Hope’s Tech 4 E4 brake is the latest iteration of trail bike brakes from the UK-based manufacturer. I was eager to try Hope’s updated offering, having previously run its predecessor, the Tech 3 E4. Designed and manufactured in Bardnoldswick, England, the new Tech 4 E4 is as visually attractive as it is powerful. On the exterior, the Tech 4 boasts some noticeable visual changes over the previous Tech 3 model, with an all-new lever body and updated lever profile. The lever blade and redesigned master cylinder are very “moto” in appearance and, in typical Hope fashion, are available in a wide variety of color combinations.

While the Hope Tech 4 E4 passed the aesthetic test right out of the box, I was excited to get them on trail. Looks mean very little for brakes if they can’t slow you down in time for the next turn. Over the course of a few months, I put them through their paces, trusting them to bring my Stumpjumper Evo to stop across a variety of Pacific Northwest terrain in conditions ranging from rim-deep slop to sunbaked hardpack.

Tech Specs

• DOT 5.1 
• 4-Piston 
• Tool-Free Bite Point and Reach Adjustment

Updated Lever

Hope claims that the new E4 brake has a 30% increase in power from its earlier Tech 3 version. This drastic increase in power is largely thanks to the completely redesigned lever blade. Significantly longer than the Tech 3 blade, the Tech 4 blade allows the rider much more overall leverage on the system, increasing power while decreasing hand fatigue. The new blade also has a strikingly flat profile, unlike any other option currently on the market. 

At first, the lever blade felt foreign compared to something with a curved profile, such as a Shimano lever, but after my first ride, I found myself accustomed to its feel. A generous amount of machined stippling creates a good purchase between one’s finger and the blade, ensuring a consistent contact point, even in wet conditions. The blade now pivots on a small bearing, providing a smoother overall action. Most noticeably, the Tech 4’s lever has a distinctly light pull comparable to that of a Hayes Dominion A4. Hope has reduced the strength of the Tech 4’s return spring, providing an exceptionally light return and making it easy to hold the levers at any amount of engagement without hand fatigue. 

Updated Caliper Internals 

The Tech 4 calipers didn’t see as dramatic an overhaul as the levers, with Hope only making a few design tweaks to eke out every last bit of performance from the system. The caliper maintains its single-piece machined design, which Hope believes creates a much stiffer caliper than the two-piece design widely used by other manufacturers. 

The updated E4 caliper utilizes stainless steel pistons with phenolic inserts to provide a balance of smooth actuation and heat dissipation. Phenolic pistons, used on the E3, consist of a thermosetting resin and are regarded for their exceptional heat management and insulation, but they are not without their quirks. The E3's fully phenolic pistons worked well but required very frequent service to keep the pistons lubricated and operating as intended. This new hybrid-style piston maintains a phenolic core for temperature management while the stainless steel outer sleeve provides a smooth actuation and far less frequent caliper service. This is one of the biggest upgrades in terms of functionality to the Tech 4 E4; I had to service the pistons on the older generation of brakes far more frequently than I would have liked to keep them operating properly.

Tool Free Adjustment

The latest version of the E4 maintains the same user-friendly and highly-tunable lever adjustment found on its predecessor, with each lever having both a “Reach” and “BPC” (Bite Point Control) knob. Their size makes them easy to adjust even with gloves, providing a tangible clicking sensation as you work your way through the range. The adjustments on the Hope E4s make a massive difference in lever feel depending on how you have them set up. The reach adjustment allows for a lever position that can accommodate most any hand. It can be extended comically far from the bar; maybe this would provide the ideal reach for riders with extremely large hands. 

The BPC adjustment can be fine-tuned to provide varying degrees of engagement through the lever pull. The BPC can either be set to provide a long, linear lever pull, hitting full lock in the final stage of the lever throw or can be set to provide ample “grab” early on and ramp substantially in the last two-thirds of the lever pull. I’ve found that the BPC and reach adjustment are highly intertwined in how they affect the overall feel of the brake and take a bit of testing on trail to reach the “ideal” setup. I eventually settled on a fairly neutral reach with the bite point set early in the stroke. This setup offered a lever feel that engaged quickly before ramping to full power in its latter half. The Tech 4 E4 offers the widest range of functional lever feel on the market and can be tailored to fit most riders’ preferences. 

Updates over Tech 3 E4:

• 30% increase in power
• Updated lever shape 
• Addition of lever bearing for smoother action 
• Updated Hinge clamp 
• Increase shifter compatibility and adjustability
• Updated piston construction for improved heat management 
• All-New Racing Compound pads

Riding Impressions

My introduction to the E4 coincided with my return to mountain biking after a few months off, having developed Trigger Finger in two fingers. Even a slightly prolonged braking section would aggravate the issue, prompting physical therapy and time off the bike. In hindsight, the Hope E4 was the best brake I could have eased back into riding with due to its exceptionally light return spring.

The first thing I noticed with the E4s fitted to my Stumpjumper Evo was how smoothly their power transferred. “Spongey” is not a term usually positively associated with brakes, but it is the closest term for how I would describe the initial uptake of power in the first 30% of the lever throw. Not to be confused with a long or soggy lever pull, E4’s “spongey” initial engagement gives way to a progressive build-up to a firm, skid-inducing power. Similar to other Hope brakes I’ve used, the lever pull provides a large window of modulation before reaching a full lock-up, making it very easy to regulate braking throughout the entirety of the lever throw. Thanks to Hope’s wide range of adjustment possibilities, this window could be narrowed to reach full lock-up slightly faster. With my fairly early BPC setting with the levers set to a comfortable reach for my hands, the E4s provided a very predictable feel in all scenarios.

Over the course of my time with the E4s, I had the opportunity to test them on a variety of terrain ranging from meandering Galbraith single track to sustained fall-line trails, where I found myself on the brakes more often than not. The E4 brakes proved themselves to be more than capable of any type of single-track riding, and even though they are firmly slated as Hope’s “trail-specific” brake, they handled prolonged steep terrain perfectly fine. I was especially impressed with the predictability of those awkward “up and over” movements when setting yourself for a steep move or chute. The light lever action of the E4 makes it incredibly easy to accurately manage braking without inducing a dreaded rear-wheel step-out.  

I found myself repeatedly returning to one trail in particular, just under a mile in length, dropping 1,200ft elevation, which provided the ideal mix of terrain for a “test track.” The first two-thirds of the trail consists of sections of flat-out straightaways, skipping over the tops of stumps before demanding braking zones entering rutted slot car berms. The final third of the track is taxing on both components and rider, becoming significantly steeper as it nears the tree line and demanding most of the brakes when they are already heated up. I found that the light lever action of the brakes played a big role in eliminating hand fatigue while delivering a consistent feel over the inconsistent rock-riddled ground. 

Pad Types

Racing (Green):

Alongside the launch of the Tech 4 iteration of brakes, Hope released its all-new Green Racing pad. Unlike all of the other pads Hope offers, these green-backed pads were not made by Galfer and were instead made in partnership with another manufacturer Hope has opted not to name. Now coming pre-installed on Hope E4 and V4 brakes, these Green Racing pads utilize a resin compound to provide maximum power and fade resistance. These pads enter their operational range at a relatively low heat compared to their other pads and have an incredibly quick bed-in period. This was my preferred pad throughout my time testing as it offered the most initial bite and never faded on sustained descents; its only downside was its incredibly short lifespan. I wore through these pads twice as fast as I typically would a sintered brake pad. 

All Conditions (Red):

Designed as Hope’s general do-it-all brake pad, the All Condition Red pad provides better durability than the Racing Green pad, albeit with a significantly longer bed in period and slightly less initial grab. While it took slightly longer to bed in and needed a little more heat to reach its optimal operating window, the All Conditions pad generally performed well in all conditions and wore significantly slower than the Racing Green pad. A set of All Condition Red pads comes included in the box for E4 and V4 brakes.

E-Bike (Purple):

The E-Bike Purple pad is a slightly altered version of the All Conditions Red, offering improved fade resistance and designed to handle the higher braking demands associated with the weight of e-bikes.

Sintered (Gold) :

Hope’s Sintered Gold pads consist of a full metallic compound for maximum fade resistance. These pads are recommended for use in wet, muddy terrain but don’t offer the same initial grab that the Racing Green pads produce in dry conditions. The Sintered Gold pads are Hope's most durable, longest-lasting offering.

Heat Management

The Hope E4s handled everything in stride and never left me questioning if I was “under braked” for the type of riding I was doing, even though Hope has them firmly slated as a trail-specific brake. They handled heat well and didn’t crack under the demands of proper descents 3+ minutes in length. I never experienced a loss of power or performance at higher temperatures, with the only signs of stress on the Tech 4 E4 being an occasional  screeching sound they’d omit at the very bottom of sustained downhills. The sound, while unexpected, had zero impact on how the brake performed. 

E4 vs. V4 // Which is Best for You?

Hope has created an extremely informative “brake selector” guide that recommends a lever of brake and rotor size based on the combined weight of a rider and their bike. Based on this chart, my choice of E4 brakes and 200mm rotor front and rear were not unfounded, as I fell at the upper end of their E4 recommendation. However, based on this chart, I am also a candidate for Hope’s powerful DH-oriented brake, the V4.

The Hope V4 maintains the same lever and master cylinder found on the E4 but utilizes a different caliper design to deliver the most power possible. While the E4 uses a symmetrical four-piston design, the V4 uses an asymmetrical piston design, incorporating a set of oversized, larger pistons to generate the strongest possible grab on the rotor. Relied upon by Wold Cup racers, these brakes are intended for the highest demands of gravity-based cycling. While having a slight weight penalty over the E4, the V4 model is marginally more powerful and maintains the same refined lever feel and modulation. While the E4 is a fantastic brake for trail and all-mountain use, the V4 would be the best option for heavier riders or those looking to tackle proper downhill tracks.

Verdict

The Hope Tech 4 E4 is one of the most adjustable brakes on the market and can be tailored to suit a wide variety of preferences. Beyond the massively updated lever profile, Hope has introduced a number of improvements internally, providing better performance and less frequent caliper maintenance. The E4's ability to modulate power and shave off speed at will is among the best in the business and is delivered via a distinctly light lever action. It provides plenty of braking confidence in any scenario, regardless of the weather. For heavier riders or those tackling regularly tackling downhill tracks, the Hope V4 will provide the same finesse as the E4 reviewed here while delivering a little bit more stopping power.