Deniz merdano hope xcr pro e4 20
Review

Hope XCR PRO E4 Brakes

Photos Deniz Merdano
Reading time

There are people making purple brakes for your bikes in Lancashire, UK and the world is better for it. These people are passionate about all things billet aluminum. They have mastered the science of extracting the right shape out of chunks of metal to make brakes, cranks, pedals, hubs and damn near everything needed to dress up a bicycle. They even make a whole one too, and it's damned good.

We have reviewed a variety of Tech 4(here and here) brakes fit for bigger bikes on this site. Cam and Graham both loved their time on Hopes so I had no problem saying yes to a pair of lighter duty, purple anodized brakes from the company to test out.

Hope's XCR Pro E4 brakes are aimed at a crowd looking for serious stopping power on their shorter travel bikes while also being gram-conscious with their build. With a slimmed down carbon lever and an XCR master cylinder mated to an E4 4-piston caliper, the goldilocks ratio of light weight and power was the goal. The set also arrived with 180mm 6Bolt rotors to understand this ecosystem.

Deniz merdano_hope_xcr_pro_e4_28 2

E4 Calipers with Green Race Compound Pads

Deniz merdano hope xcr pro e4 20

An aluminum carrier, floating rotors and XCR Master Cylinder

Packaged beautifully in a couple of boxes, the incredible purple creations were fit for the 140/120mm-travel Scor 2030 in my stable. The bike came with Code RSC brakes that did not fit the feel of the fun bike on the North Shore. I switched the brakes to a set of healthy Shimano XTs running on Centerline 180 rotors with excellent success. The lighter lever feel and the power of the Shimanos made the Scor a more pleasant, less tiring bike to ride. I was hoping (no pun) the XCR Pro E4s would not take away from the feel I was chasing.

Installation was straightforward. The kit comes with an extra barb and olive fittings and the old ones are reusable in a pinch. I like the split olive brake manufacturers are utilizing these days. The design allows for easy removal from the hose for use during reinstallation. A weigh-in was next to see if the promised reduction in weight was indeed noticeable.

The front set, bled full of oil and cut to size, came in at 229 grams/8oz. Compared to the Shimano XTs of the same specifications that came in at 289 grams/10.1oz. While one less burrito would get you similar results in total system weight of rider and bike, 60grams is not insignificant from a brake set. While I didn't have any 180mm Shimano Icetech rotors to weigh, the Sram Centerlines came in at 146grams while the Hope Rotors came in at 143grams. Almost a draw!

Deniz merdano hope xcr pro e4 16

The complete front brake weighs 229gr

Deniz merdano hope xcr pro e4 15

An equivalent complete XT brake weighs 289gr

Deniz merdano hope xcr pro e4 24

Pretty much a draw when it comes to rotor weight 143gr

Deniz merdano hope xcr pro e4 25

146gr for the Sram Centerline

Routing the rear brake through the Scor's rear stays is an uneventful affair. While Hope is known for their braided brake lines, they refrained from using them on this brake set. Braided lines are often thicker, causing trouble during routing but hey look stellar on certain bikes. I like to put a tiny little M2 bolt on the end of the hose to avoid spillage and contamination during its journey through the insides of a well ridden and dirty bike. There are no connotations here I'll assure you. It is just factual. Once the line made its way to the handlebars, I connected the hose with the master with the help of a tiny copper crush washer. The flat mount nature of the hose to master worried me at first as it looked like it might leak but there hasn't been any sign of that during my time with these brakes.

I did need to give the rear brakes a little bleed after the installation and the process was extremely easy. XCR Master does not have a bleed port for a cup or a syringe. The access plate for the reservoir comes off and the bladder with it. You then squeeze the lever to release air from the master and if you want to be more thorough, you can push or pull fluid from the caliper with a syringe. With this open bleed style, there is definitely more mess to be made. This is a problem if you are a home mechanic dealing with the DOT 5.1 fluid. Keep isoprophenol handy for cleanup or some soapy water in a spay bottle. When installing the bladder back on the master, make sure you do it in a sweeping motion, as you would press on a sticker to avoid bubbles. This gives any air that may get trapped under the bladder an exit route. 2x T10 bolts later, you are good to go.

On the Bike

The XCR Pro E4 combination comes with Hope's Green Race pads. While I have no experience with the other formulas from the company, green pads do the job with a couple of "buts". Lever feel of the XCR Pro E4 is light and firm. The E4 caliper has a more direct feel controlled by the XCR lever. The same caliper takes a softer feel with the Tech 4 levers and this mix and match possibility is quite awesome when it comes to Hope brakes in general. You can achieve different feel, modulation and power combinations as you wish. Do you want the most power and some modulation? go for Tech 4 V4. If you want a more on-off feel with a little less power on tap? Tech 4 E4 will do that job. The XCR Pro E4 has a direct feel with a very pleasant Shimano-like weight under your finger. The carbon lever blade feels great in all temperatures and while there are no traction dimples, I haven't found them to be slippery like alloy blades usually are. I generally set my levers 5-6cm from the bars and further inboard (2 fingers) from the grip clamp. While Hope offers matchmaker solutions for shifters and dropper levers of all kinds, I prefer to have those sitting on their own for maximum adjustability.

Deniz merdano hope xcr pro e4 39

It was a wet beginning to the winter program

Bedding in the Green Race Compound pads took no time. I mean, no time! 2 or 3 pulls on the street in front of the house and they felt good, right away. Maximum power levels would arrive a few more pulls later but this was pretty usable for a first descent. Going for a lap on Seymour trails I chose a couple of fast trails fit for the Scor to test things out. Ned's is a personal favorite and it provides the speed and thrill with a couple of heavy brake pulls to test the power we have with the XCR PROs. There is no discernable difference in stopping power compared to the outgoing Shimano XTs. With the Shimanos I was running a 203mm front rotor and a 180mm rear. This gave me a bit more bite on the front end but the 180mm rotors on the Hopes did not feel like a compromise. The power builds gradually and quickly. The finger feel is a little woody, similar to what you get from Code RSCs, but the power is there the more you squeeze. You don't need to cramp your hands out to get to the maximum power either.

Deniz merdano hope xcr pro e4 44

The purple does scratch my 90s MTB itch nicely

I find the combination of Green Race Pads and floating rotors a little noisy. There is a constant high-pitched squeal as the system heats up and it doesn't disappear. It almost feels like they are overwhelmed on the Scor and the speeds you can reach on it. I would like to test all the Hope brake pad compounds and the MTX pads for a better understanding of this. If the quiet ride comes at the price of braking performance, I don't want that. If the noise will increase with the performance, I am not sure I am up for that either. I will revisit this review in a few months after some more testing. For now, we will have to live with the high-pitched noises on bigger descents.

There is also the slight play on the rivets of the rotor. You don't feel this on the trail but stationary, if you grab the brakes and rock the bike back and forth, you may think you are dealing with a loose headset. I do like the pinging sounds you get from the steel and alloy cooling at different rates on the rotors. It first threw me off, but now I enjoy the race car sounds my brakes make.

Deniz merdano hope xcr pro e4 19

I don't know if I am sold on the floating rotors yet. Although I do like all the pinging sounds they make as they cool down

So where does this leave us? The six colour options on the XCR Pros are sure to excite the anodizing lovers out there. The stopping power is there without a doubt. Made in the UK, easy to service and find parts for. £235.00 // €295.20 // $307.42 is not boutique pricing either. There is a lot to like about the XCR Pro E4s from Hope Tech and I am in no hurry to take them off my bike. If I can figure out a work around to the sounds they make when they are overwhelmed on sustained descents, we have a winner in the low weight/ high power brake segment.

Hope XCR Pro E4

denomerdano
Deniz Merdano

5'8"

162lbs

Playful, lively riding style

Photographer and Story Teller

Lenticular Aesthetician

www.blackbirdworks.ca

Related Stories

Trending on NSMB

Comments

papa44
+3 Deniz Merdano James Heath ohio

I’ve been running the similar hope tech 4 e4s for years and I can’t recommend them enough. You can also buy any of the little parts you may break or lose too which is pretty much my number one requirement with expensive bike components. Only thing I would recommend is going straight to the MTX red pads without messing around. They are the best pads on the market, great bite no fade and always silent. No idea how they do it. Nice write up too I hadn’t considered the xcr but they might work for a lighter rigid build I’m currently mentally building, just waiting to see if the new stooge frames will finally accommodate tall people..

Reply

denomerdano
+2 papa44 ohio

I love MTX pads and have done a few reviews on them here. I will source some Reds and golds for these brakes.

Reply

danielshiels
+3 Zero-cool papa44 ohio

Love my hope brakes, simple things like being able to fit the tech 4 levers to my existing e4 calipers for most of the improvement from the new gen, really easy to bleed, parts always avaliable for service or repair and they look great. Gold sintered ebc pads all year round for me in them

Reply

snowsnake
+3 Cam McRae HughJass ohio

I absolutely love the lever shape (and carbon) of the XCR E4s on my fat bike. I ride that bike pretty aggressively, and I’ve never run out of power or had issues getting the rotors warm enough to bite even after long climbs. They definitely aren’t quite as light and powerful feeling as the Tech 4 E4s on my short travel FS, but I’ve never quite gotten along with machined lever blades. Knowing that the V4 calipers are slightly squishier feeling, but even more powerful, I’m starting to have the harebrained idea to combine them with the XCR levers.

Reply

ohio
0

Yeah, I had the same thought. The radial XCR should provide a stiffer feel and slightly less mech advantage - that would be offset by the larger mech advantage of the bigger pistons on the V4. Just wondering if maybe the XCR lever doesn't move or contain enough fluid for the bigger caliper?

Reply

Kenny
+2 Cr4w Morgan Heater Tim (aka DigitBikes/DirtBaggies) Kristian Øvrum

T10 torx for the bleed is a little annoying as well. I get that torx is superior to hex from a technical perspective, especially for small fasteners, but every part that needs a tool that's not on a typical bike multi tool or even tool set, creates an opportunity to get caught out at an inopportune time.

Reply

denomerdano
+1 ohio

Fair enough. If the situation reveals itself at an inopportune time, I may just use a 2.5mm hex key in the T10 hole.. yolo

Reply

morgan-heater
0

I have to admit to having broken one, but SRAM has the same little fasteners.

Reply

andrewbikeguide
+3 Kristian Øvrum Timer ohio

"Brake bleed" and "multi-tool" are not words I would expect to see in the same sentence unless the words "emergency back country" were also used in that sentence.

Torx are more precise than a hex if the tool can be used perpendicular to the fastener. 

Every Wera bit set that I have which is labelled as "for bikes" has a T10 bit in it. 

Almost every set of SRAM brakes comes with an L shaped torx key which has a T10 on one end, most shop workshops should have enough of them to give one away for a politely offered beer or coffee.

Reply

Timer
+1 Kristian Øvrum

T10 is fairly common on brakes. Not just sram, but Formula also uses them for the bleed port screws.

Reply

ohio
0

Hayes too.

Reply

Roxtar
+2 Deniz Merdano ohio

I've been a big fan of Tech4s ever since I tried them in the Covid, no-stock days. I was building up a bike for myself and XTRs were nowhere to be found so I decided to try the T4V4s. I've never looked back. They have a very similar feel and power as XTR but with better modulation.

Oh, and being drop dead gorgeous doesn't hurt.

I've since done several top end builds with either the V4 or E4 calipers and every client has been thrilled with them.

I have no doubt the XCRs are just as good.

Reply

denomerdano
0

I am coming around to the Hope ecosystem more and more. The looks, the availability and the undeniable performance are all working or them.

Reply

DanL
0

If you get the hope brake bleed funnel / top your enjoyment of the brakes will keep on going. hey also reply [retty quickly if there's any parts issues or questions.

Reply

Lynx
+1 Konrad James Heath Kristian Øvrum

Nice to see some parts on the lighter side of the spectrum reviewed for those of us who like our "little" bikes, subscribed to hear your further thoughts on the different pad compounds and noise - was very curious what effect noise wise those floating rotors have.

FYI, Hope have been doing the split/reusable ferule for as long as I can remember, had it on my set of Mono Minis back in 2005, the rest are just catching up :-)

Unfortunately not a fan of DOT fluid, so waiting with fingers crossed that they bring out a Mineral oil brake - have heard rumors.

Reply

denomerdano
+2 Kristian Øvrum Timer

Although DOT is not my first choice, it is universal. Go anywhere and you can buy compatible fluid easily. Not so much with mineral oil. As there are many many formulations and viscosities. Probably not a huge issue to mix and match but less of an issue when it comes to DOT compatibility

Reply

Lynx
0 Jerry Willows Kristian Øvrum

My actual big problem with DOT Deniz isn't that it's so absolutely toxic even, but the fact that it's DOT 4 (at least here) that's easy to find and basically as soon as you open a bottle, it's done unless you have a vacuum sealed bottle to put it in and pump out all the air so it won't absorb water. DOT5 is hydrophobic, but not DOT 5.1 which is the other alternative.

Reply

denomerdano
+3 Timer chaidach ohio

Shimano mineral oil msds sheet

It's no salad dressing thats for sure!

I fill half bottles of whatever with marbles from a dollar store to take up all the air out. It helps immensely

Reply

andrewbikeguide
-1 Kristian Øvrum

Cannot think of anywhere I have been that doesn't have baby oil in the pharmacy or pharmacy section including Indonesia, Pakistan, Kenya, Sierra Leone and Thailand. It can be used to 'emergency' bleed a mineral oil brake.

I have used water for an emergency bleed on a Shimano XT brake on one Chilcotin trip and whilst it wasn't ideal, ie lost power when it heated up during a descent, it was better than no brake and it got the rider safely to the lake/ lodge on the last day.

Reply

denomerdano
+1 ohio

I too have bled shimano with water from my bottle a couple of times with great success..

Reply

ohio
0

Yeah, this will get you there from the backcountry if it has to.

Reply

ohio
0

You're better off using the lowest viscosity motor oil, suspension, or gear oil, which can also found pretty much anywhere in the world. Those will have much higher boiling points and additives that keep contaminants and broken down hydrocarbons in suspension. All are "mineral oil."

Reply

plepgeat
+1 Deniz Merdano

Those are gorgeous.  Any idea how they'd fare with a rider who outweighs you by, say, a hundred pounds?

Reply

denomerdano
+6 roil Andy Eunson Zero-cool Kenny Ripbro Lynx .

Check out this awesome chart!

Reply

motdoc
+1 Deniz Merdano

I have t4e4 on my bike and t4e4 on my e-bike. They are great and as a not amazing rider who brakes a fair amount have really helped me relax and stay off more.

Reply

Curveball
0

"The power builds gradually and quickly." Uh, which is it?

Reply

denomerdano
0

It is both. It is tough to verbalize the way brakes feel to an audience. 

I made a graph in my Lewis introduction. I hope brakes build power, similar to how Lewis builds power. The power comes on quickly into the lever stroke and builds to peak power quickly.

Reply

Jdee
0

I have the E4 calipers with Tech 4 levers.  I really love the feel, but as mentioned in the article I could never get rid of the high pitch squeal, or chirping sound that is constantly present when braking force is applied. I tried most of the Hope pad compounds, different rotors, resurfacing rotors, realigning calipers and pistons etc and the sound never went away.  Ultimately I decided I valued quiet brakes over ultimate brake feel and went back to Shimano.  I'm very interested to hear if the MTX pads solve the noise issue in the long term review.

Reply

papa44
+1 Justin Dodd

Mate those mtx red pads are silent, it’s a miracle how well they work

Reply

ohio
0

Mine squeal pretty badly in the wet (on Hayes A4), but hard to blame any pads for that.

Reply

DBone57
0

Were the XTs 2 or 4 piston?

Reply

denomerdano
0

4 Piston!

Reply

Please log in to leave a comment.