Tested - Hope Mini and M4 Disc Brakes

Given the choice, I’d take function over form any day. That doesn’t mean I’m not a whore to the bling factor, but if I had to choose between a part that looks bland but works and a part that looks chi but sucks hard, I’d choose the one that works 11 times out of 10. Now, given the choice between a chi part that works and a bland one that also works, well, like I said, I’m a whore...
Off the top, I think you’d be hard pressed to find a set of brakes as sweet looking as the Hope family. All that Hope CNC-machined goodness would look as much at home in the display case of Rodeo Drive’s jewellery shops as it does mounted on Peaty’s Orange. That doesn’t mean they work though does it? From what I’ve seen Steve Peat doesn’t use his brakes, and the last time I checked, all the bling in the world does little to slow well over 220 pounds (that’d be 100 kilos for the metric folk out there) of man and machine trying to make that blown out berm at the bottom of Dead Dog. For those unfamiliar with Dead Dog, it’s better known as the drop in at the top of Mount 7 in Golden, BC. To date, I’ve not seen any descent as long and steep (and scary) anywhere. I’ve been riding it for over 5 years and my pants still get tight thinking about dropping in! But this story’s supposed to be about the brakes right?

First off, I should say, I’ve been a long time Hayes user for a few reasons. First, and foremost, they work. Granted, there isn't much modulation to be had, but you can't argue with the fact they will stop a wheel, anywhere, anytime. Second would have to be availability of spare and replacement parts. This may be a regional thing, but at least in Western Canada, you can be almost anywhere and still get the parts you need should anything go awry. There’s nothing worse than a road trip cut short by broken parts that can’t be fixed with parts available at the local shop (except maybe broken body parts - they suck even worse). A recent move to Nelson, or more correctly, just two short blocks from NRG Enterprises, the Great White Hope distributor made my second argument moot. What about that first requirement?


Using the same lever as it's big brother, the M4, the Mini is available with 145, 165, & 185mm rotors and the complete system, including bolts, fluid and 165mm hardware weighs in at 380 grams per end. For 2004, the Mini caliper has been upgraded to 2014 series aluminum (now called the Mono Mini) and the rotor sizes have been changed to 140, 160 and 180mm. The new caliper is said to improve lever feel over the older polished Mini (more on that in a few), and the lever remains (thankfully) unchanged.

Just minutes after the Mini was first mounted on the rear of my KeeWee Progressor hardtail I did this crazy one-handed descent into town. I should say here that Nelson's much like San Francisco - steep, steep and um... steep! Details are somewhat fuzzy, but I seem to remember a cast on my left arm, which was also laden with the M4 box of goodies, 2 tires and a coffee. My right hand had the much less strenuous, though no less important, tasks of braking and steering. Overall, not too smart, but then again I've never been accused of being the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree.


Now... where was I going with this... oh yeah, the longish descent, heavy load and unbedded (is that even a word?) pads conspired against my first impressions. I was less than a block from my destination when the rear brake let go. No, really... it let go, the friction material separated from the metal backing plate on one pad and I was left with one pad and metal on metal contact for slowing duties. Not a great first impression, but I quickly picked up the phone, called "Skinny" Mike from NRG and he recommended I stop by for a fresh set of pads. In the 4 months of testing since installing the new pads, I've had no further separation anxiety (I should note, on the same set of replacement pads). I may have gotten a bad pad, which, to tell the truth, has happened on more than one occasion with some of my aftermarket Hayes pads.


Right out of the box, the Hope levers are among the most ergonomic available. I found the 2 finger lever's shape, adjustability and feel reminiscient of my Hayes/Razorrock lever combination. Levers are left and right specific, in that they require hose swapping for folks who like to ride "moto style". The two bolt clamp makes for easy brake swaps without removing each and every item outside of the lever. Now, for the downside, I found the rear Mini had a mushy feel when squeezed with any vigor. As I said earlier, the new Mono Mini caliper is said to improve this mushy feeling. In speaking with other Hope users, a solution for current Mini owners is the "guaranteed for life" Goodridge USA hydraulic hose. I've not used the hose, but the display model Goodridge showed us at Interbike felt... sublime.

On the trail, the Mini offers great modulation, especially when compared to the Hayes. The brake didn't pump up and once I had dialed in proper technique, fade was virtually non-existant on steep technical descents. I would have liked the brake to lock up with a little less effort, but once the pads were bedded, I was descending even the steepest local trails without fear. I did notice the Hope pads took more time than I was used to for break in, however, on the upside, they've also outlasted any other pads I've used in the past.



Available in 145, 165, 185 & 205mm rotor sizes (205mm tested) the M4 caliper uses 4-pistons squeezed by the aformentioned Mini lever. All tolled on the scale, the M4's come in at 460 grams per end, not bad for a DH brake. Like the Mini, the M4 has been replaced by the Mono M4 with 2014 series aluminum caliper and 160, 180 and 200mm rotors. In the parking lot, the 4 piston system gave a much better feel at the lever and lock up was achieved with much less effort than the Mini. This could probably be attributed as much to the increased rotor size as to the M4's additional power. On the trail I immediately noticed the M4's exceptional modulation. Whether I was inching down wet, rooty, rocky gnar, trying to make that berm at the bottom of Dead Dog, or busting big, nose wheelies for the ladies, the M4's never let me down (though I'm certain my technique did more often than not). It was like a rheostat at my fingertips.


Fade? Nope, none, nada never, thank you very much. I could squeeze to my heart's content and the M4's just squealed with delight, day or night. If only my wife had the same reaction. Speaking of squealing, the Hopes do make some noise, a problem made worse by bikes with less that square mounts. If you're adamantly against a little noise, I'd suggest you take the time to face your IS mounts during installation.

There's the other downside, the Hopes aren't quite as intuitive during installation as the Hayes or Avid offerings. Hope uses the IS style mount on all of their calipers which requires the use of spacers to correctly position the caliper in relation to the rotor. Once set up, this really isn't an issue, but they did take more than a few minutes to install the first time, and if, like me, you frequently swap brakes from bike to bike, you'll wish for an easier system. I'd love to see Hope adopt the Hayes style brake mount to ease this one particular gripe. Then again, I do have a tendency to bitch and moan (as my wife tells me, usually right after one of those squeezes is rebuffed).


So, there you have it, 2 great brakes, each with a slightly different intended usage. For the XC and light trailriding crowd, I'd highly recommend the Mini brake. Lightweight riders looking to freeride all but the nastiest steeps could use the brake with a 185mm rotor (or 180 on the new Mono Mini). Heavier riders and those looking for the ultimate DH/freeride brake (with damn near XC race worthy weight) should look no further than the M4. This is one hell of a brake that in 4 months of abuse, gave me zero troubles. It was ridden in the dust and dirt of Utah, down the sphincter-clenching steeps of Golden, over the best that Whistler has to offer and even in the sub-zero snow just up the hill. Oh yeah, did I mention it's pretty looking too? I can't think of a better brake on the market to find in your stocking this year. Well, maybe the new Mono6Ti, but 6 pistons may just be overkill, 4 seemed to work just right...


For more information on Hope's 2004 lineup, visit www.hopetech.com.