Submitted by
DD
a Cross Country Rider
from Lee's Summit
Date Reviewed: February 6, 2009
Strengths: Super stopping power and great feel.
Weaknesses: I had an issue with the master cylider in cold weather.
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!
Submitted by
hurky demon
a Weekend Warrior
from Bognor
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2004
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
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.
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
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.
Submitted by
klaus
a Weekend Warrior
from radolfzell,baden,germany
Date Reviewed: June 23, 2002
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???
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
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
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
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
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.
Submitted by
JEFF
a Downhiller
from Peterborough, ontario, canada
Date Reviewed: September 23, 2001
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.
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......
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.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Radar (Joe)
a Racer
from Barberton, OH
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2000
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.
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.
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.
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)
Favorite Trail: Trails? I don't ride trails? Trails are for local people!
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
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
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Dave Ince
a Weekend Warrior
from Vancouver Canada
Date Reviewed: April 25, 2000
Strengths: Modulate well.
Weaknesses: Expensive. Heavy. Hard to set up. Are poor in rain/mud. Tough to service in the field.
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 ...
Similar Products Used: Lots of cantis and V-brakes.
Bike Setup: Rocky Mtn. Blizzard set up for North-shore riding.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Rob Miller
a Racer
from CHESTERTOWN, NY, USA
Date Reviewed: April 9, 2000
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)
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.
Bike Setup: a k2 beast proflex set up for DH racing.Magura HS 22 BRAKES
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Maarten Wilbrink
a Cross Country Rider
from Drachten-The Netherlands
Date Reviewed: January 26, 2000
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!!!
Submitted by
John whitaker
a Weekend Warrior
from Huddersfiled
Date Reviewed: January 10, 2000
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
Bottom Line:
me and a lot of my friends have tried them and have got rid of them within weeks or mouths.
