Submitted by
Mike D
a Downhiller
from Canada Date Reviewed: September 24, 2009
Favorite Trail:
A-Line
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
These are a beast of a brake! They do not fail, nothing phases them. They are bombproof and will not seize without the assistance of a welding torch. I weigh 230 pounds and they stop me like a wall.
Weaknesses:
They are a little on the heavy side, but so am I. All the more reason to have all that heavy-duty stopping power.
Similar Products Used:
Magura Julie, Louise, Clara, Shimano.
Bike Setup:
Cove G-Spot FR, Banshee Scream, Rocky Mountain XC
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is that these will help you stop before you cross the line that would send you to the bottom. Sometimes I put my life in the hands of my brakes, and by being alive I'd say the brakes have a pretty good record.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
greg w
a Cross Country Rider
from frederick, md , us Date Reviewed: October 27, 2008
Favorite Trail:
fred. water shed
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$600.00
Purchased At:
wheelbase fred md
Strengths:
They stop, modulate, and never fade. Always there when you need them.
Weaknesses:
They are not light, and if you dont know what you are doing they could be a pain to set up.
Similar Products Used:
marta's, juicy 5, 7, code et al.
Bike Setup:
Morewood Mbuzi, all mountain. Gustav's. Magura Wotan fork, SramXO/9 drive train , Chris king hubs, easton bits.
Bottom Line:
Really nice brakes, despite the weight factor. I wouldnt swap them for the world. I only weigh 150 but still think they are not overkill, because they do modulate so well..The Wotan fork is made for them so the usual adapter gripes dont apply here. When you want something made well, ask the Germans to do it. Like thier forks, the fit , finish and execution are top notch. Oh, and as with all magura brakes, you dont need to re-bleed them when you cut the lines to fit your bike. Im a bike mechanic and would rather work on Maguras than any other brake system. You get what you pay for, perferction
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Downhill Dave
a Downhiller
from Oceano, CA, USA Date Reviewed: June 12, 2008
Favorite Trail:
The Ridge
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$325.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
The best stopping brakes, period.
Weaknesses:
None. Other people probably say weight
Similar Products Used:
Hayes, Avid Code, Magura Louise Fr
Bike Setup:
Trek Session 10 mostly stock, SDG seat and post, Gustav up front(can't use on rear of Session 10)
Bottom Line:
I have used different Hayes brakes, Magura Louise FR, and Avid Codes. These are by far the best. I bought a front and rear set, used off Ebay. The only problem I had was getting the adaptor for the front shock. The company had under calculated the popularity. I was at the 08 Sea Otter Classic, and went to the Magura Booth. They shortened the brake line and bled the brakes for free. Great brakes, just takes a little time to set up properly. Like I had read, they are alomost too much brake. You have to get used to their power. You will have no trouble stopping. They are also very quiet. My Codes drove my crazy with their noise and vibration. They are pricey but worth it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
CAPERAN BENJAMIN
a Downhiller
from FRANCE Date Reviewed: January 5, 2008
Favorite Trail:
PISTE DU PAPE / POPE'S TRAIL
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$310.00
Purchased At:
Vélo Vert
Strengths:
in french : freinage puissant en toutes conditions, parfaitement maîtrisable, leviers bien dessinés, purge trés facile (liquide hydraulique Citroën), plaquettes peu onéreuses ... SAV servaible et compétent.
Weaknesses:
.... ? Adaptateurs trés chers : 99€ pièce !
Similar Products Used:
.... ? les autres ?? des ralentisseurs !
Bike Setup:
Démo 8 Pro + Spinergy
Bottom Line:
De trés trés loin les meilleurs freins qu'il m'est été donné d'utiliser, on en trouve facilement d'occasion et les pièces sont bon marché. A recommander pour des pilotes d'un certain poids (70 et +) qui souhaitent du mordant et un contrôle parfait, même après des heures de montagnes, ou au contraire à froid et dans la boue. Les leviers offrent un bon contact, j'ai changé les 4 doigts d'origine (trop puissants !) pour des 2 doigts offrant moins de couple. Certes un peu lourd, et adaptateurs trés chers, ils planent trés au dessus du lot (après avoir essayé des 4 et 6 pistons anglais par exemple ...). Les yeux fermés, et à donf' !!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jan Lauritzen
a Weekend Warrior
from Ballerup, Denmark Date Reviewed: December 29, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
a local Danish bike dealer
Strengths:
Great stopping power, excellent modulation, and an attractive design
Weaknesses:
heavier than most other downhill brakes
Similar Products Used:
Shimano XT 4 piston disc brake system
Bike Setup:
Centurion(Danish brand) frame, Rock Shox Judy front fork.
Bottom Line:
These brakes are probably the best I have ever tried out on my MTB. The only problem is that they are so much heavier than other downhill brakes on the market. With that said, this is the only problem. Excellent stopping power and modulation, and a nice design as well. If you want a brake that you can rely on for the next 5 years, choose this brake. If you are concerned about your brake being too heavy, don't choose this brake. I give this brake 5 Chilis for value rating, but only 4 Chilis for overall rating, since the brake is somewhat heavy.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
trail_snail
a Weekend Warrior
from Berlin GER Date Reviewed: June 21, 2007
Favorite Trail:
grüner satan
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
second hand online
Strengths:
- stop you anytime, anywhere, in every condition in a milisec. - never alter/loose their power, no fading, no matter how long you go - bombproof - easy to bleed compared to Hayes or Avids
Weaknesses:
heavy (but who cares)
Similar Products Used:
Hayes 9ers, and less advanced disc brakes like Julies, Gatorbrakes, ...
Bike Setup:
Pimped Coiler-DeeLux
Bottom Line:
Here in Germany people refer to them as kedge anchors, which is only half the tuth as they completely lack any on/off-switch feeling. Using one finger only, even after you did 1500m altitude difference, they respond so smooth! Only your ability to cling to your handlebars and stay on your bike limit their power ;-)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
G. Deacon
a Weekend Warrior
from U.K Date Reviewed: June 6, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Ae
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
lbs
Strengths:
powerful and well made
Weaknesses:
heavy and pads are a pain to chage and they need changing
Bottom Line:
Good powerful brakes. Only thing is they come at a price and the pads need changing. Pads are a pain to change.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave
a Downhiller
from Whitby Date Reviewed: December 21, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$500.00
Strengths:
- unbelievable power - great modulation - very consistent lever feel - great lever design - easy one finger braking - absolutely no brake fade - very durable - Looks killer
Weaknesses:
- a little heavy (who cares) - expensive (you get what you pay for though) - performance pads don't last long - pads are difficult to change
Similar Products Used:
- Hope Mono 6Ti - Hayes Mags - Hayes HFX-9 - Shimano XT
Bike Setup:
'06 Devinci Wilson, Fox 40RC2, DHX5 coil, King/Hadley/MTX wheels, Gustav M with Goodridge lines, e13 SRS, Diabolus cranks
Bottom Line:
These brakes amaze me. Since I started downhilling I had NEVER been happy with my brakes. I've always had problems with not enough power to stop me, and brake fade on long steep downhills. I went to Hope Mono 6Ti's thinking that they would solve all my problems, however, to me they felt horrible. They didn't have nearly the power I was expecting (less power than my Hayes Mags even), and the brake fade was rediculous. At the end of a long downhill it was all I could do to squeeze hard enough just to get me stopped. So, then I opted for the Gustavs, and I've never looked back. The power is absolutely scary, and the modulation is as good as any brake I've felt before too. But the most impressive thing about them is that they never ever fade out on long downhills. The feel at the lever has remained consistent from the top of the first run I used them to the bottom of the last. Haven't had to rebleed or touch anything, other than change the pads. I have the performance pads in the front, and the endurance pads in the rear. The performance pads give you even more power, however they have to be changed often. I think I went through 4 sets this season, and I'm still on my original set of endurance pads on the back. The only complaint I have is that the pads are more difficult to change than Hayes, but for the amount of times that they have to be taken out, who cares.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
JOsh Oosterveld
a Downhiller
from whistler , BC , canada Date Reviewed: December 21, 2006
Favorite Trail:
dirt merchant
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$425.00
Purchased At:
www.dropnzone.com
Strengths:
everything - they alwais feel the same , even after 8+ hard hours riding whistler, it take no time at all to break in,pads last a good amount of time, It's one of the lighter breaks out there . prety much no maintenence and EXTREMELY durable.
Weaknesses:
nothing ... this break dominates ALL
Similar Products Used:
the only things that this break have in common with other brands is that all of them have levers and calipers
Bottom Line:
BUY THESE BREAKS. Iv riden alot of other breaks ( hays , hope , avid , shimmano )but none of those compare to the Gustav m ... when I am riding with friends they are all complaining because there fingers hurt from there breaks but mine where fine riding the Gustav m . check out my web page to see the abuse my breaks take every day : www.sponsorhouse.com/members/oosterveld
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Pdot Dubcity
a Downhiller
from Toronto, Ont, Canada Date Reviewed: December 18, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Autobahn
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$570.00
Purchased At:
A Store
Strengths:
Great system. I'm a big guy and squeeze the lever hard, I've always come to a stop fast and with little commotion. The floating caliper mech. is really cool and the 7 inch rear roter is more than capable. Massive pads ensure a strong stopping power and great modulation. Five year leak warrenty.
Weaknesses:
Only thing so far is weight. They haven't broken and seem pretty bomb proof so I don't know how available parts are. Adapters are really, really expensive because of the floating caliper slides
Great brake set. Comes at an expense, but being differant normally is. Great for a heavier rider with the pad size but for smaller riders the Magura Louise BATS look much better. You will not be disappointed by these brakes.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
What's New
»
BEST OF MTBR - Check out the highest rated bikes, parts, & gear!
»
LED BIKE LIGHT SHOOTOUT 3 - We test all the newest products and latest light and battery technology in this comprehensive guide»
$
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
