Just picked up a set of Radic Kaha’s after 2 years with Dominions and I wanted to post my initial impressions for anyone that might have...
Just picked up a set of Radic Kaha’s after 2 years with Dominions and I wanted to post my initial impressions for anyone that might have these on their radar. FWIW I have, prior to the A4’s, been a Shimano fanboy for 10ish years? But I’ve been fortunate enough to have ridden some MT7’s and a few different versions of codes as well. The first thing I want to point out about the radic’s is that next to Maximas (only squeezed, never ridden), they have the best fit and finish of any brake ever I’ve seen, for the price it’s pretty remarkable what you get, granted I know they are made overseas but whoever is making them knows what they are doing.
The bite point is brutal with how quick it arrives. Near zero free stroke yet pretty easy to get aligned, meaning there is still sufficient pad clearance, something I appreciate since these don’t have the Hayes alignment screw (another game changer). That being said the lever action is not nearly as light as I was expecting. New or refreshed set of A4’s are much lighter, I don’t remember exactly how the Maximas felt but I do remember when getting the A4’s that they were better feeling than anything I had ever felt (maybe I have a outlier set?). I was thinking about seeing if we have a digital pull scale at work that I could use to quantify this because it’s noticeable, I have another bike with XT’s on it that are much heavier feeling than the Kaha’s but having numbers is always fun. I will say that the Dominions require regular maintenance to keep that light lever feel. Cleaning and greasing the ball and socket at the lever as well as keeping the pistons clean is the trick that I’ve found to keeping the lever feeling like you can blow on it to get engagement… Being that leverage ratio/shape is probably the biggest lever, no pun intended, that a company can use to influence brake feel it makes sense In my min that the Kahas have a heavier feel. If you want zero free stroke you need to have more leverage to get more lever piston travel at the initial part of the stroke. The A4’s have much more dead stroke but gain a really, really light and smooth lever.
I’m waiting on some sinter green pads to arrive, as well at the frame that these will ultimately be bolted to before I actually will put some serious miles on them. For the time being it’s just garage nerding as I don’t want to run the lines inside my stumpy evo right now. Hopefully within the next week I’ll be able to do some back to back comparisons with the same pads and rotors setup on two bikes with I’m pretty stoked about. Even if they aren’t any better they shure do look sweet!
curious to know if you got the updated seals in the calipers, i've heard plenty of people going back and forth with leaky calipers, so much so 2 on facebook already made a mix with mt7 caliper for desperation.
Just picked up a set of Radic Kaha’s after 2 years with Dominions and I wanted to post my initial impressions for anyone that might have...
Just picked up a set of Radic Kaha’s after 2 years with Dominions and I wanted to post my initial impressions for anyone that might have these on their radar. FWIW I have, prior to the A4’s, been a Shimano fanboy for 10ish years? But I’ve been fortunate enough to have ridden some MT7’s and a few different versions of codes as well. The first thing I want to point out about the radic’s is that next to Maximas (only squeezed, never ridden), they have the best fit and finish of any brake ever I’ve seen, for the price it’s pretty remarkable what you get, granted I know they are made overseas but whoever is making them knows what they are doing.
The bite point is brutal with how quick it arrives. Near zero free stroke yet pretty easy to get aligned, meaning there is still sufficient pad clearance, something I appreciate since these don’t have the Hayes alignment screw (another game changer). That being said the lever action is not nearly as light as I was expecting. New or refreshed set of A4’s are much lighter, I don’t remember exactly how the Maximas felt but I do remember when getting the A4’s that they were better feeling than anything I had ever felt (maybe I have a outlier set?). I was thinking about seeing if we have a digital pull scale at work that I could use to quantify this because it’s noticeable, I have another bike with XT’s on it that are much heavier feeling than the Kaha’s but having numbers is always fun. I will say that the Dominions require regular maintenance to keep that light lever feel. Cleaning and greasing the ball and socket at the lever as well as keeping the pistons clean is the trick that I’ve found to keeping the lever feeling like you can blow on it to get engagement… Being that leverage ratio/shape is probably the biggest lever, no pun intended, that a company can use to influence brake feel it makes sense In my min that the Kahas have a heavier feel. If you want zero free stroke you need to have more leverage to get more lever piston travel at the initial part of the stroke. The A4’s have much more dead stroke but gain a really, really light and smooth lever.
I’m waiting on some sinter green pads to arrive, as well at the frame that these will ultimately be bolted to before I actually will put some serious miles on them. For the time being it’s just garage nerding as I don’t want to run the lines inside my stumpy evo right now. Hopefully within the next week I’ll be able to do some back to back comparisons with the same pads and rotors setup on two bikes with I’m pretty stoked about. Even if they aren’t any better they shure do look sweet!
curious to know if you got the updated seals in the calipers, i've heard plenty of people going back and forth with leaky calipers, so much...
curious to know if you got the updated seals in the calipers, i've heard plenty of people going back and forth with leaky calipers, so much so 2 on facebook already made a mix with mt7 caliper for desperation.
Interesting, do you know how you would know, there are no SN’s on mine? The pair I got have the bite point adjustment, which is not shown on the site from what I can see… it’s kinda hard to tell how the revs are tracked. But thanks for the heads up I’ll keep an eye on that!
Just picked up a set of Radic Kaha’s after 2 years with Dominions and I wanted to post my initial impressions for anyone that might have...
Just picked up a set of Radic Kaha’s after 2 years with Dominions and I wanted to post my initial impressions for anyone that might have these on their radar. FWIW I have, prior to the A4’s, been a Shimano fanboy for 10ish years? But I’ve been fortunate enough to have ridden some MT7’s and a few different versions of codes as well. The first thing I want to point out about the radic’s is that next to Maximas (only squeezed, never ridden), they have the best fit and finish of any brake ever I’ve seen, for the price it’s pretty remarkable what you get, granted I know they are made overseas but whoever is making them knows what they are doing.
The bite point is brutal with how quick it arrives. Near zero free stroke yet pretty easy to get aligned, meaning there is still sufficient pad clearance, something I appreciate since these don’t have the Hayes alignment screw (another game changer). That being said the lever action is not nearly as light as I was expecting. New or refreshed set of A4’s are much lighter, I don’t remember exactly how the Maximas felt but I do remember when getting the A4’s that they were better feeling than anything I had ever felt (maybe I have a outlier set?). I was thinking about seeing if we have a digital pull scale at work that I could use to quantify this because it’s noticeable, I have another bike with XT’s on it that are much heavier feeling than the Kaha’s but having numbers is always fun. I will say that the Dominions require regular maintenance to keep that light lever feel. Cleaning and greasing the ball and socket at the lever as well as keeping the pistons clean is the trick that I’ve found to keeping the lever feeling like you can blow on it to get engagement… Being that leverage ratio/shape is probably the biggest lever, no pun intended, that a company can use to influence brake feel it makes sense In my min that the Kahas have a heavier feel. If you want zero free stroke you need to have more leverage to get more lever piston travel at the initial part of the stroke. The A4’s have much more dead stroke but gain a really, really light and smooth lever.
I’m waiting on some sinter green pads to arrive, as well at the frame that these will ultimately be bolted to before I actually will put some serious miles on them. For the time being it’s just garage nerding as I don’t want to run the lines inside my stumpy evo right now. Hopefully within the next week I’ll be able to do some back to back comparisons with the same pads and rotors setup on two bikes with I’m pretty stoked about. Even if they aren’t any better they shure do look sweet!
curious to know if you got the updated seals in the calipers, i've heard plenty of people going back and forth with leaky calipers, so much...
curious to know if you got the updated seals in the calipers, i've heard plenty of people going back and forth with leaky calipers, so much so 2 on facebook already made a mix with mt7 caliper for desperation.
Interesting, do you know how you would know, there are no SN’s on mine? The pair I got have the bite point adjustment, which is not...
Interesting, do you know how you would know, there are no SN’s on mine? The pair I got have the bite point adjustment, which is not shown on the site from what I can see… it’s kinda hard to tell how the revs are tracked. But thanks for the heads up I’ll keep an eye on that!
Yeah the website has 0 information about the changes they’re making which is pretty weird
I'm looking to experiment with a set of Hope T4V4's and I've got a few questions for any owners out there. First off, are the braided lines a make or "brake"? I'm buying them used and for whatever reason they have standard hoses instead of the braided lines. I'm not a big guy (165 kitted) and don't tend to overheat or kill brakes, the only times I've needed more power was on particularly long runs using Code R/RSC's+200mm Centrelines. Secondly, I just bought a new set of Freeza 203 rotors for my current XT/ZEE setup and would rather use those with the Hope's rather than buying another set if possible. Is this going to cause excessive lever throw or any other adverse effects?
Hey all,I'm looking to experiment with a set of Hope T4V4's and I've got a few questions for any owners out there. First off, are the...
Hey all,
I'm looking to experiment with a set of Hope T4V4's and I've got a few questions for any owners out there. First off, are the braided lines a make or "brake"? I'm buying them used and for whatever reason they have standard hoses instead of the braided lines. I'm not a big guy (165 kitted) and don't tend to overheat or kill brakes, the only times I've needed more power was on particularly long runs using Code R/RSC's+200mm Centrelines. Secondly, I just bought a new set of Freeza 203 rotors for my current XT/ZEE setup and would rather use those with the Hope's rather than buying another set if possible. Is this going to cause excessive lever throw or any other adverse effects?
In my experience the braided hose doesn’t make a huge difference, nothing to worry about. (It’s a real pain to deal with if you have to cut the hoses to length as well). As for the rotors, you can run whatever, the pads will align themselves to the thickness.
page 13 : "the braided hose will be less prone to be damage when the bike is transported or handled. The overall brake performance will be the same using either hose. Burst pressure of braided hose is superior than the black hose but far beyond anything achievable by pulling the brake lever by hand".
page 13 : "the braided hose will be less prone to be damage when the bike is transported or handled. The overall brake performance will be the same using either hose. Burst pressure of braided hose is superior than the black hose but far beyond anything achievable by pulling the brake lever by hand".
Burst pressure and hose stiffness aren’t the same thing. The braided lines do make a small noticeable difference on trail.
The lever feel improves with braided lines because they expand less under pressure. It’s not a big improvement but it is noticeable. I’d say it’s about the same as the normal difference between front and rear brakes due to the extra hose length.
I’ve compared them side by side. My friend has the braided hoses on his Tech 4 V4s and I have the standard hoses.
page 13 : "the braided hose will be less prone to be damage when the bike is transported or handled. The overall brake performance will be the same using either hose. Burst pressure of braided hose is superior than the black hose but far beyond anything achievable by pulling the brake lever by hand".
Burst pressure and hose stiffness aren’t the same thing. The braided lines do make a small noticeable difference on trail.The lever feel improves with braided lines...
Burst pressure and hose stiffness aren’t the same thing. The braided lines do make a small noticeable difference on trail.
The lever feel improves with braided lines because they expand less under pressure. It’s not a big improvement but it is noticeable. I’d say it’s about the same as the normal difference between front and rear brakes due to the extra hose length.
I’ve compared them side by side. My friend has the braided hoses on his Tech 4 V4s and I have the standard hoses.
Agree to disagree my friend, otherwise I'm sure Hope would have stated things a bit differently and would not say they have the same performance.
Regarding the usual difference between front and rear, I was guessing the same as you before I could put my hand on Trinity brakes ; the feeling is exactly the same between front AND rear. As they are the easiest brake to bleed, my guess is that the difference we usually feels comes from the bleeding that is not perfect.
page 13 : "the braided hose will be less prone to be damage when the bike is transported or handled. The overall brake performance will be the same using either hose. Burst pressure of braided hose is superior than the black hose but far beyond anything achievable by pulling the brake lever by hand".
Burst pressure and hose stiffness aren’t the same thing. The braided lines do make a small noticeable difference on trail.The lever feel improves with braided lines...
Burst pressure and hose stiffness aren’t the same thing. The braided lines do make a small noticeable difference on trail.
The lever feel improves with braided lines because they expand less under pressure. It’s not a big improvement but it is noticeable. I’d say it’s about the same as the normal difference between front and rear brakes due to the extra hose length.
I’ve compared them side by side. My friend has the braided hoses on his Tech 4 V4s and I have the standard hoses.
Agree to disagree my friend, otherwise I'm sure Hope would have stated things a bit differently and would not say they have the same performance. Regarding the...
Agree to disagree my friend, otherwise I'm sure Hope would have stated things a bit differently and would not say they have the same performance.
Regarding the usual difference between front and rear, I was guessing the same as you before I could put my hand on Trinity brakes ; the feeling is exactly the same between front AND rear. As they are the easiest brake to bleed, my guess is that the difference we usually feels comes from the bleeding that is not perfect.
Hope aren’t wrong, “Overall performance” is the same, the brake doesn’t make more stopping power with a braided line.
It just slightly firms up the lever feel after the pads contact the rotor.
Regarding front-rear differences, in my experience it seems to vary between brands based on the hoses they spec. The worst I’ve seen was Magura, their hoses were almost stretchy. If you squeezed the line, you could feel it expand when you pulled the brake.
Hope aren’t wrong, “Overall performance” is the same, the brake doesn’t make more stopping power with a braided line.It just slightly firms up the lever feel...
Hope aren’t wrong, “Overall performance” is the same, the brake doesn’t make more stopping power with a braided line.
It just slightly firms up the lever feel after the pads contact the rotor.
Regarding front-rear differences, in my experience it seems to vary between brands based on the hoses they spec. The worst I’ve seen was Magura, their hoses were almost stretchy. If you squeezed the line, you could feel it expand when you pulled the brake.
same with the shimano lines, indeed to have them feeling the same i preload the system a click more with my oak levers on my mt7, it gives a tad shorter bite point but they feel the same on the trail
do you guys usually have the best performance out of the stock rotors or what do you guys like? and on what brake/pad brand?
for example on my mt7 i loved the MDR-P, floating, the rivets sucks tho and they develop play and rattle, i've had luck with the 220 up front, gave up on the back and used a few storm that, at the price in europe are unbeatable, and now trying a Dahle HD to see how it goes
i've tried the trp rs01 but it took 4 big rides to get a slight bite on them, plus plenty of runs in the flat to bed them in, since i could get no bite i just gave them up to a friend with metal pads and shimano deores and he loved them, curious if the new rs05 that look a copy of the ultra expensive Galfer shark are any better
Galfer rotors... biggest thing is how straight they came. I've had trp r1 rotors rock on my glass plateHope rotors are good aswell.I've used the MDR-P rotors...
Galfer rotors... biggest thing is how straight they came. I've had trp r1 rotors rock on my glass plate
Hope rotors are good aswell.
I've used the MDR-P rotors and they are onpar with hs2 IMO didnt rattle.
The Dachle HD is a great rotor. Not sure how it does it but it interfaces really well with Top Brake Premium Gold pads using Dominion A4 calipers. Can do a little stoppie without body input.
HS2s have been disappointing. Looking for a replacement, unfortunately can only purchase more Dachle HD rotors from r2 or bike24 and need to purchase several to make it worthwhile. Wish there was a comparable rotor for the same cost in the US. I see Galfer a lot, but the rotors cost double or more.
The Dachle HD is a great rotor. Not sure how it does it but it interfaces really well with Top Brake Premium Gold pads using Dominion...
The Dachle HD is a great rotor. Not sure how it does it but it interfaces really well with Top Brake Premium Gold pads using Dominion A4 calipers. Can do a little stoppie without body input.
HS2s have been disappointing. Looking for a replacement, unfortunately can only purchase more Dachle HD rotors from r2 or bike24 and need to purchase several to make it worthwhile. Wish there was a comparable rotor for the same cost in the US. I see Galfer a lot, but the rotors cost double or more.
Shark rotors are worth the money. Been using mine for about 4 weeks, done two big races and they feel amazing and straight as hell, which ofc helps with my magura brakes too..
Only problem I've found with the Shark rotors is if you're using tall pads like Hope V4, you better have them aligned EXACTLY right for the height, otherwise you end up with the pads being eaten by the shark teeth. Took me a bit to understand the noise... And it took trying out a few adapters and shimming with super thin spacers to get it right.
They're a bit noisy, but with Trickstuff Power+ pads, all rotors are loud..
On a note on pads, I've recently tried the Sinter race pads, not too bad! Similar to Trickstuff in power, but quieter and so far no overheating noise or problem with them. If they last as long as the Power+ pads, I guess I've found my new go-to pads !
So one thing I've noticed on Hayes is that if you run your pads until they're done (1.75mm thick inc. backer plate), the free stroke gets longer. Doesn't matter if you rebleed (with bleed block), reseat pistons, etc., there's just a turning point somewhere where the pad thickness gets thin enough that the rollback makes the free stroke longer. Conversely when you put very thick fresh pads in, even with pistons fully retracted, the free stroke is shorter. It got me thinking, would running 2.3mm thick rotors help at the end of pad life situation?
The alternative would be doing a top bleed with the pad spacer in place (overfilling the system), but then you'd need to rebleed when you add new pads in order to relieve the overfill and get clearance back. That sounds like a hassle. Or I guess the last option would be to just replace the pads earlier, when the free stroke feels too long even after reseating pistons with a strap overnight.
Only problem I've found with the Shark rotors is if you're using tall pads like Hope V4, you better have them aligned EXACTLY right for the...
Only problem I've found with the Shark rotors is if you're using tall pads like Hope V4, you better have them aligned EXACTLY right for the height, otherwise you end up with the pads being eaten by the shark teeth. Took me a bit to understand the noise... And it took trying out a few adapters and shimming with super thin spacers to get it right.
They're a bit noisy, but with Trickstuff Power+ pads, all rotors are loud..
On a note on pads, I've recently tried the Sinter race pads, not too bad! Similar to Trickstuff in power, but quieter and so far no overheating noise or problem with them. If they last as long as the Power+ pads, I guess I've found my new go-to pads !
really? cause the power + have the same compound as the power that i find quite silent on my mt7, and i assume shark + magura is a no go combo as the pads are quite tall
Only problem I've found with the Shark rotors is if you're using tall pads like Hope V4, you better have them aligned EXACTLY right for the...
Only problem I've found with the Shark rotors is if you're using tall pads like Hope V4, you better have them aligned EXACTLY right for the height, otherwise you end up with the pads being eaten by the shark teeth. Took me a bit to understand the noise... And it took trying out a few adapters and shimming with super thin spacers to get it right.
They're a bit noisy, but with Trickstuff Power+ pads, all rotors are loud..
On a note on pads, I've recently tried the Sinter race pads, not too bad! Similar to Trickstuff in power, but quieter and so far no overheating noise or problem with them. If they last as long as the Power+ pads, I guess I've found my new go-to pads !
really? cause the power + have the same compound as the power that i find quite silent on my mt7, and i assume shark + magura...
really? cause the power + have the same compound as the power that i find quite silent on my mt7, and i assume shark + magura is a no go combo as the pads are quite tall
Can't say about maguras own pads, but at least magura caliper, galfer pad, shark rotor the wear is even on the pads. (or im just lucky that the pads are aligned perfectly without doing anything special to them)
What's the minimum thickness of a galfer pad? Can't seem to find any recommended number for it.
Only problem I've found with the Shark rotors is if you're using tall pads like Hope V4, you better have them aligned EXACTLY right for the...
Only problem I've found with the Shark rotors is if you're using tall pads like Hope V4, you better have them aligned EXACTLY right for the height, otherwise you end up with the pads being eaten by the shark teeth. Took me a bit to understand the noise... And it took trying out a few adapters and shimming with super thin spacers to get it right.
They're a bit noisy, but with Trickstuff Power+ pads, all rotors are loud..
On a note on pads, I've recently tried the Sinter race pads, not too bad! Similar to Trickstuff in power, but quieter and so far no overheating noise or problem with them. If they last as long as the Power+ pads, I guess I've found my new go-to pads !
really? cause the power + have the same compound as the power that i find quite silent on my mt7, and i assume shark + magura...
really? cause the power + have the same compound as the power that i find quite silent on my mt7, and i assume shark + magura is a no go combo as the pads are quite tall
Can't say about maguras own pads, but at least magura caliper, galfer pad, shark rotor the wear is even on the pads. (or im just lucky...
Can't say about maguras own pads, but at least magura caliper, galfer pad, shark rotor the wear is even on the pads. (or im just lucky that the pads are aligned perfectly without doing anything special to them)
What's the minimum thickness of a galfer pad? Can't seem to find any recommended number for it.
so no troubles with that combo? as the pad size vs braking surface seems not matching i though the pad would bite on the fins and wear out weirdly
really? cause the power + have the same compound as the power that i find quite silent on my mt7, and i assume shark + magura...
really? cause the power + have the same compound as the power that i find quite silent on my mt7, and i assume shark + magura is a no go combo as the pads are quite tall
Can't say about maguras own pads, but at least magura caliper, galfer pad, shark rotor the wear is even on the pads. (or im just lucky...
Can't say about maguras own pads, but at least magura caliper, galfer pad, shark rotor the wear is even on the pads. (or im just lucky that the pads are aligned perfectly without doing anything special to them)
What's the minimum thickness of a galfer pad? Can't seem to find any recommended number for it.
so no troubles with that combo? as the pad size vs braking surface seems not matching i though the pad would bite on the fins and...
so no troubles with that combo? as the pad size vs braking surface seems not matching i though the pad would bite on the fins and wear out weirdly
After 4 weeks of usage (plenty of park days, couple of races) can't see (or even measure) any uneven wear, but looking at the pads/rotor, you are right that the pads do hit the fins slightly. Lets see if I can hunt some thin spacers down and if those make any difference in power/sound/wear. But working properly at least for now.
really? cause the power + have the same compound as the power that i find quite silent on my mt7, and i assume shark + magura...
really? cause the power + have the same compound as the power that i find quite silent on my mt7, and i assume shark + magura is a no go combo as the pads are quite tall
Always had a ton of noise using the Power or Power+ pads, no matter the rotor (Trickstuff HD, Formula Cura, Galfer Shark, Brakestuff, ...). They're really good, even if with very fast wear, but a bit noisy. Might also be due to the calipers I use, as a friend with Power pads on his Shimano XT wasn't making any noise ...
Now that I think about it, could have been the calipers all along ...
A 2nd opinion on the Sinter pads, they don't have the grabbiness of the Power+. Still good, but not that "anchor" feeling you can get on the Power+.
On a side note, I'll soon have the possibility to try out the Beringer Br4ve for a few weeks, and compare it to Trickstuff Maxima or Trickstuff DRT/612 calipers that I currently ride.
really? cause the power + have the same compound as the power that i find quite silent on my mt7, and i assume shark + magura...
really? cause the power + have the same compound as the power that i find quite silent on my mt7, and i assume shark + magura is a no go combo as the pads are quite tall
Always had a ton of noise using the Power or Power+ pads, no matter the rotor (Trickstuff HD, Formula Cura, Galfer Shark, Brakestuff, ...). They're really...
Always had a ton of noise using the Power or Power+ pads, no matter the rotor (Trickstuff HD, Formula Cura, Galfer Shark, Brakestuff, ...). They're really good, even if with very fast wear, but a bit noisy. Might also be due to the calipers I use, as a friend with Power pads on his Shimano XT wasn't making any noise ...
Now that I think about it, could have been the calipers all along ...
A 2nd opinion on the Sinter pads, they don't have the grabbiness of the Power+. Still good, but not that "anchor" feeling you can get on the Power+.
On a side note, I'll soon have the possibility to try out the Beringer Br4ve for a few weeks, and compare it to Trickstuff Maxima or Trickstuff DRT/612 calipers that I currently ride.
Shark rotors are worth the money. Been using mine for about 4 weeks, done two big races and they feel amazing and straight as hell, which...
Shark rotors are worth the money. Been using mine for about 4 weeks, done two big races and they feel amazing and straight as hell, which ofc helps with my magura brakes too..
Thanks for the recommendation but the Sharks are really pricey. I could pick up 2 Dachle HDs from R2 for just a little more than 1 Shark from Lordgun. Definitely interested, but they are a wee bit costly.
Quick question on brake pads. Im getting TRP DH-R Evo's and want to grab some sintered pads for them. I remember seeing they are compatable with shimano. Would some DO2S pads work or would you reccomend different sintered pads? Cant find the trp ones anywhere
Quick question on brake pads. Im getting TRP DH-R Evo's and want to grab some sintered pads for them. I remember seeing they are compatable with...
Quick question on brake pads. Im getting TRP DH-R Evo's and want to grab some sintered pads for them. I remember seeing they are compatable with shimano. Would some DO2S pads work or would you reccomend different sintered pads? Cant find the trp ones anywhere
Galfer Ebike pads are what we ran in DH-R's they were/are excellent & IMO were better than the TRP metal pads. Cant ever go wrong with shimano pads though.
curious to know if you got the updated seals in the calipers, i've heard plenty of people going back and forth with leaky calipers, so much so 2 on facebook already made a mix with mt7 caliper for desperation.
Interesting, do you know how you would know, there are no SN’s on mine? The pair I got have the bite point adjustment, which is not shown on the site from what I can see… it’s kinda hard to tell how the revs are tracked. But thanks for the heads up I’ll keep an eye on that!
Yeah the website has 0 information about the changes they’re making which is pretty weird
Anyone (US only I assume) looking for 2 pot brakes, Hayes has their Dominion A2s on sale 50% off. While supplies last.
Hey all,
I'm looking to experiment with a set of Hope T4V4's and I've got a few questions for any owners out there. First off, are the braided lines a make or "brake"? I'm buying them used and for whatever reason they have standard hoses instead of the braided lines. I'm not a big guy (165 kitted) and don't tend to overheat or kill brakes, the only times I've needed more power was on particularly long runs using Code R/RSC's+200mm Centrelines. Secondly, I just bought a new set of Freeza 203 rotors for my current XT/ZEE setup and would rather use those with the Hope's rather than buying another set if possible. Is this going to cause excessive lever throw or any other adverse effects?
In my experience the braided hose doesn’t make a huge difference, nothing to worry about. (It’s a real pain to deal with if you have to cut the hoses to length as well). As for the rotors, you can run whatever, the pads will align themselves to the thickness.
The braided hose make no difference, and this staitement is coming from Hope themself :
https://www.hopetech.com/_repository/1/documents/BRAKE_Tech_Book.pdf
page 13 : "the braided hose will be less prone to be damage when the bike is transported or handled. The overall brake performance will be the same using either hose. Burst pressure of braided hose is superior than the black hose but far beyond anything achievable by pulling the brake lever by hand".
Burst pressure and hose stiffness aren’t the same thing. The braided lines do make a small noticeable difference on trail.
The lever feel improves with braided lines because they expand less under pressure. It’s not a big improvement but it is noticeable. I’d say it’s about the same as the normal difference between front and rear brakes due to the extra hose length.
I’ve compared them side by side. My friend has the braided hoses on his Tech 4 V4s and I have the standard hoses.
Same pad compound and wear level, bleed state, rotor size/type and wear level, hose length, lever setup? …. And bike would make a difference too
Comparison is not really that clean otherwise.
Agree to disagree my friend, otherwise I'm sure Hope would have stated things a bit differently and would not say they have the same performance.
Regarding the usual difference between front and rear, I was guessing the same as you before I could put my hand on Trinity brakes ; the feeling is exactly the same between front AND rear. As they are the easiest brake to bleed, my guess is that the difference we usually feels comes from the bleeding that is not perfect.
Hope aren’t wrong, “Overall performance” is the same, the brake doesn’t make more stopping power with a braided line.
It just slightly firms up the lever feel after the pads contact the rotor.
Regarding front-rear differences, in my experience it seems to vary between brands based on the hoses they spec. The worst I’ve seen was Magura, their hoses were almost stretchy. If you squeezed the line, you could feel it expand when you pulled the brake.
same with the shimano lines, indeed to have them feeling the same i preload the system a click more with my oak levers on my mt7, it gives a tad shorter bite point but they feel the same on the trail
Talking about rotors,
do you guys usually have the best performance out of the stock rotors or what do you guys like? and on what brake/pad brand?
for example on my mt7 i loved the MDR-P, floating, the rivets sucks tho and they develop play and rattle, i've had luck with the 220 up front, gave up on the back and used a few storm that, at the price in europe are unbeatable, and now trying a Dahle HD to see how it goes
i've tried the trp rs01 but it took 4 big rides to get a slight bite on them, plus plenty of runs in the flat to bed them in, since i could get no bite i just gave them up to a friend with metal pads and shimano deores and he loved them, curious if the new rs05 that look a copy of the ultra expensive Galfer shark are any better
Galfer rotors... biggest thing is how straight they came.
I've had trp r1 rotors rock on my glass plate
Hope rotors are good aswell.
I've used the MDR-P rotors and they are onpar with hs2 IMO didnt rattle.
waves or sharks?
I’ve been putting HS2 rotors on everything. Other than folding one by sliding into a tree, they’ve been good.
The Dachle HD is a great rotor. Not sure how it does it but it interfaces really well with Top Brake Premium Gold pads using Dominion A4 calipers. Can do a little stoppie without body input.
HS2s have been disappointing. Looking for a replacement, unfortunately can only purchase more Dachle HD rotors from r2 or bike24 and need to purchase several to make it worthwhile. Wish there was a comparable rotor for the same cost in the US. I see Galfer a lot, but the rotors cost double or more.
Shark rotors are worth the money. Been using mine for about 4 weeks, done two big races and they feel amazing and straight as hell, which ofc helps with my magura brakes too..
Only problem I've found with the Shark rotors is if you're using tall pads like Hope V4, you better have them aligned EXACTLY right for the height, otherwise you end up with the pads being eaten by the shark teeth. Took me a bit to understand the noise... And it took trying out a few adapters and shimming with super thin spacers to get it right.
They're a bit noisy, but with Trickstuff Power+ pads, all rotors are loud..
On a note on pads, I've recently tried the Sinter race pads, not too bad! Similar to Trickstuff in power, but quieter and so far no overheating noise or problem with them. If they last as long as the Power+ pads, I guess I've found my new go-to pads !
So one thing I've noticed on Hayes is that if you run your pads until they're done (1.75mm thick inc. backer plate), the free stroke gets longer. Doesn't matter if you rebleed (with bleed block), reseat pistons, etc., there's just a turning point somewhere where the pad thickness gets thin enough that the rollback makes the free stroke longer. Conversely when you put very thick fresh pads in, even with pistons fully retracted, the free stroke is shorter. It got me thinking, would running 2.3mm thick rotors help at the end of pad life situation?
The alternative would be doing a top bleed with the pad spacer in place (overfilling the system), but then you'd need to rebleed when you add new pads in order to relieve the overfill and get clearance back. That sounds like a hassle. Or I guess the last option would be to just replace the pads earlier, when the free stroke feels too long even after reseating pistons with a strap overnight.
really? cause the power + have the same compound as the power that i find quite silent on my mt7, and i assume shark + magura is a no go combo as the pads are quite tall
Both, use a Wave up front & shark on rear. see ASA V's bike check to why, I've been running this setup for awhile now.
Can't say about maguras own pads, but at least magura caliper, galfer pad, shark rotor the wear is even on the pads. (or im just lucky that the pads are aligned perfectly without doing anything special to them)
What's the minimum thickness of a galfer pad? Can't seem to find any recommended number for it.
so no troubles with that combo? as the pad size vs braking surface seems not matching i though the pad would bite on the fins and wear out weirdly
After 4 weeks of usage (plenty of park days, couple of races) can't see (or even measure) any uneven wear, but looking at the pads/rotor, you are right that the pads do hit the fins slightly. Lets see if I can hunt some thin spacers down and if those make any difference in power/sound/wear. But working properly at least for now.
Always had a ton of noise using the Power or Power+ pads, no matter the rotor (Trickstuff HD, Formula Cura, Galfer Shark, Brakestuff, ...). They're really good, even if with very fast wear, but a bit noisy. Might also be due to the calipers I use, as a friend with Power pads on his Shimano XT wasn't making any noise ...
Now that I think about it, could have been the calipers all along ...
A 2nd opinion on the Sinter pads, they don't have the grabbiness of the Power+. Still good, but not that "anchor" feeling you can get on the Power+.
On a side note, I'll soon have the possibility to try out the Beringer Br4ve for a few weeks, and compare it to Trickstuff Maxima or Trickstuff DRT/612 calipers that I currently ride.
sweet, let us know how it goes!
Thanks for the recommendation but the Sharks are really pricey. I could pick up 2 Dachle HDs from R2 for just a little more than 1 Shark from Lordgun. Definitely interested, but they are a wee bit costly.
Quick question on brake pads. Im getting TRP DH-R Evo's and want to grab some sintered pads for them. I remember seeing they are compatable with shimano. Would some DO2S pads work or would you reccomend different sintered pads? Cant find the trp ones anywhere
Galfer Ebike pads are what we ran in DH-R's they were/are excellent & IMO were better than the TRP metal pads.
Cant ever go wrong with shimano pads though.
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