I thought there had been a recent thread on this but my search skills have let me down.
My old model SLXs are beginning to feel a little worn e.g. seem to need bleeding more regularly, random pressure variations etc. I cant complain as they have lasted 6-7 years and have been on three different bikes in that period but I was thinking of moving from Shimano. I have seen some cheapish offers on Maguras recently and wondered how they performed these days. Wasn’t particularly impressed by the old Julies but are the new generation improved? Or would I be better off and stick to what I know with a set of new model SLXs?

I’ve got a set of Magura MT7’s on one of my bikes and XT’s on the other. There’s just no comparison. The Maguras are stupendously powerful. You could shove them on a car, and it’d stop it! The XT’s feel like an old set of V brakes in comparison

All Magura stuff, and I’ve had a few sets of forks, as well as brakes, is absolutely bombproof!

I’ve got some old Martas – they are v powerful when set up properly, but they can be tricky to bleed & achieve their full power.

magura are good brakes…but i know a few people who have had bad luck with them.
one has a pair of mt7 and after a fall at bpw the lever snapped off where the reach adjustment dial sits. he couldnt replace the lever as the hinge is riveted on so he had to replace whole thing for about £80

another mate has the mt8 carbons and they’ve had all sorts of performance issues. on top of that the flimsy plastic cover fell off while the bike was on the roof rack…it just clips on and guess what was underneath that cover? the brake fluid reservoir…so the cover left the diaphragm completely exposed…by some luck the diaphragm stayed in place until he got home before it leaked the brake fluid everywhere.
took him 6 weeks of chasing magura before they sent him the right part.

ive had the old magura julies that seemed to work forever and the performance has always been great with magura brakes…but the lever has a structural weak spot where the adjustment dial goes through it and i cant believe that cover for the diaphragm just clips on.

I’m loving my two sets of MT2’s.

Much more feeling in them than Shimano, easily as powerful, better pad retraction and less rotor rub. Easy pad changes.

Son prefers immediacy of Shimano, mrs_oab and i the Maguras.

Five year warranty too.

After asking recently on here I just bought a pair of MT5’s for the same price as SLX from a shop in the NL’s called mantel.

I had to get my lbs to bleed them after shorting the cables myself, its worth noting they are extremely sensitive to bleeding and I can understand people’s comments on not feeling right after, you really do need to get it right.

Anyhow they are designed for two finger braking so the levers are huge and very different to shimano
But I’ve managed to set mine up fine as single finger.

After 6 rides in the biggest thing I notice is how I’ve stopped skidding all over the place as the modulation is miles better.
This also results in less brake drag and pressure on the levers and hence less cramp on longer descents

Planning on upgrading to the smaller single finger HC levers in the summer as I think with these they will be perfect for me.

Overall for the same price as the slx its a no brainer to choose the mt5 (providing they continue to work as well of course)

Great brakes, but make sure you plan ahead for replacement pads as nothing is widely or readily available for them. My MT4’s went when I sold a whole bike and Shimano were just an easier option.

I have mt6’s and personally think they are poor. The reach adjust is flaky, they feel wooden and they appear to be made from carbon mixed with cheese.

I had mt2’s a while back after so many people recommending the older versions on here. Bleed screws round off just looking at them and the whole brake looked and felt cheap. Never again. I’d rather use my foot in the spokes.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/magura-mt5mt7

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJkKA7ugXbQ[/video]

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbb8G3TCNug[/video]

Timber – Superstar now do pads for Maguras now. I’ve just ordered a job lot of the Kevlar ones for my MT-7’s.

Uberbikes also do MT5/7 pads in both sintered and racematrix flavour

I’ve just chucked in some Uberbike to replace worn OEM, and they are quieter and more powerful.

Which ones Matt, I’ve got the sintered ready to replace the oem presently

I’m interested in some aftermarket Magura rotors to solve a wet weather squeeling issue I have with my SRAM Levels.

Can any of the users above comment on the performance of their brakes when they are wet and cold? (e.g. on a flat commute in the rain).

Are the ‘storm’ rotors standard with Magura brakes?

Sintered ones.
Edit: my OEM ones were *well* worn, so it may just be new bedded in pad time, but they definately gobble less under hard braking.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jDKJT2dDZQ[/video]

That last video both amazed me… made me laugh…. but mainly scared the be-jeezus out of me!

Plenty available when you plan ahead, but not when you discover them down to the backing plate just as you’re about to go away for the weekend. Most LBS don’t hold them in stock.
Few years ago now mind. Might be more available now Danny has them.

Magura do a one finger lever upgrade now called the HC lever for MT5s/MT7s, so they can’t be riveted can they?

To 13th – iirc Magura rotors are thicker than avid, may drag.

I bought the MT5’s from mantel a couple of months ago.

They are bloody brilliant! Far superior to Shimano for modulation, the level of control is excellent and they’re fierce stoppers when required, very little effort needed, but then they are twin pots!

I use them with Shimano Icetec discs and they’re perfect.

For the money I’m delighted.

I had Magura brakes on one of my bikes. Can’t remember which model they were but they levers flexed a lot when you pulled them, which gave very vague braking. I changed them after 2 rides as they were garbage. They worked but just felt horrible. I’d love to know what genius thought it was a good idea to manufacture a brake lever that bends when you pull it!