Hope Tech 4 V4 in the long-term review

Hope's Tech 4 V4 is currently the most powerful brake in the repertoire of the British company from Barnoldswick, which actually manufactures most of the components for their brakes - and now also other parts like full carbon frames - in their factory in their home country.

In the past, it has often been shown that a comprehensive brake review only makes sense if it also includes use under adverse conditions, in deep mud, or even scorching heat. How durable, reliable, or powerful new stoppers really are can only be assessed after at least several months have passed.
After more than a year on trails in the home country and beyond, we can now, with a clear conscience, share our experiences with the review model of the Hope Tech V4.

The brake lever itself is quite long and feels comfortable and non-slip on the finger. Adjusting the reach and bite point is exceptionally simple thanks to the knurled screws and can be done at any time, even on the trail.
In terms of reach from the handlebar, the most diverse hand sizes or rider preferences should be easily accommodated. When setting the bite point, I opted for the shortest dead travel; at least subjectively, this position also produced the most defined bite point.
The integration of the shift lever and dropper post lever works excellently with the separately available adapters, and other manufacturers could certainly take a cue from this functionality.
I have never found it so easy to position the levers exactly where I wanted them, and there is plenty of room for other adjustments.

During the famous parking lot test, the bite point feels spongier than it ever does during a ride – presumably due to the high braking power, which does not require pulling the brake lever excessively close to the handlebar.
If a full bleed is performed, the bite point is clearly defined, and the dead travel before the brake pads engage is limited to just a few millimeters. Strangely, this feeling only lasts for one or two rides; after that, the bite point becomes slightly softer, and the dead travel increases noticeably. This phenomenon could be reproduced every time after fully bleeding the brakes three times during the test period.

No matter how steep, no matter how hot the outside temperature, or how high the speed – the braking power of the Tech 4 V4 is brutally high and always available.
Stoppies or full stops in a hairpin turn to reposition the rear wheel are effortlessly and reliably possible, even with an e-bike. On the steepest descents, the brake can be feathered just as well at the end of a steep slope as on the first few meters. Even in high-speed sections, it brings the bike to a safe halt from its forward motion in no time.
There are certainly some riders for whom this braking power might be too much; others, like me, are only truly happy with such power.

The brake was tested on an e-bike, mainly with a 2.3 mm thick and 220 mm large fixed rotor brake disc at the front and a 200 mm disc at the rear.
Hope recommends adjusting the brake disc sizes to rider weight, area of use, and personal preferences. If the braking power is generally too high, a smaller disc can easily be mounted. When a 200 mm disc was temporarily mounted at the front wheel, the difference was slightly noticeable; however, the brake still provides strong stopping power even with smaller discs.

We were very satisfied overall with the green, organic racing brake pads: They combine strong braking power with good modulation and demonstrate surprisingly high durability for racing pads over numerous kilometers.
In contrast, with other manufacturers, one often gets the impression that the pads wear out on a cheese grater rather than a brake disc.
Equally positive is the low operating force of the brake lever: The braking power can be accessed with little effort, and even prolonged pulling of the lever does not require excessive exertion from arms and fingers.

To safely control a powerful brake, modulation is crucial. As mentioned, the bite point of the V4 is on the softer side, yet the desired braking force can be regulated quite precisely.
Especially at low speeds and on loose surfaces, it takes some getting used to in order not to apply too much force and cause the front or rear wheel to lock.

Speaking of low speeds: During such situations, the brake occasionally started to hum slightly with Hope rotors when dragging it through technical sections.
Apart from some initial squeaking noises in the rain, which disappeared quickly after the first bedding-in process, the Tech 4 V4 remained pleasantly quiet and did not distract from riding.

The Hope Tech 4 V4 does not come without criticism. Although the braking power remains consistently reliable even under the most extreme conditions, there can be instances where the brake lever wanders. In normal usage, this behavior is limited, but under high temperatures, steep trails, and extreme stress, it can happen that the brake lever moves a few millimeters away from the handlebar. For some riders, this might be negligible; however, our main tester, who is very sensitive in this regard, finds it extremely irritating during rides where precision is crucial.
This issue was so significant for him that, during timed Strava runs, he preemptively adjusted the brake lever closer to the handlebar before heading downhill. This way, the brake lever was closer to his ideal position when heated, but this adjustment caused another problem: In a section where there was no braking for about 15 seconds, he could pull the lever almost all the way to the handlebar during the first hard braking, as the bite point had shifted significantly due to cooling. This is far from ideal and could even pose a safety risk in critical situations, as it becomes unclear when the brake will start to engage.
Since there are hardly any similar reports online, this issue does not seem to be too severe for most riders. And no, there was no air in the system: After these symptoms first appeared, a complete bleed was performed and repeated later to rule out this factor.

In terms of durability, there were no failures, leaks, or other issues during the entire test phase, as are often seen with many other brakes.
In general, one rarely hears of significant flaws with the Tech 4.

Hope's Tech 4 V4 is without question one of the highest-quality and strongest-gripping brakes on the market.
Even on long and steep descents, the braking power does not suffer under extreme loads and remains consistently available, even with very light pressure on the brake lever. Only at lower speeds should one get used to not braking too hard to avoid unwanted wheel lock-ups.

The bite point is rather on the soft side; only at the beginning of a complete bleed is it slightly more defined, but unfortunately, this feeling fades after a few rides.

The only real downside is the wandering of the brake lever away from the handlebar, which causes the bite point to shift during particularly steep trails with continuous hard braking maneuvers and high external temperatures. This issue will affect some riders more than others - depending on how important an exact and consistent lever position is to them during the ride.