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I have dug out my old Mono M4s from the depths of the garage and was wondering whether it's worth servicing them and using them on my enduro bike. Will they compare poorly with modern brakes (new Hopes are out of my price range) or would I be better flogging them on ebay and buying some new Sram Guides?
Dont get Guides...my Guide R were rubbish, spongy, endless bleeding but lever still came back to bars.
Take a look at Shimano Deore 4 pots.
Some of the old Hopes make strong money on ebay so you'll be surprised how little it costs you to upgrade.
Not sure about your hopes but guides have been brilliant for me. Got guide r’s on both my ht and fs. Both have been relentlessly reliable and strong.
I’d try the Hopes and see how they go given you have them already and they’re therefore free.
Shimano seem highly rated despite loads of reports of leaking seals if not regularly used. I therefore don’t get why people rate them.
I am running hope minis of similar vintage on all my bikes ( bar the tandem which has 6 pots) Reliable, single finger braking, pads last for ever using hope sintered. I actually swapped a pair of new basic shimanos for a set 'cos I like them
Is that the black and gold ones?
I had a set and found them nowhere near as good as the two-piece hopes that preceded them, ended up replacing them with XT Shimanos, one bloke I spoke to had fitted braided hoses to his, which apparently fixed them though...
Yeah, the black and gold ones. I think I'll set them up and see how they go. I fancy braided hoses for a bit of bling anyway so I'll give them a try. Cheers for the replies!
some of mine have braided hoses - some plastic. I can detect no difference.
Mate is still running his old Hopes from around that era...well one at least as one recently developed a crack so had to replace. Seems to stop him quite nicely though he's no slouch he's no enduro superstar either, but we hit Bike Park Wales, Antur Stiniog as well as a lot of natural Peak stuff, so if they can do well there then they're still doing pretty well.
I use 2007 Mono minis, the black and gold, they are fine. And better than the two-piece ones. If you ever have issues it's always pad contamination. I suspect sometimes seals get leaky or discs get glazed or something. I realised this when I found the brakes on my wife's bike were far better than the ones in my own bike despite being the same. So I learned to clean them properly and I changed seals to avoid leakage.
I think this is why people swear that some brakes are rubbish and others that they are brilliant. Lots of variables. Basically nearly all brakes are good if they are in condition. The differences are very minor. Which makes sense really because they all work in exactly the same way.
Will be absolutely fine if set up well, don't bother with new hoses, new seals & possibly phenolic pistons
The levers are a bit rattly
I have set that are now on my winter hardtail and they are still great, if you take the time to service them
I use 2007 Mono minis, the black and gold, they are fine.
Mine exactly the same as yours were complete shite.
And better than the two-piece ones
Totally the opposite experience. As compared to my original Minis which were excellent.
If you ever have issues it’s always pad contamination. I suspect sometimes seals get leaky or discs get glazed or something.
Mine were technically perfect. No leaks, clean pads and discs but just not effective. I do think mine were probably an exception though...
So I learned to clean them properly and I changed seals to avoid leakage.
Definitely not a maintenance issue with mine. All my stuff is very well maintained.
OP,I’d go for a more modern brake. Modern Shimano or most brands of
brakes are much better.
As someone said above try them and see what they're like. If you don't like them then sell them. I sold some hope mini's, the original split caliper variety, a few years ago and got a good price for them.
Mine were technically perfect.
They weren't, were they, cos they didn't stop you? There really is no other possible explanation for one set being poor and one good other than contamination. Y
It's just a tube, you press the fluid in one end and it pushes the pistons out of the other. The only difference between models of brakes is the way they manage heat.
It is my view that contamination appears from all sorts of strange sources. I've had brakes working fine at the end of a ride and been bad at the start of the next. Regularly. I don't know where it comes from. I also think sometimes road spray is oily or something. And possibly seals micro-leaking, I dunno. But there's no other way to explain the differences between different brakes of the same design.
Modern Shimano or most brands of
brakes are much better.
They aren't! I've run modern Shimano and old Hope side by side, on the same steep fast road descents with the same sharp stops at the bottom. Nothing in it, in practice.
Running poorly serviced 2004 M4s here. No major problems.
I sold my Mono M4s when breaking up my old hardtail.
Wish I hadn't as they were better than the newish XTs I've now got. Cost me more to replace the prone to fail master cylinders on those as what I sold the M4s for.