Steel braided brake lines

Unicycles and Equipment
1

Just wondering if anyone has any input on whether it is worth it to get the steel-braided cable lines for maguras versus the normal plastic lines.

2

Get them as soon as possible. Being out of a brake because of a broken crossover cable sucks. I wish I had gotten mine sooner.

3

So the crossover is the most vulnerable part? Is that do to rippage or puncture? I thought the main line might be in danger of puncture from getting bashed between a rock and the frame.

4

The crossover cable often gets snagged on twigs and whatnot. Mine caught a stick, which in turn went into the wheel and cut the crossover like butter. The mainline I have never come close to tearing, but that’s because mine is wrapped around the frame with very little slack.

5

I purchaced plastic line maguras from udc last month and the crossover was braided plasmatic line, much different and presumabaly stronger than the plastic on the earlier style. I have three sets. one is all plastic, one is all braided, and the other I just mentioned seems to be the most practical.

6

i just got the steel braided recently and am wishing id got them sooner, ive repaired the crossover on my plastic hose ones about 4 times in the last 6 months and its such a hassle to reattatch the nozzles to teh hose that its just not worth the effort. ive busted mine in everyway possible, got sticks caught, had the unicycle go flying down a rock garden and punctured holes in the line that way, etc…

As soon as you can get the steel braided, even if its only the crossover (i find this is the most vunerable and from experience is the one most often damaged)

Scott

7

If you already have brakes with the plastic crossover, I assume you can buy a braided replacement somewhere. Is that true?

8

You can buy the bits and pieces needed - should be able to track down a couple of Magura threads that talk about that via the forum search. Alternatively you can also get braided line kits with all the bits and pieces and cut them to suit (good cable cutter comes in handy) e.g.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=1534

9

http://www.webcyclery.com/product.php?productid=18545&cat=289&page=2

If you need the whole brake, UDC has these already installed. Plastic coated so they do not get full of grime.

NOTE: Because some genius at Magura decided to make the input and out put holes on first slave different sizes/threads (M6 rough thread versus M8 fine thread), you can not mix and match plastic line and their steel braided line.

10

so is the plazmatic crossover compatible with the plastic main line?

11

yes. that is my current 29er set up. I think there is a write up on it on trialspads.com.

12

Yes, and I would be remiss (as pointed out above) in not listing other sources:

USA:

http://www.trialsin.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=23_35_66&products_id=159

http://www.trialspads.com/shop/brakes-and-parts-hope/spares-hs33-/plazmatic-steel-braided.html

GERMANY:

POLAND:

CANADA:
http://www.hbtrials.com

There are a few others…but the hour is late and my PBR is empty.

13

thanks for the tips. I will be upgrading my plastic crossover after it gets mangled the first time. I think I’ll order the plazmatic crossover and a service kit to have ready for the occasion.

14

Goodridge also makes some amazing cables/connectors.

Nice thing about them is that they don’t use olive fittings.