Hope has been making mountain bike disc brakes for longer than just about anybody, and earlier this year they launched their new Tech 4 lineup of brakes. So we sat down with Hope’s design engineer, Sam Gibbs, to talk about the new brakes & what changed from the prior Tech 3 models; how to choose the right brakes, rotors, and pads for you; and along the way we go pretty deep on the finer points of brake tech and all the tradeoffs inherent to designing them.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Sam’s role at Hope (1:39)
- New Tech 4 lineup (3:55)
- The Tech 4 lever (7:48)
- Caliper design & piston materials (17:18)
- Brake design & tradeoffs (21:57)
- Choosing the right brake for you (32:28)
- Rotor sizes & heat management (39:11)
- Brake pad options & tradeoffs (42:18)
- Sam’s Big Idea (53:32)
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