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The new Hope Tech 4 disc brake

Sebastian Brust

 · 23.03.2022

The new Hope Tech 4 disc brakePhoto: Hope Technology
The new Hope Tech 4 disc brake
Finely milled and so beautifully colourful: the new Hope disc brake sticks to the tried and tested, but is said to have significantly increased its braking power. With the Tech 4, Hope wants to join the ranks of the most powerful mountain bike disc brakes.

The parts forge Hope from England is known for its stylish CNC milled parts made in Barnoldswick. The disc brakes, which are available in six colours, are particularly popular with individualists. In addition to the industrial look, Hope fans appreciate the clear, hard pressure point, the numerous adjustment options, the good modulation and, last but not least, the well-functioning brake discs.

The drawbacks were the comparatively high operating forces on the lever, early pad fading and a maximum braking force that lagged behind the brakes of the competition. Hope wants to have eliminated these weak points and is now sending the Improved Tech 4 disc brake into the race.

While the most recently presented XCR light brake is currently the lightest Hope brake, the 2022 Tech-4 is set to set new records in terms of braking force. To achieve this, the development department turned several screws. A longer lever and a piston diameter shrunk to 9.5 millimetres increase the transmission ratio and thus the power transfer from the finger to the brake disc.

The Hope Tech 4 X2 combines the reinforced brake lever with a lightweight two-piston calliper. The coloured parts are available in six different anodised shades as standard, the fittings in black or silver.Photo: Hope Technology The Hope Tech 4 X2 combines the reinforced brake lever with a lightweight two-piston calliper. The coloured parts are available in six different anodised shades as standard, the fittings in black or silver.

The spring force and therefore the counter-pressure on the lever has been reduced, while sealed industrial bearings allow the brake lever to rotate smoothly. There are no changes to the adjustment options; the lever width and pressure point position on the new Hope Tech 4 can also be adjusted without tools using a dial.

The brake calliper now uses stainless steel pistons with a centre piece made of synthetic resin, which reduces the heat transfer from the pad to the brake and thus further improves stability. The lever clamp, which is compatible with standard Shimano and Sram shifters, can be adjusted up to 30 degrees at the front and rear and also laterally, while a hinge simplifies installation.

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For enduro and trail: Compared to the previous version, the new Hope Tech 4 E4 should offer significantly more power. This would largely eliminate the possible points of criticism.Photo: Hope Technology For enduro and trail: Compared to the previous version, the new Hope Tech 4 E4 should offer significantly more power. This would largely eliminate the possible points of criticism.

The bottom line is that this should result in a considerable increase in braking power. Hope claims a 30% increase in brake pressure compared to the Hope Evo Tech 3 E4. In the immediate vicinity of the strongest and lightest disc brakes 2021 Hope could have boosted itself out of the back row among the top brakes in the comparison. We can look forward to the next BIKE lab test.

The weight of the Hope brake has always been impressive, and the price remains customer-friendly. The two-piece brake discs are very stable. For the ultimate in braking excess, the English also have a 2.3 millimetre thick heavy-duty brake disc with a diameter of up to 220 millimetres up their sleeve.

Hope Tech 4 - Details at a glance:

  • Newly revised brake pump with larger expansion tank
  • Smaller encoder piston diameter, extended hand lever
  • New organic brake pads with higher friction coefficient
  • Stainless steel brake pistons with synthetic resin insert increase temperature resistance
  • Lever clamp with hinge, compatible with current Sram and Shimano shifters
  • Available in black, silver, red, orange, purple and blue
  • CNC-milled in Barnoldswick, England
  • In total 3 models available with two or four-piston brake callipers
  • Tech 4 X2 (XC / Trail) - 220 Euro / brake
  • Tech 4 E4 (Enduro) - 245 Euro / brake
  • Tech 4 V4 (E-Bike / DH) 265 Euro / brake
  • The above prices apply to a brake with plastic hose, without adapter and brake disc; all models also available with steel flex brake hose at an extra charge of €10 per brake
Hope's brake anchor for heavy-duty applications: Compared to the Tech 4 E4, the Hope Tech 4 V4 has an even larger brake piston surface and therefore even more power. Here is the steel flex version in silver.Photo: Hope Technology Hope's brake anchor for heavy-duty applications: Compared to the Tech 4 E4, the Hope Tech 4 V4 has an even larger brake piston surface and therefore even more power. Here is the steel flex version in silver.

Sebastian Brust was born in 1979 and was originally socialised on his grandmother's folding bike, but has mainly been riding studded tyres since his fifth birthday. Loves all kinds of bikes - and merging with nature. Believes that disc brakes are much safer today than they were 15 years ago and thinks he has helped with his brake and pad tests. However, the trained vehicle technology engineer very much regrets that the bicycle industry is orientating itself on what he considers to be the wrong ideals of the car industry. At BIKE, he corrects, produces and organises digital content on the website.

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