Hope Technology, Barnoldswick’s finest brake manufacturer, has been beavering away at its CNC machines to produce a bunch of new stuff for 2007. Most remarkable is the new Pro3 straight-pull hub. It follows on from the introduction of the Pro3 Mono lightweight non-disc hubs, but the straight-pull models are disc-ready. In something of a first for Hope, the hubs won’t be available separately – you’ll have to buy a wheelset to get them. Not that that’s particularly a problem, as the DT Swiss triple-butted Super Competition spokes/4.2d rim package is just the sort of thing that you’d probably build on to them anyway.

Also new in the Hope lineup is the Mono Mini Pro brake. It’s based on the existing Mono Mini but with a carbon fibre lever blade, titanium bolts and lightened (ie thinner) floating rotor. Claimed weight is 295g per brake, including all the mounting hardware, hoses and fluid, although obviously the exact weight depends a bit on how long the hoses are.

The Hope headset range has been redesigned with an easy-to-fit split crown race, stainless steel cartridge bearings and new seals. It’ll be available in conventional, integrated, semi-integrated and 1.5in-to-1⅛in stepdown models. Finally, the long-awaited Hope seatposts will be available in the Spring in aluminium and carbon fibre flavours.