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Submitted by
DD
a Cross Country Rider
from Lee's Summit
Date Reviewed: February 6, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | Landahl | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Came with bike | | Strengths: | Super stopping power and great feel. | | Weaknesses: | I had an issue with the master cylider in cold weather. | | Bike Setup: | Carbon FSR | | Bottom Line: | Yes, I had an issue with the master cylinder in the cold but the help and SUPER customer service that I recieved from the Magura tech (J.H.) was the best I have ever experienced. To me, the true test of a product is the customer service you recieve if there is an issue.
Hats off to a good company that stands behind it's products! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
hurky demon
a Weekend Warrior
from Bognor
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | came stock with bike | | Strengths: | extremely powerfull, with plenty of extra pull for stoppies and mannuels, stock levers are well comfortable, come in some cool colours (mine are white) | | Weaknesses: | if any it's probably the bleeding process which can be a hassle other than that there are none | | Similar Products Used: | magura hs11 | | Bike Setup: | front:magura hs33 rear:magura hs33 | | Bottom Line: | these are the dogs dangelies the only things that are better than these are hydraulic discs (obviously) but they are great value for money. the only thing is that these brakes are for the more advanced better start with v brakes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
reinaldo
a
from san ysidro, ca usa
Date Reviewed: July 13, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | LBS, came stock on bike | | Strengths: | Modulation, more brake that you could ever need, crazy light even when compared to v brakes, no maintance needed, fluid wont strech, can even be made lighter by buying aluminum rotors from Stan. | | Weaknesses: | The pads wear quick, front and rear in 6 months. But the worst part was that no one had them for a month, and I do mean any kind(any brand), finally found some on ebay. Also a bit expensive, on ebay 20.00 ea set | | Similar Products Used: | nothing | | Bike Setup: | Stock F1000SL | | Bottom Line: | I love them, I will never use v¨s again, Might get them for my sons race bike. If you ever needed more brakes this will do, magura martas are the ticket. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
klaus
a Weekend Warrior
from radolfzell,baden,germany
Date Reviewed: June 23, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | todtnau freeride and downhillpark black forest germany | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | best non discbrake ever
i use tehm with coolstops on mavic 221.
never ever a problem even not under wet or snow conditions.
for dirtjump crosscountry enduro street. | | Weaknesses: | how can a hs33 be weak??? | | Similar Products Used: | no way jose | | Bike Setup: | c`dale m2000, fox vanilla rl, xt, core, amazing and of course magura hs33 white | | Bottom Line: | in 1995 my first brake was a raceline D.
in 2002 my actual brake is a hs33 white.
in 2042 my last brake will be a magura.
any questions?
i`d like to become a MCM member,
my favourite number would be the 221.
hope for your e-mail
greetz klaus | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rob Crayton
a Downhiller
from Stoke-on-trent
Date Reviewed: February 5, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | local trials | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | merlin | | Strengths: | top brakes with a bit of tar on the rear rim they always lock up. TOP BRAKE. ive got the double bolt on style there good | | Weaknesses: | seting up | | Similar Products Used: | lx v-brakes | | Bike Setup: | i ride a new t-mag by onza
top trials bike | | Bottom Line: | buy them now if u ride trials | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom, a trials rider not a
a Weekend Warrior
from Kent, England
Date Reviewed: January 14, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Wades Cycles | | Strengths: | VERY strong and last ages wiv out havin 2 re-align or bleed | | Weaknesses: | hoses a few meters too long wen u get em, altho easy to shorten with no fluid anywhere | | Similar Products Used: | Deore V-brakes, sum other crappy vee's | | Bike Setup: | Magura HS33's (duh), fully set up for trials, rigid forks, Truvative Hussefelts wiv bashring | | Bottom Line: | Awesome stoppers, dont see what problems people have with settin 'em up, its simple, i had my old brakes off and these on in all of twenty minuets!!!a definate for trials riders!!!worth every penny | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ky
a
from Perth
Date Reviewed: January 12, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | good looking
keep their value | | Weaknesses: | hassle removing the wheel
not better than other brakes i've tried, not even better than my campy road brakes
always seemed to leak
impossible to maintain yourself | | Similar Products Used: | avid 1.9 | | Bottom Line: | I wouldn't go near these ever again, go for the avid or shimano which are far better. And leaks far too much.
Ya know what I'm sayin. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JEFF
a Downhiller
from Peterborough, ontario, canada
Date Reviewed: September 23, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | anything to do with trials skills | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$150.00 | | Purchased At: | bought of NSMB.COM | | Strengths: | Man these brakes are nothing but strong. I have used them for trials and before i had arch rivals which were good but kept slipping. With the magura HS33's(yellow)i have not slipped hardly at all. I love these brakes. There wicked looking too!!!!!!!! | | Weaknesses: | well setting them up kind of sucked. Yet once you get them set up there good to go for a long period of time unless you screw your wheel and have to adjust a bit. | | Similar Products Used: | i personally havnt tried many other products similar other then jumping on someone elses bike with disc brakes such as hayse | | Bike Setup: | Azonic DS1 14inch frame, planet X kniven fork, magura H33 brakes, deore crank with kooka crankcase, rhyno lite wheels, 2.35 downhill tires(cheap) but im yet to pop them, and one HARD HARD seat, ive had a few mishaps with this seat. | | Bottom Line: | Get these brakes if you want something stronger then a v brake but not as expensive as disc brake. There the best rim brake around and their is no question about it...... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Radar (Joe)
a Racer
from Barberton, OH
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything with dirt | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Much better control of braking-you go faster on any terrain that requires brakes, that's simply the bottom line. The pads are also very thick so they last long. They are great for wet conditions too. | | Weaknesses: | These aren't the kind of "slap it on" product. At least the first time you install these (and once you're buddies try them, they'll get them and want you to put them on). They also add some weight, not that much, but maybe too much if you ride in dry conditions all the time and really like your V brakes. | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes discs, Coda discs, a ton of different V brakes and cantilevers. | | Bike Setup: | 2000 Gary Fisher Aluminum hardtail-Judy XC fork | | Bottom Line: | I have a couple hundred miles on my new HS-11 special editions (a little more geared for MTB than the plain HS11's, IMO) simply awesome braking in all conditions. Very little need to adjust regularly, and the brake pads wear very slow and are easy to change. As mentioned in the Weaknesses, I would probably not recommend these for someone who only rides in California in July or that kind of riding. For riders out there who don't sit around and watch tv when there's a speck of mud out there, these are your brakes. Sure they're a little heavier, but there are plenty of other places to lose weight from your bike, I've seen bikes with Maguras that (truthfully) weigh 20-21 pounds. That's lighter than alot of pro hardtails I'm sure. I really found myself with more confidence on trails when I got these-not only downhill but any place you would need to use your brakes, like a twisty rooted section. Bottom line- try them, they're cheap, you can always sell them, and (the best part) I would estimate that 99.5% of people who buy them never turn back to "regular" brakes. If for some strange reason you ever have ANY kind of problems, the Magura cult members in the Brake techtalk section of mtbr.com will be glad to hook you up.
Radar MCM #35 | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Martin Chapman Who rides trials and is not a
a Weekend Warrior
from Andover, Hampshire, UK
Date Reviewed: April 30, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Trails? I don't ride trails? Trails are for local people! | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Let me count the ways...
Modulation like a thing with lots of modulation
Maintenance...no sorry never heard of it
Squeal...only a bit when bedding in the new pads
pads go straight onto rim so no toe, no balance problems...
you can control if you stop or not
They work
They're good | | Weaknesses: | Nasty setup so some say, but pester your bike shop when U buy them and they'll fit them or a low cost.
Now you're in control of when you go over the handlebars so there's no excuses
Slightly less powerful than V's with no mods (tar etc.)
You don't have to maintain them so you might have to GET A LIFE INSTEAD
IF you have maggies and your friends have cables you'll never be able to ride their bike again...their brakes won't seem to work. | | Similar Products Used: | My old V's, made by ARSE
Powermax V's, other cheapy ones. | | Bike Setup: | Saracen X-ile done up for trials as much as I can afford, HS11's | | Bottom Line: | Well maggie's rock. If U don't believe everyone here go to the magura cult (biketrials.com then go to links). The levers lock when the pads hit the rim rather than cable stretching thant happens with everything else. Just go to a trial sometime and ask to try someone's bike...you'll never go back. Get metal levers, I've heard that the plastic blades hurt a lot.
Look, just buy a pair, ok? they're about £20 more expensive than good V's, and they're better. buy them. simple. please? even roadies should buy them (the roadie versions anyway) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave Ince
a Weekend Warrior
from Vancouver Canada
Date Reviewed: April 25, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Decapitator | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Modulate well. | | Weaknesses: | Expensive. Heavy. Hard to set up. Are poor in rain/mud. Tough to service in the field. | | Similar Products Used: | Lots of cantis and V-brakes. | | Bike Setup: | Rocky Mtn. Blizzard set up for North-shore riding. | | Bottom Line: | Have gone through 2 different master cylinder/lever sets since I got them, and cannot stop the hydraulic fluid leaks in the front seals. Nearly killed myself on a recent ride when I lost hydraulic pressure in the front master cylinder. Braking was gone... Ended up sloughing-off excess speed by bouncing like a dead cat across 200 feet of trail. I'm going back to something I can trust, and service myself ... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rob Miller
a Racer
from CHESTERTOWN, NY, USA
Date Reviewed: April 9, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | showcase | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | very good brake for the price. I used these brakes in every kind of condition, and they worked great. they don't work well when wet depending on the brake pads. | | Weaknesses: | the bolts are made of hardned allominom, (I'd rather have the extra weight) | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | a k2 beast proflex set up for DH racing.Magura HS 22 BRAKES | | Bottom Line: | I'm a DH racer who rides hard and trusts my brakes. if they fail me I won't be riding for a while. I am moving very fast and I want the best to stop me quikly.These are great brakes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Maarten Wilbrink
a Cross Country Rider
from Drachten-The Netherlands
Date Reviewed: January 26, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Sanding | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Bottom Line: | I got a set of the cheapest Magura Hydraulic brakes,HS 11,
but they are among the best.
These brakes must have saved my live more than just once.
They are service-free and easy to use.
In all weather conditions,especially in the wet,this is the brake you must get.
They will never let you down,I got these for 2 years and 3 months and I REALLY NEVER had a problem.
IF ANYONE DOES NOT RECOMMEND THIS BRAKE,HE'S LYING!!!!
THIS IS THE BEST YOU CAN GET!!!
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John whitaker
a Weekend Warrior
from Huddersfiled
Date Reviewed: January 10, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: |
Holmfirth | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Alright in dry
look good | | Weaknesses: |
1 Don't work in wet
2 Hard to set up
3 bolts round off
4 overated
5 leak
6 more expensive than the Avid 2.0 levers with Xtr cantis that I use know and which work a lot better | | Similar Products Used: |
Avid 2.o levers with XTR cantis and they are alot better | | Bike Setup: |
I have a stock trials bike (Dmr sidekick frame) | | Bottom Line: | me and a lot of my friends have tried them and have got rid of them within weeks or mouths. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JAMIE STEWART
a Racer
from ISLE OF SKYE SCOTLAND
Date Reviewed: January 8, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: |
AVEMORE | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
THAY ARE VERY WELL BILT
BRAKES THERE STRENGTHES
ARE POWER AND AQURITSY | | Weaknesses: |
THE TUBBING ON THE BRAKES SEAM TO BRAKE VERY EASELY AND BLEADING
THE BRAKES CAN BE VERY MESSY | | Similar Products Used: |
HYDRAULIC DISKE BRAKES | | Bike Setup: |
I USED A HANDSOME DOG TRIALS BIKE | | Bottom Line: | OK BUT MAGURA NEAD TO DO SOMTHING ABOUT THE TUBING | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Stewart rides trials and is not
a Racer
from Edmonton
Date Reviewed: January 3, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Absolutely bombproof
Long pad life
Incredible stopping power
Far, FAR lower maintenance than v-brakes. | | Weaknesses: |
C'mon, they're MAGURAS! | | Similar Products Used: |
All of them | | Bike Setup: |
GT Avalanche set up as stock trials | | Bottom Line: | I got these battered old P.O.S. Maguras for the price of a favor. I put them on my trials bike and beat the HELL out of them for a season. Didn't have to change the pads, didn't have to adjust them(other than a loose allen adjuster in the right brake, but some loctite would have fixed that. I ripped the threads out of one lever (these are real old ones with a metal clamp strap instead of a one piece body) and had to use a long water bottle bolt to put the strap back on, but I finished the ride. I would wholeheartedly recommend these brakes to anyone attempting to learn trials. Maguras modulate well, but that means squat for trials. The big benefit is that Maggies have incredible static stopping power. That means when you need your wheels to stay in one place, they will. Add some tar and the otherwise sucky stock pads will hold the Earth in place with 'em and, as an added benefit, you get a squeal that will make everyone think you've bought v-brakes.
I am replacing my battered old Maggies with a shiny new yellow set of 500's that my LBS had kicking around since '96 or so. I even splurged on a set of plasmatic pads from Trialsin. I look forward to another season of low maintenance high power braking. Buy a set RIGHT NOW and give your bike shop an extra ten bucks just for setting you up with these stupendous stoppers. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tony bray
a Weekend Warrior
from hewitt nj
Date Reviewed: January 1, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: |
the tunnel/waywayanda | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
one time set up
endo stopping power
dont shoot me yellow
pads outlast chainrings | | Weaknesses: |
initial setup tricky
wheels must match if you swap back/forth | | Similar Products Used: |
only rocks and trees have stopped me faster.... | | Bike Setup: |
c dale f/s w/haedshok | | Bottom Line: | if you would rather ride than work on your bike ,these low maint. puppies are for you.
put em on and forget about em.replace pads every couple of years. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ben Evans
a Cross-Country Rider
from Queenstown, Tasmania.
Date Reviewed: December 19, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Pine Gardens, Queenstown | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Great stopping power. Stops on a dime. No hassles after setup. Brakes and pads last ages longer than v's or disc's. | | Weaknesses: |
Bleeding gets a little annoying, easy after a few goes. | | Similar Products Used: |
None that match this baby. | | Bike Setup: |
Kuwahara, RST 581 Front shock, SIDadjust rear shock. | | Bottom Line: | These brakes cannot be beaten as far as I am concerned. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Will
a Weekend Warrior
from Virginia
Date Reviewed: December 16, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
trials not trails | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
THe BOmb brakes with a little tar on your rims | | Weaknesses: |
none sucka | | Similar Products Used: |
aint nothin like the real thing baby | | Bike Setup: |
azonic ds-1 | | Bottom Line: | Get um now and quit your whining | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
MARTIN FRICKER
a Weekend Warrior
from wickford
Date Reviewed: October 30, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
dambury | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
powerfull, look good, strong, easy to look after and everything else that can be good. Better than cable disks. | | Weaknesses: |
NONE | | Similar Products Used: |
avid V brakes | | Bike Setup: |
MARIN EAST PEAK, TEAM DH SWING ARM, SHOCKWORKS SHOCK RST 461DH FORKS! | | Bottom Line: | THE VERY BEST BRAKES!! GOOD FOR TRIALS, DH, SLALOM, XC AND ANYTHING ELSE. THEY WORK IN ALL WEATHER AND ARE EASY TO SET UP. BUY SOME | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
c. puma
a Cross-Country Rider
from palenville ny
Date Reviewed: September 13, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
ninham carmel,ny | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
no cables to mess with | | Weaknesses: |
no stopping power | | Similar Products Used: |
none | | Bike Setup: |
voodoo erzulie manitou sx 97 | | Bottom Line: | know of trials riders who love this system. Even bought 50.00 pads but these brakes aren'tgood for real tech. stuff or fast d'hill. went and bought sh. xtr v brakes. Theyre the best for all purposes. believe me, and i dont like yhe idea of supporting the japs. ha ha ha | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
foetus
a Racer
from Australia
Date Reviewed: August 16, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
elwood L.S.C (trials) | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
everything that can be good about brakes these brakes deliver, levers are beudiful, powerful | | Weaknesses: |
there are absolutly
n-o-n-e | | Similar Products Used: |
xtr-vs | | Bike Setup: |
rigid trials bike | | Bottom Line: | god damn these are the best brakes ever if anyone is considering buying these brakes for gods sake do it now they are the best upgrade you can buy they are powerful, have excellent modulation and they require mantinence only every now and then. buy them | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alain Yong
a Weekend Warrior
from Mississauga, ON.
Date Reviewed: July 29, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
urban, natural | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
-precision
-stiffness
-feel | | Weaknesses: |
-leakages can be a bitch.
-expansion of fluid in hot weather | | Similar Products Used: |
LX v-brakes | | Bike Setup: |
98 Norco Team Trials | | Bottom Line: | I do trials. The feel of the brakes are great. When you hit the brakes, they work. Mind you, honestly, they aren't as strong as V-brakes but you can't beat the feel. I converted 2 of my friends to Maguras.The big difference is the precision of the brakes. It's kinda like the difference between suspension and no suspension. The no suspension is more precise for trials. One less chili cause, sometimes, the setup can be a pain. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
nick
a Racer
from australia
Date Reviewed: July 28, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
buller | | Duration Product Used: |
tested or demo'ed only | | Similar Products Used: |
xtr-vs | | Bike Setup: |
1998 kona kula set up as a trials bike | | Bottom Line: | i am considering upgrading from my xtr-vs to a set of racelines but i dont know if its worth it. i ride trials and the xtrs work well but sometimes they are not suffeciantly powerful enough sometimes. do your fingers get tired because of the effort required using them? help? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Al
a Cross-Country Rider
from college station, tx
Date Reviewed: April 28, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
Awesome modulation
Good power
NO SQUEAL--ever!
Great build quality | | Weaknesses: |
Takes a while to set up right | | Similar Products Used: |
Lx cantis
LX V's
Avid Arch Rivals | | Bike Setup: |
Barracuda A2M/Manitou | | Bottom Line: | Absolutely worth the money. I will never go back to V's. My Maggies aren't quite as powerful as my old V's, but the feel and control can't be beat. It took me a good 3 hours to set them up perfectly (and I'm an engineer!) but then you just forget them. No toe-in, no squeal, no uneven pad wear, no graunchy feeling in the wet. You can get them for around $130--it's far and away the best brake deal around. They have to be tried to be believed! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan
a Cross-Country Rider
from Bay Area & Bavaria
Date Reviewed: April 4, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Absolutely hassle-free once set-up.
No toe-in.
Great modulation.
Wheater conditions are a non-issue. | | Similar Products Used: |
Shimano STX, LX, XT, XTR | | Bike Setup: |
Kona, Judy XC | | Bottom Line: | Maguras are defintely worth their money. Actually, they are probably cheaper in the long run compared to, for example, XT V-brakes because of less maintenance and much better pads. Any complaints about weight are bordering on the ridiculous - what's two to three ounces in relation to body weight plus gear? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stuart
a Downhiller
from UK
Date Reviewed: March 31, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
penshurst | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Very good modulation and enough power to stop a tank, the perfect rim brake | | Weaknesses: |
having to bleed the brakes every few months gets annoying | | Similar Products Used: |
V brakes are crap, not enough power and horrible brake levers, cable disks ok but not as goos as the Mag's | | Bike Setup: |
I use a British made Orange full suspension with triple clamps, and a lovely set of mag raceline D's. | | Bottom Line: | If you want a decent brake but can't afford a hydolic disk buy a pair of raceline's, there beter than any cable disk or v-brakes unless you expert in wheel buckling, Buy a set of racelines and you'll never need another set of brakes in your life. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
qheuie
a Weekend Warrior
from winona, MN
Date Reviewed: March 31, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
great modulation, awsome power, easy to hold constant pressure on levers. | | Weaknesses: |
the first time you set them up or bleed them is tough, but you get the hang of it quickly. | | Similar Products Used: |
v-brakes. | | Bike Setup: |
klein atitude comp with a fs-ti fork | | Bottom Line: | these brakes are the best. i was a iittle nervous about getting them at first, but big davem mike t, and thirsten in techtalk all had great things to say about them and all the reviews were great too! i got the quicksilver hs-33 set. i love them to death. i would even get e set for my other 2 bikes if i had the money! i did crash and somehow wreck the lever, but i am sure that i can get a replacement. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bob
a cross-country rider
from Tennessee
Date Reviewed: February 28, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
You won't go wrong if you buy this product. Top notch manufacturer service (I lost a part and wanted to pay for a replacement, Thor sent the part and some stickers free), no dickin' around with adjustments, just set them up and go! Ride dudes, ride! You squeeze the lever and you slow down, even stop if you want. In all weather conditions. 5 chilis straight up. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greig
a weekend warrior
from Greenville SC
Date Reviewed: February 21, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
Very good brakes! Anyone who say they have problems with them are just plain kooks cause after 4 years and very little maintance they still stop on a dime. If you want brakes that are simple , heavyduty and have super stoping power with good modulation get magura! they may be a little heavy. people who have problems with them are most likely morons who can't read or turn a wrench. If you do not have any common sense do not work on your equipment!that is why they have bike shop.maguras are for serious riders. v brakes are pretty good but maguras are a step above. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greg
a cross-country rider
from UK
Date Reviewed: February 15, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I have had for the last year a set of DX V-Brakes, the brakes were fitted on my downhill bike, I am only young and couldn`t afford anything else which is better, they have worked great but not they are seizing up, the release isn`t very good either, I have to flick my leaver to stop the pad rubing, this has put me off V Brakes.5 months ago I bought a Specialized and it was my pride and joy, the only problem was the Dia-Compe V Brakes which again seized up within a week. I had my bike stolen a month ago. I have now bought a GT i-drive (XCR2000) and it had LX V Brakes, Hahahah, not any more, I have changed them to Magura and they rule .The best brakes ever, almost as good as Discs, (NOT QUITE THOUGH)Hope you all have good riding. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael Nehring
a cross-country rider
from CT, USA
Date Reviewed: February 11, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
5 for the brakes... Not for the place that sold them to me. I just got HS-22s. THEY WORK GREAT. Power of all hell, but light weight and good looking. The HS-22 levers are soooooooooo nice. The only thing that was bad about the order was that the place that sold them to me didn't give me front pads and an incompleat mounting kit... I'd give them 11 hot ones execpt you can't | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe .G.
a cross-country rider
from Watford,England
Date Reviewed: February 8, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I just bought a set of mag hs33(tomacs)for my bike. I origionally had lx v's. The Maguras seem to have more power on the back which is wierd and not so much on the front, they are also not very snatchy but still slow you down at high speed with a huge amount of control.I'd say you should get them if you don't mind paying over £120.(they are very hard to put on,make sure you're tyres are'nt too wide or the boosters might rub on them) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aaron Heilbrun
a cross-country rider
from Chile
Date Reviewed: January 29, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
Bought these brakes on special. As a city rider in Santiago, stopping power was a serious priority. Those who don't stop become fodder for the buses here. The brakes deliver unquestionably. I feel that the boosters are well worth it, but that depends on your fork and frame.
I think everyone has covered everything, BUT you might want to keep this in mind if you plan to do extended biking outside of the U.S. Hydraulic brakes are a fairly recent advent and not particularly cheap, hence it can be difficult to find a mechanic who knows the system, let alone has any spare parts. In Chile, the are only two cities where this is true. Within those two cities, there are only a couple of people capable of working with such brakes. My point is that hydraulic brakes are more complicated and far less prevalent than V-brakes. So, for travel in remote areas, think twice. Take spares and you'd better know your system because chances are you may be the only person who does. I learned this the hard way when the front brake set about leaking after couple days into a 1000 km trip.
I realize that this a specialized use and that for most off-road people within the states none of this applies, but it's something worth mentioning. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott Petrie
a weekend warrior
from Montrose, Scotland, UK
Date Reviewed: January 10, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I am more into trials riding more than anything else (eg. Martyn Ashton sort of stuff), and once putting these fabulous brakes on my bike, they gave me the power to hop onto something, and stay there. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jerry is not
a weekend warrior
from California
Date Reviewed: November 22, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've had racelines on my bike for 3 years now and have done no maintenance work on them aside from changing the pads and turning a couple of allen screws! Until just this week, that is. I noticed some oil leaking from one of the fittings on the rear brake, and the lever was bottoming out on the grip. All I had to do was tighten the fitting a bit and adjust at the lever, but I do need to bleed them now to replace the lost oil. any way, awesome brakes! And one problem in 3 years? can't b itch about that! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a cross-country rider
from Redmond, WA
Date Reviewed: October 28, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have the HS-33s. I haven't had them very long. They came stock on my cannondale F3000. I rode a variety of bikes with V-brakes and cantilevers previously and the Maguras are just superior in every way. The stopping power is immense. I've had to adjust to initially locking up the wheels on gravel 'cause they don't require nearly as much squeeze as the old brakes. I've also been able to brake much later when entering turns since the Maguras will bring you down from Mach 1 so quickly. Today I had them out in the pouring rain and I was just amazed at how they stop in the wet. I was used to having to prime the old brakes when they were wet. With the maguras, you don't even have to give it any thought. Just stop as you normally would. The only thing I can't figure out is why Magura doesn't own the brake market. For the money, Magura's hard to beat and NO SQUEAL, ever! 5 burning vegemite sandwiches! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Roß
a cross-country rider
from Plainsboro, NJ
Date Reviewed: October 23, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This is a long overdue review...I've had my HS-33s for six months now, and to put it frankly, there's no better rim brake out there. I went from cantis to XT V-brakes to XTR V-brakes to Maguras and I will NEVER go back.The best points:
They modulate better than anything out there.
They require no toe-in.
Brake pad changes take 5 seconds and no additional setup once the new ones are in.
They don't squeak or grind after riding in mud or water.
They are incredibly strong (buy boosters so you don't bend your brake posts).
They require very little maintenance, and the maintenance you have to do is very easy.And the best part of owning Maguras:THORSTEN. Thorsten is Magura's US customer service rep and all-around brake genius and nice guy. He is always available via e-mail or in Tech Talk, he doesn't lie or exaggerate about his products, and it seems like his main goal in life is to make all Magura owners happy. And by the way, he succeeds, almost without fail.These are the brakes! A couple ounces heavier than V's, but what a difference! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
I_Am_Legion
a downhiller
from NC
Date Reviewed: October 22, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I sport two frames with HS-22 Racelines, one is a Cannondale V-1000 with Spinergy Carbon fiber wheels and the other is a Mantis thermoplastic carbon fiber FS with Spox wheels.... both stop REAL well and modulation is SUPREME in mud, dirt, sand, rocks or AIR.... only one problem.... I keep getting wet spots on the backsides of my Oakleys when I panic stop from my eyeballs hitting the lenses.... any suggestions?? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Josh Pelland
a weekend warrior
from Western Mass
Date Reviewed: October 18, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have had the following levers at one point or another (one HS-22 classic, one HS-11, and four HS-22 Racelines). All of these were on one set of calipers (they're all the same but technically ones an HS-22 and ones an HS-11).I bought the HS-22 and HS-11 used, and a bolt broke off in the HS-11 and the HS-22 was an antique so apparently it had started to leak. Anyway, Magura covered me very well.Now for the performance. I used to have canti brakes and for a short time I was borrowing Avid V-Brakes. They used to make noise like a cat on fire. Now when I hear the slightest noise from my Magura's I look down to see what's up! There is no noise! Even going through streams and mud will not cause that scratching sound you are used to with cable brakes.The power is about equal to V's without boosters and more then V's with boosters, in my observation. Keep in mind that Magura's will not GRAB the rim unless you actually want it too, so it may not seem as strong, but if you want a Siamese Death Grip on the rim you can do it with Magura's too. In otherwords, you don't endo and biff when you don't want to, but I can easily endo with these brakes when doing tricks and stuff. You can control the amount of pressure you want. Modulation is the fancy term for this I guess.Magura backs up their products very well and they have all the little bits and pieces that you might need. Also, people that own these brakes are nice and are eager to help out with any problems you might have.My bike has XT parts and a Mozo XL 4.5 with speed springs among other nice parts and the Magura's are still my favorite piece of bike.P.S. these work as well in wet as dryalso the grey pads wear out fast so get red (that's what they tell me will last longest). | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris Adkins
a weekend warrior
from Guernsey, Channel Islands, UK.
Date Reviewed: September 18, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Wow. I've just replaced the XT V-Brakes on my Super V3000 with Bartman Maguras, and the difference is something special. I don't know if it's just the rims on my Spin Tri-spokes, but the power of these brakes is awesome. No rattling, no squeeling and all the stopping power you could need whenever you want it. Brilliant. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jodster
a weekend warrior
from Victoria, BC, Eh!
Date Reviewed: September 18, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Good going!!! Got em cheap up in Whistler on 9/18/98 due to the fact of me blowing up my IBC Hydraulics. So now I have these beautiful Maguras (the 98 model with the dial on the lever) and you bet, they are the trickest around. Wicked and compact, nice and easy maintenance. No wonder they are putting everyone else out of business! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Moosie
a weekend warrior
from C-A-N-A-D-Eh!
Date Reviewed: September 9, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I built up a specialized StumpJumper comp frame (a deal from supergo) w/ Manitou SX Ti fork. Wanted to get the HS-33 Tomacs but my LBS discounter didn't have 'em and they seem to be on worldwide back order or something. It was gonna take a while to get 'em in. I'm young 'n hip so I went for the wildly bright racelines. They sure stand out! Jeez. anyway, I have no complaints. The stopping power freakin' rocks - faster and better than my previous xt v's. There is no maintenance - 400 km and all i have done is turn the knob on the lever's to compensate for pad wear - that is literally all than is needed!! Bleeding was a pain - Installation was lengthy but not difficult. Overall, i love 'em. The paint is a bit fragile - scraped a bunch off by accident. Oh well, doesn't change the innards. Go for the magura's the difference in price is worth it! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
P Whittington
a racer
from London, England
Date Reviewed: September 5, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Ive just completed riding from Lands End to John O' groats (1000miles in two weeks with as much off road as we could) about a month after fitting Magura Tomacs. I am so chuffed with these brakes. They are very difficult to set up especially on the back of my Pace RC 36 forks. (I wasnt happy until I'd; modified the arms on the brakes which lock onto the forks legs as this clashed with the braces on the forks, hand cut a new brace to replace the Magura one which is a shit design, hand made brackets to hold my gear levers which otherwise would not sit properly next to the brake lever, and i'm still not happy with the way the cable is routed over the top tube. Once set up though they require much less attention than cable brakes. The power and feel of these brakes is better than anything I've ridden including XTR V's though I've never tried a disc, one finger is always enough. If you like carefully setting things up in order to get the most from your bike these are the business. If you just want to chuck a new set of brakes on in ten minutes, buy Shimano. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bryan White
a racer
from North Carolina, USA
Date Reviewed: August 20, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Just got my second set of Maguras today, the new Quicksilvers. The old classic gray HS-22's on the old bike are still going strong, but I wanted an all new set for my new bike. Just as I expected, the best brakes before are the best brakes now. Tons of power, a CRAPLOAD of modulation. Try Maggies and you'll hate cable brakes forever after. A great low-mainenance and enjoyable investment for anyone's bike. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike T.
a cross-country rider
from Ontario Canada.
Date Reviewed: August 9, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've had my HS-33's for about five months and have used them in all weathers and terrain so I feel qualified to give my opinion on them. I'll list the positives and negatives.Positives: Absolutely maintenance-free. No squeal - ever. Able to change all four pads in five seconds when wheels removed WITHOUT readjusting the brakes. The finest modulation. Lots of power. Mega mud clearance - pad to rim. Non-RATTLE ! The bike industry's finest customer service (Thorston @ Magura USA !!!). Pad adjustment on the fly. Did I say non-squeal? No wire cables to seize up, lube and replace.Negatives: Errr.....there are none.Rumored negatives: Difficult installation - gee, they take about one hour total when reading the comprehensive instruction manual and they are no more difficult than any other brakes. They are just different, that's all, but certainly not difficult. Wanna good tip? Remove both tires so that you can see easily to get all four pads 100% square to the rim. Oh, BTW - you don't need toe-in.
Bleeding is hard: Bleeding is not hard (takes about 5 minutes) and if you are careful and install carefully as the instructions say, you may not even HAVE to bleed them.
Heavy: Gee whiz !! Maybe two ounces heavier than direct pull brakes and maybe not too. I'll take perfection over a couple of mythical ounces any day.Get a set of Maguras. You'll never go back to cable brakes. Only 5 chillies? They deserve lots more.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ProFlex
a cross-country rider
from Bay Area, CA
Date Reviewed: August 5, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Got a Pro-Flex '97 Beast with the HS11's on it. The brakes are super, but I wasn't too impressed with the levers/pods. They flexed and were too bulky. Took the 5 minute upgrade for $40 with the Altek BL40 levers. Well, these levers arn't compatable with the HS11 pods I found out. But the guys at Sharp Bikes (Richmond) helped me out (fanastic store), with going with the Altek BL30 complete pod and lever. I would reccomend these brakes to everyone, but well worth the upgrade for stiffer, lighter, and more powerful pods and levers. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
late braker
a cross-country rider
from usa
Date Reviewed: July 29, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
wanted xt v's. LBS said we are out but, we have Maguras i read the reviews
on this site. got excited, bought the brakes the next day...these brakes are
'da bomb!!! i can actually stop with these things on. they were a little
pricey, but that is ok. five big fat bowls for the maggies!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
a downhiller
a
from Vermont
Date Reviewed: July 29, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Two years ago, I purchased a Kestrel DH bike with a set of XT
v-brakes. Since Vermont has such a sunny and beautiful climate with
little to no precipitation I was comfterable with the fact that
every week or so, I needed to send away for new pads. In fact, I
wore them out so much that I made a habbit of ordering a new pair
every time one pair came in the mail. This was perfect timing with
UPS because as one pair disintegrated to nothing another pair was
just arriving on my doorstep.
At that time my current bike did not have disk mounts so I
disabled from trying the much-sought after stopping-saucers. I
found that the closest braking power came with Maggie Hydros. I
decided that it was time to switch. This turned out to be the
smartest decision I had ever made regarding bikes. For the past
year I have had to change the pads twice! No hastle in changing
them either. And I'm sure (after reading some of the reviews below
that the service and reliability is excelent. I highly recomend, even
for x-c rarers, to spare the extra 100g. and empty your wallet on
a pair of Magura's. It's definatly worth it. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
rob
a weekend warrior
from HAMPTON VA
Date Reviewed: July 26, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
if anyone is looking fo a brake system that is really going to stop you and that is mainintance free this is it! the replacement pads are pretty cheap,the overall cost is a little in the pricy side though i recommend these to anyone who is considering looking at disks, take a look at these first! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Hawkins and Al
a downhiller
from Scotland
Date Reviewed: July 23, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Magura HS22 hydraulic brakes, the original Magura brake and easily one of the best. Works just as perfectly in wet weather as dry with the black pads on and can stop you on a dime. The levers tested were HS11 levers which were almost as good as the HS22 brakes as they were big enough and strong enough for any downhiller to grab hold of.
A CLASSIC HYDRAULIC BRAKESET | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ryan
a racer
from Pennsylvania, USA
Date Reviewed: July 19, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I just got the HS33 Quicksilver. I used to have Racelines then I got XTR V's to lighten up my ride. The XTR V's were nice but a pain in the ass to maintain. The pads wore fast when conditions turned nasty(try finishing a XC race in the rain with no pads and a downhill run to the finish), the cables get gunked up, and they squeal. V brakes are for people that live in areas where the sun is always shining, but for people that live in areas where it rains and there are rocks, roots, trees and all the other things that make a wet and muddy downhill fun, V brakes just don't cut it. You have two choices: Maguras or Disc brakes. Both are expensive and discs are probably better for really wet conditions, but you need a frame and fork with mounts and hubs designed for disc brakes. Maguras go on any bike and stop it almost as fast as any disc brake.The Quicksilvers are great. I have consistent, powerful braking under ALL conditions. They are quiet and they are lighter than people think. I weighed my bike before and after installation and the Maguras are only 2 ounces(56 grams) heavier then XTR V's.Forget V's, they are a problem waiting to happen. Buy Maguras, they are cheaper than disk brakes, work better than V brakes(and are easier to maintain), and they look cool too. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
askman
a weekend warrior
from beaverton, or
Date Reviewed: June 15, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've tried various v brakes, and hated not having modulation. Maggies are one of the most easiest to install and adjust. Even bleeding them is easy once you get the bleed kit and the manual. I love my first set so much that I have one on each of my bikes(I got them used for great prices, $80 for HS-22, $60 for HS-11 etc shiped) One of these days I may get HS-33, but why. weight is unnoticeable for me. not any more power than Vs but better all around | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Laurens van Alphen
a cross-country rider
from Enschede, The Netherlands
Date Reviewed: June 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Excellent brakes! I got some HS-33's (the Red one's) on
my hardtail and they just rock! The only problem was my LBS
mounted the front brake right and the rear brake left! Next
week, when I get the tech. manual from magura (they have GREAT
e-mail support) I will fix that. Mail me at alphen@craxx.com | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe John
a cross-country rider
from British Colombia
Date Reviewed: June 9, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These are the best brakes in the world. In wet, dry or anything else, they just rock. I would never use anything else! Ever! I do have one problem. The pads wear quite fast. I got the normal pads now but they wear too much. Buy these brakes, get a booster and ride!!! E-mail me some ideas at swear16@hotmail.com | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Miles
a racer
from HANTS, U.k.
Date Reviewed: June 4, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These are the definitive brakes, they stop, they don't squeak, they don't break (so long as you treat them right) and best of all; they barely cost anything up against a set of disks.
The difference between these and V's get noticed when you're two metres from a 90 degree turn in the wet when you are going at about 40-50 Kmph.
Oh, yeah also my fave brake for trialing too. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jurgen van Lieshout
a downhiller
from Holland (the Netherlands)
Date Reviewed: May 20, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The're the best brakes I ever had on my bike, some friends i have complain about leak problems but I have had them for almost 1 yr (5400 Km = 3400 Mls)and they still work as good as when I bougt them. And they look very cool too on my mate black Cannondale SV.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
james campbell
a cross-country rider
from Encino Ca
Date Reviewed: May 5, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
My litespeed obed came with a funky break hanger mounted on the seat clamp. I could never get my breaks adjusted correctly so I finally brought one Magura break for the rear ( V breaks weren't out yet or I might have brought them). Anyway after 4 years and 9800 miles I have never had ONE problem with my maguras. They work now as good as they did when installed. I have done No mantenance on them other then change about 7 sets of pads. Changing the pads is simple just pop the old ones out and pop the new ones in. It takes me about 3 minutes but that cause I clean all the dirt off them frist.
I Love these breaks. A bit heavy for a XC bike but totally reliable. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave Wyatt
a downhiller
from city
Date Reviewed: January 28, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I own a GT STS downhill, and happen to own a pair of racelines. They have a smooth stopping feel, and create a suberb lock on. They have won me many races, and i have never had a problem with them yet.
Iam also into trials. I have a Monty which also has a gleaming brand new pair of '98 racelines on. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tom
a downhiller
from england
Date Reviewed: January 25, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
my magura race line d`s are the best brakes I have ever had there strong and you don`t need to worry about cables everywhere because the take fluid so if you can`t afford disk brakes get these!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they also look cool but the most important thng is do they stop you and I can say that they stop you right on the stop just don`t pull the front brake at speed because you will end up pulling a massive endo
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
viking
a racer
from Mesquite Texas
Date Reviewed: January 10, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The Maguras have a great feel to them and have excellent power. They dont squeal like v brakes and have a straight travel that is superior.Another thing that makes them great is the fact that they are sealed up, an advantage in mountian biking. They are not expensive like some would have you believe, you can mail order a complete brake set for about $190, the same price as brake levers, brakes, and cables. The drawback; not many places sell parts or service them
I could find only one place in Dallas to work on them, and I had to wait weeks for parts. Fault the shop you sold the bike for not servicing waht they sell.I solved this by getting tubing and ferrules and a bleed kit to replace tubes myself
damaged in crashes, my only problem. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bernd
a cross-country rider
from Germany
Date Reviewed: January 9, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Maguras are the best overall rim brakes available. Only a very few disc brakes I tested have a better performance (but a high price tag).
Everyone who prefers riding their bikes to setting up brakes, regularly lubricating and changing cables with a braking power that is on par with the XTR V-Brake with a better modulation because of the much less hystereses hydraulic system should go for the Magura.Once set up properly which can take a while for a beginner but which is easy (the 98's will be pre-setup) you hardly ever need to worry about your brakes. Snap in new pads in seconds and they will actuate exactly the same as before unlike the V-Brake which has to be readjusted for parallel pull left and right everytime you change wheels.
Magura is the only company publishing exact figures about what decelaration is achievable with their pads on most popular rims dry and wet! Already with this unique service you can gain such an unbelievable plus in braking power. And this indicates that Magura really cares and knows about what's important for braking.
I definitely recommend brake boosters and the 14mm master cylinder (97 DH and all 98's). Go for the carbon fibre boosters. They are the lightest and the stiffest!
The V-Brake definitely is a good Brake as well. If you don't care about maintenance, rattling parallelogramm levers, squealing, fast brake pad wear (gone on one rainy day in the Swiss Alps), but a few grams is all that counts for you, then you might be better off with it. Don't become fooled with the less lever force only the XT and XTR V-Brake need as some people claim as an advantage. That's only true when the brakes are brand new without any dirt in the pivots or cables (so one muddy day of biking).
Get Magura or wait and save money for disc brakes and a new frame/fork you can fit those to. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
HTmaniac
a cross-country rider
from Taipei
Date Reviewed: December 14, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
What to say the best performing brake system for the money at the moment, reliable, powerfull, endurant, easy to maintain, good modulation, perform under all conditions, a bit heavy and hugly but hey you cannot get everything at the same time, or maybe weight fro the light 98 versions. arrrgh two word were missing, what can I say more, exelent, very good, great, get them or die soon or later... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Headman
a cross-country rider
from VA
Date Reviewed: December 4, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I just picked up a set of these and put htem on my v-link. They are awesome.
A pain to set up, but you never have to fool with them again. They act like a car brake, controlled braking. No on -off braking. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff Spies
a weekend warrior
from Chandler Arizona
Date Reviewed: November 19, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have been using Magura hydraulic brakes for 2 years and I love them. Twice the power of regular cantilevers. Still the most powerful front
brake system going (other than a diskbrake).
Excelent modulation, important in technical areas or high speed control or
tricky decents.
Very easy to adjust. Conventional brake setup was concieved by a sadist
Magura brake pads move in straight line rather than in arc as with
cantilevers. Essential if using more than one wheelset.
Clean, sealed system, dirt doesnt affect brake lever feel.
No adjusting once set up (expect 2 -3 hours initial setup time).The only downside is that they are heavy.But I wouldn't trade them for the world. By far my favorite upgrade after
8 years of mountain biking.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a racer
from Canada
Date Reviewed: November 15, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I use Magura Raceline Brakes on my Cross-Country bikes, they perform perfectly. I also do Downhill racing and use Magura Raceline Brakes. They are the best. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Wildman
a downhiller
from New Zealand
Date Reviewed: November 9, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
My Kona came stock with mag's and initially they were good.
Now they are the shitist brakes ever. They have zilch stopping power, are hard to adjust and have bad fad. I have to use three fingers to the grip to stop on fast downhills even though they are set up perfectly.Shit.My Hope hydraulic disks on my new bike will be better even if I have to put my foot on the rotors. Enough said. Maguras suck. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Olaf
a weekend warrior
from Austin, Texas
Date Reviewed: October 26, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Initial setup is a pain (I run 1 Magura only in the rear).
I have used the Magura in rain and mud in Germany for a year and
(after moving to Texas) on Austin's rocky limestone downhills for another year.
Zero trouble, zero maintenance, no faults, no leaks, no problems.
My wife had cantis and now has V-brakes. V's are acceptable for dry sunny wheather,
leightweight rider, no serious descending.
My weight is 210 lbs., so my breaks get a real workout.
There is only one alternative: A good disk. I've a Sachs disk
in the front and that's perfect as well.
I want to ride the bike, not work on it. That's why I'll stick to my Magura. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
rodney
a cross-country rider
from seattle, wa
Date Reviewed: October 4, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Simply the best braking system available!
Once you have these babies set up all you need to
do is ride. ABS brakes for your bike. This season I coupled my Maguras with green frog pads to a set of crossmaxes. I cannot imagine better braking. Drop 300 grams and shimano would never sell another V-brake . | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin Balay
a cross-country rider
from New York N.Y.
Date Reviewed: September 11, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I am no new comer to this sport and have tride many other brakes. V's, old school IRD switchbakes and plenty of canties. I ride x-contry, stock triles and hopefully alot more downhill to come. Overall Ilike the Magura Raceline Hydraulics the best, they may not be ultra lite but there not that heavy eather. The things I like are braking power, consistency, clearence between rim & pad (very important if you ride hard and don't want your pads rubing every time your rims go out of true a little). Set up is not hard for anyone with half a brain. Also once they are setup you cane forget about them. There are also three types of brake pads wich you can change in a matter of seconds. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ARASH KHODDAMY
a racer
from VANCOUVER BC CANADA
Date Reviewed: September 3, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
THESE BRAKES ARE GREAT!!!! I HAD V BRAKES ON MY SV1000 THEN I PUT THESE ON MAN THEY HAVE WAY MORE POWER THAN THE V BREAKS. JUST TAKE THEM ON SOME NICE DOWN HILLS AND YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. AS FOR THA ADJUSTMENT SURE IT IS A PAIN BUT
AFTER THAT THEY ARE SET EVEN WHEN YOU CHANGE PADS. PADS ARE KID OF PRICY THATS TH EONLY COMPLAIT I HAVE.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gazza
a weekend warrior
from Australia
Date Reviewed: August 28, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Just got the HS-11's and they work great. Best brakes Ive ever tried including V brakes. Extremely powerful and you never have to service them. I'd recomend buying the brake boosters for them because they tend to make your brake posts flex out heaps. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
KAZRA .A
a cross-country rider
from Sweden
Date Reviewed: July 29, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I think the magura brakes is the best rim brake you can get, i have got the HS11
for two years now and i havent got any problems with it .
If you buy this brakes its very good to have brake boosters | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter recumbent rider
a weekend warrior
from WI
Date Reviewed: July 8, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have had every kind of brake, and these are have the nicest feel. The manual is worthless - less than that, but Magura will answer questions. I had trouble with leaking as many others did, but I kept tightening the screw till it stopped. Bleeding is the answer to sluggish action, as air destroys the system. But, again, the manual is worthless. See a good auto mechanic. Set up right, they are the best. But they are a pain to get done right. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bob Rolls
a cross-country rider
from CA, USA
Date Reviewed: June 30, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I've owned cantis, v-brakes and 2 sets of maguras. There is no comparison, the hydraulic brakes blow the v's off the trail in pad life and have far more stopping power than cantis, go magura! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Noel Buckley
a weekend warrior
from Vancouver, BC
Date Reviewed: May 26, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I've owned V-brakes, cantis and Marguras. There is no comparison between the stopping power of a v-brake and a Margura. Fade on the Marguras is virtually non-existant. Super easy to algin, super easy to maintain (i.e. don't do anything), super easy to replace pads, and way more rim clearance. Come out west and play with the big boys instead of riding your little dirt mounds and you'll see why they are so popular. Maybe out east they are overkill, but here in the wet mud covered rocks and roots, nothing else stops better (except maybe a disk). No other rim brake can compete with a good set of hydraulics. I will relent two items to you though: Yes, they do weight more, and changing tires is a pain until you get used to them. On the other hand, the increase in modulation, stopping power, and fade resistance far outweights their faults. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Roger Green
a weekend warrior
from Columbus, OH
Date Reviewed: February 14, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Powerful, and no maintenance. Adjusting canti's on narrow rims was a pain in the ass. Mud and slop have no effect on the overall system. Won't change unless Magura comes out with better ones. Only 4 stars instead of five due to the weight... but for me, it's well worth it. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom Hand
a downhiller
from Dallas,Tx
Date Reviewed: February 13, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I installed a set a few months ago and they are awesome! Easy to set up. I don't
understand the comments that they are hard to install. Guess those that think
these are hard never set up cantilevers.... Set them on the stud, align them with the rim and tighten down... that's all!! Great modulation and very little
force required. You cant go wrong! ULITMATE STOPPING POWER. Be carefull, don't
crush your rims! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Weng
a weekend warrior
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: February 3, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Yup! Shawn, these made better lube than KY 'COS THEY LEAK LIKE HELL! Got A set and the connection in the rear brake next to the bleeding hole leaks! Even when I didn't use it! Have topped up 1/5 bottle of hydraulic oil in 1 week! So much for maintainence free! If you can afford these, then you can afford XTR V's. Save yourself weight, money and trouble and get V's instead.
I would give zero if I could. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Camiel Rouweler
a cross-country rider
from the Netherlands
Date Reviewed: January 21, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I had Magura HS-11 on my previous bike that was stolen. My choice for a new bike had STX cantis in favour of suspension. Man, did I miss the hydraulics! So recently I got myself a set of racelines. They are the normal racelines (not the D's), but with the T-blades. I got them really cheap, but I think they were meant for bike manufacturers, as they came in a plastic baggy (no box) and there were no instructions. I also missed a few little rings etc., so after I had been busy installing them I brought my bike to the LBS to finish it (the parts for shortening the cables were also missing). They fixed it for me and supplied the missing parts for free! Great shop (Monique's Bike Shop in Eindhoven, every dutch mountainbiker should visist this shop)!
Anyway, I am completly happy again. Brake power is very good, but not that much better than well set-up cantis. The feel in the lever and the modulation however are second to none. The Maguras really allow braking without thinking. No more cable friction, no more squaling brakes, no more lost hours due to adjustments... And of course they just look cooler than every other brake. And the quick-release function is great. Too bad I had to use it often lately.Unless you are a weight-weenie, there is no other choice. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Todd Danen
a cross-country rider
from Los Gatos, CA
Date Reviewed: January 15, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Magura hydraulic brakes are hands down the best I have ridden. They have incredible modulation, and allow me to Rip on singletrack!
They have incredible stopping power, so my hands don't get tired on the ling downhills> | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tucker Snedeker
a downhiller
from South Bend, IN 46601
Date Reviewed: January 5, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
These brakes are the best money can buy and they are very reasonably priced.
I have used them for three or four years now (been so long I can't remember exactly!) I use the on both my DH and my XC bikes and LOVE THEM!!! They are durable and they stop your bike like a bug hitting the windsheild of a ferarri. Real Fast! They are great in the wet and unbelievable in dry. I have used disk brakes too (sachs) but my magura's stop as good better than disks do! In four years I broke a fluid line only once; but I broke my arm, my seat post, a brake lever, a a wheel on this crash so I think that is an excuse to loose a line. Leave the lines a little bit long but attach them well to the frame and you should have no problems. Can't wait to try the new MAGURA Disk brack which will be available in 97! Any question? Email me at Tucker@snd.com | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JBN
a racer
from Winchester Mass
Date Reviewed: January 3, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
They rule. Pain in the ass to set up, but once its done, you don't need to touch them. Have had them for over a year with no problems. Get the boosters so that you don't break your frame fork. No joke. They modulate far beter than V- Breaks and hydraulic fluid never loosens up like cables. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lambchop Express
a weekend warrior
from Burnaby B.C.
Date Reviewed: January 3, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I like my magura at first, but after trying the new V-brakes they are babies toy
I'm not a good mechanic my self so I bring my bike to the shop when ever I needed it to be adjusted.But I can never get the way it perform when it was ne. And the way ti perform now is crap because it is such an on-off thing without modulation what so ever. So I'm trying to sell them and get the new v-brakes if I can sell them at all.Hope you don't make the same mistake. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
François
a cross-country rider
from Longueuil, Canada
Date Reviewed: December 7, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Magura's hydraulic brakes are the best caliper type braking system. I've been using them for 5 years (yes 5 years, even when no one was using them), in temperature ranging from 40 to -40 C. Had always been please whit them. For those who are not pleased with there performance, is beacuse you have to be more than a poster to set them rigth... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James L
a racer
from Colorado
Date Reviewed: December 5, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I personally do not care for the magura hydro brakes. Working at a bike shop for
over one year I have not ever seen a customer pleased with the maintinance
or performance of these brakes. Recently at the veloswap I repeatdly got offers
for Raceline-D brakes for a mere 50 dollars. Meanwhile Shimano V brakes
were completly sold out and I couldn't be happier with the performance even after
2000 plus miles. In my opinion Maguras look damn cool , but the performance
is not up to par with the lighter V brakes. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dale
a weekend warrior
from Costa Mesa, Ca. USA
Date Reviewed: December 1, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Overall I am very satisfied with my RL-22. They are probably the best performing brake I have ever used. I call them The Rim Crushers due to the fact that they contributed to the early demise of my Mavic rims. The only thing I don't like is the fact that they keep trying to throw me over the handlebars! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jamie Damanpour
a cross-country rider
from Blacksburg, VA
Date Reviewed: November 6, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Looking for power? Look no further!
Ease of maintenance? Can't beat it!
Are they hard to set up? I don't know, are you an idiot?!
What about V-brakes? What about them?! 5 pivots=>mud destroys them
But they're too expensive! Go to www.bikepro.com and get some Tomacs
But, but, but. . . No buts, just get'em | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matthew Hanna
a cross-country rider
from Tokyo Japan
Date Reviewed: November 2, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Maguras are one of the best items to hit the mountain bike world. If you live in a geographic region such as here in Japan or the Pacific Northwest, then I think I would get very little argument. Out here, the downhills are at the xc trails, there is no fine line. The terrain is sporatic and unforgiving and since the purchase of my maguras, the difference has been night and day. I know geography has everything to do with it, I do not thinks anyone in Kansas or Nebraska need to go out and invest in these. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lars Qvist
a weekend warrior
from Gothenburg Sweden
Date Reviewed: October 31, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I have been using the Magura brakes for 2.5 years and can only say one thing: --TERRIFIC --. There are only to minor drawbacks:
- The wear of the pads are substantial in wet conditions
- When the pads are at the end of their useable time the brake feeling starts to be alittle sluggish due to the limited support on the pads.
I have 2 sets and been riding them for 13.000 km and not one single adjustments.- ride and be happy !! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul Musarra
a cross-country rider
from Pittsburgh, Pa.
Date Reviewed: October 25, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I've had my Magura's for about a half a year and I love them. They work great and there is no mush feeling to them,especially in the back where that problem is often prominent. The only negative is the adjustment, not that it is hard but it takes patience. I have the racelines but they are the older model so they don't have the fine adjustment on the outside. I am sure that it is a nice feature. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ari Terziyan
a weekend warrior
from Montreal, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 20, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I've been using maguras for about six months now, and wow. I have a Devinci trials bike and it is necessary for me to have great stopping power. I did not like the grey pads because they were not strong enough for me. Once you get your hands on some clear pads and put some tar on your rims, there is nothing better. The only other brake that is strong enough for trials are the V-brakes. Later! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Richard Drdul
a cross-country rider
from Vancouver, BC
Date Reviewed: October 19, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Hoo hoo! These brakes stop like nothing I've ever tried before. Amazing power, exellent modulation, nice touches like the ability to set the lever as far or close to the bars as desired, almost idiot-proof brake pad replacement, and quality manufacturing.Negatives? Only really one -- I just can't get 100% comfortable with the idea of oil in the brake lines (I guess I'm just a cable guy at heart).BTW, make sure you get the correct colour pad for your rims. The dealer I bought the bike from had installed grey pads (intended for ceramic rims) on my bike with polished/anodized rims -- chewed 'em up a bit before I put new black pads on -- anyone want to buy a slightly worn set of grey pads? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin
a cross-country rider
from Midland, Ont. Canada
Date Reviewed: October 1, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Added these brakes to my 855 Proflex earlier this year and recommend them to anyone. On a full suspesion bike they really work well, cable routing is easy and the don't stick out as far as cantilever brake arms which can get in the way of your heels on a Pro Flex with its chunky rear swingarm. The brakes are powerful yet take more effort the V-brakes to lock a wheel, they are also easy to modulatel once you get used to them. The pads are easy to change but expensive, around $44 Canadian. They are heavier than conventional brakes and more expensive, but worth it! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stefan
a cross-country rider
from Germany
Date Reviewed: August 27, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
After one year of riding with the Maggies I can say :
No failures ever. The brake performs well under hard conditions like mud,
dust, snow or water (river crossing) .
The hydros withstand several impacts and crashes.
For optimal function you should install a brake booster (front/rear) and the
right pads for your rims.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Julius W
a cross-country rider
from Vancouver BC Canada
Date Reviewed: August 27, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I've been riding with the Magura Raceline Brakes since the winter of 1996. Over
that time I have ridden about 4000 off road kilometers in conditions ranging from
the wettest mud that the Northshoer mountains of vancouver could produce to the
heat, dust and sand of Moab, Utah. Over that period, I have not had any problems
with this product. Over the months of use, I have figured out somethings which can
make the breaks work better. Some of these sugestions might be common know-
ledge, however some things may be new. I've installed Brodie Brake Boosters to
help increase the stopping power and to prevent unwanted stress by flexing of the
brake posts. For anyone who uses Marzochi's forks, like myself (XC-700's), it is
suggested that quick release be used on each of the front Evolution Bracket in
order to facilitate the ease of front wheel removal. The Q-R handle can be switched
by removing the D-ring, removing the pin, reversing the lever and replacing the pin
and D-ring. If the force required to pull the brake lever is to great, try using a liter
weight oil. Stock oil is 10wt, so Rockshox 5wt oil will work well, but so will generic
Mineral Oil (light weight, there are 2 types) which is available at most pharmacies.
When tightening the lever assembly to the bar tighten only so that the lever is snug
and free to rotate around the bar in case of a nasty bail, to prevent breaking of the
master cylinder housing. If installing after market, allow enough hose so that the
bars can rotate freely without putting any stress on the brake lines. every once in
a while, a thin layer of light weight grease (Jonny Snot, Finish Line Teflon....)
should be applied onto the piston where it slides into the lower assembly. Since
carrying out these procedures, I have never had a problem. I have used or tried
plenty of other types of brakes but none come close to the performance of the
Magura's and even with the weight disadvantage, I would recommend the to any
one interested in upgrading their brake set up.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sam Burkhardt
a downhiller
from Seattle Wa
Date Reviewed: August 5, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Great brakes for Dh and trials and equally good on Xc
I use them without a booster which makes them lighter on your hands
but you have to be carefull not to pull to hard or
it¹s possible to damage the brake bosses
I pull with two fingers on the outermost part of the lever
which gives maximum leverage.
I would give it 5 stars
but IBC hydroceps are a little better
Either one beats the crap out of canti¹s | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff Gittleson
a weekend warrior
from Phoenix, AZ
Date Reviewed: June 14, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I've had these brakes for about 6-7 months. I loved them when I first got them.
They are really powerful brakes. I had them equipped with Curve brake boosters.
The booster work great for firming up the feel at the lever. I didn't like the
fact that you needed to use a strong 2-finger grip to get them to work. On the
rear of the bike, this isn't really a problem since there isn't any weight on
the rear tire. The Magura works good for the rear end (and yes, I have a full
suspension bike). The front brake is a different story. I ride fast downhill
fireroads and single-track and I am a very hard braker, I wait 'til the last
second to hammer the brakes, nearly locking the front tire in most situations.
The Magura's do stop well, it just takes too much effort to get the brake power I
need. On a long downhill stretch, these brakes require a lot of hand strength.
The brakes don't fade, they are the firmest brakes I've tried, and they are the
most powerful, but I don't like weight or the fact that you need strong hands to
work the front brake for ultra fast stops. One other downside, the stock pads make
a horrible grinding/scraping noise on the rims sometimes. Sounds nasty. My friend's
Magura does the same thing, so I know it's not an isolated case. I would say, that
if you want the most powerful brakes these are them. Modulation is o.k., but I also
ran through a set of pads in 6 months. Installation is also kinda a pain in the
butt. I opted to ditch these brakes and get the new V-brakes. The installation
and setup was a cinch, and these brakes are close to having the same power. I could
lock the rear tire with 1-finger if I wanted. I always needed 2-fingers on the
Magura's. Lever pull is so light it's amazing. Say good-bye to death grip. I'm
completely pleased with the V's over the Magura's. For XC use (and my hard attacks
on my local trails) the V's are a better solution than Magura's. For all out DH
riding/racing, The Magura's may be a better bet, since they are more powerful. I
may be the only one right now that doesn't like them for XC use, but I think once
the hype goes away, people will be back to other cantilevers designs or v-brakes. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David
a weekend warrior
from SF, CA
Date Reviewed: June 4, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
To date I have yet to have to adjust or fuss with in any way these brakes. They are bulet proof and totally plush. I did not install alot of the alloy bolt kit because I heard that they can snap under heavy load, and I weigh about 185. I have them set up with DKG boosters to protect the frame and fork of my bike from being torn up during braking, so the weight is a bit, but they stop effortlessly and modulate perfectly. I had heard rumors that they did not modulate so well on technical single track. I don't think this is true. I think the feel is great, and they respond in all conditions. Also, my favorite part besides the self centering feature, is that there is no kick back up the brake line during rough descending. I ride in Marin and there are alot of steep downhills with babyhead rocks to be found. This impacts on the front tire under a fast downhill can send pulses up the brakeline on nowmal wire pull cantis. This just doesn't happen on the Maguras. So far they are the most comfortab
le brakes I have ever tried. Id give them 5 stars etc. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aaron Leighton
a cross-country rider
from San Luis Obispo, CA
Date Reviewed: June 3, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I have these brakes on my GT Team Trials bike and like them a lot. There is no friction,
no cable stretch, and I don't have to worry about dirt contamination. I've used
them with the clear super-soft pads and tar on the rims, which makes them very
sticky, especially once the wheel has stopped. They are definately powerful
brakes, stronger than any cantilever except the V-brake, which I have on my mountain
bike.
| | Overall Rating: |
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