Disc brake options for the modern man?

[d8mok]

Magura levers =crap
Shimano calipers = crap

Shimano levers - good
Magura calipers - good

Hope calipers - good
Hope levers - good

I know, I’ll use the worst combo to form a brake …… or just buy Hope off the shelf.

I’ve got a set of Shimano GRX with RX4+ on gravel bike too which work amazingly.

 

[coomber]

Magura levers =crap
Shimano calipers = crap

Shimano levers - good
Magura calipers - good

Hope calipers - good
Hope levers - good

I know, I’ll use the worst combo to form a brake …… or just buy Hope off the shelf.

I’ve got a set of Shimano GRX with RX4+ on gravel bike too which work amazingly.

Seems we are on the same wavelength!

I also have RX4+ but on sram rival and that being my first experience of Hope, I am very impressed. They are simply brilliant.

 

[d8mok]

Seems we are on the same wavelength!

I also have RX4+ but on sram rival and that being my first experience of Hope, I am very impressed. They are simply brilliant.

Yep they really good. Once my newly built road bike suffers from leaking ultegra calipers I’ll be putting Hope on it. Unless it happens in the warranty that is.

 

[coomber]

Yep they really good. Once my newly built road bike suffers from leaking ultegra calipers I’ll be putting Hope on it. Unless it happens in the warranty that is.

My last failed shimano, warranted, sold replacement as new and just got guide r e's. That was on a bike I've since sold.

 

[ishaw]

I've suffered the micro leaks on deore on my son's bike. Seems to be a widely recognised issue with Shimano they don't seem to acknowledge or fix.

Maguras I've got are decent, well one set is, the other loses pressure despite bleeding so not sure what's going on there as no evidence of a leak. The bodies are a bit plasticky for sure and a bit fragile.

Hopes are of course great, not sure I can afford them currently but do have more sets of techs than I can possibly use so maybe sell some and buy some newer versions.

I'll look at SRAM with a different mindset and see what available.

Thanks for the feedback thus far.

 

[clubby]

All my bikes are on SRAM brakes with no issues. Avoid basic R version as the lever feel isn’t as nice as the RS. RSC not worth the extra.
Had the usual issues everyone had with Avid in the past but the current version of SRAM brakes are sorted.

Only bike I’ve ever had with Shimano discs had leaked. Non series basic job but the front actually stopped well while the resr developed a leak after less than a year. Warranty replacement did the same after a month. LBS gave up and gave my a he’s ill discounted set of Guide RS instead which haven’t even had a bleed in 5 years and perform perfectly.

Just to confuse thing even more, my mate really rated his Formulas.

Not had Hopes for years. Had quite a few sets back in the day, then had bad luck with them after they went to the mono calliper design. Everyone goes on about his great it is to be able to get all the spare parts for them. Personally I prefer a product that doesn’t constantly need parts replaced.

 

[ishaw]

I forgot about formula, I have a set on my folding bike, they were pretty decent in use, but lack of use has resulted in them being a bit sticky.

I get what you mean about hope and spare parts, I've had to rebuild a few tech master cylinders in my time, not sure it was a great design but maintaining them is pretty easy, and possible where others aren't serviceable.

So it seems that whatever brakes I've owned, I've had issues of some sort in the past.

Doesn't make deciding on new brakes any easier.

Various reviews I've read rate the new tech 4 brakes, and the guide rs, and magura.

If I can get some tech 4s in black at a reasonable price, I'd certainly be happy as it looks like I could use the ispec-II I have, or do I need a different clamp to standard?

 

[coomber]

I've suffered the micro leaks on deore on my son's bike. Seems to be a widely recognised issue with Shimano they don't seem to acknowledge or fix.

Maguras I've got are decent, well one set is, the other loses pressure despite bleeding so not sure what's going on there as no evidence of a leak. The bodies are a bit plasticky for sure and a bit fragile.

Hopes are of course great, not sure I can afford them currently but do have more sets of techs than I can possibly use so maybe sell some and buy some newer versions.

I'll look at SRAM with a different mindset and see what available.

Thanks for the feedback thus far.

I forgot about formula, I have a set on my folding bike, they were pretty decent in use, but lack of use has resulted in them being a bit sticky.

I get what you mean about hope and spare parts, I've had to rebuild a few tech master cylinders in my time, not sure it was a great design but maintaining them is pretty easy, and possible where others aren't serviceable.

So it seems that whatever brakes I've owned, I've had issues of some sort in the past.

Doesn't make deciding on new brakes any easier.

Various reviews I've read rate the new tech 4 brakes, and the guide rs, and magura.

If I can get some tech 4s in black at a reasonable price, I'd certainly be happy as it looks like I could use the ispec-II I have, or do I need a different clamp to standard?

I'd get formula but hard to see who supplies them in the UK. Same also Hayes. Spares might be an issue

 

[ishaw]

So, more trawling on the net and I am still seeing good and not so good reviews of most of the brakes listed or recommended, even the new hope tech 4.

I can get a brand new set of magura MT5 Pro limited edition, including storm rotors for sub £200, mt7 pro for a little more, without rotors, or double that for hope tech 4s with no rotors.

I'm leaning towards the MT5 Pro as they seem decent enough, and I've got the bleed kit for them. I'm still sort of on the fence though, anyone want to talk me into or out of pulling the trigger?

 

[d8mok]

I had a pair of black E4 hopes on a bike I built in 2017 (I think) which then got swapped onto 3 more bikes without any maintenance at all. I sold them simply because in 2021 I was building a bike with silver bits. I bought E4 again.

I’ve had a couple of pairs of Maguras and they are sharp but without feel. Good value. But the levers break. Needed bleeding once a year too.