Hope Pads XC 4-pot

Advantages: Smooth, Well built, Lightweight
Disadvantages: Very loud when freewheeling, Difficulty fitting cassette

...The Hope XC is another one of the Lancastrian firm's well built bits of metal. Just fiddling with a hub which isn't built into a wheel gives a feeling of quality. The hub is sturdily made, but without being heavy. Spinning the axle in your fingers is a joy. Smooth. Furthermore, Hope's use of cartridge bearings means that the hub body itself has no bearing tracks, so when the bearings fail, there's no need to scrap the rest of the hub. Moving on to the customary twirling of the freehub (I know people who don't ride are reading this too, so just for you, it's the bit that makes the "Ticky ticky ticky" noise) it feels positive and similarly well built. In use when freewheeling it is really, really loud. I don't find this a problem, but apparently it annoys the people that I ride with, and I know of at least one other owner... Read review

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Advantages: Longlasting, made by a great British company
Disadvantages: Can be a tad fiddly to fit.

...I've had Hope brakes on my mountain bikes for longer than I care to remember, and I've currently got two full suspention bikes set up with Hope M4 brakes, I love the brakes, and have never had a problem with the Hope pads, so I've always stuck with them. I live and ride in South Wales, where it's wet, rocky and more gritty than muddy. I always stick to the sintered pads, and make sure I bed them in properly before I take them out on their first ride. In summer, when it's a little dryer, I've even got a loop I use to specifically bed my pads in (how sad am I?). But it's worth it, as when bedded in properly, the pads last for many, many months before they need changing. Which is good, as although changing the pads isn't difficult, I more often than not, find it a bit of a faff. The pads aren't cheap, coming in around the £12 mark... Read review

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Advantages: Light, nice ride, good brakes
Disadvantages: Chain should have shield,brakes bit squeeky,only availible from halfords

...I brought this as my last bike, a saracen, died on me, it was really in a terrible mess! I brought this for £400 in Halfords, which is a pretty good deal for what you get. The technician was very helpful in there, otherwise I probably would have brought a bike from a Local Bike Store. So, what do you get for your £400 here? Well, a light and strong bike, with hyrdaulics, 24 gears, thick tyres, nice wheels with strong spokes. "GT Triple Triangle Aluminium frame with butted tubes Suntour XCR 100mm travel fork with hydraulic rebound damping and on the fly lock-out Tektro Auriga Comp hydraulic disc brakes 180/160mm rotors Shimano Deore/ Alivio 24 speed gearing Truvativ Isoflow chainset Tioga Factory XC tyres WTB SX24 rims SDG Bel Air saddle GT over size bar and stem" All in all, a good bike for you money. So far, been so good... Read review

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