New 2002: Dual piston fixed caliper with automatic pad wear adjustment. Reinforced lever blades with pivot bushings reduce friction and ensure a super smooth, rattlefree and more precise function. The colourless anodized brake lever and caliper feature an enhanced shock durability with a long lasting finish.
Submitted by
olegbabich
a Weekend Warrior
from nj Date Reviewed: May 17, 2009
Favorite Trail:
dirt
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
none
Weaknesses:
Front brake gave out after 2.5 months of use
Similar Products Used:
shimano xt
Bike Setup:
kona A
Bottom Line:
I got these on Ebay. The product was a left over, but brand new item. I had it professionally mounted and the brakes worked great for about 2 months. Now the front lever goes to the handle bar and I need a replacement. I’m glad I only paid $40. Anyone looking for a deal on these leftover- buyer beware.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ligfiets
a Racer
from delft, netherlands Date Reviewed: March 19, 2009
Favorite Trail:
any coastline
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Purchased At:
came with bike
Strengths:
Lots of stopping power - when it works.
Weaknesses:
Durability, reliability.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano XTR disc brake
Bike Setup:
Challenge Hurricane recumbent, USS, random shimano parts. HS33 at the back (sucks too).
Bottom Line:
Used them several years on my commuting recumbent, but needed to replace lever and brake twice. The piston doesn't need much dirt to get stuck, the levers started to leak after two years. Needs a lot of attention.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Filex
a Weekend Warrior
from Canada Date Reviewed: April 28, 2005
Favorite Trail:
All over
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
OEM
Strengths:
Maintance free .. the most important aspect in anything on a bike..IMHO.
Weaknesses:
Not enough marketing ?
Similar Products Used:
Hayes , Shimano V's
Bike Setup:
OEM
Bottom Line:
Rode it for 1500 km on trail , knock around against rocks and stuff , so far , no problem at all , bleed it once a year and it is good to go !
Don't know why it has such a bad rep , if Magura can make brakes that stop a Yamaha super sport at 160 mph , they can make a brake to stop your average rider on a bicycle,no ?
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris Mitchell
a Weekend Warrior
from Las Vegas Date Reviewed: December 13, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Bootleg Canyon
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
Supergo & Pricepoint
Strengths:
great stopping power when they work
Weaknesses:
very problematic. i blew out the original set that came on my cannondale and in a not so bright move bought another set on pricepoint to give them another shot. mistake! i've learned more about hydraulic brakes than i ever wanted to know. do youself a favor and if you have them already, start looking around for your replacements.
Bike Setup:
jekyll
Bottom Line:
they suck.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris Clark
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle Date Reviewed: June 10, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Walker's Ranch
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
Supergo (Came with Bike)
Strengths:
None
Weaknesses:
These brakes continually rub, they leak, they loose pressure and they have altogether failed on 2 occasions. Magura should recall this product.
Similar Products Used:
XT Disc
Bike Setup:
Stock Tomac 98 Special Pro, with ATEC Aluminum
Bottom Line:
From day one these breaks have sucked. Nothing frustrates one's competitive spirit more than hearing the grinding of break pads against disc when racing a rival up a steep climb. It's the kind of quality you'd expect to find on a $200 Huffy from Costco.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Simon
a
from Stockholm, Sweden Date Reviewed: May 12, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$150.00
Strengths:
None
Weaknesses:
Complete waste of time.
Similar Products Used:
Shimano XT Hy-Disc system
Bottom Line:
The back brake has given me numerous grey hairs. I got a brand new lever from Magura as the original was leaking. I put new pads on and the brake is still worse than a $30 vee brake. Don't buy this product. It sucks BIG TIME!!!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Cliff Bair
a Cross Country Rider
from Lawrenceville, GA Date Reviewed: May 2, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Chicoppe Woods
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Cane on Bike
Strengths:
None
Weaknesses:
After 8 Months back brake does not work. Squealed from day one.
Similar Products Used:
Avid Mech.
Bike Setup:
Tomac 98 Pro, love the bike hate the brakes.
Bottom Line:
Had bike in at local bike shop for 3 weeks. They tried everything to get the brack brake to work. Pull the lever and keep pressure on the brake simply fades away to nothing. Did this as I was going down a striaght fast down hill that dumps you out on steep technical switch backs the brake filed me just as I entered, nearly causing me to wreck. Bottom line dont waste your money on these brakes. If you want to buy a bike set up with these brakes try to make a deal to have the bike shop swap them out or plan on doing it yourself down the road.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Thom
a Cross Country Rider
from Atlanta, Ga. USA Date Reviewed: February 3, 2004
Favorite Trail:
So many to list in Georgia
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
1.One finger stopping power. 2.Pretty darn light for a disc brake 3.Nice look to it
Weaknesses:
Wouldn't really call it a weakness, but the levers look light and could break. I like the lightness look of it.
Similar Products Used:
Hayes, Shimano Deore, XT, XTR
Bike Setup:
2003 Cannondale Scalpel. Easton EC70 Seatpost and Handlebar; Selle Italia Saddle, XT Crank, XT Front Derailer, XT Shifters, XTR Rapid Rise Rear Derailer. Soon to come...Chris King Disc wheels with Stan's no tube.
Bottom Line:
**This review is on the 2003 Louise** 1st ride on my new Cannondale with the Magura Louise was not pleasant. Mostly due to my fault. I bought my bike and had stuff replaced on it. Was so excited to ride it, that I probably got the mechanic to rush on it and not overview what he had done (Just wanted to ride). Rode the following day and the 1st thing happened? Front brake pads came off. The cotter pin holding the pads weren't set. Took it back to the store and they fixed me up. 2nd ride on the bike. The brakes were squeling like a horde of insane howling monkeys. Thought this might be a break in period. Decided to go to www.magura.com website to see if there was anything I could do to fix the squeling. Magura got a great website to find stuff and technical fixes. Found out that the rear brake was not aligned properly. Too many spacers. Took couple of them off and wahla! the squeling went away. Rotor is perfectly aligned with the caliper. Now that all that is gone, the break has performed awesome. Truly a one finger stopping power. You'll have to get use to the feel of the Louise. Hayes and Shimano has a spongy feel to it. The louise doesn't. It's so smooth, that if you're not conscious, you'll lock up in a jiffy. Need to learn all over again to really light finger the lever. The more I ride, the better the louise start to feel. Besides all the hiccups, the brakes work great. Lesson learn on all this. Don't rush the mechanic. Over look everything on the bike. I know for newbies it's hard to do since they don't know what to look for, but if you're going to purchase a bike or any components, go to the web site and see what they have to say about the product. Also go to the tech site and look at the common problems that might occur. More than likely, they are easy fixes. The more experience I get in mountain biking, I've learned that you need to also know how to fix it. so far from what I learned. Majority of the time with bike problems is poor bike setup. They are in a rush to put the bike together and get it out the door. On rare occasions, the product itself is defect.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tim Sesink
a Cross Country Rider
from Canada Date Reviewed: January 20, 2004
Favorite Trail:
your mom
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
Crappy United Cycle
Strengths:
NONE
Weaknesses:
Everything nothing but problems am switching over to XT's
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Chameleon
Bottom Line:
The suck no power, exposed resovoir which i grpound almost clean off, couldn't stop if my life depended on it BOTTOM LINE
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Monroe Date Reviewed: January 8, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Any single track
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Magura
Strengths:
Powerful, great modulation, no DOT fluid, very smooth & Magura's customer service.
Weaknesses:
Pads wear fast & difficult to set up
Similar Products Used:
Avid BBDB, Hayes Hydraulic, Avid & Shimano V brakes
Bike Setup:
Cannondale Scalpel 1000 stock With Panaracer fire Xc Pro tires
Bottom Line:
My first impression of these brakes was not good. The rear brake completely failed on the first ride, it turns out the shop did not bleed them correctly. I know this because I asked the tech what the procedure was to bleed the brakes and the mechanic’s method did not coincide with Magura’s procedures. After downloading the latest manual from magurausa.com I then realized that the shop that installed these brakes also failed to align the calipers correctly. Too make a long story short I have to say the 2002 Louise overall are excellent and I cannot say enough about the customer service at Magura (Jimi & Lonnie). These brakes must be set up properly in order to perform as expected (go figure). You can find all the information required to install them in Magura’s very detailed manuals, available on-line, and even more info at the “Magura cult” web page. I have been riding in extremely muddy and icy conditions this year and they have performed flawlessly. The modulation is excellent and you can stop from high speeds with one finger with very little effort. I have let several people ride my bike and they all commented on how “Great” the brakes felt. The brake pads are expensive and wear pretty fast, but I have not tried the “Endurance Pads” only the stock ones. The only time I ever experienced any problems was some drag during a night ride at 12 degrees F, but even at that temp they still stopped the bike during steep, icy and technical down hills. I would recommend the 2002 Louise, or even the newer models, and they can be found on-line for a very reasonable price. I would also like to add that these brakes use mineral oil, which is harmless to your paint and does not have to be serviced. DOT fluids absorb water and need to be changed (Hayes recommends changing the fluid every other season) and if DOT fluid contacts your paint it will be ruined. I have personally seen a leaky master cylinder destroy a paint job. In sum these brakes are great. Magura is an awesome company with exceptional customer service and the Louise will make your rides more enjoyable!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
C Domby
a Cross Country Rider
from Hermosa Beach,CA USA Date Reviewed: November 13, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Too many in So Cal
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Came on my TOMAC
Strengths:
The first time I used them in the parking lot they worked great.
Weaknesses:
Had a grinding sound come from them on my b=very first ride and had to take them in. They squeak. I have had them in the shop 3 times and they still scrub during every ride making the uphills suck. Customer service thought that I was so important that they haven't bothered responding to me. Magura Web-site picks and chooses it's postings about the brakes (go figure) and their responses to questions are fookin rude.
Similar Products Used:
First disc brake
Bike Setup:
Tomac 98 Special Pro: Shimano 959s; Easton Monkeylite XC highrise bars; Race Face Deus stem
Bottom Line:
Maybe I just got a bad set. Sucks that Magura doesn't care to get back with you and their responses to questions on their web-site are very pompous. Get a clue, Magura. Customer service may keep the Louise and similar MTB disc products afloat. I'm getring some Hayes as soon as I get enought moola.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Apexrandy
a Cross Country Rider
from MV, CA USA Date Reviewed: August 25, 2003
Favorite Trail:
seeeecret!
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
good modulation & stopping power, wet or dry
Weaknesses:
none so far
Similar Products Used:
various v types
Bike Setup:
2003 Cannondale Scalpel
Bottom Line:
They came with bike - judging from previous reviews, I'm assuming Magura has stepped up and done some improvements - I've been riding this bike hard, nearly every day, sand, grit, in the rain, dropped numerous times - no problems, no squealing, no leaking. If "the curse" appears a little down the line, I will come back and flame on the evil Germans.....but until then, I have to drop five flaming chiles cuz they've been perfect.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
pat stayton
a
from lou kentucky Date Reviewed: May 31, 2003
Favorite Trail:
FT DUFFIELD
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
CAME WITH BIKE TOMAC
Strengths:
IM STILL TRYING TO FIND THE STRENGTHS
Weaknesses:
WHERE DO I START I HAVE HAD THESE BRAKES FOR A LITTLE OVER TWO MONTHS AND HAVE HAD THEM BACK IN THE SHOP SEVEN TIMES THEY ABSOLUTLEY SUCK . IF YOUR LOOKING FOR GOOD BRAKES DONT LOOK AT THESE.
Similar Products Used:
I HAVE HAD NOTHING SIMILAR EXCEPT PUTTING YOUR FEET DOWN ON THE GROUND LIKE WHEN YOU WERE A KID.
Bike Setup:
2003TOMAC 98 SPECIAL PRO. THE BIKE IS AWESOME THE BRAKES HOWEVER ARE NOT.
Bottom Line:
IHAVE MAGURA LOUISE I SERIOUSLY WOULD NOT RECOMEND THEM TO ANYONE .THEY LEAK CONSTANTLY MAKING EVERY RIDE MISERABLE IPLAN ON REPLACING THEM WITH HAYES XC.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
philip
a Cross Country Rider
from oregon Date Reviewed: May 29, 2003
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
came with bike
Strengths:
good power, good moulation
Weaknesses:
break down frequently, levers leak, air gets into system
Similar Products Used:
deore
Bike Setup:
cannondale hardtail
Bottom Line:
these brakes are a complete waste of money. i had mine replaced 3!!! times now due to leaking levers. magura doesn't seem to have any kind of quality control on this ridiculous product. i'm really sick of these crappy things and will replace them with something else. this was definitely the last magura product i purchased.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
adam
a Cross Country Rider
from anchorage, ak, usa Date Reviewed: April 30, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Kennebek pass, CO
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$1.00
Strengths:
company will keep on sending replacements.
Weaknesses:
Poopy durability. 01 Claras came w/ the bike serviced them at least five times in a year (leaks, sticky pistons). Warrantied em for Louise, same thing again. In and out of the shop three more times. Now the frickin lever adjuster screw fell out rendering the rear lever nul + void. I just bought some Hayes, shoulda done it along time ago, honestly would have saved time and money in the long run. Now I just gotta pawn these off on some gaper, any takers?
Similar Products Used:
magura rim brakes on my hardtail, avid mechanical
Bike Setup:
01 Slayer, bomber, weirwolfs, Hayes, fenders
Bottom Line:
good when they work, not very often. I like the feel and power, but have sent em in to the shops around eight or ten times. I'd rather be riding those down days.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Divan Schoeman
a Cross Country Rider
from South Africa Date Reviewed: April 27, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Magalies
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$170.00
Purchased At:
Finishline
Strengths:
Nice braking capebilaties. Verry durable. Cheap to maintain.
Weaknesses:
Dificault to adjust. Needs adjusting quite often.
Similar Products Used:
n/a
Bike Setup:
n/a
Bottom Line:
Verry nice braking system. Nice to use, even for an beginner. Verry good braking. Rides verry cumfortable.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Spokey
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego, CA Date Reviewed: February 6, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Indian Creek
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
SuperGo
Strengths:
Easily modulated braking power.
Weaknesses:
Leaks air, requires pumping brake lever.
Similar Products Used:
V-Brakes
Bike Setup:
2002 Cannondale Scalpel 1000
Bottom Line:
The 2002 Louise brakes were spec'd on the bike. They worked well for about 1 month and then the rear brake needed bleeding to remove air. Two weeks later the same thing happened and caused a minor fall due to no brake power in an emergency stop (no time to pump the brake). Bike shop discovered small leak in the front brake lever piston. Technical service and support from SuperGo is greatly appreciated. They warranty replaced the complete rear brake system quickly and with no hassle, swapping it out with the newer model.
The front brake pads needed replacement after 2 months of cross country riding and now continue to squeal loudly. Now the front brake system is exibiting the same problem as the original rear system and will go in for warranty replacement soon too.
If you find a new bike spec'd with these brakes have them swapped out for the newer model Magura brake set before you buy the bike - you and the bike shop will be happier.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Robert Campbell
a Cross Country Rider
from San Jose Date Reviewed: October 22, 2002
Favorite Trail:
soquel Demo
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
good modulation
Weaknesses:
Constant mechanical problems.
Bottom Line:
These brakes are an absolute nightmare. I have blown the master cylinder on them 3 times (once was because of a crash). Magura was nice and did send me a replacement lever/master cylinder the first time, but this broke agiain within a couple of weeks. They have also been bled a couple of times, because air kept getting in the lines. Finding a store that actually stocks any parts for this brake (other then pads) is impossible, which means a long downtime until a replacement part comes in. After the third time and an almost accumulated 4 weeks of downtime, these brakes came off my bike and I put on a set of Hayes. Most shops I talk to hate working on these brakes and until Magura brakes and parts become more of an accepted standard save yourself a lot of pain and aggravation and stick with either Hayes, XT or Avid brakes. I agree with a previous reviewer, you need a pit crew with a van full of spare parts in order maintain these brakes.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Alex
a Racer
from New York City, NY Date Reviewed: June 17, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Stopping power.
Weaknesses:
Durability.
Similar Products Used:
None-this is my first set of disc brakes.
Bike Setup:
Cannondale Jekyll.
Bottom Line:
These brakes work great if you do not ride frequently, nor put them in strenous conditions. I just completed my first 24 hour mountain bike race, in which these brakes had completely failed by the middle of the race. I found myself pumping the levers to get any stopping power from them. If you ride inside of a bicycle shop however, you are fine. otherwise, stick to 2 hour rides and races.
Who should buy it?: Those who want strong stopping power but do not mind lots of mechanical time with the bike.
Who shouldn't?: those who expect a nice bike to be somewhat durable.
Bottom Line: High End braking system that requires a pit crew. If no crew-VBRAKES!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
steve
a
from philly Date Reviewed: April 24, 2002
Favorite Trail:
the Indian, bmx track in s.j., Market st. (urb)
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
Universal Cycles
Strengths:
Light, Good stopping power and feel. It does have decent modulation. Mineral oil, open system. come ready to install.
Weaknesses:
looking at this product you ask yourself these flimsy looking things are supposed to stop my bike? Well they do, really, they just look they wouldn't. Levers are not great, I feel like it's not if but when will I break these.
Similar Products Used:
Avid Mech. (install and you can forget about them), Hayes (from my experience their either on or off), XT hydro (like these better feel and modulation and you feel like they will last).
Bike Setup:
Azonic DS1, Race Face Lp's, R.F. Bashguard, XT derailuers, Z1 MCR, Sun singltrack wheels, Azonic shorty stem, RF 2" riser, Thomson post, Snafu pedals
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is they work. Relatively hassle free (my DS1 was a little out of alignment so I had to machine the caliper and take off about 3mm around one of the bolt holes, but now that the pads are wearing some i'm actually putting in spacers now). The biggest problem i have is just knowing that they are not heavy duty. I'm confident in their ability to stop, but i'm not sure what shape they would be in after a semi-serious crash. I'm in the market now for XT's because with the riding i do i think they will work better for me, however i'm just going to move these to my xcountry bike because they stop well. so there you have it. Oh, for those who are familiar with 2001 louise's the 2002 are way better.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andy
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland, OR Date Reviewed: April 9, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Any good singletrack
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
+ Good modulation + Good power + Open system, self adjusting pads + Mineral oil is bleed friendly + Set them up and forget about them + Nice rotors + Broke in fast + Easy to set up
Weaknesses:
- Levers and body are kinda flimsy - Can't adjust levers as close to bar as I'd prefer - Wish they had a bleed hole at top of system instead of the big reseviour cap - Not as beautiful as Hope - Parts a little harder to find than Hayes
Well, they can bring me to a stop when I am going fast, they modulate well if I just want to scrub some speed, modulation is good enough that I can pull short nose wheelies (If I had the skills, they'd be long nose wheelies). Once they were bled correctly, I haven't had to mess with them, so, overall, they pass the test of being good enough brakes.
I do however have to say that the levers are kinda flimsy, the lever blades (looks like stamped aluminum) aren't very impressive but they work fine and are comfortable. They don't look super strong either. My biggest gripe is that although the lever reach is adjustable, I can't get them as close as I'd like. With that being said, I like having the levers really close to the grip, so they might be just fine for you.
DOT brake fluid is really nasty stuff and I'm glad that I don't have to mess with it on these brakes. How are you even supposed to dispose of that stuff?
I hate the big fat reseviour cap on the levers. Bleeding them would be a lot easier if there was a little bleed bolt (similar to HS33's or even Hayes levers) that you could just attach a hose and let excess fluid drain into a container. That would make bleeding a lot quicker and cleaner.
I'm not gonna get rid of them yet. If I do... either Avid mechanical or Hayes hydro will be the replacement.
I'll give 'em 4 burning turds for value, if you shop around you can find them pretty cheap... 3 for overall rating... lost a point on the lever adjustment/assembly and big reserviour cap. You really can't compare these levers to the Hayes or Hope, they just aren't that nice/strong/clean/pretty.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland, Or. Date Reviewed: January 18, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Easily modulated braking power, great performance in wet conditons.
Weaknesses:
They tend to go through pads at a pretty healthy clip. I should qualify that by saying I have almost exclusively ridden the bike in the mud since I got it this fall. I'm also a bit over 200 lbs.
Similar Products Used:
I made the quantum jump from cantilevers to these. I tried out a friend's bike with Hayes brakes; they seemed like they were either off or on without a whole lot in between.
Bike Setup:
Cannondale Scalpel 1000, fully stock.
Bottom Line:
Bottom Line: The 2002 Louise brakes were spec'd on the bike. They excel at everything from rapidly hauling me down from high speed to precice braking on steep, technical sections. Technical service and support is outstanding. I had a problem with one of the rear pistons dragging a bit; Magura aggressively and promptly addressed the issue and solved it to my complete satisfaction. Impressive product, impressive company; two big thumbs up.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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