Hope EVO GR4

The Hope EVO GR4 provides plenty of consistent power in an ergonomic and adjustable package, plus it provides great bite and excellent modulation. I found keeping its excellent lever feel alive takes more frequent maintenance than its rivals need, though, and it can chew through pads in short order too.

Hope EVO GR4 – Technical details

Joining the TR4 as part of the EVO range is the GR4. As its name suggests, it’s shaped to cope with the rigors of gravity-fuelled riding, with Hope saying it ‘delivers maximum power with no compromises.’

It benefits from Hope’s famous CNC-machined alloy construction, but compared to the likes of the Tech 4 V4 its caliper is slimmer – thanks to a fresh bore cap design – to offer more frame clearance and more lateral adjustment. That one-piece design has been crafted to boost stiffness for a more positive lever feel and a welcome bump in power.

On the subject of the caliper, it features larger pistons, which increase the brake’s ratio in a bid to increase overall power further. These measure in at 18mm per piston and are uniform in size across the board. They’re cut from stainless steel.

The lever features a sharper hook for more control and a bunch of dimples to up traction. Inside there’s an updated cam that’s said to decrease free stroke without affecting modulation, and the lever revolves around a roller bearing, as is common on modern brakes.

You get both reach and bite point adjustment via dials on the cam and lever.

The bleed process has been improved with a new port, which accepts the direct mounting of a bleed cup. Previous Hope brakes required the reservoir’s top cap to be replaced with a special threaded cap to allow the cup to be screwed in place.

Hope EVO GR4 – Performance

The GR4 offers quite a different experience to the trail-going EVO TR4, which came as quite a surprise, as they share a very similar design.

The all-important bleed process is pretty straightforward, thanks to the new bleed port. It’s just a case of following the usual procedure until it provides a solid bite point, and then making sure the pistons are progressing from the bores correctly (done by pushing all pistons into their bores, popping in a bleed block, and allowing one side’s pistons to advance. This is then repeated on the opposite side).

The EVO GR4 is a strong brake for gravity riding, but it sits more towards the modulation end of the spectrum than immediate power. There’s still a very positive bite point where the pads contact the rotor, but unlike some brakes, it doesn’t rustle up the bulk of its power at this point. Instead, the power gradually increases as the lever’s pulled deeper into its rather slim power band, for lack of a better term.

This means the GR4 offers up plenty of consistent power, but importantly, it’s easy to read. Absent any sudden, overwhelming power it helps keep front-wheel traction predictable, while the real power is just a squeeze away when it’s really needed.

That power is more than enough for the majority of riders, especially when paired with larger rotors. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s a match for SRAM Maven, but it’s plentiful and the GR4 is lighter too.

I initially ran the rear brake with a 180mm rotor. While this upped modulation, the GR4 came alive with a pair of 200mm rotors, and as a gravity brake, it became clear that it’s really designed to be combined with larger discs.

With that balance between bite-point power and modulation, I’ve become quite the fan of the GR4’s lever feel. It provides a positive indication of when the pads have come into contact, while producing a smooth, easy-to-modulate action when deeper into the stroke. During long bike park descents it helped to fend off fatigue while delivering reasonably consistent and dependable power.

It copes rather well with heat, too, though I’ve noticed that it takes a few braking moments to achieve its optimal performance.

That said, the brake can chew through pads. It only took a few rides before the Race formula pads in the rear caliper wore to the metal, and the feel diminishes as the pads wear, becoming a little spongier and less direct-feeling. I’ve not noticed the same thing with competitor brakes. Overall power doesn’t fade, at least, and all it takes to regain the lever’s feel is a quick pre-advance of the pistons (pulling the lever with the wheels out) or a brake fluid top-up.

Another downside is the infamous Hope squeal. On the green Race pads it ran fairly quietly, but on Hope’s Organic compound the GR4 isn’t terribly quiet. Not ideal.

Hope EVO GR4 – Verdict

For £240 an end like this (£250 with braided hoses) the GR4 is attractive thanks to its classic Hope build quality, power, modulation, and lever feel. It offers a similar feel to the likes of the SRAM Maven Ultimate B1 but it’s not quite as powerful, and it requires more frequent maintenance in order to retain its lever feel. It is lighter, though. The Maven in its Ultimate B1 guise will set you back £290, though I really liked the slightly cheaper (£260) Maven Silver B1 as well.

Also coming in at £240 is Hayes’ Dominion A4, which is where the competition gets seriously feisty. The Dominion A4 delivers more power at the bite point, and it’s easier to maintain thanks to its Crosshair and Two-Stroke dual port bleed system. It’s not quite as good-looking as the GR4 and its lever feel isn’t quite as forgiving, though.

Hope has delivered a strong gravity brake with the GR4. Although it requires a little more looking after than most, it provides plenty of power for most riding styles. It provides an excellent balance of bite-point power and modulation in a package that’s simple to work on. Unfortunately its slightly needy nature, ability to chew through pads and (potentially) familiar squeal all combine to take off a little of the shine.