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Good brakes in 2022

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,628
5,443
Yep. Its an allen key.

A4
View attachment 184723
Jesus that is ugly!
For the last few days I have been using the reach adjust on my Maguras a bit as I am scared at how tight the barrel nuts are and they are weeping and my brakes so I need to wind them out mid ride.
Brass olives seem more sensible with a plastic master than steel, I don't remember my MT5s needing to be tightened so much to get a good seal.
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,628
5,443
Cmon mate. People with Maguras calling other brakes ugly? Must be strong glass on your stone throwing house.
It looks like a Wish copy of a decent brake.

MT5 looks okay(to me) , MT7 looks pretty crap with the vine catching adjuster screw thingy and the hook ended lever.
My MT5 is coming up on four years old and I think I've bled 'em once, I put a set on mom's bike and put MT7s on my new bike because they seemed reliable(but did read of many lever issues after you mentioned it).
The MT7 doesn't seem to be as well made as the older MT5s.
But I'm glad I'm not still running Codes, fuck those things.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
i took me less time to find that out than to write a whiny comment
Are you still mad at me? Yeah I missed that. My bad. When did this forum turned into "you disagreed with me once so now I will argue with you forever and ever"?

I am just used to lever throw being affected by pad wear so I'm used to tool free adjust since that's convenient. Not a dealbreaker if the tool adjust works well.
 

Gary

"S" is for "neo-luddite"
Aug 27, 2002
7,536
5,470
UK
That's all in YOUR head.
No one's holding grudges against you. You just have a habit of talking pish.and are a little over sensitive.
 

Gary

"S" is for "neo-luddite"
Aug 27, 2002
7,536
5,470
UK
E4s today
DSC_0365.JPG

Seem to have just as wide caliper bodies as the V4...

Nope. Still can't see why I'd bother with these for a tenner less.
 

DaveW

Space Monkey
Jul 2, 2001
11,160
2,685
The bunker at parliament
Oh Yeah I forgot to mention.
The Kaha Brakes.
They are designing new lever blades that are shorter and plan to offer several versions so you can customize to your preferred shape.
Blades are easily swapped (takes about 1 min).
 

Gary

"S" is for "neo-luddite"
Aug 27, 2002
7,536
5,470
UK
I Happened to have a set of Hope Tech 4s, Guide RS and XT to hand this afternoon so quickly doodled down a few rough measurements purely to compare lever ergonomics (Ignoring the fact all 3 levers have a link between the pivot and piston plunger) in an attempt to pin down what it actually is I don't really get on with about Hope levers.

_20221115_190151.JPG

A = lever pivot to end of lever blade
B = bar clamp to where your braking finger sits.
C = distance from edge of bar to lever pivot.

*the B collum shimano number in brackets is to the brace that sits against the bar (but stops them being run any closer to your grip/shifter etc.

The actual lever blades aren't actually massively different in length but having the main pivot point further away def makes the lever feel funky the closer you run your bite point to the bar. Personal preference admittedly.

#PrettymuchBANKSY
 

toodles

ridiculously corgi proportioned
Aug 24, 2004
5,479
4,719
Australia
E4s today View attachment 184867
Seem to have just as wide caliper bodies as the V4...

Nope. Still can't see why I'd bother with these for a tenner less.
I presume maybe lighter riders who are really pedantic about lever throw and firmness may opt for the E4 in the same way some people buy single piston shimano offerings. Myself I own both E4 and V4 and wish I just had two pairs of V4s. The E4 is headed for the dirt jumper soon.

My old T3 V4s have survived 4 years of pretty wild abuse all over the world now. While they're not perfect, their consistency has been a nice change from other brands I've run in the past. Really hoping the new Dominions hold up.
 

StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
12,504
In hell. Welcome!
I'm fine with the T3 E4s with the Galfer green pads on my trailbike with an occasional trip to a bike park, but again, I don't live or ride in real mountains. The V4s are certainly moar brakes.
 

Avy

Turbo Monkey
Jan 24, 2006
1,119
374
I'm fine with the T3 E4s with the Galfer green pads on my trailbike with an occasional trip to a bike park, but again, I don't live or ride in real mountains. The V4s are certainly moar brakes.
What I can not figure out with you Guy’s is wanting you Brake to Ingage near the Bar? If your Index finger is bent at a 90,then it‘s more engery than a simple light touch. I bet you have smashed your second finger.

Avy
 

buckoW

Turbo Monkey
Mar 1, 2007
3,777
4,699
Champery, Switzerland
What I can not figure out with you Guy’s is wanting you Brake to Ingage near the Bar? If your Index finger is bent at a 90,then it‘s more engery than a simple light touch. I bet you have smashed your second finger.

Avy
Put the lever further inboard and it won’t hit the middle finger. Even with big hands it’s less tiring and causes less arm pump on long descents when they are close. I wind my levers out a bit for long manuals but wind them in for long DH runs. Anyways, brake lever placement is very personal and there’s no 1 way to run them.
 
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Lelandjt

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2008
2,508
822
Breckenridge, CO/Lahaina,HI
I'm not entirely sure what the point of Hope's E4 caliper even is.
Shorter lever throw. It has smaller pistons (caliper's probably lighter) matched to the same master cylinder so it has noticably shorter throw with correspondingly less leverage (power). I liked the feel and throw but the power wasn't enough compared to my other bikes. I had to recalibrate my finger when riding the E4s and pull harder. After 2 years I replaced them with Code RSC that have just as short a throw and more power.
 

Andeh

Customer Title
Mar 3, 2020
997
973
What I can not figure out with you Guy’s is wanting you Brake to Ingage near the Bar? If your Index finger is bent at a 90,then it‘s more engery than a simple light touch. I bet you have smashed your second finger.

Avy
The further from the bar (or closed fist), the more you have to use forearm muscles to move (or hold) your fingers. Think hanging on a pullup bar open hand with just the first couple joints of your finger over the bar vs. a closed grip. Your hand's neutral position is with your grip mostly closed.
 

Avy

Turbo Monkey
Jan 24, 2006
1,119
374
The further from the bar (or closed fist), the more you have to use forearm muscles to move (or hold) your fingers. Think hanging on a pullup bar open hand with just the first couple joints of your finger over the bar vs. a closed grip. Your hand's neutral position is with your grip mostly closed.
yeah if I was doing pull-up,but I don’t need any strength to brake. Now If I was Draggin my brake all the way down the hill,ok,but I am not. Brakes are On/Off. You would not want your car brakes to go Way in before engaging? Only the Pros get arm pump as they are going Mach 3. If you get arm pump your brakes suck. To each his own.

Avy
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,852
9,557
AK
Shorter lever throw. It has smaller pistons (caliper's probably lighter) matched to the same master cylinder so it has noticably shorter throw with correspondingly less leverage (power). I liked the feel and throw but the power wasn't enough compared to my other bikes. I had to recalibrate my finger when riding the E4s and pull harder. After 2 years I replaced them with Code RSC that have just as short a throw and more power.
Also possibly better as your rear brake if you want to maximize heat dissipation, but not rear lock-up.
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,647
1,116
NORCAL is the hizzle
You would not want your car brakes to go Way in before engaging?
Sounds like you're sort of assuming the lever throw must be longer if you want your engagement point closer to the bar, but that's not always true. With a combination of reach and bite point adjustments you can have fairly short lever throw starting closer to the bar if you want. And like Bucko said, if you move your levers inboard there should no risk of knuckle crushing. But yeah, to each their own.
 

Cerberus75

Monkey
Feb 18, 2017
520
194
The muscles in your arm are more in balance when all your fingers are close to the same curvature when gripping. You grip the bars less hard. You don't want to be thinking about this when riding. A close lever is easier on the muscles in your forearm that control grip. Less Carpel tunnel issues as well.
 

two-one

Monkey
Dec 15, 2013
155
138
Eindhoven, the Netherlands
Yeah, the whole 'which phalange do you use to pull the brake lever' question has been a revelation for me...
Used to have the levers far from the bar, pulling with the finger tips. Cost me a long time to get over that.
Now in alpine terrain as close to the bar as possible, makes so much of a difference in modulation and power!
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,190
19,156
Canaderp
I run mine as far out as possible.

I mean they are Shimano's so it's not like they work anyways, no point in bothering with trying to grab them with my fingers.


I kid I kid. They work, majority of the time. Not so well if I let the pads get worn down though.
 

Avy

Turbo Monkey
Jan 24, 2006
1,119
374
Sounds like you're sort of assuming the lever throw must be longer if you want your engagement point closer to the bar, but that's not always true. With a combination of reach and bite point adjustments you can have fairly short lever throw starting closer to the bar if you want. And like Bucko said, if you move your levers inboard there should no risk of knuckle crushing. But yeah, to each their own.
I think I did not make it clear. I have Run Hope with the Starting at C2 and Ending with the DH04. Then it was XT 4 Pots and Saint. I Love Shimano and I am very Happy. 203‘s on the DH, 203 170 rear HardTail. 95% of my riding being on the HardTail. I had a Rear 203 on the HardTail and did not need it. Though I Loved it,it was just a Shitton of Hardware going on down there. HardTail is 38 lbs with Avy at 230.

When I Grab my Brake Handle with One Finger,the Handle comes in Halfway(or less). There is a lot of throw before the Pads Engage. I keep reading on this Thread “Finger’s”, I guess that is a Typo?

What I thought you guys were saying was,“having the Pads Bite just Before the Bars”? That is how my Old riding partner had his setup.

That is Not how my Brakes are. I do not bring my lever in or out. I do not tinker with the engagement point. I do a proper bleed and that is it. As long as you are Happy.

Avy