Fans of cable ties and haters of internal routing should look away now. Magura has created a bike with hardly any visible cabling – everything is tucked inside, even (most of) the brake hoses. Does this make for a clean and tidy look, or does it make you sweat at the thought of maintenance?
Magura says that having internal routing will be more aerodynamic, and offers greater protection from damage since there are no exposed cables. So how is it done?
The brakes are the Magura MCi (Magura Cockpit Intergration) Brakes, launched in 2019. These have a bleed port behind your bar end, and a hose runs internally through the bars then out through your stem to the front brake – so there is a bit of exposed cable down your fork. The rear brake hose runs through stem and headset before heading into the frame as with other rear brakes on frames with internal routing.
No doubt anticipating your cries of ‘argh, but maintenance!’ the press release is at pains to make it clear that the brakes are user friendly, thanks to an ‘Easy Link’:
Easy maintenance and user-friendly – the MAGURA Easy Link tube
The development of the Easy Link tube was focused on userfriendly service and maintenance, plus of course a tidy cockpit integration. The MCi is the first MAGURA product to use the new Easy Link tube coupling.
The new Easy Link tube coupling is a special plug-in connector that links the cockpit unit and the tubing. During a service, the cockpit unit can be easily separated from the tubing within the frame. Brake bleeding is carried out by means of the proven MAGURA Easy Bleed Technology and a bleed screw at the handlebar end.
We’re a little confused by this: ‘The lever angle of the MCi is individually adjusted to each bicycle model and optimised for the best possible seating position. Special handlebar grips with a fixed core also allow a projection of up to 2 cm at the handlebar end. The handle width is infinitely variable on the lever blade.‘ It’s not clear from the images quite how lever angles are adjusted – if you have to go with whatever the manufacturers decide is right for the bike that sounds a little frustrating.
The dropper post is easy – Magura makes a bluetooth operated dropper, dispensing with the need for cables and hoses. SRAM AXS takes care of shifting, though this build pairs it with a Rotor crankset.
What do you think? Is that little bit of missing internal routing on the front brake just too bothersome? Or is this a beautiful thing?
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So basically it’s just the brake hose routing that’s mostly internal as the other controls are wireless and available for other bikes anyway?
Seems a lot of hassle just to have a bit of bake hose hidden from the handlebars, much of which is exposed again on the front brake.
I’m surprised the front brake doesn’t drop down inside the steerer
I’d like to see a close up of the rear hose/headset arrangement, from the graphic I’d assume a dublin coupling type arrangement.
I love the commitment to the clean look. But in return, you’ve put a bunch of holes in a couple of critical components, little ability to change your bar and brake lever positions and that fear of putting it in a bike box and needing a bleed. And I assume it’s like a knock block and you’ve got limited bar rotation for squeezing into a car.
Looks clean. Wonder if e-brake is the next thing to be developed – reservoir on caliper, plunger activated via across the air signal from brake lever (half joking)
Pointless front hose routing.
Put it down the steerer
They were too busy proving that they could, to stop and think whether they should.
Protection from damage? When was the last time I got cable damage – ah yes, where internally routed cable came out and was rubbing through as the suspension moved. Now all of those movement/rub points are out of sight.
I do like the look of the naked bar though, and no cables flapping around.
So nice visuals, which comes at a cost of being stuck with proprietary brake levers, bars, stem and fork steerer.
No provision for dynamo wire?
We have fly-by-wire brakes on cars and no one seems particularly scared knowing that their foot isn’t directly connected to the pads as they bring their cars to a halt from 70mph. How long until all controls (car and bike) are wireless. After all, there’s a fair argument to say that Bluetooth is more suitable than a wired connection, given the reduction in moving parts.