Hope Mono 4 Disc Brakes
By Jon Sharp

As the last of the late winter snowfalls melt away, and spring warms up to another great season of riding, it is natural that our minds turn to disc brakes. Well, my mind often turns to disc brakes. One of my favorite ways to improve the ride of my trusty steed is to slap on a new set of disc brakes. Reviewed here is the fantastic Hope Mono 4 hydraulic disc brake—part of their new “Mono” line of brakes. Besides the 4-piston Mono 4, there are also the 2-piston Mono Mini and the amazing 6-piston Mono 6ti.

The first thing I noticed about the Mono 4 was their incredible good looks. These are probably the most beautiful brakes I’ve seen. The machining is incredible. But quality doesn’t stop with the calipers, as the levers are equally well built. Our brakes shipped with a 200mm front rotor and a 180mm rear. Included in the box is everything you need to get going. (If you find you need to shorten the hoses, you will need to get a bleed kit, also.) The Mono 4 uses standard dot4/5.1 (not 5) brake fluid.

One of the biggest changes that Hope made with this line of brakes was to machine the caliper out of a solid billet. One problem some people have encountered in the past with some disc brakes has been micro-leaks. That is, almost all disc brake calipers are made from two halves put together. After a lot of wear and tear, and with enough pressure, sometimes the brakes can develop tiny leaks from between the two caliper halves. A couple of years ago, Shimano began to offer single-piece forged calipers with their XTR disc brakes. With their Mono series, Hope now produces an entire line of brakes that use a single-piece caliper.

As with all brakes (except those made by Avid), initial installation is a somwhat tedious process that involves shimming and lots of patience to get them set up properly. Once properly installed, there is nothing as fine as a good set of hydraulic disc brakes, and these are no exception. Four pistons provide lots of power with a good amount of modulation. (There is, however, a loss of modulation trade-off that you get with such large rotors.) Stopping power is incredible. I swapped bikes with someone riding a competitive set of 4-piston disc brakes, and was amazed at the difference. The Mono 4 was definitely more powerful. You might ask, “Do they really make a difference in your riding?” Yes. I can feel the rush of speed—even on trails I’m not familiar with—knowing that there is gobs of power at my disposal. In fact, I have not encountered a situation these brakes couldn’t handle.

With all the good I’ve said about them, you might wonder if I had any complaints. Well, there was some lever flex, but nothing I ever noticed while riding. In fact, on the trail, the whole system felt very solid.

Summary: Hope has produced some fantastic downhill brakes in the Mono 4. Weight wise—for a brake this powerful—it weighs a scant 470g (with the 200mm rotors). Available rotor sizes: 200, 180, and 160. MSRP is around $250/wheel. If you are looking for a powerful 4-piston disc brake, why not buy the one that is also the most beautiful? If the Mono 4 is too much (or too little) for you, there are also the Mono Mini and the Mono 6ti. With their Mono line of disc brakes, Hope has really upped the ante in world of disc brakes.

Jon Sharp is a contributing editor for GearReview.com specializing in mountain biking.

For more information, contact:
Hope Technology Inc.
http://www.hopetech.com