# Lightweight disc brake hose - 19g/m



## TigWorld (Feb 8, 2010)

Has anyone used the hydraulic brake hose from discobrakes.com http://discobrakes.com/?s=0&t=4&c=78&p=818& ?

They claim its only 19g/m and is "Kevlar reinforced Teflon Nylon hose for use with DOT 4 or Mineral oil". I've got some left-over silver jagwire hyflow and it weighs about 23g/m but is quite a bit more expensive and doesn't include the fittings.

According to the discobrakes claims, a complete rear brake hose setup should come in at 19g/m x 1.6m + 2 x 1g barbs + 2 x 3gm nuts = 38.4g which seems quite reasonable.


----------



## whybotherme (Sep 12, 2008)

interesting. i would certainly be interested in shaving weight there if the stuff performs well.

let us know how it goes!


----------



## Epic-o (Feb 24, 2007)

Magura HS33's mineral oil hose weighs 15gr/m


----------



## TigWorld (Feb 8, 2010)

Do you know if the Magura hose would work with Dot 4 / 5.1? Anyone tried it?


----------



## culturesponge (Aug 15, 2007)

isn't Yumeya YM-BH81 is also supposed to be lighter than regular mineral oil type hydraulic line?

or is it just: _*"Thicker inner tube of hose with smaller bore diameter increases rigidity over BH59 hose by 39% improving power and performance" *_

anyway its still on sale @ 79% off here : http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/CA269D00-Shimano+Yumeya+Brake+Hose+Kit.aspx?sc=FRGL

...can't find a weight for it per metre - does anyone know?


----------



## culturesponge (Aug 15, 2007)

double post please delete - sorry


----------



## culturesponge (Aug 15, 2007)

triple post please delete - sorry (WTF with the server tonight?)


----------



## XgreygOOse (Sep 8, 2007)

culturesponge said:


> triple post please delete - sorry (WTF with the server tonight?)


Trigger happy mouse I think


----------



## marko (Jun 14, 2004)

HOPE hose weighs 16.3g / meter.


----------



## mclark999 (Sep 25, 2014)

Epic-o said:


> Magura HS33's mineral oil hose weighs 15gr/m


Is this the same hose and weight? and if so, will it work with Shimano Zee fittings?

Magura Mountain Bike Rim Brake Tubing - bike brake accessories - Buy at BikeSomeWhere.com


----------



## andrepsz (Jan 28, 2013)

marko said:


> HOPE hose weighs 16.3g / meter.


is this the hose you are talking about? 
Hope 5mm Standard Hose Kit with Fittings for Hope Brake | eBay


----------



## andrepsz (Jan 28, 2013)

Epic-o said:


> Magura HS33's mineral oil hose weighs 15gr/m


Hello, wow...5 years from your post I'm asking you a question! but listen: Have you ever used this HS33 hose with disc brakes? if yes...any issues? because Magura doesn't recommend that....only for rim brakes.


----------



## andrepsz (Jan 28, 2013)

Brake Force One Brake hose; 13.33g/meter....and...I also checked the BFO fitting and the thread is the same as standard fittings!
Picture to show all 3 hoses I have all at 300mm length.

BFO: 4g
Sram Avid: 5.4g
Shimano high power: 6g
Jagwire HFK: 6.5g
Magura Disc-Tube 2.2: 5.88g


----------



## Seb K (Apr 21, 2009)

Glad you weighed those dude . I was surprised when I shortened by hose (BFO) that they were kevlar .


----------



## Varaxis (Mar 16, 2010)

culturesponge said:


> isn't Yumeya YM-BH81 is also supposed to be lighter than regular mineral oil type hydraulic line?
> 
> or is it just: _*"Thicker inner tube of hose with smaller bore diameter increases rigidity over BH59 hose by 39% improving power and performance" *_
> 
> ...


I recall an interview and factory tour at Shimano where the Shimano rep emphasized that finding materials to make their hoses as rigid as possible, without being brittle, was a challenge, and played a big role in getting their brakes feeling so direct, and not spongy like the competition.


----------



## andrepsz (Jan 28, 2013)

Varaxis said:


> ....and not spongy like the competition.


I don't believe a spongy feeling is related to hoses.

13.33g/m BFO hose has nothing about spongy...quite the opposite!


----------



## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

Varaxis said:


> I recall an interview and factory tour at Shimano where the Shimano rep emphasized that finding materials to make their hoses as rigid as possible, without being brittle, was a challenge, and played a big role in getting their brakes feeling so direct, and not spongy like the competition.





andrepsz said:


> I don't believe a spongy feeling is related to hoses.
> 
> 13.33g/m BFO hose has nothing about spongy...quite the opposite!


Interesting point from Varaxis, which got me thinking. Does hose stiffness matter? (Bedroom: yes. Bikes: I don't know.)

I was thinking "no", but what if the force applied to the brakes moves the hose a bit along the way, instead of sending that force with 100% efficiency? Take a water hose with a lot of pressure - we've all seen that when they slither or flip around on their own from the pressure. Does the hose movement take away from the force/pressure along the hose?

I wonder if Shimano is really seeking super-stiff hoses? As it is, their hoses are indeed a pain to work with, especially compared to other brands.


----------



## Seb K (Apr 21, 2009)

I think a stiffer hose would be better as the fluid would move direction into the direction needed . Any flex would delay the fluid slightly . This all sounds dirty to me  !!!


----------



## MichaelV8V (Aug 16, 2014)

Isn't the real problem with hoses that they can expand if they aren't strong enough? So some of your pressure is inflating the hose, rather than forcing the pads onto the disc.

When that happens it would feel exactly like it does when you compress an air bubble in a poorly bled hose, your finger pressure isn't all going to the pads.

In the car and motorcycle racing scene, strong, braided hoses are a standard way to increase brake performance


----------



## andrepsz (Jan 28, 2013)

I have a hard time wrapping my head around braided hoses for cycling. Comparing the forces generated by an entire leg pushing the brakes of a car (plus your back compressing the seat) with One finger pulling a brake lever...I'm sure there are ways to precisely quantify that but just by thinking about it I can securely say that the difference is huge! 

Yes is a theory that makes sense, but until I see precise data to prove the benefit of a braided hose affecting braking performance on a bicycle....I'll stick with my lovely BFO hoses.


----------



## MichaelV8V (Aug 16, 2014)

andrepsz said:


> I have a hard time wrapping my head around braided hoses for cycling. Comparing the forces generated by an entire leg pushing the brakes of a car (plus your back compressing the seat) with One finger pulling a brake lever...I'm sure there are ways to precisely quantify that but just by thinking about it I can securely say that the difference is huge!
> 
> Yes is a theory that makes sense, but until I see precise data to prove the benefit of a braided hose affecting braking performance on a bicycle....I'll stick with my lovely BFO hoses.


I think you're right, braided hoses aren't needed on a bike, unless its to protect against impact damage. The point was really that getting hoses that won't inflate when braking is a proven way to improve braking performance.

On a bike, the pressures are less, but the hoses are correspondingly thinner, its easy to imagine a lightweight hose with thinner walls being more liable to swell and therefore lose braking power under pressure.

The manufacturers will be aiming for hoses that use the right materials, and are thin enough to save weight, but not so thin that they compromise performance. Its the same trade-off that all WWs are familiar with


----------



## Seb K (Apr 21, 2009)

Which is why kevlar is the best IMO . The only brakes I have with kevlar hoses are my BFO brakes (and only because they came with them) . I have stainless on my Hope M4s and Minis and the BFO brakes are much more powerful (although that's due to the design but the hoses haven't impacted on them in terms of degradation ) .


----------



## Aglo (Dec 16, 2014)

Yes, steel braided hoses don't do a thing in MTB, unless you have super cheap hoses, but you can just change the hoses to a good big name brand and be done with it.
Steel braided is only good to protection, and that's the only reason I use them, If not I would be using either Formula hoses, or Uberbike, for the bling factor. Or just leave the original hoses, they work just as good.



karimian5 said:


> (...)The only brakes I have with kevlar hoses are my BFO brakes (and only because they came with them).(...)


You have Formula Kevlar braided hoses, they have a light versions that comes with the more expensive models, and they are light and strong, and have nice braided white pattern.
You have also other third party brands with Kevlar, namely Uberbike.


----------



## Seb K (Apr 21, 2009)

Aglo said:


> You have Formula Kevlar braided hoses, they have a light versions that comes with the more expensive models, and they are light and strong, and have nice braided white pattern.
> You have also other third party brands with Kevlar, namely Uberbike.


I'm not too keen on the look of the Formula hoses tbh . I like the black stealth look . I know BFO do other hoses like glow in the dark ones and clear ones but again they look too bling .


----------



## andrepsz (Jan 28, 2013)

Ok wait a sec...so BFO changed they'r hoses along the way? The one I put on the scale came from the first version of the brakes. Doesn't look like there is Kevlar in it and is a uniform black color.


----------



## Seb K (Apr 21, 2009)

andrepsz said:


> Ok wait a sec...so BFO changed they'r hoses along the way? The one I put on the scale came from the first version of the brakes. Doesn't look like there is Kevlar in it and is a uniform black color.


I have the first version (with some updates). When I shortened the hose I could see the kevlar fibres . Also you can feel the hose is really light .


----------



## andrepsz (Jan 28, 2013)

I'm all about slick look! Internal routing does that plus protects the hose...no need for residual weight of the braided's. Internal is more pain to install and stuff....but hell its one day doing that for at least the rest of the year.


----------



## andrepsz (Jan 28, 2013)

karimian5 said:


> When I shortened the hose I could see the kevlar fibres . Also you can feel the hose is really light .


Were you able to remove the hose from the fitting easily? man...I left the air drawer heating up the hose for a long time...following BFO's service manual, but even after that it was very very hard to remove it, I had to use my legs to push the damn thing out.

Maybe that was to problem, its just a air drawer...not the industrial heat gun type.


----------



## Seb K (Apr 21, 2009)

You need a full on heat gun to remove them according to the video on their Youtube channel :






My system doesn't even have this type of connection . You just unscrew the connector to release the hose and the olive comes straight out . Much easier .


----------



## andrepsz (Jan 28, 2013)

karimian5 said:


> You need a full on heat gun to remove them according to the video on their Youtube channel


Got it...didn't think straight...hair drawer is NOT the same...hehe, well I might just light on fire at the connector next time...that will work for sure! Hehe


----------



## andrepsz (Jan 28, 2013)

Had a chance to include here the weight for 300mm of Jagwire HFK, even heavier than the shimano?! I'm disappointed.


----------



## poynt (Jan 15, 2004)

I have the R1R's with the Yellow/black kevlar cable but have a matt black themed bike, so wanted to know what would be the lightest BLACK alternative outer housing that is available seperately. Only need 2.1m for f&r.


----------



## andrepsz (Jan 28, 2013)

poynt said:


> I have the R1R's with the Yellow/black kevlar cable but have a matt black themed bike, so wanted to know what would be the lightest BLACK alternative outer housing that is available seperately. Only need 2.1m for f&r.


By far the lightest hose is from Brake Force One. Contact them directly and they will send you some.


----------



## poynt (Jan 15, 2004)

thanks, I assume the Forumula fitting still fit without any special tools like the H20 hose.


----------



## andrepsz (Jan 28, 2013)

poynt said:


> thanks, I assume the Forumula fitting still fit without any special tools like the H20 hose.


Good point. I actually used a BFO fitting to go with the BFO hose and I installed that on a sram XX lever & caliper...worked perfectly. If formula uses the same standard thread pitch and diameter of the XX...it should work fine just as I did.

I never tried installing the BFO hose on a traditional fitting...and I'm not interested in that since the BFO fitting is also lighter

Here it is...all hidden by the rubber cover:


----------



## poynt (Jan 15, 2004)

I was told that it wouldn't work as The Formula's require a higher hydraulic pressure than the BFO's! were they thinking of the h20's or are all the new BFO hoses different from the older ones? ie just plastic hose.


----------



## andrepsz (Jan 28, 2013)

poynt said:


> I was told that it wouldn't work as The Formula's require a higher hydraulic pressure than the BFO's! were they thinking of the h20's or are all the new BFO hoses different from the older ones? ie just plastic hose.


I'm sorry but I call that BS. There is no such thing...humanly impossible to blowup a brake hose with the forces of human fingers. Besides brake design is very similar across most of the brands and models in the market, I'm sure BFO h2o also uses the same lightweight hose...and is a two piston system pressed by a master cylinder...just like formulas. Dimensions are slightly different here and there but is nowhere near to be a problem.


----------



## poynt (Jan 15, 2004)

I got that info from R2 bike, I also spoke to Silverfish which is a Formula dealer here in the UK, and they said there are other brands of hose that firt but it would void my warranty, which I don't have anyway so sod that. The only hassle I see so far is that does anyone do the banjos that normally come pre fitted to the hoses for formula for the caliper end. The BFO ones are different! The rest of the lever fittings I can get no problem.


----------



## andrepsz (Jan 28, 2013)

poynt said:


> I got that info from R2 bike, I also spoke to Silverfish which is a Formula dealer here in the UK, and they said there are other brands of hose that firt but it would void my warranty, which I don't have anyway so sod that. The only hassle I see so far is that does anyone do the banjos that normally come pre fitted to the hoses for formula for the caliper end. The BFO ones are different! The rest of the lever fittings I can get no problem.


Yeah I'm not familiar with formula hardware. But I can relate to BFO stuff. If you are looking into lightweight and be a true weightweenie, go with BFO hose and BFO inserts. Can't beat them in weight. Again...if the formula thread and insert diameter is the same as BFO's....it should work fine.


----------



## poynt (Jan 15, 2004)

everyone has said bad idea or no so far, high pressure vs low pressure systems. Even BFO said no.

So what is the next lightest black hose that is Formula compatible?


----------



## MichaelV8V (Aug 16, 2014)

You're right to be cautious and make sure that replacement line is compatible with your brakes; the length of the brake lever and the size of the piston work together to put substantial pressure into a brake line, its usually well over 1,000 psi. Brake line is built to take these pressures, so it isn't a problem, but if you put something from a lower pressure system on there, you could easily burst the hose


----------



## Seb K (Apr 21, 2009)

Did you use the ridiculously expensive BFO insert tool or the Jagwire ?!!! I used the Jaqwire which is about 60% less in price but only works a bit . you have to use a mallet and vice for the remainder of the valve .


----------



## Klaster_1 (Jan 7, 2018)

Sorry to bump the old thread, but did anyone try BFO H2O hose (the black one) with Shimano levers and calipers? I had the fittings manufactured for ST-R9170 and RX4 (first gen), but had to sell RX4. Now I have a new pair of RX4+ on my hands, wonder if I should even try to find a place that would agree to cut a custom barb and a shroud bolt.


----------

