Original Hope Mini brakes - where to buy the rebuild kits?

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Globalti

Legendary Member
I'm going to overhaul my original Minis including fitting new pipes. Is there a one-stop shop where I can get rebuild kits for levers, calipers and tubing?
 

Cubist

Still wavin'
Location
Ovver 'thill
Yep, ring the guys at Hope. They tend to stock parts and are happy to send them out to you. If they don't have them they'll probably know someone who might. Carlsberg don't do aftermarket, but if they did........
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
That might come in handy for me in the NY.

My Hope C2s need sorting out. I am going to fix them and will then probably sell them. They are nice brakes until you do a lot of braking on a long descent, and then the fluid starts to expand from the heat build-up. There are thumb dials on the levers to adjust them as you ride along but eventually there is no adjustment left and they lock on. The other problem is if you forget to adjust the dials back as the fluid cools and then suddenly discover that you have no longer have working brakes! :eek:

Maybe Merlin put too much hydraulic fluid in when they assembled my bike, or used the wrong type of fluid? If it is typical behaviour for C2s then it was a fundamental design flaw.

Somebody suggested it was happening because I used the brakes too much. :laugh: Say what! :wacko:
 
OP
OP
Globalti

Globalti

Legendary Member
My original minis don't have any provision at all for fluid expansion, which is fine for general XC use but there was one occasion when I rode down some mountain and they gradually siezed up.

They have reached the stage now where the pistons are begining to stick in the calipers, which I'm informed is because the hydraulic hoses eventually collapse internally preventing the tiny reflux of fluid that's needed for the brake to release. When that has happened I've had to crack open the bleed valve and release fluid from the caliper while pushing the pads apart.
 
That might come in handy for me in the NY.

My Hope C2s need sorting out. I am going to fix them and will then probably sell them. They are nice brakes until you do a lot of braking on a long descent, and then the fluid starts to expand from the heat build-up. There are thumb dials on the levers to adjust them as you ride along but eventually there is no adjustment left and they lock on. The other problem is if you forget to adjust the dials back as the fluid cools and then suddenly discover that you have no longer have working brakes! :eek:

Maybe Merlin put too much hydraulic fluid in when they assembled my bike, or used the wrong type of fluid? If it is typical behaviour for C2s then it was a fundamental design flaw.

Somebody suggested it was happening because I used the brakes too much. :laugh: Say what! :wacko:

It's happening because when you use the brakes you put heat into the system and C2's are an old closed style brake whereas modern brakes are open system. Fluid expands moving pads toward and eventually onto the discs. The thumbwheels are there to adjust the volume when this happens or in summer when you leave your bike in the sun outside the pub.......and yes it's typical of these brakes. We've even known them lock up left in a hot shed
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
It's happening because when you use the brakes you put heat into the system and C2's are an old closed style brake whereas modern brakes are open system. Fluid expands moving pads toward and eventually onto the discs. The thumbwheels are there to adjust the volume when this happens or in summer when you leave your bike in the sun outside the pub.......and yes it's typical of these brakes. We've even known them lock up left in a hot shed
Oh well ... I'll sell them to someone who won't be doing long downhills!

I need to replace one of the thumbwheels first - it wore out with repeated use. (The circlip won't stay on any more.)
 
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