SRAM E1 Levers + Hope brakes. Pros and Cons?

Tech Tech - What to Buy
1

Hi all, I plan to swap my bikes over from D1 and D2 to E1 levers in the next couple of months.

I am thinking that at the same time I would also install Hope brakes, an RX4+ in the front, and an RX2 in the rear. I currently run a 160mm front rotor and a 140mm rear rotor. I prefer having differential stopping power and understand that in most circumstances, the RX4+ won’t offer better performance than the RX2. Currently, I have considered the following pros and cons.

Pros:

  • More resistant to fade due to the larger front brake pad
  • More braking power, due primarily to less clearance
  • Can avoid using adapters
  • slightly reduced weight
  • Looks

Cons

  • Less pad clearance, due primarily to tradeoff for more power
  • Lose “bleeding edge” compatibility.
  • The effort of installation is higher.
  • Effort of reselling calipers on ebay

What am I missing? In your opinion, do you think this is worth doing?

EDIT: TIL i learned that the RX2 are bleeding edge compatible.

EDIT #2: Going to give the RX2 a try. See how I feel about them vs. the sram calipers.

2

You pretty much have it. I’ve run a similar rival + rx4 setup for a few years. Love the braking and performance. In poor conditions maintenance can be a pain as you need to keep four not two pistons in sync. Also pad availability and choice is poor (E4/rx4+). Overall would do it again. Just keep in mind the caveats.

3

Definitive thing to check is piston diameters (area). The D1 & RX4+ is on the edge of compatibility and I think the piston diameter changed in the lever geometry revision? It could have gone outside of what works.

I have D1 with RX4+ and pads run very close to the discs to the point where running in wet gritty weather is not a good idea. In the dry they’re perfect though.

4

I ran D2 with RX4+ and now E1 with RX2.

The RX2 are lighter, less susceptible to clearance and sticky pistons issues, and offer huge stopping power with the E1 levers. Don’t bother with the RX4+.

The RX2 calipers also have bleeding edge ports.

5

Thanks! I appreciate your response. I didn’t realize that all of the newer Hope brakes are bleeding edge compatible.

The RX4+ sure seems like its not worth it based on the comments so far…

6

The pad clearance is really tight. I could never get them to run silent with Rival AXS levers, despite several shop visits and my own tweaking.

7

I’m running E1 Rival with RX4+ calipers. I love them. As others have mentioned there is a bit of babying when it comes to pad alignment but I have that dialed now as my wife has the same setup. I use the Galfer Red pads.

Riding them down very long passes in France on gravel and road and they didn’t fade once, have oodles of modulation and power and work with one finger braking. When I got back on my mtb back in SA after 2 months, I was quite disappointed by my Magura MT7s in comparison.