Shimano to Hope Calipers...

Not familiar with road stuff but Shimano and hope MTB use different fluid so you can't mix and match

Yep, Shimano use mineral oil, and Hope normally use Dot fluid.

But...
Hope do do a caliper that is compatible with Shimano systems & mineral oil.
https://www.hopetech.com/products/brakes/road/rx4-caliper/

I'm not sure whether you can do a straight swap with hoses and olives through. You'll need to read the fine print!

I thought the hope calipers came with the correct new olive and barb to fit the Shimano hose.

I've got the oily Hopes for use with Shimano STI's. They do come with the bits but undoing then doing up is quickerer than chopping off, inserting barb then doing up. As I said up there, lazy git...

I just changed stuff at the caliper end when I swapped a flat mount Shimano to flat mount Hope. Think I had to cut a bit of hose off and it was tight on length of the hose but just about do-able. The Hope caliper came with all the hardware needed and also 2 sets of pads and I think a syringe.

I don't see how that would work, the collar is different, and you can't change the collar without removing the olive, so might as well replace the barb at the same time.

Shimano and hope use different fittings so you have to do a bit of work unfortunately. Also follow the hope bleeding instructions properly as otherwise they won't feel great

By the time you’ve spent 4 hours trying the bleed the bloody thing properly the 5 mins it takes to chop 10mm from the hose at the calliper end, install the new collar, olive and barb will be all but forgotten.

One does not simply bleed a Shimano Road brake and a Hope calliper. A debt must be paid, a ritual performed, blood and curses will be spilled!

I chipped off the end, it was fine. Followed the bleed vid and that worked okay, and took under an hour an end, and I am done v little brake fettling.
For the rear I put the bike vertically in the stand, loosened the bars and turned them so the levers bleed port was level. I seem to have a decent bleed.

Best teenager impression: okaaaay I'll do it properly. It's not fair etc...

I had a suspicion the difference in the fittings would scupper my evil plan but hoped someone had a successful bodge under their belt.

What's the betting the 10mm will prove critical and the hoses will need replacing... 🙄

What's the advantage of swapping out the Shimano callipers for these? Is there a performance upgrade because i find my Shimano road callipers to be awesome, or is it just for bling?

What’s the advantage of swapping out the Shimano callipers for these? Is there a performance upgrade because i find my Shimano road callipers to be awesome, or is it just for bling?

I don’t think there’s much difference at all in performance to be honest - I swapped mine for the reliability and spare parts availability. I don’t like the throw away nature of the Shimano parts where you can’t even get simple things like seals. I’ve had 3 Shimano calipers microleak so far and not willing to keep throwing money at them for new ones until they sort their life out.

Edit - I just bought a black one as not bothered about bling too much - my road bike is just for fitness / training / commuting.

I don’t think there’s much difference at all in performance to be honest – I swapped mine for the reliability and spare parts availability

This. Difference in cost isn’t great once you take the second set of pads the hopes come with into account. I found them a bit finicky to be honest - very tight clearances and tended to rub a bit.

I’ve only got an RX4 on the back so far - the front Shimano caliper hasn’t failed yet. But that will be getting Hope too when it does.

I’ve not had modern Hope brakes until the RX4 (had some of those C1’s back in the day with the dial on them and maybe a mono mini - black with a gold pot on it) and I found it a bit of a fiddle to bleed and get the bite point in the right place. Got there in the end and haven’t needed to touch it since. Doesn’t rub even when heaving on the bars out of the saddle up steep hills. Not a wildly stiff frame either - Caad12 disc with a 9mm qr at both ends.

The rear Shimano is leaking a bit and my MTB Hopes are FANTASTIC so decision made.

With luck, the Hope's lever feel will be a bit more 'solid' as they do on the MTB's. I like the way Hopes are made/look as well with is obv the most important thing...👍

The Shimano on my bike were solid and powerful until the micro leak started - then the rear brake started howling and losing power until it was really hot.

The Hope feels pretty much the same - if anything it bites marginally later through the brake lever travel but feels firm and instant power. Doesn’t feel wildly different to the front one.