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Submitted by
Steven Schmidt
a Cross Country Rider
from Cedarburg, WI, USA
Date Reviewed: April 14, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Porcupine Rim Trail, Moab | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$170.00 | | Strengths: | Powerful, good modulation, can adjust lever position on the fly, low maintenance - no cables to lose their feel due to need to be lubed, no squeal, pads last a long time, initial setup easy though a tad time consuming. Closed system design means bike can be turned upside down without having to worry about getting air in the lines. Environmentally friendly veggy oil. | | Weaknesses: | Typical rim brake mud handling disadvantage compared to a disc system. Pump-up a bit under heavy use when warm due to its closed system design, but lever adjusters are easy to tweak on the fly to compensate. Wheel removal can be hindered with larger tires. | | Similar Products Used: | XT V-brakes; CODA center pulls | | Bike Setup: | Proflex 857; Fox F80RLT; Risse Astro-5; RaceFace pieces including a 9 year old Turbine LP crankset and BB, headset, and XY seatpost; SRAM XO drive train; 10 yr old Mavic Crosslands and still great; Continental 2.3 Verticals | | Bottom Line: | Excellent brake system. Once setup, never had to adjust or bleed. My one set of Raceline D's are going into their 8th riding season, 2nd bike, and have been all over country through a variety of trail conditions.
One undesirable side-effect of the Magura hydraulic disc brakes power is that I found it necessary to add brake braces to prevent brake post spreading. Brake braces added a solid feel, but added more weight on an already somewhat heavy system.
I think V-brakes offer similar power and have pretty good modulation, but I can't stand lubing cables and balancing calipers. Motorcycles did away with cables decades ago and I was soooo happy when hydraulic clutches came into being - smooth consistant lever feel.
I don't think these Maguras will ever see racing again due to the light/powerful disc systems now available, and V-brakes will be the lightweight choice for X-country racing. But I believe these still have a place in world of non-race x-country trail and adventure riding, road tour biking, tandems, recumbents, and perhaps cyclocross (does Magura still make hydraulic road levers?).
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Racer
from Ypsilanti
Date Reviewed: July 26, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Poto | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$150.00 | | Purchased At: | Trade Show | | Strengths: | Stops like nothing else
Absolutely no adjusting after they are set
Brake pads have lasted 6 years!!! | | Weaknesses: | Hard to get used to the amount of power
Heavy | | Similar Products Used: | nice older shimano stuff but haven't changed in 6 years | | Bike Setup: | Nuke Proof Titanium Frame, Fir back rim with titanium spokes, Magura front with ti spokes also, Tons of ti on bike...blah blah blah | | Bottom Line: | Get them if you would like to stop!! Get them if you don't mind a little extra weight added to the bike. I love them and don't know if I will ever change over to V brakes or whatever. These things do not let go, and have a good progression to a locked stop. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Luke
a Cross Country Rider
from Vancouver
Date Reviewed: August 10, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Delta Kompressor | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | * Excellent braking power - don't squeeze too hard!
* Simple to adjust
* Have never needed bleeding (knock on wood)
* A snap to replace pads
* No wet-weather fade | | Weaknesses: | * Eats rims for dinner
* Modulation is an acquired skill
* Does not sit quite right with my Shimano trigger-shifters.
* Heavier than V-Brakes. | | Similar Products Used: | * Old STX cable breaks
* Casual use of other Magura hydraulics | | Bike Setup: | Marin Indian Fire Butt 7000 | | Bottom Line: | An excellent brake. Aside from the fact that it eats rims perhaps faster than other rims, it's really worth it. Brakes are important in these wet-weather biking conditions here in the Vancouver area. These are a good choice, even if they are a bit expensive.
If you live in a drier environment, V-Brakes would be cheaper and lighter. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter Bakker
a Cross Country Rider
from Alphen - The Netherlands
Date Reviewed: June 5, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Everywhere | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Great breakes, easy maintain, easy install, easy adjustable | | Weaknesses: | When you install the steel-o-flex cables. You'll never get them as great as they used to be !!! | | Similar Products Used: | XT V-brakes
XTR V-brakes
Magura Clara (nice, but hard to install)
Magura JhonnyTomac (The same !!!) | | Bike Setup: | =Azonic DS-1 (check there)
| | Bottom Line: | Good break system, but do not install steel-o-flex your selve !!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Bike
a Racer
from Danvers,Ma U.S.A.
Date Reviewed: February 23, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | BRASS BALLS in Beverly, Ma | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | These brakes stop on a dime. Very little
maintence and setting them up was very
simple and quick. Being a X C racer having
brakes that require no cables to replace
every few weeks do to stretching or fraying
is goodto have. | | Weaknesses: | After every race season I have to bleed
them to get all the dirt and fiberglass
particles out of the brake lines for
maximum power for the following training
season. | | Similar Products Used: | hope disc brakes on my daul slolum bike
| | Bike Setup: | merlin frame with XT derailleurs and crank
White Bros. UL 72 front fork, race face
stem seatpost and headset. easton monkey
lite riserbars. T.H.E. front fender. REAL
hubs on Mavic 221 rims with butted spox. | | Bottom Line: | If your the type of rider that wants t have
confidence in his of her brakes no matter
what the weather or terrain is like. Make a
wise investment and buy magura hydrolic
brake they are money well spent. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Marcel
a Weekend Warrior
from Sacramento, CA
Date Reviewed: November 13, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
durability
reliability
stopping power
no brake squeal | | Weaknesses: |
bulky
weight
bleed oil - haven't had to do it yet | | Bike Setup: |
1994 GT hardtail
Manitou 3 shock
LX components | | Bottom Line: | Excellent brakes. Got them when they first came out and haven't had a problem with them yet. But I may go to v-brakes and sell these since I think the v-brakes are lighter and just as powerful. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Perspective
a Racer
from Amsterdam
Date Reviewed: November 12, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Ardennes | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
feather touch breaking and excellent to dose...
superior brake pad wear, adjustment and exchange | | Weaknesses: |
none | | Similar Products Used: |
XTR & XT V-brakes | | Bike Setup: |
Hard tail alu with Judy XC with Allu rims | | Bottom Line: | Being using them with great pleasure for 2,5 years Zero defects!!!! When you want to break they really should work don't they???
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael Hull
a Cross-Country Rider
from UK
Date Reviewed: October 14, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Red Bull Run | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Powerful
Good looking brake levers.
Low maintenence. | | Weaknesses: |
Heavy
Now unavailable carbon break booster.
Ugly brake mounts. | | Similar Products Used: |
LX and 99XT V brakes | | Bike Setup: |
GT Zasker LE and Rock Shocks Judys. | | Bottom Line: | I've had the Maguras for over a year and before that I had LX V brakes. I'm not sure if they are that much more powerful than the v's as I always seem to use 2 fingers to brake with them rather than one. What they do offer is superb feel with good modulation (don't listen to the magazine's reviews of them). I would reccomend that brake boosters be used with them front and back because the amount of flex from the brake bosses looks scary without them. Set up is difficult but I managed to get them working and get the shop to fine tune them. Since then no problems. I have another bike which has 99 XT's fitted but I much prefer the Maguras now just for the feel.
One thing, I crashed during a race last year and found that my shocks had split across the crown. I'm pretty sure this had something to with the brakes and how much flex they induce on the brake bosses. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt Thorne
a Downhiller
from Cornwall [england]
Date Reviewed: September 11, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Costal Path | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Loads of power, work very well in the mud which is good for cornwall. | | Weaknesses: |
Expensive pads, dificult to bleed but haven't needed to do that yet. | | Similar Products Used: |
Avid 2d V brakes, Lx V brakes. | | Bike Setup: |
Little trials bike total rigid. | | Bottom Line: | Good power second only to disc but a damn sight cheaper and best of all a scary bright yellow colour! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
SB
a Cross-Country Rider
from NY
Date Reviewed: August 5, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Ontario County State Park | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
Modulation, power, looks, lack of maintenance. | | Weaknesses: |
Paint chips off brake boosters. Shrink wrap in tube fitting kit will not shrink with a hairdryer. | | Similar Products Used: |
Tektro V's, Alivio Cantis. | | Bike Setup: |
F400, Maguras! headshok P bone M | | Bottom Line: | Great brakes. they take a long time to install, but it's not that hard. The cheap paint on the brake booster pisses me off a little bit though. On my first ride they impressed me with their overall feel. They felt so high quality, no grit, positive return, really really smooth. I don't think anyone would notice the weight at all really. Durability and performance mean more then grams. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe Fekete Aka narfhead
a Racer
from Cincinnati Oh
Date Reviewed: June 22, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Tsali | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
powerful | | Weaknesses: |
lack of feel that V brakes give you | | Similar Products Used: |
XTR V brakes | | Bike Setup: |
litespeed obed | | Bottom Line: | I tried these brakes for a few weeks and I was not really pleased with the lack of feedback you get when you break. to tell you the truth I think shimano V's are powerful enough and have a lot better feel. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Makohon
a Cross-Country Rider
from Rohnert Park C.A
Date Reviewed: June 21, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: |
When it is relly muddy out or wet the brakes work extremely better then those crapy V Brakes also they are very easy to adjust when riding. | | Weaknesses: |
They are heavy but are really worth the extra stopping power also frame flex because they are really powerful & the brake pads were out faster than Vbrakes. | | Similar Products Used: |
Iv tried Disc brakes but they are a lot harder to maintain than Magura. Magura brakes are just thebest thing other than Disc. | | Bike Setup: |
Schwinn S Carbon Marzocchi Z-2 Bam. | | Bottom Line: | Iv tried Disc Brakes and they are pretty powerful but if you just cant afford them Get MAGURA. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross-Country Rider
from St. Louis, MO
Date Reviewed: April 5, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Berryman | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Great modulation
No squeal
Smooth lever, beats V's hands down | | Weaknesses: |
Powdercoating chips and logos wear off | | Similar Products Used: |
XTR, LX | | Bike Setup: |
Klein, Marzocchi Z1 | | Bottom Line: | Great customer service, no problems with setup since preassembled. A little concerned about durability, since after only a few rides, finish chips way too easily. Should have been made out of anodized alloy or material similar to Shim's XTR
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Fraser Valley, B.C.
Date Reviewed: March 25, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Ledge View, Abottsford | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Powerfull with great modulation. | | Weaknesses: |
Heavy | | Similar Products Used: |
XTR V-brakes | | Bike Setup: |
Cannondale Super V Active & Cad 3 hard tail | | Bottom Line: | Very easy to maintain, Like them more than my XTR brakes. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
GP
a cross-country rider
from Hard Rock East Coast
Date Reviewed: February 10, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I just had my second ride on my Maguras, what I found amazing is that the trail today was totally composed of ice, mud, snow, and water, not a dry spot anywhere. Mud deep enough to even throw me once.
With Maguras I had to take no special precautions,no matter how much mud was coating everything, I never had to touch a rim, they stopped as if it was a dry day! I would often ride thru the water to wash off the mud and these brakes could stop on a dime when totally soaked.
With cantilivers and V's I would always pump the Brakes every time they got wet to see how much stopping power was lost, with these,ride thru anything and don't worry about the brakes. The test is if they stay as good as they are now. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan Maloney
a cross-country rider
from Buffalo NY USA
Date Reviewed: January 28, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I've been using Magura HS-33 Raclines since they came out at the end of 1997. At the time I paid $250 US for them. The same brakes are now $155 which is a deal of a lifetime. For $155 US you get brakes that will last forever with next to no maintenance. My Magura brakes have been the single greatest upgrade I have every made on my bike (and I've made lots of upgrades). I don't need to tell you about all the other things that make Maguras great, the rest of the reviewers have done that. As for any of the negative reviews, the biggest problem people have with Maguras is installing them. Just because a product is a little difficult to install doesn't make them bad. There is plenty of online support here at mtbr.com and from Magura USA.Please do yourself a HUGE favor and buy some Maguras. You won't regret it. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a weekend warrior
from State College, PA
Date Reviewed: January 27, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
These brakes are unbeatable. They don't compare to V-Brakes, and the only thing better is that I got mine for $89 out of Irvine!!!!! Kick ass! These brakes are not going to need constant adjusting like V-brakes, and they stop on a dime. The nicest feature is the red adjuster knod, it is a sweet. The only draw back is the setup. It is straight out a Bizatch, and it took me about 3 hours and 2 Mt. Dews to set them up at 2am. You don't need to be afraid of them, just patient.
Setup 1 chilli
Use 9 chillis
overall 5 chillis | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bryan Howard
a weekend warrior
from Ontario
Date Reviewed: January 26, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
Amazing brakes. SOOOOOOOOo easy pad changes, and NO squeaks. These brakes are unbeatable in technical situations, and stop oon a dime. The colour looks great, and no matter what people say, the brakes don't really need boosters. But get 'em if you've got the money. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Christian Lee
a weekend warrior
from Burlington, Ontario
Date Reviewed: January 25, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
These raceline brakes are the best upgrades that I could have ever done to my bike, a Trek 6500. The adjuster knob on the levers work great, and the brakes are extremely strong, and don't squeak. Since they work so well, I never complain about the modest weight (which doesn't matter since they still are lighter than my old garbage Diacompe 737 V's). The best aspect of these brakes are their superior modulation to any of those V-brakes. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a
from jumpy bike warrior Suffolk, England
Date Reviewed: January 10, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I've rode with the raceline for about three weeks now and have had no problem at all, the sudden power they can deliver was just what I was looking for, and the adjustment knob has been of much use letting me modulate the brakes to a good degree.I havnt rode them without the boosters so i dont know how much different they make. Apart from the being slightly on the heaveir compared to V's these brakes are ace. Buy'em Fit'em Ride'em | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a racer
from Canada
Date Reviewed: January 9, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I am a 155lbs rider who has a steal frame and got my magura's because I hated the performance of my lx v's, they are loud the pads wrecked my rims and I got kool stop's and they didn't work very well they didn't lock up the wheel's when I wanted them to. The magurasa re lighter than my lx v-brake and avid 2.0 lever and they are great. They hardly squeal and they feel the same all the time. I love the 3 finger lever because I have grip shft and they work great. I have an indy fork and a steal frame and I thought by the amount of power and the amount they flex my frame and fork that the two things would break but they didn't. I thought they stopped good and they'd never get any better but I put the carbon boosters on them and now they are even stronger than they were before. They are great for trials and for all of you who say magura's are for heavier riders that is not true I love them and I'm a light weight rider and don't find them too strong or to weak they are just right. Only problem with them is in the first three weeks of riding them I couldn't afford a booster and I broke the stud that holds the brake on my fork it just broke off during a race so then I needed a new fork so then I got a Z-2 Bam and that realy helped the ride of my bike and now I wouldn't trade it for oanything in the world. They costed me a lot more than they should have but they are worth it. If you run an indy make sure before you ride them you get a booster or you'll wreck your fork. And bomber riders don't need a booster on your forks. Steal frames are great for them as well and the flex isn't realy noticeable til you look at them but you don't feel it when oyu ride them. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
IGGH
a cross-country rider
from Victoria CANADA
Date Reviewed: January 8, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
Just a quick followup after four months. Maintenance free, excellent stopping power. For a heavier rider like me the confidence inspired by the brakes is powerful. If you know you can stop, you know you can safely go faster.I noticed a lot of very recent reviewers are complaining about the set-up difficulties. These brakes should come pre-set-up right out of the box now. I got mine in mid 1998 and all I did was attach them to the brake bosses and start riding. The system was pre-bled, pre-assembled, pre everything. I checked the web site and that's the way they come now.So, if you are struggling with set-up angst, make sure you got an excellent deal when you purchased your brakes because they're old stock and why should you pay for the grief of setting them up. Your LBS will probably be a big help in setup and do an excellent job for you. Negotiate :)Still lovin' them. For me, it's not worth 150g (1/3lb) to go back to mud-squealing XTR V's. They're lighter than lesser Shimano's and better stoppers than all. As for modulation, these are great. I guess I'm lucky that mine were setup ready to go. Being pre-bled means complete control over modulation from the start. So... modulation problems? - bleed your brakes.Hey, Magura just sent me a huge Tomac poster and some stickers for free. Nice touch. Five flaming triple coilers with a DQ twist. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joël Vingerling
a
from Holland,trials
Date Reviewed: January 3, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
The Magura brakes are looking very cool and feel very good and they braek also very hard bud they are difficult to adjusted.
and tey are heavier than v-brakes bud youcan better handlle them. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian H
a weekend warrior
from Bay Area (CA,, USA)
Date Reviewed: January 1, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I just got these brakes about a week ago, but I am already lovin' them. Sure setup is a pain in the ass, but I'm up to a little test of my patience. It only took two zip ties and I think their neon yellow color looks good on my blue frame. At first the stopping power wasn't great, but after letting the air bubbles (from cutting the line) collect and bleeding the lines, stopping power was great! Definately get a brake booster for the rear. It helps a whole lot!
- one chilie for setup. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter Yeung
a downhiller
from Cornwall/UK
Date Reviewed: December 9, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
When I was desperately in need of some new brakes, I looked over to the Magura's. Not knowing that these would be a bad choice. I know that most riders will hate me, but I think that these brakes suck!!
They worked perfectly for a few months, but then they both broke!!
My opinion is that these brakes are weak.
Even though I still have the rear installed, I will be changing them very soon to Hope discs. I find that the setup is difficult, and fiddily, and that the setup changes upon heavy braking.
IF YOU WANT AN HONEST OPINION, FROM ME, AND MY MATES ------- DON'T BUY THEM!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Marc
a
from weekend warrior
Date Reviewed: December 7, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Well , what can I say , just got a set of Racelines 98 . Stopping power was good , but nothing great . I can hardly endo with 1 finger , barely locks up with 2 fingers , only with 3 fingers that it actually locks up on tarmac ( with my weight all back ) . If it was a cantilever , I would be mighty glad with this amount of stopping power , but for a hydraulic brake , I'm disappointed .
How ever , its really maintainence free . It can get all mucked up , but still perform . Its a pain to set up . When U get a puncture , U're dead meat ( with the booster on ) . Hmm .... $200 for cantilever stopping power .... ? Nutz .I dunno , everyone seem to get power from their maguras , but not me , if U have any tips ..... pls email me . Thanx . | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ben again
a cross-country rider
from Bethlehem, PA
Date Reviewed: November 22, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Welp, i said i would amend my review after i got brake boosters for my maguras, so here i am. Been riding on em for a week and a half and they make all the difference in the world. Now my wheels actually stop when i clamp my lever blades unlike before when my fork legs and seat stays flexed like mad. I had no idea what people were talking about when they complained about poor modulation, but now i see--just a little pressure on the levers goes a long way. But I like em like that. Don't bother my ass none. However, i still have one gripe: maguras are the biggest pain in the balls ever to set up. 9,000,000 different parts fall out of place when you loosen one bolt so you need 9,000,000 hands to hold everything just right when you tighten the bolts. Kinda frustrating, but worth the powerful braking the brakes give you. I gave these brakes 3 chillies before and i'll give em 5 now so everything averages out to 4 chillies, which is how i would rate these brakes overall (minus 1 chilly for setup difficulty). | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
IGGH
a cross-country rider
from Victoria BC Canada
Date Reviewed: November 6, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Easy to set-up, install, adjust. Great stopping power. No cable problems. No squeaks, no uncertainty, no fear.For all you weight weenies...
The weight difference between Magura and XTR (levers, calipers, AND cables) is 146 grams or 1/3 lb. If you're using XT or less the difference is inconsequential. Other brands, take your own measurements. :)Carrying an extra 1/3 for the increase in stopping performance is critical for a heavier guy like me. A good match for my 521's laced with 14 g spokes and clad in my IRC selection-of-the-day (kujo, mythosXC, el gato, slicks, etc.).
To the reviewer immediately below... you're right (with repect to how much stopping power and pressure these generate). Get some brake boosters. Don't dis the brakes just because you're not properly equipped. XTR brakes, especially the rear, can work better with brake boosters too. If your frame flexes the way you describe, you'll need boosters for any good brake system.The possible exception to a perfect score is weight but the complainers tend to compare the entire Magura kit to V-brake calipers often without including the weight of the cables, levers, etc. Again, the weight is IDENTICAL or less than Shimano for all except XTR and even then the weight increase is slight compared to the incredible increase in stopping power.Am I biased? Probably a bit. Not many people would bad-mouth something they bought and risk looking stupid especially if the item was expensive. If I thought Maguras were crap I'd say so. The only truly awkward thing in my opinion is how to attach the line to the frame's top tube. Some use zip-ties, some (like me) use a special shrink-wrap kit, some use little adapters, and the truly brave enlarge their cable guides to accomodate the hydraulic line. All these work well and will do until you can spec Magura compatible cable guides when you have your frame built.Thanks again to Marc at Physical Culture for the suggestion and assistance. To me, these fully deserve five flaming triple-coilers with a DQ twist.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ben
a cross-country rider
from the hills in the ghetto
Date Reviewed: November 5, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Hmm. HS-33's... where do I start? Welp, replaced my XT V's with the maguras about two months ago (Irvine was blowing out the full set for $99). Sold my V-brakes for $90 so I didn't lose much. But that's not important. What's important is that I've had loads of trouble with these brakes, mainly because I'm too poor to buy brake boosters for them (at least I think that's the problem). I have these things on a Jamis dragon (chromoly) and they are TOO powerful--when I clamp the lever blades down, these things make my seat-stays and fork legs (Girvin Pro-carbon) flex like you wouldn't believe. Because of this amount of flex, the brake modules sort of rotate up slightly with the flex in the frame so they begin to clamp the rims at an oblique angle (the harder you squeeze the levers, the more oblique the pads are to the rim). So, rather than the whole pad contacting the rim, only the lower rear edge of the pad contacts the rim. I figured this out when I noticed a slight radius wearing into the brake pads. Otherwise, the pads seem to wear quickly (it wasn't long before my brake lever blades started closing all the way to my handle bar) and the lever blades are huge--full hand rather than two fingers. Not to mention the fact that my bike gained some weight when I put these things on. I get super-jealous when I ride my friends XTR V-brakes. So for now, until I strike it rich and buy some boosters, I'm gonna give these brakes 3 chillies because I'm holding out hope and think they could work well if they were set up properly. If things work out, maybe I'll amend my rating later. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Remco
a racer
from The Netherlands
Date Reviewed: November 1, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have used almost any type of brake so far. Except discs. I used cantilevers, but that is not of this time anymore. Then I got magura hs22. It was okay but i thought they were not powerfull enough. Bought some xt vbrakes. Used them with cantilever levers. They had the most power of all my brakes. Your wheel locked up when the wind was blowing against your levers. Changed the levers for xt vbrake levers to get more rim clearance and a little more modulation. That was a nice setup. Then the v brakes started to fall apart. They rattled and squealed. Sold 'em. Bought some hs33's. Again, their power in wet muddy conditions disappointed me a little. But last week I went on a holiday. It was real muddy and wet. It rained the whole week. In the beginning the v brake using friends of mine laughed about my lack of power. But very soon it became clear that I didn't have less power. It was the opposite. And after two days their cables were all stuffed with mud and their brakes didn't retract. Modulation was out of the question, and their pads wore so fast that they had to change them after two days and they continuously had to adjust their pads, to set them closer to the rim. It was a drama for them. My maguras were getting better and better. Because the pads were automatically aligned because of the wear, the modulation improved and because of the closed hydraulics, I didn't have the cable stuck problem! Conclusion, magura rules in extreme conditions. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chindo
a racer
from Alabama
Date Reviewed: October 22, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These brakes kick ass, plain and simple. You want a set of brakes that is quiet, virtually maintenance free with unmatched power? get a set of Maggies. Trust me and all the other Magura cult members on this one, you WILL NOT regret it. Oh, and if you are looking for a set of brakes that performs well in the rain, let me tell you that Maguras are hurricane proof. I rode my bike all over town when hurricane Georges hit a month ago and the brakes stopped me without any problems. Do yourself a favor and get a set. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sherman
a weekend warrior
from British Columbia, Canada
Date Reviewed: September 29, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have had these brakes for 2 months and they have been good to me. No more gunked up lines due to mud getting in there. The brake pads last forever. There is a ton of modulation. Very maintenace free. Initial setup is a pain but for people that have done it a few times it is pretty easy and they just brush it off as being nothing. I think it is important that you be patient when setting these things up for the first time or you will get frustrated. They weigh a little more but pros for these brakes far outweigh the cons. Easy brake pad changes. They are a little more expensive than v brakes but they are worth it in the long run. They got nice levers but take a little getting used to. The blades seem a little wide when compared to my v levers. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrew Sleath
a cross-country rider
from England
Date Reviewed: September 25, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I think these brakes r amazing!!!!!!1 They work brill and they stop you dead. I rode on my friend's bike and they wore amazing even in the wet and they stop even better in the dry. I am so glad i got these and i cannot feel the weight.
Thaank you ha | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lee Lau
a cross-country rider
from North Vancouver BC Canada
Date Reviewed: September 25, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I'm only giving it 4 stars but, to me, that's an excellent review. I rarely 5 star anything and give out plenty of 3 stars to good products; 4 star to me is excellent. I can't think of anything I've given 5 stars to.North Shore rider; mainly DH-style trials; very challenging terrain - steeps and deeps etc. On a hardtail bike ridden year-round in mud, snow etc. Run them on Mavic 217 Ceramics and I've had them for 4 months now, minimum time really to give a product a good testing. Compared mainly to other brake systems I've tested and used (DX cantis, LX cantis, Onza cantis, XT-V's, Avid V's)Overall, the Magura Racelines are the best brakes I've ever had.Pros = Superior modulation (use a booster on rear); comparable braking power to others, maintenance free, pads last a long time. No stiction in braking system. Customer service from Magura USA sets industry standard for responsiveness and timeliness.Cons = Durability of brake lever for Shore riding is questionable; two broken levers in four months; sheared at clamp from crash impact; bike lands almost directly on ground after botched drop-in, lever is delibrately not fastened tight on bar but due to nature and direction of impact, sheers. Suggest greater reinforcement - is this just a North Shore thing?Durability of brake line is acceptable - one broken line in 4 months.I like the brakes and the customer service from Magura USA so much I'm considering getting the brakes for a dedicated XC hardtail I will turn over every year. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
sean firth
a cross-country rider
from hamilton, ontario
Date Reviewed: September 15, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
i bought these babies in march of this year (sloppy riding time) and i absolutely love these things i have raced with them, gone down 6 foot vertical drop offs with them, with nary a scratch, and always plenty of power and modulation...if you dont have 'em get 'em. you will not regret spending all your hard earned cash!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Luc Plattiau
a weekend warrior
from Aalst, Belgium
Date Reviewed: September 11, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
During last winter, I bought a pair of yellow HS 33's. They are by far the best brakes I ever used. No screaming noise, more then enough break power when it's dry, but less when circumstances are wet and muddy. However even then I have enough power to stop my 95 kg's. Bying them was one of the best decisions I ever took as far as biking iss concerned | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
B.WEBBER
a cross-country rider
from OTTAWA,ONT.,CAN.
Date Reviewed: September 7, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
5 YEARS AT OVER 2OOLBS AND ALOT OF RIDING , THE BRAKES? STOP ON A DIME. I HAD TO RETURN A LEVER THAT BROKE IN A CRASH AND NO QUESTIONS THERE WAS ANOTHER. I HAVE THE RACELINE 1993 VERSION AND I JUST CHANGE THE PADS AND ADJUST FOR WEAR. MAINTENANCE? I USED TO HAVE TO FULLY ADJUST BEFORE EVERY RIDE WITH CANTIS,NOW, GET ON AND GO. WHAT ABOUT THE WEIGHT? DEOSE SAVING YOUR ASS COUNT OR WOULD YOU RATHER LOOK AT YOUR NICE LIGHT BIKE FROM A HOSPITAL BED. THE BEST INVESTMENT FOR CONFIDENCE AND ENHANCING YOUR SKILLS. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Thomas
a cross-country rider
from Arlington, VA
Date Reviewed: August 19, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Here's the story: up front, I have a hs-33 raceline. In back, I have a Shimano XT v brake. The difference: night and day! The Magura has super modulation, the shimano has very little. The Magura has an extremely smooth feel at the lever followed by a firm grip on the rims, while the shimano has a rough, sticky feel at the lever (compared to magura) and a mushy feel at the rim. The Magura never glazes up or grinds, while the shimano does all that and more. The only complaint is a little squeaking while locking out with the Magura, but that's still a lot better than the squealing that some v brakes are prone to. When I keep changing cables and pads while getting rid of the slop that the v brake has, I might as well forget about the Magura. 5 chilis! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave Macki
a cross-country rider
from Ottawa
Date Reviewed: August 18, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Maguras are great. I have had the raceline D's for 4 months now and they are a dream to use. No squealing, easy to replace the brake pads and they are simple to set up (though the manual is poorly written). A major bonus is the excellent customer service.As for ultimate strength of the brake, who cares if they are stronger (or worse) than V-brakes (or disc brakes). I would think that it doesn't make to much of a difference as your wheel will be locked up anyways. I would think that modulation is the key and Maguras offer excellent modulation. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lucian
a cross-country rider
from Arizona
Date Reviewed: July 29, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I recently installed this on our Ibis tandem. Previously, it had Deore DX canti brakes. The improvement is dramatic! With the canti brakes, stopping was always uncertain. The first time I hit the Magura brakes, my poor stoker/wife almost ended up on my back. Setup is a little confusing initially, but very simple once you figure out what to do with all the little parts. Adjustability is excellent. I was thoroughly impressed with the amount of thought that obviously went into engineering these. The only improvement I could think of would be a bleeder nipple instead of the allen screw/plugs. For average riders, v-brakes work so well that Magura's are probably not justified. However, for heavy/tandem riders or downhillers, these brakes are WELL worth the investment. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Taylor
a cross-country rider
from Ottawa, Canada
Date Reviewed: July 29, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have been using the Race Line Ds for about four months now and have had absolutely no problem with them at all. The original set up of the brakes was slightly more time consuming then V-brakes but once they were on I have yet to touch them other then the change pads which takes 30 seconds if I take my time. The control and feel of these brakes is sweet and I would have a very hard time going back to V-brakes. The adjustment on the fly is very nice as well and although I never thought I would use it I actually do. The brakes look good, feel good and best of all do what they are supposed to do .. stop on a dime no matter what. If you are considering them ... stop ... just buy them you will not be disappointed at all. Just buy the red/salmon pads as they last a lot longer. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
TJ
a cross-country rider
from New York
Date Reviewed: July 28, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These brakes have been the best thing that has gone on my bike. Even thought they might be expensive, it is worth getting, you stop so fast, faster then V's, even in the rain or if you go through mud, you will stop fast too. In anything you will stop, I haven't had to bleed them in two years and I haven't had to change the pads in two years either, and I use my bike everyday for forty five miles. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nate
a downhiller
from Petoskey, MI
Date Reviewed: July 18, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I love them! I have been running them for 2 years, same pads, same great stopping power ZERO mantainence. BUY THEM NOW! They don't drag like discs and stop lik |
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$ 259.00
