Hope has been making mountain bike disc brakes for longer than just about anybody, and earlier this year they launched their new Tech 4 lineup of brakes. So we sat down with Hope’s design engineer, Sam Gibbs, to talk about the new brakes & what changed from the prior Tech 3 models; how to choose the right brakes, rotors, and pads for you; and along the way we go pretty deep on the finer points of brake tech and all the tradeoffs inherent to designing them.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Sam’s role at Hope (1:39)
• New Tech 4 lineup (3:55)
• The Tech 4 lever (7:48)
• Caliper design & piston materials (17:18)
• Brake design & tradeoffs (21:57)
• Choosing the right brake for you (32:28)
• Rotor sizes & heat management (39:11)
• Brake pad options & tradeoffs (42:18)
• Sam’s Big Idea (53:32)

RELATED LINKS:

• Introducing: Blister Labs
• This Week’s Gear Giveaway
• Become a Blister Member
• Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide
• Galfer on MTB Brake Tech (Ep.81)
• Fanatik

OUR OTHER PODCASTS

• Off The Couch
• GEAR:30
• Blister Podcast

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