LCP

Are four-piston brakes finally coming to gravel?

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Liam Mercer's picture

Liam Mercer

Since beginning his mountain biking career while working as a resort photographer in Greece in 2014, Liam became a freelance contributor at off.road.cc in 2019. From there, he’s climbed the journalism job ladder from staff writer to deputy technical editor, now finding his place as technical editor.

Partial to the odd enduro race, heart rate-raising efforts on slim-tyred cross-country bikes, hell-for-leather e-MTB blasts or even casual gravel jaunts, there’s not a corner of off-road cycling where Liam fears to tread. With more than 40 bike reviews under his belt and hundreds more on MTB, e-MTB and gravel parts and accessories, Liam’s expertise continues to be cemented and respected by the industry.

7 comments

10 months 5 days ago

This sounds more like an advert than a news article - where is this mass of gravel and road riders that have been calling for four piston brakes?

10 months 1 week ago

RE prior art etc, the big difference with the hope brakes is the 2-part construction (hope are a single block) so a patent could be for a flat mount, 2-part, 4 piston brake?

10 months 1 week ago

can't see the patent app being successful - Hope Tech could easily cite prior art and get it blocked.

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10 months 1 week ago

IanEdward wrote:
 Can they be used to reduce squeal? I don't brake hard enough or long enough on the gravel bike to keep the brakes in good nick, it's almost like they never really properly get bedded in, the squeal in cold wet conditions is awful. I always wondered if 4-pot brakes with different diameter pistons could help to toe-in the pad a little...

We recommend spending a bit of time solely to bed in the brakes ahead of any proper rides by finding a hill (or a flat if you, handy for those intervals) and rolling down while gradually applying pressure on both brakes until the bike comes to a stop. Repeat this a few times to ensure proper bedding in. 

Neglecting to do this could mean that your brakes never bed in properly, thus introducing squeal and less-than-ideal braking power. That aside, it's safe to expect noisier brakes in the wet and cold with, or without four-piston calipers.

10 months 1 week ago

Can they be used to reduce squeal? I don't brake hard enough or long enough on the gravel bike to keep the brakes in good nick, it's almost like they never really properly get bedded in, the squeal in cold wet conditions is awful. I always wondered if 4-pot brakes with different diameter pistons could help to toe-in the pad a little...

10 months 1 week ago

premature comment posting. how do they expect to patent it when there is prior art and product?

10 months 1 week ago