Just wondering if anybody was running a 165mm front M4 on a bike and what there opinions were. Also, would be nice to know your bike spec and rider weight.
the 165 is really meant to be used on the back with a 185 front. However I use a 185 front with a 165 mini on the back fitted to a kona chute shiver sc combo for freeride sort of stuff. I weigh just over 11 stone and tend not to ride up. Stonking brakes
Unlucky, you could try negotiating a discount on a no 3 caliper half and a new disc on the basis that you will splash their name all over the place for being crap. altenatively, give hope a ring and they might help u out
These are supposed to be bloody downhil brakes, surely they should be good with a 165mm disc. I mean, Deore Hydraulics only have 2 pistons and Hayes are the same, yet there owners talk about bags of power and modulation. I've just emailed hope posing thesame question but I must admit I know very little about hydraulics and have very little experience with them. As such, I feel I need to give everybody a chance before pointing fingers and being an arse.
I have to note though, this shop also didn't centre the caliper over the disc properly at either end, a job I have now completed in my garage. It took me 10 minutes at the most, so I dread to think how busy and/or stupid the mechanic who fitted them was.
I use a 165 M4 on the rear of an Ellsworth Isis (used for hardcore XC???) and weigh about 14stone. It's fine, plenty of power and bags of modulation. Goes well with the 185 at the front.
To be honest though, if the bike shop fitted the wrong one to your bike by mistake, then take it back and ask that they fit the one you asked for.
To be quite honest, a 165 is too small for most things, except XC or if you're very light - I find the 185mm E4 a bit lacking in raw power, and it tends to cook itself on long descents (I suspect that the descent behind my house caused my E4 to spring a leak).
I recently swapped a 185mm C2 for a 165mm M4 on the basis that the 4 pot would be more powerful, so the smaller disc wouldn't be an issue. It stopped alright, but there was no real bite to it. I managed to survive a week in the Alps, but it was a bit hairy at times.
Ive got a 165mm e4 on the front, and its fine. i weigh 15 stone and never had any problems, as i have a scaredie-too-much-front-brake riding style and can do endo's at any time i like, usually over the handlebars to land in some poo. it has lots more modulation than a mini, and a pro lever, as i really hate those new flexy levers. Hope always did say that 165 xc 185 dh when they first came out. depends what riding you do i suppose.
I agree with AS, Bike shop should have fitted a 185 as standard on the front. Should have asked and as a customer that is dis-satisfied with the service ask for them to rectify their mistake. I am 15.5 stone, believe that a bike should stop quickly regardless of what you are doing to it and have 185mm front and rear and to be quite honest am missing the power that the Shimano XTs had. But I am hoping the M4s get better as they bed in.
Well I ordered a 185 and they fitted 165. I was well aware of my rights, but the guys are experienced, ride all the kit and generally are bang on with advice.
As such, I decided to follow the advice of both Hope and the shop and bed them in. However, now I am sure they are bedded in they simply are not the shits.
If both brakes are used I can pull up quite quickly from fast speeds, but it demands a damn hard pull... Basically I can say that I wouldn't recommend these brakes to a friend. Is that reason enough to suspect I need a bigger disc?
the reason for the big front/rear small set up is to balance out the shift in weight and therfore grip. both discs the same, the back will lock up much more easily than the front. if the guys at your shop do not know this shop elsewhere, if they do know this, they wanted to unload a bit of stock onto an unsuspectng punter, shop elsewhere!
I think it would be unfair. Thining about it, certain members of staff - especially the manager - are excellent. Its just one bad experience, and I am sure that for every bad one there are 10 good ones.
They were praised in MBR a few months ago for excellent costumer service and if you live in the Taunton area then I guess you would have a pretty good idea of who it was anyway
In that case, rather than sit here winging, take the bike back to the shop and get them to fit what you've asked (and paid) for. If they are as good as you say, they'll be more than happy to do it.
At the end of the day, a 165 M4 front disc is never going to be as powerful as a 185 M4 front disc.
