Bike Build Story: Slowly but surely, our XC Hardtail is taking shape around the Giant XTC Advanced frame. After we have already introduced you to the suspension fork, wheels and the drive, today follows the brakes. Here's CNC milling art from Great Britain in our setup: The Hope X2 Tech3.
The disc brake market has changed and developed steadily in recent years since hydraulic brakes became popular on MTBs. Four or five years ago there were noticeable, decisive and sometimes frighteningly large differences in braking performance between the numerous different models, but in the recent past they have come closer together. Sure, even today the differences between light XC brakes and downhill anchors are still noticeable, but the sheer braking power of even cheaper hydraulic brakes is sufficient for almost all applications today.
Of course, that doesn't mean that all brakes are the same: workmanship, ergonomics, controllability, maintenance - all of these are still decisive factors in the purchase, where there are still huge differences. And the price, of course - here too you have to weigh up how much you want to invest.
Hope X2 Tech3: Processing and optics at the highest level
The manufacturer Hope from the north of England is one of the disc brake veterans and was actually there right from the start. Even today, all brakes are still built in Barnoldswick with dedication, but they still go their own way. They don't want to compete with the giants from Shimano, SRAM or even Magura and instead focus on the things that Hope fans have always appreciated. This undoubtedly includes the outstanding workmanship of the CNC-milled components and the associated striking, extravagant and unique look.
Really all individual parts of the Hope braking system are made of metal, you won't find any plastic. Exception in our case: the braking performance. Here, too, Hope still has steel flex lines for a better pressure point and longer durability, but we also decided on the plastic version for weight reasons. The Hope X2 brake caliper is the lightest model currently available from Hope and replaces the proven Mini. It is currently available in combination with the Allround Tech3 brake levers or the very light Race Evo, which, however, have a little less power due to a slightly different gear ratio.
In our case, we accepted the slight additional weight of the Tech3 levers for better braking performance and more reserves. In any case, the brake is very light - even though carbon is not used at all. Without discs, the front wheel brake with 900mm cable weighs just 242g - that's even less than Hope says and is roughly on par with the Shimano XT.
Hope X2 Tech3: Plenty of setting options
Now we've talked a lot about the brake calipers, but the real star of the show are the Tech3 brake levers - for several reasons. Sure: The workmanship is great here too and the entire construction feels stiffer, more robust and of higher quality than many parts of the competition. Generous holes in the brake lever itself improve grip even in wet conditions.
The setting options of the Tech3 lever are outstanding. Grip width and pressure point can be adjusted to individual needs. That's right, almost all disc brakes now offer this, especially in the price range in which the Hopes are moving. So good, so ordinary. But with probably no other braking system does the adjustment work as well, noticeably, intuitively and effectively as with the Tech3 levers. It starts with the pressure point adjustment, which the English call Bite Point Control (BPC). With the competition, the range of pressure point adjustment is usually more in the homeopathic range and can hardly be felt while driving. It's completely different with Hope: Here you can really efficiently set how much free travel you prefer, whether you want the pressure point to be on the first few millimeters or rather close to the handlebars.
The same applies to the grip width, which can be adjusted over an amazingly wide range and should satisfy very small and very large hands alike. Especially in combination with the pressure point adjustment you have a lot of leeway in terms of ergonomics - great!
Hope X2 Tech3: Installation, Maintenance and Bleeding
Even experienced mechanics are cautious and skeptical when it comes to installing and maintaining disc brakes: no matter how much has happened in terms of braking performance with hydraulic stoppers, only a few systems can really convince here. Even simple bleeding often turns into a game of patience and the correct alignment of the brake caliper is rarely done in five minutes. How do the noble Hope brakes fare?
The assembly itself is very easy. With the appropriate adapters (which, by the way, are also superbly made – the adapters!), the brake calipers are quickly attached and the quite generous air gap allows the disc to rotate between the pads without rubbing after just a few movements. Next, of course, is the shortening of the line - here too there is hardly anything to complain about and if you proceed with a little care, you will even save yourself the need to bleed afterwards.
If you spill something and still have to top up brake fluid, you don't need to worry. Hope still uses DOT brake fluid, which has an unfairly bad reputation among many bikers. From my own experience, a DOT brake performs no worse or better than a disc with mineral oil and the maintenance intervals depend much more on the brake construction itself than on the medium used. But back to the venting procedure; You are not quite at the comfort level of modern Shimano brakes with their funnel system and you have to refill the reservoir on the lever yourself, which is rather old-school, but there is no reason to panic even for beginners. On the one hand there are very good video instructions from Hope, on the other hand the brakes are very good-natured and quick to bleed and the air comes out of the system very quickly.
Hope X2 Tech3: Sustainability Advantage
Hope brakes are certainly not bargains - at least not at first glance. At €350 without discs, they are more in the high-priced league, but without being able to play at the top in terms of braking power or weight. Sure: The production is completely in the (still..) EU, the high-quality materials and the beautiful workmanship have their price, and rightly so. But Hope brakes also have a tangible advantage that puts the price into perspective and is often overlooked: all spare parts are still available at fair prices even after many years and replacing them is no problem at all for halfway experienced screwdrivers.
A short anecdote, directly from everyday biker life: Ten years ago I treated myself to a Hope M4 and laboriously saved from the meager student wages. The brakes stayed with me for a long time and always did their job reliably without a murmur and despite neglected maintenance. At some point, however, I broke up the bike and the brakes initially went into the gloomy scrap box, where they accumulated dust over many months. A few months ago, however, the opportunity arose to install the brakes on a new project. So get out of the spare box! However, closer inspection revealed years of altitude torture: the pistons moved erratically, one of them seemed to be losing some fluid, the levers had some play and were stiff.
With probably any other brake that would have been certain (economic) death. Not so with Hope. After I identified the problem areas, I was able to order all the spare parts I needed from my trusted Hope dealer - for a total of less than €30 and for a brake that hasn't been in the English range for a few years. Including a seal kit for a brake caliper and a complete rebuild kit for the brake lever. On a rainy afternoon, the brakes were then disassembled, the dirt that had accumulated over the years removed and the relevant parts replaced. Only new brake fluid and I had a practically new brake for little money, which worked like on the first day. Especially in times of today's throwaway society a satisfaction.
Hope X2 Tech3: Floating discs with narrow rivets
The discs from Hope are a feast for the eyes - at just under 150g for a 180mm disc they are not lightweight either, but they are almost traditional with very good fading behavior and plenty of reserves even on longer descents. In the past, however, there was an occasional problem with the Hope discs: The rivets that connect the spider to the braking surface were very tall and could rub on the brake caliper, frame, fork or adapter if the tolerances were unfavorable.
This problem has now been eliminated in the last year: At the same time, the jagged saw shape has been abandoned and the new discs are now significantly rounder and visually a little more reserved.
Web
www.hopetech.com
In the next part of our Bike Build Story we will deal with the cockpit. Among other things with carbon made in Germany. Here you can find all previous articles and components: