Sinter Model 043 Hope RX2

The Hope RX2 is the British brand's road-targeted two-piston flat-mount caliper; Hope's entry into the SRAM-and-Shimano-dominated road hydraulic market with the machined aluminum quality the brand is known for. The Sinter Model 043 is the organic-compound pad for the RX2 specifically. One pad shape; one caliper family.

What's in the kit

One caliper's worth of pads (2 pads, left and right) for the Hope RX2 pocket. The kit ships with bedding-in instructions. Order two kits if you're replacing front and rear pads on the same service.

Fits

Hope RX2 pad shape:

• Hope RX2 (road-targeted flat-mount two-piston caliper)

The RX2 is a distinct pad geometry from the four-piston Hope catalog; the Tech 3 E4 / M4 family takes the Model 016, and the Tech V4 takes the Model 020. The RX2's two-piston road-caliper geometry has its own pad pocket, so the Model 043 is the only Sinter fitment that works.

Compound and feel

Sinter's organic ceramic-loaded compound on a Hope RX2 caliper delivers the road-braking pattern the RX2 was engineered around: short, hard inputs interrupted by long no-input segments, with predictable modulation across the lever travel. The resin matrix bites cleanly off the Hope-machined lever, holds bite through hard inputs, and runs quiet on dry rotors. Road riders who chose the RX2 over a more mainstream SRAM or Shimano hydraulic usually did so for the lever feel; the Sinter pad preserves that feel where a less refined compound would coarsen it.

Specs

• Compound: organic (ceramic-loaded, resin-bound)
• Backing plate: steel
• Pad shape: Hope RX2 (road, two-piston, flat-mount)
• Pads per package: 2 (one caliper)

Includes: 2 pads (left and right), bedding-in instructions.

Sinter, Ljubljana since 1969

Sinter has been making friction materials in Ljubljana since 1969, and developed the first disc brake pads in the former Yugoslavia in 1972. The Slovenian plant supplies organic-compound pads to motorcycle OEMs at scale and to the bicycle aftermarket. Unior has been forging hand tools in Zreče since 1919, and is the official technical partner of multiple World Tour and downhill teams. Euro Toolworks is the North American importer for both Slovenian brands. The Hope RX2 is one of the cycling industry's lighter-volume road calipers, and the Model 043 is the Sinter catalog's commitment to keeping the long-tail road-spec build in stock pads.

Pro tip from our mechanics

Hope RX2 calipers benefit from a careful pad-pocket cleaning step before fresh pads go in; the flat-mount caliper body retains brake dust between the pad pocket and the piston, and fresh pads installed against a dirty pocket can develop early wear at the pad's backing-plate edges. A quick brushing with a clean pad-bedding brush before installing the Sinter pads keeps the pad pocket free of accumulated dust.

The pad-selection grid that starts with your brake and ends at the right Sinter model is in How to choose Sinter brake pads →.

FAQ

Which brakes does the Model 043 fit? The Model 043 pad is made for Hope RX road calipers, the two-piston flat-mount type used on road and gravel setups. Since Hope uses different pad shapes across its calipers, pull a worn pad and compare the backing-plate outline, the tab, and the pin hole with this one before ordering, or read the model number stamped on the old pad. That physical check is more reliable than the model name alone. If anything is unclear, send a photo of the worn pad and we'll confirm it.

Are these sintered or organic pads? They are organic, not sintered-metal. The brand name is misleading: despite being called Sinter, the company only makes organic pads. That is what gives this pad its cooler running temperature at the caliper and the lever feel road riders are after, rather than the harder bite of a metallic pad.

How do I bed in the new pads? Once they are fitted, find a quiet stretch of road, bring the bike up to a moderate speed, and brake firmly down to walking pace without locking the wheel. Do that ten to fifteen times. This lays an even layer of pad material onto the rotor so the brake reaches full bite. Skip it and the brake feels weak and grabby for the first few rides.

The new pads won't fit back into the caliper. What do I do? As the old pads wore down, the caliper pistons crept outward to keep contact with the rotor, so there is no room left for full-thickness new pads. Before fitting the Model 043, push both pistons back into the caliper body with a clean plastic tire lever or a piston press, then slide the new pads in. Spread them evenly so the rotor still runs centered.