Whoops. My previous post is incorrect. Sorry. A 75% grade is still incredibly steep. A 60* slope without a brake is truly crazy.
Unicorn, you can’t go wrong with the hs-33. you can bleed the lines with basic mineral oil, and it will be powerful enough to lock your wheel on all but the steepest descents. It opens up amazing new opportunities for offroad gliding.
Brake Info
Thanks GerbleFranklin.
I’m not sure exactly how steep the slope was but I don’t think you would be able to walk up it and I don’t think you would get anyone to walk/run down it. The slope was about 20-30m long with a gental mound at the bottom then another steep winding slope down the other side. I have a HS11 that I’m running with water and it seems to be plenty powerful enough. I had to pull reasonably hard but it wasn’t lacking in power. I would recommend buying the HS11 although I haven’t tried the HS33. The HS11 is so much cheaper and seems adequate. The slave pistons and piping on both are the same its just the leaver on the HS33 is made from aluminum the blade is shorter and the master piston is 14mm apposed to 16mm making it about 25% more powerful.
Using a brake is fairly easy, you get the feel of it quite quick. If the decline is constant you just squeeze it until it feels right. It’s when the terrain varies and you are going down drops, over random lumps and slopes and having to clime again that it gets hard, I would guess it takes a lot of practice and experience to become most efficient with it.
Thanks Sp4rky
Thanks Sp4rky,
That is the exact info that I wanted. I will definitly got he HS-11 route if I can save on it. I appreciate the write-up.
Unicorn
Guys. Ebay. Get an hs-33. When your brake starts lose oil in its lines (which mine did), that wear adjust will make a world of difference. You can get a bike set of hs-33s for like $50, and then split the cost with a friend. Still cheaper than an hs-11.
Braking on varied terrain is incredibly difficult. There are times when I just say screw it and don’t use the brake at all, since it’s easier than concentrating on modulation.
[QUOTE=gerblefranklin]
Whoops. My previous post is incorrect. Sorry. A 75% grade is still incredibly steep. A 60* slope without a brake is truly crazy.
QUOTE]
75% = 67* like a cliff
80% = 72* is a cliff
I’ve never seen a trail steeper than about 40*. It was somewhat difficult to stand on w/o slipping.
I have seen mounds that were definately over 45*, may have been as much as 60*, but never 60’ high, maybee 40’.
Ebay is great but I advise only ordering from your own country. The shipping doesn’t include duty fees, which can be super steep.
Steepness of a Slope
Flat ground has a slope of 0 degrees.
A cliff has a slope of 90 degrees. Unless the cliff is an overhang, of course.
A 60 degree slope will mean that you are decending vertically 1.42m for every meter that you are traveling horizontally or for every 2m of distance added on to the distance meter. Think triangles.
This is a situation that exists in nature. It also abounds in made made situations such as embankments of roads, and garbage mounds and old fortifications.
Unicorn
Well I have seen many slopes where the fist, steepest portion would average about 70 degrees for the “cliff”, and most people would call it as such.
Cliff Slope
Fair enough Skilewis74! 
Unicorn
Sparky, where did you get your brake and how much was it? I really want a brake, but they’re not cheap. Bedford sells the magura with stainless hosing for $225, which seems expensive for a single brake.