Hi,

My current 2003 hope M4 disc brakes are almost at the end of their busy life, don't think they will handle another Alps adventure. So time to splash out and get something new. Can't decide between Avid Juicy 7s or the new 2007 Hope M4s. Both get good reviews. My current M4s have never let me down, but friends have Juicy5s and 7s, which way should I go?

cheers

i'd go for the avids, but thats just based upon my experience of hopes.

however, i would recommend shimano.

: )

Yes-Shimano all the way.



Wiggle has pairs of XT brakes complete for £100 however these are with out rotor(not much money for them anyway) Ace deal.


Serious Power for not much out lay.

Worth a look!



Edit-Might be worth noting that the XT Brakes on Wiggle may be OEM.

i had same dilemma..i opted to keep my 03 m4,s and i sent them to hope for full service..£40 per brake..sounds expensive but when i looked at price of all bits n bobs it was worth it..they fit new style phenolic pistons..new seals..replace brake lever bushes etc..re-bleed and new pads..the new 07 caliper is the same as 03 one only silver..i did'nt fancy paying for new ones to only benefit from new lever..know bugger all about avids..my m4's are box fresh however and working very well..

The wiggle deal does seem good value.

I have XT now and like em lots, and plan to put same on my project.

What would OEM mean to a set of XT's?

I dunno XC.




Wiggle are usually very honest and put OE or OEM in front of Items so maybe there just great value?


Either way if there just equal to my deores(They do the job in superb fashion) which I love then they'll be brilliant!

Looks like a full service is the best wallet friendly option, cheers!

Go for Hayes 9's

I bought from ebay, new 2007 set of Hayes HFX 9's with B.F.L levers, 8" V8 discs and sintered pads.

ALL FOR ONLY £95.

RRP - £374.00 (LBS price with extras)

Thats right £95.00!!!!!

If your interested i will give you the link to this, as the seller is difficult to find.

M R Bikestore isn't that difficult to find.

pmsl

I wouldn't buy Hayes. Never seen a set that work well, and stay working well.

I'd get Avids. Well, I did get Avids, had 4 sets of them, all have been excellent!

I'd be wary of buying OEM brakes, the hoses are often cut too short to be of any use on many bikes. Certainly seen that from Merlin and CRC.

The wiggle brakes look like standard 765 XT's - if so they're a killer deal. Mine have been great for 2 & half years.

i was gonna get avids a few years back but was put off by various stories about reliability, pad wear etc..and looking at any forum EVERY brake has niggles..hopes ain't perfect either but hopes service and back-up far outweigh any minor niggles..i dunno what other brake companies are like to deal with..always worth checking out b4 buying..

I think Hope brakes are the least reliable though, by a fair way, so it's good their service is good!

Shimano are the most reliable, whilst Avid have the nicest feel IMO.

you not a hope fan nick..? like i said in previous posts i know bugger all about avids apart from what i have read on forums and in various mags..but if you are on your fourth set of avids it don,t say much for longevity..?

No, I'm not a fan of Hope at all, they're unreliable and difficult to work with. Then when you do get them working they invariably squeal or rub, or both.

I've sold 1 set of Juicy Carbons with a bike, I have a set of Juicy Carbons on my Fuel, another set of spare Juicy Carbons in my garage which go with my Titus, which is currently in pieces, and a set of Juicy Ultimates on my Epic. At the moment they're the only brakes I'd consider buying.

I've never ever had to touch any of them, other than to replace pads, the levers feel excellent, they have masses of power and work flawlessly every time.

I did have some XTRs before, which were very easy to maintain and bleed, but I had problems with chronically sticky pistons, which put me off. I think I was unlucky though, hence saying Shimano get my vote for reliability.

Yup, gotta agree with Nick.
I've used Hope, Shimano and Avid. I've tried Hayes and just did not like them at all, no modulation, the lever felt like an on/off switch, not for me.

Shimano are reliable, easy to set up and easy to get spares for. They're also excellent value for money. They also use mineral oil which can be good for the clumsy amongst us.

The Avid Juicys are, for me, head and shoulders above the rest. You can get the exact lever feel and bite point that suits you. They are, by far, the easiest/cleanest system to bleed. And I've never had any maintenance issues with mine, neither have any mates. If you take a look around any DH race the majority of bikes have Juicy 7s on them, it aint a fashion thing, they just work. Regular 7s for my big bike and Juicy ultimates for lightweight duties.
And Shimano Deores for the jump bike.

Forgot to mention Hope...

They can be good, but they're a bit hit and miss.
I've had an E2, Mono M4 and a pair of old Minis that have lasted faultlessly for years. Others have Hopes that fail within a month. Some just destroy seals at the first sign of a long descent.
Their quality control seem to take every Friday afternoon off, and the rest of the staff hit the boozers at lunchtime!

The new series of levers are really nice though. A very long lever which an be positioned wherever you like in relation to the shifter and has loads of modulation.
Time will tell if they're any good though...

hope, as youve said yourself, theve never let you down in 4 years including trips to the alps...