thats a cracking price... i, personally, would be looking at shimano/formula or maguras though. over the whole range, they do seem to be more relaible. however, depends what you're looking for i suppose...
Bought a pair for £199 last year to go on my Roadrat, only difference apart from being a knats tadger lighter are the carbon fibre levers which to be honest get right on my tits as they flex when I pull them, oh and you need an allen key to adjust the bite point., wheras the 7's have alloy non flexy levers and a handy dial to adjust instead.
The Carbons are only £10 cheaper, and far heavier, get the Ultimates. I've been well impressed with mine, they stop, they're silent, they're pretty light. The 7s are heavier still, about 75g per brake more than the Ultimates.
You must have a proper death grip if you're flexing the levers, they're pretty solid.
your girlfriend in the picture your shagging looks like she needs to do a few hills dan..you obviously know the guy in the local shop & got her a deal for the mars bars or is that what you call a hill cause thats a mountain in my eyes...
Don't bother with the Ultimates, get J7s or Formulas as mentioned above, and get yourself some proper sized rotors while you're at it, none of that 160mm front nonsense.
I agree with XCman up to a point - if the Hopes are set up properly (and you get a good pair) then they are excellent brakes. A few years ago Hope led the way and there would be no contest. However now it just seems like everyone else has caught up and most have gone past (certainly in the reliability stakes).
But then they are British and their customer service is brilliant, just make sure you have their number handy because you'll more than likely need it.
hopes are british but un-reliable & do have a not so good reputation at the moment.but do offer good customer service which is brilliant..then theres formula which i dont know enough about.i have 07 xt's which squeal & unfortunatly i have had more than my fair share of problems.i do at the moment have 08 xt's which are on my commencal(which is now reluctantly sold).the 08 xt's are powerful reliable & look the nuts..juicy 7's are probally a good choice as are the carbons. but i do have a carbon hardtail & i think its needs pimping so ill go for the ultimates with 160mm rotors..watch this space..
Noel - Do yourself a favour and get some decent size rotors. Forget 160s on the front. Use them on the back at a push but go for at least 185s up front. There is absolutely no reason why you should deliberately underpower your brakes unless you're a complete weight weenie who values saving grams more than personal safety.
If you're that bothered about the miniscule weight saving (I'm not saying you are, but just in case), just have a big dump before you ride. Weight saving sorted.
