Launched mid-summer, the Hope EVO GR4s are the gravity 4-pot offering in Hope’s updated EVO range they quickly became our favourite brakes.
The Hope GR4 brakes replace the Tech4 V4 in the line up, with everything on the brake being fine-tuned to produce a much better brake.
Photos by Pete Scullion.
Key features:
- Increased lever hook
- New dimple design
- New cam
- Roller bearing main pivot
- 2 piston guide bushes
- Bleed port added to the master cylinder body
- One-piece caliper design
- Larger pistons
- Improved caliper stiffness
- Larger adjustment range
- New bore cap design
- GR4s are not compatible with Vented rotors.
- Available in Black or Silver with Black, Silver, Smoke, Blue, Red, Purple or Orange accents
- Braided hose – RRP £250.00, Black hose – RRP £240.00
- Hopetech.com
The first time I swung a leg over a bike with Tech4 V4s, I had to recalibrate my riding. If anything, the brakes were too powerful. I had never thought you could get too much power, but these and the Trickstuff anchors were a bit much. Once I had my head around the V4s, you could simply just brake later and later, assuming your rear tyre and suspension were up to the task.
Hope launched the EVO line with the GR4s taking top step as the most powerful on offer, but with a distinct focus on control. Yes, the V4s were powerful, but I felt like I spent most of the time with the rear wheel locked. New levers, new lever cam, roller bearing main pivot, master piston bushes, stiffer caliper… Everything has been tweaked to keep the power and up the control. This is the most adjustable brake Hope have made, with three different lever blades too.
The legends at Hope sotted these onto my bike at the Les Gets World Cup, just in time for a week of riding in Lenzerheide. Once again, I had to recalibrate my riding. This time, it was all good. At first, I struggled to lock the back wheel when I wanted to. Despite this, I was slowing down at a rate of knots that I hadn’t experienced in many a moon, if ever.
With the GR4s giving so much power, I could brake less, meaning my hands held up better, meaning I only went faster. Even on monster Alpine descents, my hands were never tired from braking and even the 180mm rear rotor never felt like it was being overwhelmed. The only sign of any warmth in the system was the rotors quietly ticking themselves cool at the end of a run, even the 180mm rear failed to be overwhelmed in the Alps.
My only gripe with the GR4s is that the lever doesn’t quite sit close enough to the handlebar for my liking. This is a very niche requirement for someone who likes to move their index finger but a few millimeters, and the ‘Control’ lever looks pretty much spot on for this task. The standard levers are far from terrible though, and continue to serve me well.
It’s hard to talk about the GR4s without resorting to lazy hyperbole. They simply function in a manner that high-end brakes should with little fuss or ceremony. The combination of these brakes, new Fox dampers and fresh MaxxGrip rubber from the cats at Madison mean that the Saracen Ariel 60 that they’re fitted to has found new speed in all situations.
At retail price, the £240/250 asking price is well in line with brakes like Shimano’s XTR 4-pot and cheaper than the SRAM Maven Ultimate, both mass-produced brakes that don’t have the power (Shimano) or the control (SRAM). They’re leaps and bounds better than the Tech4 V4 due to the massive jump in control on offer with the new anchors. Hope have, once again, upped their own game and this is now the brake by which others will be judged.
You can check out the Hope EVO GR4 brakes over on their website here.
