Installation of a Hope Brake

Hope is a British company that has been making inroads into the American mountain bike market in recent years. While Hope braking system seldom come as standard equipment on products made by large American bike manufacturers, some riders prefer Hope brakes over their mainstream competitors. If you buy one of these braking systems, installation is routine, but time-consuming. Hope brakes use no obscure technology and won't stump someone who is used to tinkering with bicycles.

Things You'll Need

  • Torx wrench
  • Allen wrench
  • Zip ties
  • Nail clippers
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove you bike's wheels from the frame and install the rotors onto your disc brake-compatible wheels. A disc brake-compatible wheel has a hub with six circular bolt holes that you can attach a rotor into. Align the rotor with these six bolt holes, then use your torx wrench to tighten the bolts in a star pattern. That means that you want to tighten a bolt a few turns, then tighten the bolt on the opposite side of the rotor. Repeat until all the bolts are very tight.

    • 2

      Remove your grips and slide the brake lever onto the handlebars. The front brake goes on the left and the rear on the right. Slide the brakes inward and rotate them up and down until the are in a comfortable position for your hands. Use your Allen wrench to tighten down the levers until they are snug.

    • 3

      Tighten the calipers, which hold the brake pads, onto your frame and fork with the Allen wrench. On the front, the calipers mount on the left side of the fork on two threaded mounts protruding from the tube. If the caliper seems to sit at an strange angle, you may need to use an adapter depending on what type of fork you have. If you are unsure, consult your local bike shop for help selecting the adapter. On the rear, they attach to two fittings on the lower left seat stay. Tighten down the caliper with your Allen wrench until they are tight.

    • 4

      Secure all the brake hoses with the zip ties. You want to make sure the hose will not get caught on anything while you are riding. This is especially important for the front brake. For the front, use a few zip ties to attach the hose to the fork's lower tube and another one to attach it tightly to the arch which connects the two tubes. Ensure that there is no slack on the lower part, as you do not want it to get caught by the wheel. Use zip ties to attach the rear brake's hose to the cable mounts on the frame. Cut the zip ties with your nail clippers.

    • 5

      Put the wheels back on your bike and fit the rotors into the calipers. Pick up the bike and spin each wheel individually while squeezing the corresponding brake lever. Squeeze the lever until it becomes firm. This will center the brake pad over the rotor. Do this for both wheels.