haven't experienced any fade, but sometimes a little squeal now and then.
Have you bled and worked on them, any mechanical problems or difficulties?Other than the initial set up and bleeding I haven't had to do anything with them. With the proper bleed kit, and even without it tbh, bleeding Hope brakes is a doddle. Ironically though, because they're Hope, you tend to not really need to bleed them as often as other brakes! I've not had any issues whatsoever.
As an aside, I did get someone to make the 3D printed tools that Hope offer the designs for on their website. I thought that they would come in handy in the future.
How do they compare to other brakes you have used?They're the best brakes I have used. Simple. I have used many different Shimano and SRAM models and also early Hope stuff, but these are simply the best and I have no intention of changing them.
Are you still using them, or have you gone back to other brakes?Please see above! Haha
Cheers
Andy Wiggins
How did you find the packing, fitting, and setup?
Packing was pre assembled with lines, fluid and bled however there would be very few bikes that people would just fit these to given the internal routing of most bikes these days and hose lengths. I would prefer them to come with uncut hoses and extra barbs and olives for a clean install. Otherwise its a messy job doing internal routing with pre bled lines.
What type of riding do you do? Enduro type riding. Pedal up to bomb down.
How do you find the on-trail performance: power, modulation, bite point consistency, fade, noise?
These are the best brakes I have ever used for my style. Modulation is next level, power is amazing however I first fitted on my trail bike with 200mm rotors and they took a bit of getting used to the power, especially in slower stuff. I have just fitted to my ebike and they are perfect and more power than the MT7's they replaced.
Have you bled and worked on them, any mechanical problems or difficulties?
No mechanical issues, however when you bleed them air can get trapped in the system. Best trick I found is to leave the Hope bleed cup on, and flick the lever several times to get the last bit of air out.
How do they compare to other brakes you have used?
I have owned Code R, Saints, Magura Mt7, and Hope tech 3 E3. Better feel and more power than Codes, similar power to Saints however 100% better modulation, slightly more power than the Magura's with much better lever feel, very similar to the older Hope tech 3 but more powerful. I always found the Tech3 under powered.
The quality and feel are the best out of any brake I have seen. Engineering work of art.
Are you still using them, or have you gone back to other brakes?
Yes still using them. Will always fit these to new bikes or any other Hope products. If I was to build another trail bike or hardtail I would prob just go the E4 for a little less power, but for enduro, DH or ebike they are a must.
Cheers, Evan W from Australia.
How did you find the packing, fitting, and setup?
Brakes and the bleeding kit were kinda "contaminated" with Dot. Would have been cool if they'd cleaned it up before packing.Fitting was easy, but since the caliper is so huge u kinda need to get the Hope adapters (my Magura and Shimano adapters collided with the bigger 18mm pistons)
Setup was easy, but getting the pins into the braided hose after shortening was a challenge without special tools...
What type of riding do you do?Bikepark, only 4 days with the brakes so far.
How do you find the on-trail performance: power, modulation, bite point consistency, fade, noise?
Power is great as far as I can tell now. But didnt get to ride super long/steep stuff yet.Modulation is probably the biggest upgrade coming from Shiguras. Not so "bity" .
I experienced some bite point inconsistencies, but that might be because of a not so good bleed from the factory? (I didn't fully bleed them by myself yet).
Those bite point inconsistencies could also be because of water above the diaphragm?! I washed them thoroughly after mounting and noticed I managed to get water under the "lid", since there are the two pressure compensation holes on top of the lid. Water/Dot mix was pressed out those holes while riding. Tried to get that all out by flipping the bike over, let's see next rides.
Noise: the green pads do make quite a bit of noise on the front rotor (Hope "EBike" 220mm). Purple Pads on the rear no noise as far as I remember.
Have you bled and worked on them, any mechanical problems or difficulties?Not full bleed yet, only "pushing back pistons" after shortening the hose and topping up with Dot.
As mentioned, you can get water above the diaphragm i guess, which maybe hinders pressure compensation?
And braided hose pin insertion is tough.
Oh and "alignment" of the hose is tricky, since at some point of tightening it really starts to "grip" and then the hose is "twisted" or "curled" in the final state.
So you kinda have to calculate for that when retightening the hose to the lever.
How do they compare to other brakes you have used?Until now the only ones I had, that do offer Shigura style power, but with better modulation.
And quality is outstanding. Super easy to align caliper etc. since everything is tightly machined.
Are you still using them, or have you gone back to other brakes?Yes, and dont intend "to go back" ,but the noise of the green pads bothers me a bit.
I got Trickstuff Powers for the front, but didnt try them yet.
Andreas from Germany
How did you find the packing, fitting, and setup?
Everything was packed neatly and fitting was easy as the products are superb quality. Setup was fairly simple, as I had Tech 3 V4s previously. I used a "reversed" bleed where you push the fluid up from the caliper instead of the normal gravity bleed. Works like a charm!
What type of riding do you do?80% trail/enduro, 20% park.
How do you find the on-trail performance: power, modulation, bite point consistency, fade, noise?The modulation is perfect, with a precise bite point. I've experienced zero bite point wandering, even in the winter in -15°C temperatures which is big issue with Shimano brakes (which I still like).
No fading, even in the park. There is some noise to them, but nothing out of the ordinary.
Have you bled and worked on them, any mechanical problems or difficulties?I've actually haven't bled them after the install. I don't feel like I need to still, but I guess I'll give them a full bleed the next time I do a full overhaul on my bike.
How do they compare to other brakes you have used?I've had Sram Code R and RSC which have a nice modulation and power, but I had to bleed them always after a few rides. Same thing with my friends who still ride them.
Shimano XT 4-pot are great, but the wandering bite point and the on/off feeling wasn't to my liking.
The best brake I've had (except the Hopes) were Shiguras. Xt lever paired with Magura MT5/MT7 calipers. Excellent modulation and lots of power. Rode them two years before I gotthe Tech 3 V4's and never looked back.
Are you still using them, or have you gone back to other brakes?Still on the Hopes, not going back to anything. Love them!
Hope this helps! (No pun intended)
Best regards,
Lassi
In regards to the brakes.
I have always used hope tech3 E4, never had an issue with them and never felt the need to change to another brand. So quite the Hope loyalist.
Had been looking at the Tech 4 V4 for a while, but never felt the need to really change.
Then amazingly won two pairs of v4 from your self.
Packaging, and posting and communication with Paul was outstanding, couldn’t have asked for better.
I fitted the first pair to a turbo levo, logic being heavier bike needs bigger better brakes.
At first pull on the levers in the garage. They felt different, much lighter and oddly I was concerned they weren’t as good as the E4’s.
Most riding is techy, steep singletrack and DH in the Welsh valleys.
Once riding, first time a brake has actually put a smile on my face. They are so light to the touch, never feel the need to yank hard on the lever to get the brake to work. The modulation is ridiculous. you can feather them to slow down nice and steady then a slight extra pull nothing heavy handed and you can lock the brakes up.
Oddly feels like my riding overall has become a lot smoother and faster. Not often do I need to lock the brakes up any more.
No brake fade, no noise, I haven’t had to do any servicing, alter the calliper etc. the e bike discs are another level.
The second pair are on a geometron G16, and now have some tech3 E4’s that are an outstanding brake. Sat on the garage shelf, which intern means I may need to buy another bike so they aren’t wasted. Concern would be I’d buy another set of V4’s!!!
The girlfriend now wants a set for a trip to Austria!
Not the best at writing Paul, as I’m better with my hands. But hope that helps of some kind.
Keep up the good work, only reliable source of non-biased reviews we have.
All the best
Paul Jeffery
Funding
I buy all the products you see on my site at full price or through online sales and these independent reviews are 100% crowdfunded by you guys buying competition tickets. This month, you can win some Trickstuff Direttissima brakes, Rulezman Suspension and a complete Hope Bike Build including some amazing Tech4 brakes as reviewed here!
To win, all you need to do is head to my competition site, answer a simple question and you have an extremely good chance to win: current odds at the time of publishing this article are 1/116!
The giveaway is guaranteed to happen on the end date regardless of how many tickets are sold. No extensions, no minimum ticket sales.
These competitions fund my reviews which I believe are the only truly independent MTB reviews online. All of the prizes and all of the products you see are bought by me - no sponsored posts, no freebies and no back-handers.
Thanks, Paul.