Are these the best budget brakes for downhill/enduro?

https://www.bike-discount.de/en/magura-mt5-estop-disc-brake-set?number=20079083&__delivery=11&__currency=1&srsltid=AR5OiO2GsQGDscVXtZA0vN5rq-7WLOiLxEIsihG034c765tqQqLCUo_D5zg

Thinking of replacing the stock SRAM G2 R brakes. The G2’s are strong brakes that have little fade IME but I don’t like the long lever throw, lever shape, brake feel or the lack of bite.

I’ve got the budget Magura Sport on another bike and really like them.

Anything Shimano from Deore upwards will stop a big fast bike/person with decent rotors.

Have to say I’m pretty impressed by the mt5s I’m running on the full sus. Cirtainly more powerful than the hope xcr’s on my xc bike, although the original pads aren’t great, but cheap to replace.

Cheaper at r2 than bike discount

https://r2-bike.com/MAGURA-MT5-Set-Disc-Brake

And under the €135 vat amount, mine had no duty etc.

A lot depends on what sort of stopping you want…. and how it’s bled.. and which pads.

SRAM you can set up for a far out lever with instant bite… but they’ll be close to rubbing all the time.

Shimano are easier to not rub, but bite differently..

We’ve tried many from Formula to TRP to Clarks and others inbetween.. All have pluses and minuses.

My lad loves Guide Rs on his DH bike…. but i’ve just bought some new Uberbike pads in their Ebike compound which are supposed to be their best stopping power to fit to the Codes to see if we can get him on the Codes.

I’ve always been a SRAM Guide fan too, but my current brakes are SLXs on the Trek and i can’t fault them

I’ve had umpteen makes and models over the years and to be honest tend to ride what came with the bike until they break (no pun intended) which with Shimano can be quicker than most.

How do you make the the G2 R’s have quicker bite when they don’t have pad bite adjustment? Do you have to modify them with shims or overfilling with oil?

I’ll check out the R2 website for the Maguras and see what Deore four pot brakes I can find cheap.

How do you make the the G2 R’s have quicker bite when they don’t have pad bite adjustment? Do you have to modify them with shims or overfilling with oil?

Upgrade the levers to the rsc model which has swinglink and contact point adjustment

How do you make the the G2 R’s have quicker bite when they don’t have pad bite adjustment? Do you have to modify them with shims or overfilling with oil?

When fitting/bleeding, remove caliper, pull lever once, then as you say, over-bleed it. When you push the pistons back you’ll get a properly firm lever…. but the downside is you often get rubbing as the pistons don’t retract a lot in SRAMs compared to a Shimano setup.

Actually just realised the those Magura 4 pot’s come with the two finger level where my current Magura Sport have the one finger lever (which I really like). Wonder if changing the levers is a possibility?

Yeah, mt5s are good. If you like the mt trail sports, note that they have the 1 finger lever and the mt5s have the 2 finger lever. You can set them up well inboard to feel similar and they will play well with a sram shifter but less so with a shimano shifter. There is a shiftmix clamp thing to sort this, but you could just buy 1 finger levers instead.

Running Magura MT7s on the latest bike. Still not over impressed with them even after Magura had a go at sorting them out in Finale last week. Codes and Saints on the other bikes feel far better. Going to give them a bit longer and if no better will swap them out

Deore 4-pots are bloody good.

I got a set for £50 each end recently off CRC, have a look on there.

Yeah, I’m running the non-series 4 pot Shimano that are Deore like… even better once you swap the pads for finned ones (which obviously I didn’t do ’till the original pads wore out… watch those pennies).

Wonder if changing the levers is a possibility?

Yes, it’s fairly easy. Knock a pin out, new lever in, get the spring in the right place, knock pin back in.
Choices are the trail sport shape one with a big hook, a fully adjustable Danny Macaskill one and a flatter shaped Loic Bruni one.

Son has MT5s on his hardtail. Only taken them on a round the block test but they seem to have more instant bite than my SRAM Guides and have a nice firm lever feel. He much prefers them to the Deores that came on the bike.

Only thing I will say is bleeding was a bit of a pain. Got there in the end but never had any fuss with Hope, Shimano or SRAM brakes. So like to think I know what I’m doing.

I’m really impressed with my Deore 4 pots, plenty of power to slow my 100kg + bike and kit down. Feel nice as well

I have just done this, SRAM guide R’s replaced with an MT5 front and MT4 rear. I just didn’t like the lever shape on the SRAM’s. The maguras are much better.

Eldest went from MT5’s on 185’s to XT 4-pot on 203/185.

In his view the MT5’s are way more powerful and reliably deliver that power, plus nicer feel. He misses them.
BUT.
When they went wrong or crashed, they were a bit more faff until you learned a few techniques.

He says when XT’s break he will replace with MT5’s with nicer levers.

MT5 calipers (and hoses), SLX levers. You’ll thank me later.

I got rid of SLX when I kept snapping levers. Once just when the bike fell slightly sideways against a rock.

Another E-Bike related brake bargain is the SRAM Guide RE’s.

If you don’t need/want tons of adjustment they’re essentially a Code DH caliper with a basic Guide lever. I’ve put them on both MTB’s now as I love how powerful they are and it means I can just have one spare type of pad “in stock”, can often pick them up for about £50-60/end.

2nd Guide REs. I have them on the ebike and they are excellent. In fact now the ebike has died of Shimanoitis, I will move them on to the normal bike to replace the 4pot Shimano non series, which are good but not as good.

Just as a curve ball, the Formula Cura get very very good reviews. Indeed, the review in STW rated them the best brake overall (I think) albeit they we sort of gushing about them all, to one degree or another.

Apparently Finn Iles used the two pot version for DH duties.

Thanks for the votes for the Guide RE’s but I’ve already got the Guide R’s which I’m looking to replace.

I’ve also looked at Formula Cura but they’re about £150 an end, more than a Magura front and rear combined 😱

With all the positive comments on the Magura’s I think I’ll go with them. Looks like I can get a matchmaker adaptor as well.

I have MT5, saints and some guide RE.
They are on different set ups obviously but the magura are noticeably more powerful, really had to hang on when pulling hard on them.
The levers are too long and a bit nasty compared to shimano but they stop the best.

Another vote for magura mt5s here.

I bought mine from amazon.de for about £68 each.

As the various shimano brakes in the house die (most are 785/615 sort of vintage to be fair) I’m slowly swapping out for magura. So far two bikes, one with a set of mt4s, one trail sports and then those cheap mt5s in a box waiting to go on.

I think I prefer the two finger levers set up as if one finger- sufficiently so that I swapped the longer levers onto the big bike. Just seems to give nicer control and feel. Don’t rush into an expensive lever swap until you’ve tried the longer ones for a bit.

!! BRING BACK HOPE 6 POTS!!

Curas are too expensive really (and everything Formula is expensive too, if you need spare parts- I love my ancient The Ones but you can pay £15 for a single bolt for them)

All these years it’s been obvious that Magura could be brilliant if they just stopped being weird, has it finally happened? Except for 2-finger levers in 2022 obviously, that’s barking but everything else looks bloomin awesome

CRC has Guide REs for £59.99 an end. They’re all rears, but I’m pretty sure they’re a nonsided lever and they have the connectamajig so they’re a super easy swap if I’m right. Throw on your usual topcashback/coupert/whoever and it works out a little cheaper than the euros

Anyone who’s throwing their Guides in the bin, please PM me… we may be able to come up with something.