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Hope Tech 3 E4 Disc Brake: Rider Review

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for.

Mountain bike hydraulic brakes are a very personal subject, and while there are a ton of top brands like Shimano, SRAM, Hope, TRP, and Magura, some people are very loyal to one brand. Hope Tech is a brand that comes to mind with extremely loyal riders, many riders I know that ride Hope brakes swear by them and can't ride any other brakes after that. Kevin is this way, after riding a few different brands, he went back to Hope Tech 3 E4 disc brakes in order to get the feeling he wants out of the brakes. Check out what Kevin has to say below in his review.

Kevin's Review:

Trying to find the perfect parts for your bike is always a challenge. Sometimes you end up trying multiple products until you find the one you fall in love with. After taking a brake (see what I did there?) from riding for a couple of years, I wanted to upgrade when I got back at it. I asked a few people’s opinions and they sent me towards the TRP Quadiem setup. Against my better judgment, I purchased them. In the past, I had ridden Hope and that’s what I knew and loved, but after quite a few suggestions of the TRP I tried them, but really wanted the Hope brake feel I had been used too in the past.

Hope brakes always show up and scream quality. From the adjustments, feel, and just manufacturing aesthetics, they do not disappoint. The lever reach and the pull is all adjustable. The power the brakes have to the feel is just like no other brake I’ve tried. Shimano, SRAM, TRP, Hayes just to name a few, have never felt as consistent and comfortable as the Hope has had for me.

The smaller lever and shape of the lever just feels great whether it’s one finger pulls or 2. The caliber machining is just flawless and they are easy to change pads and set up. The floating rotors share the same wonderful quality and stop on a dime. They are pricey, but they are everything you Hope for and more. Whether you ride slow smooth XC trails or Bomb the local DH lines, these are what you need for all those second guesses and OH $&@! Moments. Don’t be the guy that overshoots corners or flips over obstacles, and buy Hope!

On-Trail Feel:

The main type of riding I do is flow trails, slalom courses, and downhill runs. I do race some enduros from time to time. I love to hit jumps and drops. Pretty much anything from dirt jumps to downhill trails. These brakes give me the confidence to bail out if I need to or scrub a bit of speed. I’ve ridden them in all types of weather conditions from dry and dusty to raining and muddy, and the performance has never changed. The consistency is always there with Hope and quality as well. They come with everything you need and are already connected from the levers to the caliper. The lines are kinda long so I would suggest buying a bleed kit if you want to shorten them up. I like to do free ride and I do bar spins and other tricks so I left mine a little long, but they do offer a bleed kit for them on Worldwide’s site. They use DOT 5 or DOT 5.1 fluid and you can get that or pick some up at the local auto parts store.