[illnotsick]

I weigh 120lbs, ride downhill at northstar every weekend and I currently ride juicy 7's. I feel that the juicys have always given me enough power, the only complaint is that they couldn't really hold a bleed. I'm looking at a set of hopes. Just have a few questions before I pull the trigger.

How do the X2's compare in power to the juicy 7's?

I know the m4's are a "downhill" brake so they will have plenty of power. Will they be overkill if I'm used to the juicys?

I'm having trouble finding a rear M4 in stock. I'm thinking of possibly running a M4 front and X2 rear? My thoughts with that set up is I would have the power of the M4 up front, but I wouldn't really have to worry about locking the rear up too easily with a weaker brake in the back.

Any thoughts or experiences with any of these brakes?

 

[BikeFan84]

I cant comment on the X2 however I have run the M4s, and M6s in conjunction with one another and separately as grouped setups. Having said that the extra braking, more modulation, and feel of having a "mixed" setup was great. I loved the control of the front brake and the less likely chance to lock up a rear brake, I however have a few pounds on you.

I would try this setup if I were you. In more recent years, I have grown fond of matched setups.

 

[CoyoteRun]

You can always buy the M4 front, X2 rear, and just switch the calipers.

I weigh 120lbs, ride downhill at northstar every weekend and I currently ride juicy 7's. I feel that the juicys have always given me enough power, the only complaint is that they couldn't really hold a bleed. I'm looking at a set of hopes. Just have a few questions before I pull the trigger.

How do the X2's compare in power to the juicy 7's?

I know the m4's are a "downhill" brake so they will have plenty of power. Will they be overkill if I'm used to the juicys?

I'm having trouble finding a rear M4 in stock. I'm thinking of possibly running a M4 front and X2 rear? My thoughts with that set up is I would have the power of the M4 up front, but I wouldn't really have to worry about locking the rear up too easily with a weaker brake in the back.

Any thoughts or experiences with any of these brakes?

 

[Chaingangster]

You can always buy the M4 front, X2 rear, and just switch the calipers.

So he can have backwards brakes? I think you may have misread his post...

I think the M4/X2 match is a great idea. Makes a lot of sense, kind of like running different sized rotors F/R.

 

[time-bomb]

Short answer: The M4s are not overkill. I made the switch from Juicys to M4s this year and am very very pleased with it.

Long answer: Just curious if you are done growing yet or not. If you are a teenager and still growing, get the Tech M4s so you can grow into them. As you add weight and continue DHing you will be glad you have the extra power. The X2 is a dedicated XC brake, while they are nicer than the Juicys I don't think you will be gaining a whole lot to be perfectly honest. If you are done growing, consider the M4, not for the power but because they are less likely to fade on the longer runs.

The Tech M4s have more power, more modulation and the levers have more adjustments than the X2. I have been riding Juicy 7s for years......for trail and DH. My DH set up was 8" front rotor and 7" rear. At 170lbs I started to reach the limits of what the Juicys were capable of pretty easily when I went to bigger venues - longer runs, steeper sections, higher speeds, etc. I have been very happy so far making the switch to the M4s this year. The modulation is on par or better than the Juicy brakes, the power is better, there is no fading and they are nicer. The weight gain on M4s over the Juicys isn't even noticeable.

Again, I know power isn't the main issue but given the size of the X2 brakes, I don't know that they will hold up on long runs at N* any better than the Juicys. I would recommend you consider the M4s for this reason.

 

[Jm_]

I still love my hopes. No problems, they just work. The only issue I've run into is using shimano pads, which for the old XT brakes are the exact same dimension, but they just didn't provide the right "bite" on my front brake. Otherwise, for around at least 5 years now I think, they've been working great. I have the older mono M4s. Great brakes. The best part is how I don't have to think about them. They just work all the time. The M4s are not very heavy, lighter than some manufacturers single-piston brakes. I think they kind of moved more into a DH/AM/hard XC bracket once the 3Ti and later the vented-rotor DH brakes came out. The power isn't overkill, and you could always do a 180mm rotor if you felt it was (I use a 200mm front and 165 rear with my M4s, plenty of braking on both ends, in fact I'd call it very "balanced", as opposed to having a huge rear rotor, not that I can't lock up my rear).

I can't say the same for any avid disc brakes I've owned (BB7s, Codes). The quality and operation is just shoddy IMO. Somehow my codes sometimes suck in a little air, the lever reach can't be adjusted without removing the lever from the bar, the ergonomics flat out suck IMO, they can't even make a one-piece caliper on their flagship DH brake. Even though they aren't hydros, my BB7s virtually disintigrated after two seasons of hard use. Avid quality is so-so, and I only bought the codes cause they were dirt cheap. I wouldn't spend my hard-earned money on nice Avid brakes. Shimano or Hope, I might be tempted to try Formula some time, but they seem very expensive compared to other similer systems/#of pistons/caliper construction.

 

[CoyoteRun]

Try EBC pads. They have been taking care of me.

I still love my hopes. No problems, they just work. The only issue I've run into is using shimano pads, which for the old XT brakes are the exact same dimension, but they just didn't provide the right "bite" on my front brake. Otherwise, for around at least 5 years now I think, they've been working great. I have the older mono M4s. Great brakes. The best part is how I don't have to think about them. They just work all the time. The M4s are not very heavy, lighter than some manufacturers single-piston brakes. I think they kind of moved more into a DH/AM/hard XC bracket once the 3Ti and later the vented-rotor DH brakes came out. The power isn't overkill, and you could always do a 180mm rotor if you felt it was (I use a 200mm front and 165 rear with my M4s, plenty of braking on both ends, in fact I'd call it very "balanced", as opposed to having a huge rear rotor, not that I can't lock up my rear).

I can't say the same for any avid disc brakes I've owned (BB7s, Codes). The quality and operation is just shoddy IMO. Somehow my codes sometimes suck in a little air, the lever reach can't be adjusted without removing the lever from the bar, the ergonomics flat out suck IMO, they can't even make a one-piece caliper on their flagship DH brake. Even though they aren't hydros, my BB7s virtually disintigrated after two seasons of hard use. Avid quality is so-so, and I only bought the codes cause they were dirt cheap. I wouldn't spend my hard-earned money on nice Avid brakes. Shimano or Hope, I might be tempted to try Formula some time, but they seem very expensive compared to other similer systems/#of pistons/caliper construction.

 

[Jm_]

Try EBC pads. They have been taking care of me.

Any pads made for the M4s seem to be fine, it's just the 756 pads that didn't really work.