Maven/Dominion/V4

Kepa

Kepa

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Hello my beautiful people!

I'm thinking of replacing the brakes, Shimano XT BR-M8120, with either SRAM Maven, Hayes Dominion A4 or Hope V4. Why? I just don't like the feel of shimano brakes. And since I'm living in alpine area, there's never too much power.

I've Hope E4's on my hardtail, I really like the feel and adjustability, so in that sense V4 would be obvious (and I also have the bleeding kit/tools for Hope). But I'm tempted with the competitors. Any thoughts?
 
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I wanted to upgrade my Shimano Deores and tried out some Dominions and Hope V4s before finally settling on the Hopes. The Dominions were very nicely made and more or less equally powerful but they had a more on/off feel to them, similar to the Deores. I thought I liked that on/off feel, but once I'd got accustomed to the Hope's longer action and better modulation I found my braking control was improved and I get less ache in my hands when heavy braking on long alpine descents. If you don't like the feel of your XTs I'm guessing that the Dominions may be too much of the same. YMMV.
 
I looked at the Dominions, they look really good but are Dot fluid. so that is a downside.
SRAM - I hold on to the thought that SRAM can't make brakes after using Avid's, and currently have some Code G3 or something, which are terrible (on/off feel) but I acknowledge Mavens maybe different.
Hopes - I just think they are a faff to bleed and set up. Always see people on the trails having issues with braking power / noises and they are always the same people complaining that Magura are sh1t, which they aren't ;)

So buy some Magura MT7's or Trail or the new ones with big power but cant remember the name (Gustov of something)
 
Gustav Pro, looks quite interesting, pricing isn't too bad either.
 
I’ve got the following brakes either on bikes or sat in box’s.

SRAM Code R - 200/200mm centrelines
SRAM Maven Bronze - 220/200mm HS2
Magura MT5 Pro - 200/200mm MDR-P
Magura MT7 Pro HC3 - 220/220mm MDR-P
Shimano M4100 - 203/180mm SMRT64
Shimano XT - 203/203mm XTR MT900
Hope Tech4 V4 - 220/220mm Hope Floating

The codes are reasonable but the cost of parts and to service them is just dumb, as such they came off as no brake hose needs to cost £55! Performance wise they are great when new but once aged a little they need the levers servicing and constant bleeds or they feel rubbish. (Boxed)

The Mavens were pretty nice in all fairness but again due to the price to service I had to ignore especially considering I have other set ups that are equally as powerful, easier to bleed and cheaper to service. As for long term use, I didn’t use them longer than a few hours so couldn’t really comment. (Boxed)

Magura MT5 Pro are fantastic for the money however the levers are miles behind the MT7 Pro HC3 for adjustability and even though pretty powerful, they just can’t keep up with others that I have in my possession. (Boxed)

Magura MT7 Pro HC3 have heaps of adjustability and power and are just reliable and hard hitting with great modulation every single time they get a run out. I have these on my enduro/park bike and I love them. Tied for my favourite set of stoppers that’s for sure. (Park bike)

Shimano M4100 work although not particularly well when the going gets a little tougher but for generic riding they’re cheap to buy and ok for parts. That’s about as much as I have to say about them. (Boxed)

Shimano XT with a change of rotors and pads the MT900 203mm and the N04C work really really well. The issue I have is that the rotors aren’t exactly cheap at £55-60 each and the pads are very expensive, around £50 for a full replacement set. They seem to last pretty well though so the cost should balance out. They don’t have the power of the MT7, V4 or Maven but everything else is up there once dialed in. They need bedding in properly or they just act like on and off switches with no facility to modulate. (Trail/hardtail)

Hope Tech4 V4 are incredibly well made, come with 3 sets of pads in the box, the parts dont cost the earth, the banjo is installed by yourself so routing hoses can be done in both directions unlike other brands. Power and feel is incredible but the more motocross like levers aren’t to everyone’s taste. I personally love them, I think they perform as good as the MT7 Pro HC3 and I don’t have the worry of breaking a lever/master cylinder. (Enduro EMTB)

Hope and Magura don’t bleed well in my experience so SRAM and Shimano at least have something going for them. You either nail it first time or you are there for hours messing about until it finally bleeds correctly. I think if you have the E4 then I would get the V4 as you can keep the bleed kit, spare hoses and rotors etc under one brand and save yourself a few quid.

If you are feeling like getting something new then the MT7 Pro HC3 are a masterclass in brakes and there’s no wonder a lot of the best DH racers with podium finishes have used a variant of these over the years.

In an ideal world all of my bikes would probably have MTx on them but the fact the levers get damaged so easily for me would see me put Hopes on everything. I’m also from the UK so supporting an UK business is something I try to do if I can.
 
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Andrew8200m said:
I’ve got the following brakes either on bikes or sat in box’s.

SRAM Code R - 200/200mm centrelines
SRAM Maven Bronze - 220/200mm HS2
Magura MT5 Pro - 200/200mm MDR-P
Magura MT7 Pro HC3 - 220/220mm MDR-P
Shimano M4100 - 203/180mm SMRT64
Shimano XT - 203/203mm XTR MT900
Hope Tech4 V4 - 220/220mm Hope Floating

The codes are reasonable but the cost of parts and to service them is just dumb, as such they came off as no brake hose needs to cost £55! Performance wise they are great when new but once aged a little they need the levers servicing and constant bleeds or they feel rubbish. (Boxed)

The Mavens were pretty nice in all fairness but again due to the price to service I had to ignore especially considering I have other set ups that are equally as powerful, easier to bleed and cheaper to service. As for long term use, I didn’t use them longer than a few hours so couldn’t really comment. (Boxed)

Magura MT5 Pro are fantastic for the money however the levers are miles behind the MT7 Pro HC3 for adjustability and even though pretty powerful, they just can’t keep up with others that I have in my possession. (Boxed)

Magura MT7 Pro HC3 have heaps of adjustability and power and are just reliable and hard hitting with great modulation every single time they get a run out. I have these on my enduro/park bike and I love them. Tied for my favourite set of stoppers that’s for sure. (Park bike)

Shimano M4100 work although not particularly well when the going gets a little tougher but for generic riding they’re cheap to buy and ok for parts. That’s about as much as I have to say about them. (Boxed)

Shimano XT with a change of rotors and pads the MT900 203mm and the N04C work really really well. The issue I have is that the rotors aren’t exactly cheap at £55-60 each and the pads are very expensive, around £50 for a full replacement set. They seem to last pretty well though so the cost should balance out. They don’t have the power of the MT7, V4 or Maven but everything else is up there once dialed in. They need bedding in properly or they just act like on and off switches with no facility to modulate. (Trail/hardtail)

Hope Tech4 V4 are incredibly well made, come with 3 sets of pads in the box, the parts dont cost the earth, the banjo is installed by yourself so routing hoses can be done in both directions unlike other brands. Power and feel is incredible but the more motocross like levers aren’t to everyone’s taste. I personally love them, I think they perform as good as the MT7 Pro HC3 and I don’t have the worry of breaking a lever/master cylinder. (Enduro EMTB)

Hope and Magura don’t bleed well in my experience so SRAM and Shimano at least have something going for them. You either nail it first time or you are there for hours messing about until it finally bleeds correctly. I think if you have the E4 then I would get the V4 as you can keep the bleed kit, spare hoses and rotors etc under one brand and save yourself a few quid.

If you are feeling like getting something new then the MT7 Pro HC3 are a masterclass in brakes and there’s no wonder a lot of the best DH racers with podium finishes have used a variant of these over the years.

In an ideal world all of my bikes would probably have MTx on them but the fact the levers get damaged so easily for me would see me put Hopes on everything. I’m also from the UK so supporting an UK business is something I try to do if I can.
Click to expand...
I have run a Shirgura break set (Shimano Saint Brake Levers/Magura MT7 calipers) on my last 5 bikes and thry are the perfect blend of modulation and stopping power. I use semi-metallic on the rear and composite on the front. If you are interested, I can provide more details on the set-up.
 
Kepa said:
Hello my beautiful people!

I'm thinking of replacing the brakes, Shimano XT BR-M8120, with either SRAM Maven, Hayes Dominion A4 or Hope V4. Why? I just don't like the feel of shimano brakes. And since I'm living in alpine area, there's never too much power.

I've Hope E4's on my hardtail, I really like the feel and adjustability, so in that sense V4 would be obvious (and I also have the bleeding kit/tools for Hope). But I'm tempted with the competitors. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
i just bought some maven brakes and i like them so much better than the shimano because they are more powerful without being “grabby” . i really like the modulation
 
Singletrackmind said:
I have run a Shirgura break set (Shimano Saint Brake Levers/Magura MT7 calipers) on my last 5 bikes and thry are the perfect blend of modulation and stopping power. I use semi-metallic on the rear and composite on the front. If you are interested, I can provide more details on the set-up.
Click to expand...
I’m open for ideas
 
Singletrackmind said:
I have run a Shirgura break set (Shimano Saint Brake Levers/Magura MT7 calipers) on my last 5 bikes and thry are the perfect blend of modulation and stopping power. I use semi-metallic on the rear and composite on the front. If you are interested, I can provide more details on the set-up.
Click to expand...
Done this a while back with XTR levers and MT Trails. I have to admit they did work really well. I’m a sucker for the motocross type bike levers though, something a bit larger with more swing which is probably why I keep steering towards the Tech4s. MT7s do look the best though if that’s a point of discussion (y)
 
I’m surprised that the new TRP Pros aren’t being considered? Mineral oil, easy to bleed and service.
 
darwink1 said:
After watching the Loam Wolf ebike shootouts that had many maven failures and inconsistent performance I'd stay away from them. I run Hayes on both bikes but wouldn't mind trying the hopes for shits.

D
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I wouldn't listen to a channel that says a bike is bad and than suddenly after a few months says it's one of the best (YT Decoy SN).
Had my Maven's since launch with ZERO issues and more power (black org pads) than any other brake I rode (rode most of them actually). Love their ergo, contact works as intended and super reliable.
Know many riders that switched to them and all are happy !
 
Brakes are very personal, I found little consensus from reviews at the mid/lower price points.

I went with maven bronze as they are relatively cheap £140 per line, fitted to lots of newly released emtbs (although sram oem discounts probably sway the people who spec bikes).

They are powerful, there is some modulation but I wouldnt say that is its strength. Happy with them but I don't think you can go that wrong as you've got three solid brakes to choose from.
 
I’ll second the TRP Pro recommendation. I’ve had or used Codes, XTs and Dominions and the TRPs are my favorite brakes so far. Light lever feel like a Dominion but slightly more power and better modulation. More power than an XT and no wandering bite point. More power than both of my bikes with Codes, plus better lever feel.
 
Thanks guys/ladies so far for the comments, I really appreciate it. One more question arises, and maybe it stirs the selection process a bit: has anyone tried/seen/owns the abs system from Bosch? And now we are talking about trail/DH application. MAGURA Gustav Pro is designed the abs system in mind, maybe TRP as well?

I like trying new things and in this I see some benefits, but is it just marketing bs? Modulation and sensitive fingers is the same thing?
 
Kepa said:
Thanks guys/ladies so far for the comments, I really appreciate it. One more question arises, and maybe it stirs the selection process a bit: has anyone tried/seen/owns the abs system from Bosch? And now we are talking about trail/DH application. MAGURA Gustav Pro is designed the abs system in mind, maybe TRP as well?

I like trying new things and in this I see some benefits, but is it just marketing bs? Modulation and sensitive fingers is the same thing?
Click to expand...

Bosch system can’t be retrofitted, that’s it then. Hope V4 it is. Thanks for your contribution everybody, I’ve got my answers now. 👍
 
I’ll reopen the Pandora’s box, this time regarding V4/E4. Does it make sense to buy V4 if my intention probably isn’t to use Hope vented discs? In my hardtail the E4 are perfect, 200/200mm vented disc provide enough power. I love the modulation on E4s, are V4s similar?
 
I was in a similar situation just a few weeks back. But I was coming from Shigura (there is my thread just below this one) and got pi**ed by them for their completely awful bleeding process and consistency.

At the end my shortlist was between Hope and Hayes. I went for Hope Tech 4 V4 and I am extremely happy! So happy that I am thinking to move to Hope also on my other bike!

Kepa said:
I’ll reopen the Pandora’s box, this time regarding V4/E4. Does it make sense to buy V4 if my intention probably isn’t to use Hope vented discs? In my hardtail the E4 are perfect, 200/200mm vented disc provide enough power. I love the modulation on E4s, are V4s similar?
Click to expand...

When in doubt go for V4. The price difference is almost irrelevant :) Performance difference between E4 and V4 - from what I read - is not that huge, but levers are same. So there should not be any difference in modulation.
 
Kepa said:
Hello my beautiful people!

I'm thinking of replacing the brakes, Shimano XT BR-M8120, with either SRAM Maven, Hayes Dominion A4 or Hope V4. Why? I just don't like the feel of shimano brakes. And since I'm living in alpine area, there's never too much power.

I've Hope E4's on my hardtail, I really like the feel and adjustability, so in that sense V4 would be obvious (and I also have the bleeding kit/tools for Hope). But I'm tempted with the competitors. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
I have Maven Silvers on my Ari Nebo. They're okay. Lever pressure required to engage is a little high, but once engaged, not much more is required.

As you say, you have a winner in the E4's, so it would make sense to put those on.

I have had a few brakes that use Dot and personally prefer mineral oil. I've not seen any difference in performance, so it really is just a personal preference.

I also have a Trance X Elite ebike, which came with 4 piston 420's, which is a pretty weak brake, but predictable. I didn't like it since it doesn't have much power and the two finger levers aren't my cup of tea.

Having a bunch of spare parts, (including several pairs of 8120 levers/masters) I decided to try putting the 8120 lever on in conjunction with the 420s. That is now my favorite brake set. I've ridden The Whole Enchilada (which starts at 11,000 feet and ends at about 4000') twice with no issues at all. Typically in the Wasatch, descents are more like 3000'. But I'm not super fast, either.

I like the combo enough that I ditched the G2 RSC's on my Giant Trance 29 mtb, and used my other 8120 levers with front and rear 420 calipers, which are pretty cheap. Low "break out" pressure to engage, pretty good modulation, plenty of power, and cheap, with lots of pad options (which I expect is true of the Hopes as well).

Otherwise, I think I'd be interested in the Dominions.

This guy has great gear reviews.

I'm not getting rid of my Mavens, but can't enthusiastically recommend them.
 
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I've had Dominion a4's on two bikes (eBike+Enduro) for 6 moths? Average rides of 4000' vert in <15 miles. 220/200mm rotors.
  • Pros= very easy to get a good bleed
  • Great power and modulation (between codes and Mavens)
  • No wandering bite point (seems to be an issue with every mineral oil break I've owned)
  • Great ergonomics & lever shape
  • Can be found cheap - best value of all the higher power brakes
  • Good small parts availability
Cons:
  • Fit & finish not the best- aesthetic issue only
  • Pads have to be inserted from the bottom of the caliper- a little fussy
  • Noisy when wet
 
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