Anyone know anything about disc brakes?

but yeah, sounds great, what wheels?

Got a few sets of wheels I can move about between my ISEN this and Tripster
Reynolds Attack
DT240s to pacenti sl25
DT350s to Light Bicycle Carbons

Managed to get the frame in the end for £400.

Looks unused. What's the story?

Unsure.
Condition is good. Appears unbuilt. Masking still on the fork dropout tabs from painting.

Was originally up for £850. He dropped price to £450 and I put in an offer for £400. Was surprised when I got it.

Worked surprisingly well.

Just go IS, the flat mount front brake still needs an adaptor mind...

It was definitely more powerful than the spyres that replaced it, but a bit weird in the sense that there was a little feeling of initial disconnect from the lever to the braking.

I just can't get over the weight and the weird look/lack of handlebar space

I just took the wheel out on my mountain bike, and now having put it back, there's a tonne more free play on the lever, the brake only starts to bite just before the lever hits the bar. What have I fucked and how do I unfuck it?

Brakes are cheap Shimano hydro, Acera I think, and have been excellent so far, I've never had to touch them until now.

Did the bike go upside down?

Pump them a bunch of times, if that doesn't work unscrew the bleed port on the lever and do the same again, but try not to spill anything, level the levers out if they point down a lot.

I've just read that that if you have hydro brakes you shouldn't hang your bike from the back wheel but hanging from the front is OK?

Maybe the brake was engaged while the wheel was out and the pads just need to realign. Put the wheel in and loosen the brake mount screws, engage the brake and tighten them up again

This would probably make the pads closer to the rotor and lever feel sharper, or worse when one of the pistons pops out, but the brake fluid everywhere would be a bit of a give away.

It shouldn't matter unless you have air trapped in the brakes.

They aren’t a closed system so there’s always a possibility of a small bubble in the reservoir.

Rubber banding the levers to the bite point is the solution.

It may well have gone upside down. Probably. I haven't noticed any brake fluid everywhere tho! Will try pumping the lever a lot, cheers

It's a closed system otherwise you'll not have bite when you grab the lever.

And a small bubble should not cause the pull to be spongy. Small is however subjective. And the only reason why it's squishy is that the bubbles got into the caliper instead of being at the reservoir in the caliper. Few pumps and gentle raising the wheel then dropping it should move the bubble back up.

So yeah if you've bled it well, there shouldn't be no issue if you flip your bike upside down or hang the bike up by the rear wheel cos no bubbles...

Until your pads wear and the bladder in the reservoir allows the system to self adjust, leaving air above it that could possibly make its way into the rest of the open system if it's flipped upside down. Open doesn't mean it's just open to the elements in this case, but that it has a reservoir in the system.

It's a closed system otherwise you'll not have bite when you grab the lever.

No, you misunderstand - the technical term used to describe the workings of 99% of the hydraulic brakes fitted to push bikes is ‘open’.

Google it.

When you pull the leaver at a point near the beginning of the stroke the master cyclinder closes off the reservoir, allowing pressure, hense my comment about rubber banding the leavers down if you are concerned about air in the reservoir migrating to the callipers when the bike is transported or stored.

A very good bleed will result in none or very little air in the reservoir. However as the pads wear fluid migrates from the reservoir to the lines and calliper. That fluid is replaced by something as it’s absence means a vacuum . Usually it’s compensated for by the reservoir diaphragm collapsing but air can and does enter the reservoir to partially or completely fill the space that was taken by the fluid.

TL:DR

Perfect bleed by a shop pro? Sure put your calipers above your leavers.

Imperfect or gone a very long time between bleeds? Close the levers before you hang your bike up.

I've just read that that if you have hydro brakes you shouldn't hang your bike from the back wheel but hanging from the front is OK?

You can hang them, just don't squeeze the levers.

ta @edscoble and @coventry_eagle for the input.

Are there any other, cheaper, levers that will work with hope m4 calipers?

Edit: nvm someone else snagged them before me.

Cheers for this. Pumping the brake lots and lots gradually improved it, still not what it was but I'm able to brake before the lever hits the bar now. Not going to try opening the bleed port yet as I need this bike working properly this weekend for the bikemonger Dorset Gravel Dash, but will try that after.

Sounds like you just need to bleed the system.

It's super easy and really not a problem, helps any bubbles come to the top, if you have the lever level then you might spill a drop or two at worse with a particularly vigorous pump. Just start out slow and throw in a few long, hard squeezes whilst tapping from the bottom to the top of the whole system.
#iveturnedmyselfon