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numpty question 😉
my rotar sizes are 183mm up front and 160mm rear..
could i upgrade to M4 brakes...
im still running the original brakes on my orange five 2009 bike ( Hope Tech x2.... tho looking at the prices of the M4's they are quite expensive as they seem to have had a facelift this year for this type of brake system..
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=73422
Yes I did this and it is a straight swap.
Remember you cannot get the pipework out easily - i never actually tried so had to bleed the rear on fitting
Yes, you can upgrade without changing rotors. 'Evo' brakes (came out last year IIRC) have a slightly redesigned lever and are apparently 15% more powerful - as the calipers are unchanged it might be worth swopping the levers on your existing X2s if it's a power issue?
Andy
swapping just the levers ? ...lol not too technical here) 😉
i like tech x2 but not sure they are good enuff for lots of long
decending.....
What's your weight? I'd be tempted by a Tech M4 front, Tech X2 rear. Personally I would go for the Race Evo M4/X2 editions as they are lighter and more powerful.
Just bleed them with a 500ml bottle of Castrol SRF and fit them with sintered pads. You won't have boiling fluid again unless you are with A) A total tool B) A nutter.
erm about 8 and half stone...ha i see wot yer getting at. lol just that i was out riding with someonelast nite who has m4,s but then hes alot heavier than me lol.same height 5feet and a tiny few inches (lol) but more muscles heavier than me...i think his muscles weigh alot...a bloody machine i call him...he just carrys his alpine bike on his shoulders and srolls up the likes of Helvellyn like it was a tiny hill..
i like tech x2 but not sure they are good enuff for lots of long
decending.....
Depends what you mean by long descending - unless you're riding in the alps they should be OK. Maybe floating discs and braided hoses rather than replacing the whole brakeset?
Andy
TBH the bog standard non evo Tech X2's are quite underpowered, even the evo ones are. The race x2's are a different story. They're great for the rear though, where you do not need as much braking force to lock the wheel. Moving to a race/tech m4 evo on the front would probably give you about 20 percent more braking force, without the need to up the rotating weight by moving to a larger rotor.
I've realized that even lighter riders like yourself can benefit from overpowered brakes as they reduce upper body fatigue, which is great for the more slightly built amongst us.
The race x2's are a different story
I though they were meant to be even less powerful, having traded power for weight (and in any case, XC racers aren't that bothered about outright power)?
Andy
If u r thinking of that might b worth calling hope and sending the brakes back to them for an"upgrade" service . I am sure they would sort you out. Won't cost too much and you'll end up with brakes like brand new.
The Race Evo levers are indeed more powerful than the Tech Evo levers, which themselves are quite a lot more powerful than the old Race levers.
I have Race Evo M4s 183/160 on my bike and the control and power is near perfect - possibly overkill for a lighter rider but then again there isn't a vast weight penalty compared to a more XC brake. I've heard that the feedback from the Race Evo levers is much superior to that from the Tech Evo levers, so if you can live without the bite point adjust you get less weight, more power and more control.
I though they were meant to be even less powerful, having traded power for weight (and in any case, XC racers aren't that bothered about outright power)?Andy
Nope, check the bikeradar dyno tests, ask hope if you really want. The race models have a little more power.
I have Race Evo M4s 183/160 on my bike and the control and power is near perfect - possibly overkill for a lighter rider but then again there isn't a vast weight penalty compared to a more XC brake. I've heard that the feedback from the Race Evo levers is much superior to that from the Tech Evo levers, so if you can live without the bite point adjust you get less weight, more power and more control.
They just need to make some Race V2's now 
I put the EVO cam and roller in some old tech x2 brakes for the wife. She weighs more than you put has no problem stopping on peak district decents. I think it might just be a set up issue. At worst, you might have worn a flat spot on the original cams.
My understanding is that the race lever gets more power by pushing less fluid (and offering less pad clearance). So much so that it can't push enough fluid for a v2 caliper.
they should be plenty powerful for your weight
running diff brakes front & rear mean needing x2 different sets of spare pads? hassle?
Up your rotor sizes for cheap fix
Nope, check the bikeradar dyno tests, ask hope if you really want. The race models have a little more power.
That is a bit of a surprise - I can remember a pre-Evo test where the Race brakes were less powerful (by some margin) than Techs, and indeed were the least powerful brakes on test.
Andy