I am wondering if Magura’s are worth the money and if a V-Brake would be a better value. Any opinions?
A V-brake will suffice, although a Maggie is much more worry free…
you don’t have the worry of cable ends fraying and poking you, it’s easier to set up and not have any v-brake corners sticking out wider than the frame
The maggie can be adjusted on the fly so the pads continually rub (offering hands free resistance during a long steep descent)
They are a great brake, but they are quite expensive.
I think they are worth the extra $
That’s a nice feature which through ignorance I haven’t explored on my 36 setup. Do you do the adjustment to the pads themselves, or somehow via the brake lever? My biggest braking problem on long steep descents is hitting my braking hand with my right thigh, jarring it and causing resistance variations that are tough to ride through.
Sorry if this question has been answered previously…
T
there is a TPA (turbo pad adjustment) feature on the Magura HS-33
This is originally designed for mountain bikers…as they wear down their brake pad, a little twist of a knob at brake lever will move the pads inwards, where on a cable setup, this is accomplished br adjusting and retightening up the cable.
I don’t use this brake drag feature, but it is a feature nonetheless
One big advantage with the Magura’s is that you can rub your leg against the brake pads and not worry about causing accidental brake pad rubbing. The brakes are activated hydraulically, not mechanically, so rubbing against the brake cylinder will not cause the brake pad to rub. With V-brakes if you rub against the brake pad arm you can cause the brake pad to rub which is not what you want to have happen.
sounds like your lever doesnt have the knob.
No, it does…I just haven’t been able to adjust it to the point it actuall engages the brake. I thought it was used (I have been using it) to “shorten the pull”. Maybe I just need to do a better job during the bleeding process, so that adjusting the know will actually lead to the brake being engaged. I hope it works, as this would be a great benefit to have when trying to ride down off the plateau I live on. That, along with the Big Climb back up, has been keeping me from riding to work.
ive never bled mine and hope i never have to (scary) …but that could be your issue, i dont know.
cant you loosen the clamps that hold the brakes and scoot them in closer at all?
maybe new pads would do it…?
Jag, as someone who laces his own wheels, you don’t have much to fear with the Magura bleeding process. It’s pretty straightforward, although not necessarily intuitive the first time. What I prefer to do is call on my local Authorized Magura Repairman. Here’s a shot of the one in my area: http://gallery.unicyclist.com/albuw49/IMG_0018. He makes house calls, although outside of the Bellevue area it may be by appointment only.
There are some very clear, specific instructions on the bleeding process here: http://www.execulink.com/~dtierney/wmc/Magura/contents.htm
Just check the left nav under Rim Brakes, Bleeding Tips
Good recos…I need to spend some more time messing with my Maguras. I’ve been kind of afraid to, as I’m not confident if I mess it up I’ll be able to get it back to “normal”. Although I guess in that case I should just follow my own advice above and pick up the phone :).
and he never even uses them himself…? maybe for Northstar but somehow, i dont think so. i walk alot of up hill but there were some downs that J_C wouldnt do…he he heh…dont mount that brake John!
I’ve got the Magura brake mounted on my Coker. I find the brake on the Coker very useful for making the downhills easier on my knees.
I’m still debating whether to put the brake on my muni for the CA Muni Weekend. Could be useful at Northstar.
On my Coker I’ve got the Magura pads as far from the rim as I can get them and still be able to engage the brake properly. I don’t want the pads to rub if the wheel flexes. I had some problems with the brake pads rubbing back when the JC Coker was new. Since then I’ve had the wheel retensioned really tight which stopped the wheel flex, but I’ve still got the brake pads positioned as far from the rim as I can manage.
As a consequence, even with the TPA knob tightened all the way up, the pads don’t touch the rim. I can’t use my TPA knob as a drag brake adjuster. Well I could, but I’d have to scoot the brake cylinders in towards the rim.