@@RoninHaz T4 is titanium version and A4 is non-titanium. Both work the same but T4 saves a couple of grams. Just get the A4 unless you are worried about weight.
Got Hope V4 Tech 3s and love them, main reason is i can get the lever throw insanely short as i hate the long pull before the pads contact the rotors With fresh pads they always rub initially but are immaculate afterwards
After 3 years with the Magura’s I had a lever body break off riding (yes, whilst riding along and just applying the lever…!!!) which was upsetting because the Magura’s are the best I’ve ever used (I’m 66yrs and been there and done that). The fracture was in the body , not the clamp part. So, I loved the callipers so much, I went Shigura by adding Shimano XT levers (M8100). Hard to believe, but these are even better. The slight initial ‘sponginess’ (the initial ‘hump’ at the start you mentioned) in the Magura lever (only weakness) has reduced a lot, despite it being the Shimano lever with a bit of a rep for that . I have power, modulation and unrelenting predictability. Since I dint crash, I’m glad the MT lever broke.
I had a small crash and broke the body clean off. Very upsetting. Then the next day, my friend did the same thing to his mt5’s. When I get the chance I’m gonna switch to some other levers.
This exact same thing happened to me! Had huge problems with the Magura service/exchange of parts and went for the XT levers. The best, I've ever tried...and I tried a lot.
TRPs with Freedom Coast levers are insanely good! Also change out the blue TRP pads for the TRP golds. Also the 2.3 Trp rotors are what sets them apart.
I saw some of those levers this weekend and had no clue what I was looking at! And yes those thicker rotors from TRP are pretty sweet but I didn't have any power issues or overheating issues with the 2.0mm rotors I used on the other brake systems. But more is always better! -Tor
I agree with all of this. i could never get the MT7s the shut the hell up so I switched to TRP a year ago and love them. The Freedom Coast lever upgrade makes them even better and more comfortable. The stock levers were too far away from the bars for me and was getting awful hand pump at first. After switching to the Freedom Coast levers, that's all gone and they are the most comfortable i've tried. But i will say i am curious about the Hayes brakes... I hear great things.
Thank you, didnt realize someone made better levers for the TRP's. I have it almost bottomed out for the reach adjust, so I just ordered the freedom coast levers.
Is there a way to get rid of pad rock? The noise is driving me insane. ( I do street trials) also my brakes dont work everytime I star my ride I have to wet the brakes and bed them in.
Carefully checked your brakes levers master cylinder piston after 2 years they are leaking and loosing brakes. This part is not available to buy at Magura thats why I put the XTR levers on my MT7.
My experience… Magura = noisy, inconsistent bedding in, weak lever blades, but a good lever feel Hayes = smooth/light lever pull, simple caliper alignment, but overheated or just not enough power during DH race runs and gave gnarly arm pump TRP = not enough time on them but seemed good while I rode Neko’s bike After trying nearly everything, I’ve come to love Shimano Saints, Galfer Pro pads, and SRAM HS2 rotors for the most power/bite and ease of use.
Hey Tony thanks for the comment! You're right, they're all super powerful and that's not why we're picking one over the other. Pretty much all modern mountain bike brakes give MORE than enough power and you can lock up the rear wheel by just looking at the lever, so we're deciding based off the nuances of them. Little things like the features they offer beyond pure power. Plus, more power helps to let your arms relax on long descents and keep you from getting arm pump. -Tor
Heavy rider here riding very steep and long descents but also climbs as well (no lifts). Kudos on a well written review on alternative brake options. Most people I know only talk about SRAM and Shimano brakes when there's so many options out there. After being very unhappy with those last two brands, I jumped in the Magura bandwagon and I've been perfectly happy with them. Very easy to maintain and bleed, and fantastic lever feel as well, throughout the life of the pads (I do have the HC3 levers) 😎
I have hope tech e 4. They are unbelievably strong. Blow away all of my other brakes. Dhr evo, Magura etc. I hear the e4 is even stronger than the v4 I couldn’t imagine needing more. Even on a 40lb bike and I’m 200lb
@@Zetler Having owned both I wouldn't call Magura levers huge at all. the one finger blades are just that and the master cylinder is way smaller than the Hayes (Hayes MC sticks out almost 3"). Maguras lever blades may look bigger because of the pivot location, but footprint on the handlebar is WAY smaller. Also availability of Hayes olives and other small parts was non existent a few months ago and that is a deal breaker
I have the Magura MT5s. They kind of feel like a mix of Sram and Shimano. They have decent modulation and a powerful bite. Those who are more of a finesse braker will get along great with them
I haven’t ridden the Hayes brakes but saying the brake with more power and bite that reduces arm pump is like a code doesn’t seem to make sense to me. Even the highest end Code RSC has significantly less power than a Shimano XT in my experience. I personally tend to dislike brakes with lots of modulation, I want the most power possible for the least effort (within reason obviously) but I feel like the Codes require so much input to get any power out of them which doesn’t compute with what I’ve heard about the Hayes
I liked the modulation on SRAM RSCs. Don't like both Magura and Shimano because they bite too fast. Have to be more careful with them not to lock the wheel. I have this small rock jump into a rock garden brake section and with the RSCs I could start breaking as I'm landing. Where as with the Maguras and Shimanos I had to brake before the jump because can't modulate the power well enough to keep traction while the suspension is working.
TRPs are definitely the easiest to maintain and setup, the thicker 2.3mm rotors never go out of true or even have a little wobble. Any brake that uses a open bleed cup on the lever is always nice too.
I have been riding the Magura MT5 brakes for years and they are really amazing. I would choose these over Shimano brakes anytime. But remember! It is all about preference!
MT7s with HC3 levers. Easy to bleed and maintain, tons of power, and great lever feel with those hc3 levers. My personal set has been transferred over to a 3rd bike at this point, and we have Magura on all our other bikes as well. I have no reason to try anything else right now. The Dominions feels pretty great though, but I prefer mineral oil brakes.
Thank you guys so much for making this video. I have been looking at replacing my codes with one of these three and have struggled to find a direct three-way comparison video.
I’ve had Magura MT7 with HC3 (?) levers and currently ride Hayes Dominion titanium version brakes. Both are great and performed much better than Sram Brakes that came on my bike. Other than the Magura carbotexture material which does feel like it would break easier than other brands (though I never broke them in 2 years of riding) the biggest difference is ease of install I found. As I home mechanic I was able to install Magura brakes with tools on hand. I did order the Magura “pro bleed kit” which I thought was overpriced garbage. Just get the jag wire bleed kit. The Hayes were much more finicky to install and required 2-3 specialty tools the average diy’er does not have. Good luck finding the one size of crab claw wrench you need at a local hardware store (I had to end up ordering a whole set). When installing the rear brake the olive with integrated needle thing broke in the reservoir requiring a full rebuild of the caliper. The needle was much harder to install than on Magura. Hayes manual calls for a specific needle insertion tool. The Hayes bleed process was fairly easy for me. My advice is to read the instruction manual for Hayes prior to purchasing to make sure you have the tools needed. If I were to do it again and now that I have the specialty tools I would get Hayes again. If I didn’t have those tools already I would either pay a shop to install the Hayes or go with Magura.
From riding them in the car park I love the Maguras. I myself ride Formula Curas. Maybe you can get them into a next review, I would really want to know how they compare to other systems
Ya I have only used the trail trp and they feel really really good . I heard the down hill trp are insane . To me the trail trp feel really close to the Shimano XT 4 piston,
Unlike DOT, mineral oil can be used interchangeably. Magura will void your warranty tho. Yes, the boiling point is slighty different, but it is unlikeley to reach that temperature anyway. I use a 3rd party mineral oil in my brakes and never failed me so far. Any mineral oil brake lever is theoretically compatible with any mineral oil caliper, but the volume of fluid moved might be different. If you want a more "on-off" feel, look for a lever with a bigger volume and/or a ramp (like shimano mt501 -> xtr). If you want a longer throw, look for longer lever and/or lower lever piston volume. Consider changing the material of the brakepads, there are 4 main marterials you can choose from: resin, semimetalic, ceramic and metalic. They drasticly change the brake feel. The same with de diameter of the rotor. Tyres: the brake component few talk about. If you skid with front tyre on grippy terrain, you don't have powerful brakes, you have bad tyres. Hope it helps, happy trails 🤙🏻
i was wondering about what mineral oil goes into trp(or can go), they said shimano oil, but i think trp has some blue oil. apparently it does not matter much..
Hey this questions goes to everyone. Has anyone tried the TRP Slate Evos? I am currently riding Shimano M6120 and I am actually dissapointed with them. My main issue is the freestroke, it is just way to much for my taste. I did the thing where you push the lever and the piston travel until they reach the disc decreases. Still the freestroke is way to much, yes I bled them multiples times and they feel fine with the bleed block, just not with the disc and pads (just as a comparison I rode Shimano M355 just fine and also the MT410 feel way better in terms of bite point and freestroke but the lever is nothing I want on a Trail Bike). Right now the slates are on sale in germany and I heard that they have not as much freestroke as other brands, so has anyone an opinion on that?
I have the TRP Slate Evo's and I'm incredibly unhappy with them. The modulation is good, but the stopping power is horrible. I'm 210 lbs. on a 28 lb. Norco Hartail. I'm looking at switching to the Dominions.
@@AZRob. thats actually what I thought too. I keep my Deores and maybe try maguras in the future. The sad thing is cheaper Shimano brakes actually feel better in terms of bite point. I got the MT400 on my XC Hardtail and used 3Min19sec brake pads and they are awesome even with a 180 mm Rotor up front. Only the lever itself is BS.
Nothing finicky about bleeding Magura brakes. Just fill the brakes with the caliper in the vertical position and then remove any air that might be still in there with a suction bleed at the lever end: ua-cam.com/video/Bl8PChRadX0/v-deo.html
ive ran both maguras and trp, and i find the maguras to suck. They have no power, the brake feel is terrible, and are terrible quality. The trps i love, perfect modulation, perfect power, and easily to pull
Great comparison vid. One major factor not mentioned is what hand size/reach preference these brakes suit as reach adjust on brake levers significantly impacts the dead stroke (generally reducing lever distance = increases dead stroke). For people with small hands - go Magura. Shortest throw of the three and can get the throw even shorter with a different lever. For people with bigger hands - Go any of them. TRP works best for people with medium-larger hands as they have a very linear power delivery and dead stroke is significantly affected by the reach adjust. For people with medium hands - Go any of them. But if you like to run your brakes closer to the bar then go with the Dominions or the Maguras.
Can you maybe also compare the Hope Tech and Shimano XTR to what you mentioned? How do these compare to the Magura in terms of dead stroke? I have tiny hands and am looking for a new brake so I'd greatly appreciate your help!
@ImagineCorgis Hope (Tech3 and the new Tech4) and Shimano both have minimal dead stroke (probably the smallest dead stroke vs all other brakes on the market. On par with Magura with the right lever). Ideal for smaller handed riders who like to run the levers close to the bar. I'm personally just not a huge fan of the Magura lever feel (a bit wooden), bleeding is more finnicky vs. My favorite brakes (Hope Tech 4s or Hayes Dominions). Only issue with Shimano (vs Hope) is the lever pull consistency. Shimano "wandering bite point" is well documented. When the lever is that close to the bar, lever that suddenly bottoms out on the bar would be unnerving. This can be solved by swapping the stock mineral oil with Putoline HPX 2.5 oil. If you like your brakes to behave like a lightswitch then Shim is the go. If you have a bit more $, Hopes are super consistant and much better lever feel/modulation (for me). Tech3 are a little underpowered, a little weaker than a Shim 4 Piston Brake (so I ran larger rotors and/or best pads e.g. Galfer Green or Hope Racing Green). Tech 4s are probably the most powerful and nicest lever feel brakes on the market. Equal favourite brake for me alongside the Hayes Dominion (but I have M sized hands). Hayes do the Dominion A4s in a short finger model for small hands (called SFL) which would work for you.
@@lenolenoleno wow, thank you for such detailed info! Highly appreciated, you helped me insanely much. I've been mostly debating between the Dominions and the Tech 4s. Think I'll definitely pull the trigger on the Techs if I can grab a discount somewhere. How would you compare the bleeding between Hayes and Hopes tho?
@ImagineCorgis no worries! I prefer the Hayes bleed process. Very straightforward two syringe push & pull. The calliper itself has two bleed ports, which helps rid the most common stubborn air bubbles - behind the pistons. Dominions also have the neat grub screws in the calliper, which makes re-installing it centralised a breeze (e.g., post lower leg service). The Hope is bled much like a car. Just a few extra steps vs. Dominion, you need to remove the reservoir cap and ensure it the lever is as level as possible. Pretty straightforward, but a few more steps nonetheless. The best hack to centralise a Hope calliper is to install the wheel + rotor with no pads. Loosen the caliper bolts, squeeze 3x standard playing cards on each side of the rotor (between the rotor and the slit in the calliper) and tighten your bolts.
I had Tektro on my beginner bike and worked really well. Ordered my enduro bike which came with Deore 4P brakes and they were great when they worked. A little inconsistent. After a long, long, long comparison between all the brands, went with TRP DH-R EVO. Overkill? Who cares, they work awesome, are very consistent and look nice! 👌
I mean tektro does a big variety of brakes- but I had them on 3 bikes and they where all shit. Very weak, always drawing air in and you can bleed them about twice before everything is leaking..
@olik136 interesting, I never had issues with mine. I still have that bike and I only bleed them once. I did swap out the pads to better ones. I guess my LBS did really good installing mine.
Just got the new Levo SL and now swapping out the SRAM Code Silver and putting on my old MT7’s. The Code, to me, has inconsistent bite and I’m more comfortable on my old MT7’s even though you guys think the bite point is hard. I just bought a set of Swissstop pads to improve modulation. As you said, all these will stop you but modulation is most important so maybe next I’ll try the TRP.
That new Levo SL looks pretty sweet! While the MT7s come on hot, it's not a problem out on trail and they feel amazing. But if you're looking for all out modulation then the TRPs or the Hayes are definitely better options! -Tor 😎
i have had various sram then tried hayes and now the TRP. I actually wish i would have had more time on the hayes brakes(being that they were on a fat bike i didnt care for). I recall that lever feel and bite was really nice. I have a lot more time on the TRPs and have really been enjoying them. coming off the code RSC brakes they have been a dream. I recently rented a bike with codes on it and was honestly super disappointed in them.
I've been riding Maguras for a couple years now. Massively more reliable and fade-resistant than the various Shimanos I'd ridden for years before (once you get them set up, that is). No experience with the others, but so far Mags seem as good as I'll ever need. Worth upgrading pads to something like MTX Red or metal pads for more bite. Stock pads were lacking.
I do wish Magura had more brake pad options! Only offering resin pads isn't super ideal considering it rains so much here in the PNW. So glad there are third party options! -Tor
@The Lost Co. Magura's reasoning for resin only is they try to put more heat into the rotor versus the caliper. Resin pads act as an insulator for the caliper.
@@Morpheas001 so far after a year or two riding with MTX Reds (not metallic, but ceramic), I'm definitely seeing no fading issues. never tried metallic pads with Maguras, but something tells me they could handle the heat no prob.
Hayes has the same adjustability as the Magura MT7 HC3. On Hayes, theres a screw that you can adjust for pad contact but to me it only does the same thing a reach adjust but if you remove the lever blade, there's a screw with the ball you can adjust for leverage of the blade. I dont touch it since its tedious to adjust.
I have only had issues with my old Hayes Stroker (piston slop/seize). Shimano's have been super reliable, love the fact that the brake fluid in shimano/trp/magura won't kill you if you drink it :) Also better for the environement.
How did you find the lever pull for when the pads came into contact? Was it a lot. Or could you bleed them so there wasn't much movement for brakes to be fully applied
should i ride long and brake long all the time untill they not touch anymore ? manual from mt5 estop says Max thickness 1.8, and they told me storm hc 203 is oke with it, now the pads are rubbing against the rotor, because storm hc is 2 mm thickness..., so i wasted money and time putting them on and line them up was taking alot of time to get them fit oke, but still it's too thick, and need a new rotor... :( i can not fit the brake good, storm hc is too thick. it's braking already when i dont brake. lined them up good. but they still touch the rotor can i open up the pistons outside? i got a storm hc 203 rotor on my mt5-estop, but they are too thick, brake site says they are oke for them, but no, manual says : max 1.8 thickness rotor. so now they slip against the rotor, and i not even brake yet. so now i found out storm hc and mt5-estop can not go together !!! stupid stuff, now too late to send back storm hc, now have to get a rotor who is 1.8 mm thickness, were can i get a 203 rotor with 1,8 thickness ???? anybody ?
2 місяці тому
manual from mt5e-stop says, Max 1.8 mm thickness rotor, all magura rotors are 2 mm, now my brake touch the pads already, when i not brake at all.. how can i fix that ? it's braking already if i not brake. can somebody help me ?
Hope Tec 3 v4 with magura 220s work well one one of my bikes . The other one has tec 4s v4 trp 203s 2.3mm thick the 203s are in the post cant wait to try them. Diameter vs thickness.
I'm running the Hayes Dominions currently and like them. I do wanna try out both the TRP DHR-Evo and the new Hope brakes. Btw please make a video about the new Hope brakes!!!!
Are those stealth black TRP limited edition? I’ve only seen silver and gold. Awesome video. I’m in the market for a new bike build. Was deciding which non SRAM/Shimano brakes to spec.
I have the TRP DH EVO's on my DH bike with 220mm rotors and they are ridiculously powerful. All day bike park laps with zero fade or change in performance. Nearly a year in without a bleed too which is also pretty amazing. Something to be said for a MTB product that just flat out works consistently without issue. Huge fan of the TRP's.
Been riding the Hayes a4s for a couple years now. Absolutely love them! Just bought a set for my mid travel trail bike now to replace my Guides. After squeezing the Hayes the Sram stuff just felt cheap.
Hayes brakes absolutely crush the squeeze test!! Nothing else feels quite as good when you're in the parking lot, which is all the really matters right? -Tor
I recently switched from the MT7 to Tech 4 and the Tech 4 is amazing. Nothing wrong with my set of MT7 but the quality and craftsmanship for the tech 4 is next level. It's got great modulation, power, all the adjustments and it's also totally rebuildable for the home mechanic.
Magura's are awesome breaks but the bleeding takes practice they are not the most friendly to work but oh boy once you learn to work with them. They are awesome!!
It would have been nice to discuss also rotors. The Magura offer the MDR-P, this look great. Also riding the MT-7 myself I can only recommend going for the split pads rather than the ones you were showing. Great video, keep it coming!
It's tricky to cover every topic possible, otherwise our videos would all be like 2 hours long, haha. But that's why we always post our contact information, so people can reach out with their specific questions.
Sub'd soon as that Mechanic guy walked in explaining the ends and outs of the brake systems. I always wanted to try all these brakes just didn't know what bleed kits they required, saved me from going done a huge rabbit hole!!!!
I wouldn't touch anything that has Dot5 anymore. Had Codes for the longest time and even with the Bleeding Edge, it's a pain the A to bleed especially once the bleed bolts gets corrosion. One drop can really mess your paint, not to mention that fluid also tend to eek out of the pressure release ports (looking at you Sram)
Stay away from the Hayes if you're anti Dot fluid! The other two options use mineral oil, which you probably shouldn't drink either but is definitely not as hard on the paint if you spill! -Tor
Mike and crew, great vid as usual. My history with these brakes.. I had the 1st Gen Magura brakes (neon yellow) on my GT RTS-2 and OEM Hayes on my 2000 Specialized FSR BIGHIT (still own). Both of which work way better than my current Shimano brakes on my Intense Carbine. My next upgrade will be brakes, so this vid comes at a great time.
Thanks for the comment! We definitely recommend running a rotor thicker than the 1.8 centerline rotor you're talking about. With the TRP's you need to use their 2.3mm rotor because their calipers are designed around it, and I used a 2.0mm HS2 rotor with the other two systems. -Tor
Hi there Soni ride street trials with TRP evo but i think i need to sell them and get something else. 1. Problem - pad rock. It make horrible noises. 2. Problem - everytime i start my ride my brakes do not work. I have to first pour water on them and then bed them in.
Hi guys i have question for you. Recently i bought my dream bike Norco Optic. Bike has TRP slate evo brakes but i noticed after long downhill ride brakes started to faded. Do you think uprage to DH-R will be noticable? And one question, can more powerful brakes damage my front fork in time? I have Rock Shox Pike Select 140mm. Thanks for your answer.
I've had multiple sets of MT7s (for different bikes) and they were probably the most noticeable upgrade for me, and really helped my confidence downhill. To be fair many 4-Pistons would be! So much power. Their service kit was def nice to have for the home mechanic. They can be a little noisy with the close pad contact. But, I've since upgraded to Oak Levers which have some adjustability built in. Before that I was a Shimano fan. I'd probably run Saints otherwise!
I tried the magura mt7 and mt5 I liked the mt7 but I broke the lever after 2 weeks of use and couldn't find a replacement within a month, at a reasonable price the whole system was just 400$ cdn, the TRP are very fine brakes but I had one caliper failure, covered under store warranty. Presently I'm running code rsc, DB8 and Lewis LH4 on my bikes, still have the mt7 they are on my wife's bike.
I'm riding a 50 lb e-bike and on high speed, long, steep descents the stock Code RS' needed so much finger pressure to slow down that I felt like my hands would seize up. Recently put on Hayes Dominion A4's and the reduction in pressure needed is unbelievable. Pro tip: SRAM caliper adaptors don't play nice with the Hayes calipers. I ended up having to shim to make them work.
Hey Craig! I had the exact same issues with SRAM adapters not playing nicely with the Hayes calipers and ended up grinding the adapters down to make room for the beefy A4 calipers. Double check that you're getting perfect contact between the rotor and the pads, if you're using shims it can be hard to get right and make a BIG difference in braking power! -Tor
@@TheLostCo Yep, on the front 220 SRAM rotor I had to grind a bit on the adaptor + shims to get clearance and make sure the pad was contacting in the center of the rotor track. Rear 200 SRAM rotor was just shims, no grinding. Unfortunately Hayes adaptors are rarer than hen's teeth.
The issue with crosshair alignment is that it only minimizes caliper twist on the top bolt when tightening them down (from experience and general mechanical knowledge). The top of the caliper will twist in until it hits the crosshair adj bolt. However the bottom one will still twist away from the bolt. The bottom bolt would be more effective on the inside of the caliper (of course the disc is in the way) to stop the caliper from shifting when the bolt is tight. Two bleed ports? Ughh. I grew up on Hayes but I think the TRPs are better overall. TRP flaw is that the bleed port screws allow too much oil to sit in the threads after bleed. If you don't spray them out with air pad contamination is VERY easy. For all the issues I have with Scram, especially their brakes, Bleeding edge is the single best bleed kit/feature of ANY brake I have worked on over the last 20+ years. Unfortunately it's only on some of their brakes and nobody else has caught on yet. Magura, brake caliper flex? Did Gary Fischer invent that hype? I don't buy it.
It can definitely be hard to get past a bad experience with a product, but TRP and Tektro make completely different brakes. TRP stands for Tektro Racing Products, and they operate very separately from Tektro, working with the top downhill athletes on their products. -Tor
How is it with the adapters for Hayes Brakes, have you got any idea? Will the sram 180 to 200 mm adapters work with Hayes calipers and the 203 rotor? PM standard front and rear.
I did my first bleed on magura MT5-E and it was easy af X). just follow their 4min tutorial hit with a plastic tool the caliper to remove the bubbles and tadam it works fine :)
I loooooove my MT7 brakes with the hc3 lever. I have gotten it perfect for what I need. having that leverage adjustment is a game changer, it makes it possible to get exactly the same feel on the front and rear brakes wich make them incredibly consistent. and then there is the power. all the power you need and more, and because of all that power, not that much arm pump. I came off code brakes and I immediately felt the difference when it comes to arm pump. and that power never stops coming. I have the race pads on my brakes and they are really strong at the start of the run and even stronger towards the end of the run. they just keep on braking and the more you abuse them the more stopping power you have. I have a feeling that I will never switch from magura going forward, that's how much I love mine.
riders that don't do enduro anymore as in old dudes like me {77} really don't need to bleed brakes very often . i've had Magura MT5s for four years without bleeding . granted i don't ride as much anymore but if you're not burning up brake pads you do t need to bleed . Also for trail riders ,commuters , touring ,MT5 is more brake than you will ever need , so save yourself some money and go for MT5. the only down side is the levers are not as adjustable as MT7 .
Well i have magura mt5s on my trailbike and although they are the cheaper version i think this problem could also apply to the mt7: As the mastercylinder is this plastib, the thread for the cable is as well and in my experience its extremely easy th crossthread it and therefor make the level unusable (mabe I'm just ti dumb to thread it in but I'm going to blame it on the cheap buildquality)
I have impressions only with Magura. Two negatives - if you want to put a 2 brake pads to the caliper - you will have to remove it from the bike. No such issue if you put 4 pads. Also one should be really careful when reconnecting the hose to the brake body - it is very easy to strip the thread and then you go with Shimano brake lever and you have a Shigura. Which is better.
I have the Hayes Dominion and I have never in my life ridden a brake that strong. I have them set up with a 203 magura mdrp rotor and the red galfer pads. They have so much power that a friend of mine nearly went over the bars in the parking lot( he rides shimano) as he pulled them. Worth mentioning is that I had to tinker with the pad and rotor because I couldn’t get them to brake silently. With the current setup there is minimal to no sound.
There’s about 7 times more words in this video than needed. I have the MT7’s. Been riding them for 3+ years and I weigh 100+kg. I love them. The feel and stopping power is excellent. Just be careful with the screws on the lever body. Also I don’t think you mentioned that the Magura has many different pads you can choose from and is also a radial pull master cylinder which is one of the reasons why it’s so ridiculously powerful and responsive. Got nothing but good things to say about my maguras and when they finally die I’ll buy another set.
Glad you're stoked on the Maguras! Definitely one of the best brakes out there and also was a huge fan of all the brake pads they offer! Just wish that they would come in a metallic compound too... -Tor 😎
Probably worth noting the Magura has a radial mounted lever where the TRP and the Hayes have a axial mounted lever which will effect how they feel and modulate.
I almost had my mind up on the trp’s and then they said “least powerful out of the group” 😅 I way 220 pounds will the trp’s be strong enough for stoppies?
This is great roundup of all the non big S brakes, really covers it all! Personally I have Shimano on all my bikes now but I briefly owned a bike with MT7s and have demoed bikes with Maguras a few times and have always really gotten along with them. The lever shape and bite point are really what I like and frankly the only reason I don't have them now is because of what I heard about the bleed process but maybe I should give them a long term shot next time.
The bleed process isn't bad at all! Maguras get a bad rap because they're a little different from what people are used to, but if you just follow the video there's not much that can go wrong :) -Tor
Great vid. On the Hayes dominion, what's the difference between the sfl version vs normal. Are the levers the same length or actually shorter? if shorter, how is that more designed for a smaller hand?
Still looking for this "Magura bite", my front brake is so weak I can apply it full force and pedal through it (albeit quite hard). Clearly the issue is on me and my ability to get it properly set up, but this has been a 30 day battle so far. The rear brake is working nicely though, I cannot pedal through it if I apply the brake full power, so I must be on the right path.
Hey Jamison! Sorry you're having issues with the Maguras, I agree with James that it could be a contaminated rotor and pads, especially if it's making a howling noise. -Tor
*_Which brakes have you loved? Which have you had issues with? And which do you want to try next??_*
Where is the third screw on the HC3 lever?
What is the difference between the Hayes T4 and the A4?
Yokozuna Hybrid brakes for me. I the feel better than a full hydraulic system and even though they are cable pull they have enough power to do Trials.
@@RoninHaz T4 is titanium version and A4 is non-titanium. Both work the same but T4 saves a couple of grams. Just get the A4 unless you are worried about weight.
trickstuff maxima and C42🤤
Got Hope V4 Tech 3s and love them, main reason is i can get the lever throw insanely short as i hate the long pull before the pads contact the rotors
With fresh pads they always rub initially but are immaculate afterwards
After 3 years with the Magura’s I had a lever body break off riding (yes, whilst riding along and just applying the lever…!!!) which was upsetting because the Magura’s are the best I’ve ever used (I’m 66yrs and been there and done that). The fracture was in the body , not the clamp part. So, I loved the callipers so much, I went Shigura by adding Shimano XT levers (M8100). Hard to believe, but these are even better. The slight initial ‘sponginess’ (the initial ‘hump’ at the start you mentioned) in the Magura lever (only weakness) has reduced a lot, despite it being the Shimano lever with a bit of a rep for that . I have power, modulation and unrelenting predictability. Since I dint crash, I’m glad the MT lever broke.
Same here. I left the Magura levers in the box, and went with XT levers.
@@SubversionGarage yes, Shigura is just better.
It’s the Ukraine flag. Shouldn’t have cucked for evil lies #karma
I had a small crash and broke the body clean off. Very upsetting. Then the next day, my friend did the same thing to his mt5’s. When I get the chance I’m gonna switch to some other levers.
This exact same thing happened to me! Had huge problems with the Magura service/exchange of parts and went for the XT levers. The best, I've ever tried...and I tried a lot.
TRPs with Freedom Coast levers are insanely good!
Also change out the blue TRP pads for the TRP golds.
Also the 2.3 Trp rotors are what sets them apart.
I saw some of those levers this weekend and had no clue what I was looking at! And yes those thicker rotors from TRP are pretty sweet but I didn't have any power issues or overheating issues with the 2.0mm rotors I used on the other brake systems. But more is always better!
-Tor
I agree with all of this. i could never get the MT7s the shut the hell up so I switched to TRP a year ago and love them. The Freedom Coast lever upgrade makes them even better and more comfortable. The stock levers were too far away from the bars for me and was getting awful hand pump at first. After switching to the Freedom Coast levers, that's all gone and they are the most comfortable i've tried. But i will say i am curious about the Hayes brakes... I hear great things.
Wouldn't run the golds on the front gboihh unless I was in morzine. Also with trying the Shimano finned pads on the rear for long decents.
Thank you, didnt realize someone made better levers for the TRP's. I have it almost bottomed out for the reach adjust, so I just ordered the freedom coast levers.
Is there a way to get rid of pad rock? The noise is driving me insane. ( I do street trials) also my brakes dont work everytime I star my ride I have to wet the brakes and bed them in.
I’ve got Magura MT7 Pro’s and they’re ridiculously powerful, tons of customizability, and are half the weight of other brands. Best brakes IMO
Carefully checked your brakes levers master cylinder piston after 2 years they are leaking and loosing brakes. This part is not available to buy at Magura thats why I put the XTR levers on my MT7.
@@marilakay4902if the master at the lever leaks you can make a warranty claim and get a new lever
TRPs are definitely my type. I only have lower OEM slate 4-pistons and stopping power is amazing.
My experience…
Magura = noisy, inconsistent bedding in, weak lever blades, but a good lever feel
Hayes = smooth/light lever pull, simple caliper alignment, but overheated or just not enough power during DH race runs and gave gnarly arm pump
TRP = not enough time on them but seemed good while I rode Neko’s bike
After trying nearly everything, I’ve come to love Shimano Saints, Galfer Pro pads, and SRAM HS2 rotors for the most power/bite and ease of use.
Hey Tony thanks for the comment! You're right, they're all super powerful and that's not why we're picking one over the other. Pretty much all modern mountain bike brakes give MORE than enough power and you can lock up the rear wheel by just looking at the lever, so we're deciding based off the nuances of them. Little things like the features they offer beyond pure power. Plus, more power helps to let your arms relax on long descents and keep you from getting arm pump.
-Tor
Levers made of PLastic thats why I swap the XTR levers .
Heavy rider here riding very steep and long descents but also climbs as well (no lifts).
Kudos on a well written review on alternative brake options. Most people I know only talk about SRAM and Shimano brakes when there's so many options out there.
After being very unhappy with those last two brands, I jumped in the Magura bandwagon and I've been perfectly happy with them. Very easy to maintain and bleed, and fantastic lever feel as well, throughout the life of the pads (I do have the HC3 levers) 😎
after having used all of these 3, if you want the best of them all, hope tech 4 v4.
yeah or Trick Stuff , but who has the money for brakes that cost as much as the bike 😂😉
And no customer service and will blame you for any issues that comes with the brakes.
@@totalglitch what brand are you talking about? Hope are awesome...
I have hope tech e 4. They are unbelievably strong. Blow away all of my other brakes. Dhr evo, Magura etc. I hear the e4 is even stronger than the v4 I couldn’t imagine needing more. Even on a 40lb bike and I’m 200lb
@@bterper1142 v4 are stronger than e4.
I have the magura mt8 pro brakes they have been awesome so far. I paired them up with trp 33 break rotors been a great combo.
Always awesome to hear when people find a brake that works great for them!
-Mike
If ur ever stuck for hayes dominion pads. Code pads fit if u drill the hole in the pad out a little
I picked up some Hayes brakes some months back and I was really pleased how good they are, especially for the price.
They’re clearly the best in this lineup. TRP is budget and Magura levers are freaking huge in comparison.
Nice! Hayes are definitely a topic of discussion at the shop right now. Everyone who tries them really likes them!
@@Zetler Having owned both I wouldn't call Magura levers huge at all. the one finger blades are just that and the master cylinder is way smaller than the Hayes (Hayes MC sticks out almost 3"). Maguras lever blades may look bigger because of the pivot location, but footprint on the handlebar is WAY smaller. Also availability of Hayes olives and other small parts was non existent a few months ago and that is a deal breaker
I have the Magura MT5s. They kind of feel like a mix of Sram and Shimano. They have decent modulation and a powerful bite. Those who are more of a finesse braker will get along great with them
I have the 4 piston Zoom brakes, way better than any Shimano or Magura I've tried and I've tried them all 🎅
Must be carefull of braking after 2years the master cylinder will start leaking and you loss brakes.
@@marilakay4902 This happened to me after 7 years.
I haven’t ridden the Hayes brakes but saying the brake with more power and bite that reduces arm pump is like a code doesn’t seem to make sense to me. Even the highest end Code RSC has significantly less power than a Shimano XT in my experience. I personally tend to dislike brakes with lots of modulation, I want the most power possible for the least effort (within reason obviously) but I feel like the Codes require so much input to get any power out of them which doesn’t compute with what I’ve heard about the Hayes
I liked the modulation on SRAM RSCs. Don't like both Magura and Shimano because they bite too fast. Have to be more careful with them not to lock the wheel. I have this small rock jump into a rock garden brake section and with the RSCs I could start breaking as I'm landing. Where as with the Maguras and Shimanos I had to brake before the jump because can't modulate the power well enough to keep traction while the suspension is working.
TRPs are definitely the easiest to maintain and setup, the thicker 2.3mm rotors never go out of true or even have a little wobble. Any brake that uses a open bleed cup on the lever is always nice too.
I have been riding the Magura MT5 brakes for years and they are really amazing. I would choose these over Shimano brakes anytime. But remember! It is all about preference!
MT7s with HC3 levers. Easy to bleed and maintain, tons of power, and great lever feel with those hc3 levers. My personal set has been transferred over to a 3rd bike at this point, and we have Magura on all our other bikes as well. I have no reason to try anything else right now. The Dominions feels pretty great though, but I prefer mineral oil brakes.
Couldn't agree more! Those HC3 levers make a big difference and the Maguras have been my personal preference for close to a year now.
-Tor
I rode code rsc the last two seasons. Giving the dominion A4 a go this year. I’m excited!!!
Thank you guys so much for making this video. I have been looking at replacing my codes with one of these three and have struggled to find a direct three-way comparison video.
Glad we could help! Which ones did you decide on?
-Tor
I’ve had Magura MT7 with HC3 (?) levers and currently ride Hayes Dominion titanium version brakes. Both are great and performed much better than Sram
Brakes that came on my bike.
Other than the Magura carbotexture material which does feel like it would break easier than other brands (though I never broke them in 2 years of riding) the biggest difference is ease of install I found.
As I home mechanic I was able to install Magura brakes with tools on hand. I did order the Magura “pro bleed kit” which I thought was overpriced garbage. Just get the jag wire bleed kit.
The Hayes were much more finicky to install and required 2-3 specialty tools the average diy’er does not have. Good luck finding the one size of crab claw wrench you need at a local hardware store (I had to end up ordering a whole set). When installing the rear brake the olive with integrated needle thing broke in the reservoir requiring a full rebuild of the caliper. The needle was much harder to install than on Magura. Hayes manual calls for a specific needle insertion tool. The Hayes bleed process was fairly easy for me.
My advice is to read the instruction manual for Hayes prior to purchasing to make sure you have the tools needed. If I were to do it again and now that I have the specialty tools I would get Hayes again. If I didn’t have those tools already I would either pay a shop to install the Hayes or go with Magura.
From riding them in the car park I love the Maguras. I myself ride Formula Curas. Maybe you can get them into a next review, I would really want to know how they compare to other systems
Would love to get my hands on a set of those, only heard good things!
-Tor
props for the rough af shirt!
Have only used TRPs lower end trail brakes but even those have really impressed me. Enjoy them as much as the XTs on my other bike
Ya I have only used the trail trp and they feel really really good . I heard the down hill trp are insane . To me the trail trp feel really close to the Shimano XT 4 piston,
trp slate evo??
@@tylerlove9275 yes slate evos
Unlike DOT, mineral oil can be used interchangeably. Magura will void your warranty tho. Yes, the boiling point is slighty different, but it is unlikeley to reach that temperature anyway. I use a 3rd party mineral oil in my brakes and never failed me so far.
Any mineral oil brake lever is theoretically compatible with any mineral oil caliper, but the volume of fluid moved might be different. If you want a more "on-off" feel, look for a lever with a bigger volume and/or a ramp (like shimano mt501 -> xtr). If you want a longer throw, look for longer lever and/or lower lever piston volume.
Consider changing the material of the brakepads, there are 4 main marterials you can choose from: resin, semimetalic, ceramic and metalic. They drasticly change the brake feel. The same with de diameter of the rotor.
Tyres: the brake component few talk about. If you skid with front tyre on grippy terrain, you don't have powerful brakes, you have bad tyres.
Hope it helps, happy trails 🤙🏻
i was wondering about what mineral oil goes into trp(or can go), they said shimano oil, but i think trp has some blue oil. apparently it does not matter much..
Hey this questions goes to everyone. Has anyone tried the TRP Slate Evos? I am currently riding Shimano M6120 and I am actually dissapointed with them. My main issue is the freestroke, it is just way to much for my taste. I did the thing where you push the lever and the piston travel until they reach the disc decreases. Still the freestroke is way to much, yes I bled them multiples times and they feel fine with the bleed block, just not with the disc and pads (just as a comparison I rode Shimano M355 just fine and also the MT410 feel way better in terms of bite point and freestroke but the lever is nothing I want on a Trail Bike). Right now the slates are on sale in germany and I heard that they have not as much freestroke as other brands, so has anyone an opinion on that?
I have the TRP Slate Evo's and I'm incredibly unhappy with them. The modulation is good, but the stopping power is horrible. I'm 210 lbs. on a 28 lb. Norco Hartail. I'm looking at switching to the Dominions.
@@AZRob. thats actually what I thought too. I keep my Deores and maybe try maguras in the future. The sad thing is cheaper Shimano brakes actually feel better in terms of bite point. I got the MT400 on my XC Hardtail and used 3Min19sec brake pads and they are awesome even with a 180 mm Rotor up front. Only the lever itself is BS.
Nothing finicky about bleeding Magura brakes. Just fill the brakes with the caliper in the vertical position and then remove any air that might be still in there with a suction bleed at the lever end: ua-cam.com/video/Bl8PChRadX0/v-deo.html
ive ran both maguras and trp, and i find the maguras to suck. They have no power, the brake feel is terrible, and are terrible quality. The trps i love, perfect modulation, perfect power, and easily to pull
Love my Maguras, found the bleeding super easy and straight forward, like any other brand to be honest.
Thanks for the comment Curtis! Yea it's not any trickier than tying your shoes, but you still have to get taught how to do it!
I have the SRAM Code and thinking of the TRP’s. I like to have a good response when braking and simplicity
Great comparison vid. One major factor not mentioned is what hand size/reach preference these brakes suit as reach adjust on brake levers significantly impacts the dead stroke (generally reducing lever distance = increases dead stroke).
For people with small hands - go Magura. Shortest throw of the three and can get the throw even shorter with a different lever.
For people with bigger hands - Go any of them. TRP works best for people with medium-larger hands as they have a very linear power delivery and dead stroke is significantly affected by the reach adjust.
For people with medium hands - Go any of them. But if you like to run your brakes closer to the bar then go with the Dominions or the Maguras.
Can you maybe also compare the Hope Tech and Shimano XTR to what you mentioned? How do these compare to the Magura in terms of dead stroke? I have tiny hands and am looking for a new brake so I'd greatly appreciate your help!
@ImagineCorgis Hope (Tech3 and the new Tech4) and Shimano both have minimal dead stroke (probably the smallest dead stroke vs all other brakes on the market. On par with Magura with the right lever). Ideal for smaller handed riders who like to run the levers close to the bar.
I'm personally just not a huge fan of the Magura lever feel (a bit wooden), bleeding is more finnicky vs. My favorite brakes (Hope Tech 4s or Hayes Dominions).
Only issue with Shimano (vs Hope) is the lever pull consistency. Shimano "wandering bite point" is well documented. When the lever is that close to the bar, lever that suddenly bottoms out on the bar would be unnerving. This can be solved by swapping the stock mineral oil with Putoline HPX 2.5 oil. If you like your brakes to behave like a lightswitch then Shim is the go.
If you have a bit more $, Hopes are super consistant and much better lever feel/modulation (for me). Tech3 are a little underpowered, a little weaker than a Shim 4 Piston Brake (so I ran larger rotors and/or best pads e.g. Galfer Green or Hope Racing Green). Tech 4s are probably the most powerful and nicest lever feel brakes on the market. Equal favourite brake for me alongside the Hayes Dominion (but I have M sized hands). Hayes do the Dominion A4s in a short finger model for small hands (called SFL) which would work for you.
@@lenolenoleno wow, thank you for such detailed info! Highly appreciated, you helped me insanely much. I've been mostly debating between the Dominions and the Tech 4s. Think I'll definitely pull the trigger on the Techs if I can grab a discount somewhere.
How would you compare the bleeding between Hayes and Hopes tho?
@ImagineCorgis no worries!
I prefer the Hayes bleed process. Very straightforward two syringe push & pull. The calliper itself has two bleed ports, which helps rid the most common stubborn air bubbles - behind the pistons. Dominions also have the neat grub screws in the calliper, which makes re-installing it centralised a breeze (e.g., post lower leg service).
The Hope is bled much like a car. Just a few extra steps vs. Dominion, you need to remove the reservoir cap and ensure it the lever is as level as possible. Pretty straightforward, but a few more steps nonetheless.
The best hack to centralise a Hope calliper is to install the wheel + rotor with no pads. Loosen the caliper bolts, squeeze 3x standard playing cards on each side of the rotor (between the rotor and the slit in the calliper) and tighten your bolts.
Great video, I’ve got Hayes a4 on my smaller bike and Trp dhr evo on my bigger bike. Love them both. Easy to forget which ones I’m even riding.
Sometimes I forget I'm even riding! Glad you're fired up your stoppers 😎
-Tor
I had Tektro on my beginner bike and worked really well. Ordered my enduro bike which came with Deore 4P brakes and they were great when they worked. A little inconsistent.
After a long, long, long comparison between all the brands, went with TRP DH-R EVO. Overkill? Who cares, they work awesome, are very consistent and look nice! 👌
I mean tektro does a big variety of brakes- but I had them on 3 bikes and they where all shit. Very weak, always drawing air in and you can bleed them about twice before everything is leaking..
@olik136 interesting, I never had issues with mine. I still have that bike and I only bleed them once. I did swap out the pads to better ones.
I guess my LBS did really good installing mine.
There's no such thing as overkill for brakes! The bigger the better, can't wait til we get some 6 piston options
-Tor
When I upgraded from sram rsc to shimano saint I was amazed. Idk if I'll ever try another set of brakes because the saints are just perfect for me
Magura levers are the ugliest thing I've ever seen
Just got the new Levo SL and now swapping out the SRAM Code Silver and putting on my old MT7’s. The Code, to me, has inconsistent bite and I’m more comfortable on my old MT7’s even though you guys think the bite point is hard. I just bought a set of Swissstop pads to improve modulation. As you said, all these will stop you but modulation is most important so maybe next I’ll try the TRP.
That new Levo SL looks pretty sweet! While the MT7s come on hot, it's not a problem out on trail and they feel amazing. But if you're looking for all out modulation then the TRPs or the Hayes are definitely better options!
-Tor 😎
@@TheLostCothanks! I’m an intermediate rider so I think modulation is more important and considering I’m only 70kg, stopping is not an issue.
you forgot to mention one major MAJOR flaw with the dominions. They use dot fluid. That is a deal braker for me.
i have had various sram then tried hayes and now the TRP. I actually wish i would have had more time on the hayes brakes(being that they were on a fat bike i didnt care for). I recall that lever feel and bite was really nice. I have a lot more time on the TRPs and have really been enjoying them. coming off the code RSC brakes they have been a dream. I recently rented a bike with codes on it and was honestly super disappointed in them.
I will only use Hope brakes.
After having Hayes hoses explode and magura levers snap on the megavalanche, I'll never use anyone else.
I've been riding Maguras for a couple years now. Massively more reliable and fade-resistant than the various Shimanos I'd ridden for years before (once you get them set up, that is). No experience with the others, but so far Mags seem as good as I'll ever need. Worth upgrading pads to something like MTX Red or metal pads for more bite. Stock pads were lacking.
I do wish Magura had more brake pad options! Only offering resin pads isn't super ideal considering it rains so much here in the PNW. So glad there are third party options!
-Tor
@The Lost Co. Magura's reasoning for resin only is they try to put more heat into the rotor versus the caliper. Resin pads act as an insulator for the caliper.
@@Morpheas001 so far after a year or two riding with MTX Reds (not metallic, but ceramic), I'm definitely seeing no fading issues. never tried metallic pads with Maguras, but something tells me they could handle the heat no prob.
@David Boerner I agree with you. That's just what i read/heard somewhere, and it kinda makes sense.
I run magura mt8 with 4 piston sl calipers and hc3 levers and love them. Had hope brakes before which look really nice but performance was lacking.
I LOVE that backdrop!!
So glad you like it! Mike absolutely crushed the new studio, looks super pro 😎
-Tor
Hayes has the same adjustability as the Magura MT7 HC3. On Hayes, theres a screw that you can adjust for pad contact but to me it only does the same thing a reach adjust but if you remove the lever blade, there's a screw with the ball you can adjust for leverage of the blade. I dont touch it since its tedious to adjust.
Love the vids!
Thanks for the love!!
-Mike
I have only had issues with my old Hayes Stroker (piston slop/seize). Shimano's have been super reliable, love the fact that the brake fluid in shimano/trp/magura won't kill you if you drink it :) Also better for the environement.
Are you sure mineral oil won't kill you? Do you know what its made from, right?
@@maciejzwolinski4022 unicorn tears. Mineral oil is used as a laxative.
So you think its the same because both are mineral oils? Ok...
Ive used the trp dhr evo brakes and had no problem with them and the power and modulation is great.
How did you find the lever pull for when the pads came into contact? Was it a lot. Or could you bleed them so there wasn't much movement for brakes to be fully applied
XTR and Im ok.
great sales voice dude with the rough AF shirt you have a gift expand it
predictable modulation, shimano pads, simplicity = trp for the win
Simplicity is often king!!
-Tor
should i ride long and brake long all the time untill they not touch anymore ?
manual from mt5 estop says Max thickness 1.8, and they told me storm hc 203 is oke with it, now the pads are rubbing against the rotor, because storm hc is 2 mm thickness..., so i wasted money and time putting them on and line them up was taking alot of time to get them fit oke, but still it's too thick, and need a new rotor... :(
i can not fit the brake good, storm hc is too thick. it's braking already when i dont brake. lined them up good. but they still touch the rotor
can i open up the pistons outside? i got a storm hc 203 rotor on my mt5-estop, but they are too thick, brake site says they are oke for them, but no, manual says : max 1.8 thickness rotor.
so now they slip against the rotor, and i not even brake yet. so now i found out storm hc and mt5-estop can not go together !!! stupid stuff, now too late to send back storm hc, now have to get a rotor who is 1.8 mm thickness, were can i get a 203 rotor with 1,8 thickness ???? anybody ?
manual from mt5e-stop says, Max 1.8 mm thickness rotor, all magura rotors are 2 mm, now my brake touch the pads already, when i not brake at all.. how can i fix that ? it's braking already if i not brake. can somebody help me ?
Hope Tec 3 v4 with magura 220s work well one one of my bikes . The other one has tec 4s v4 trp 203s 2.3mm thick the 203s are in the post cant wait to try them. Diameter vs thickness.
I'm running the Hayes Dominions currently and like them. I do wanna try out both the TRP DHR-Evo and the new Hope brakes. Btw please make a video about the new Hope brakes!!!!
Those hopes are pretty sweet, the braided lines and moto looking levers are pretty intense, would love to try them out!
-Tor
Went from Code R to Saints, felt instant improvement. I'm around 115 kg with the bike.
you guys should try and review formula curas
So many brakes out there to try!
-Mike
Are those stealth black TRP limited edition? I’ve only seen silver and gold. Awesome video. I’m in the market for a new bike build. Was deciding which non SRAM/Shimano brakes to spec.
Not limited edition, those DH-R EVO's just come and go with their availability in all colors. I love the all black on my Stumpy 😀
-Mike
I have the TRP DH EVO's on my DH bike with 220mm rotors and they are ridiculously powerful. All day bike park laps with zero fade or change in performance. Nearly a year in without a bleed too which is also pretty amazing. Something to be said for a MTB product that just flat out works consistently without issue. Huge fan of the TRP's.
Any of these brakes with 220mm rotors is a recipe for success! Going to be pulling so many G's when slowing down!
-Tor 😎
Been riding the Hayes a4s for a couple years now. Absolutely love them! Just bought a set for my mid travel trail bike now to replace my Guides. After squeezing the Hayes the Sram stuff just felt cheap.
Hayes brakes absolutely crush the squeeze test!! Nothing else feels quite as good when you're in the parking lot, which is all the really matters right?
-Tor
I recently switched from the MT7 to Tech 4 and the Tech 4 is amazing. Nothing wrong with my set of MT7 but the quality and craftsmanship for the tech 4 is next level. It's got great modulation, power, all the adjustments and it's also totally rebuildable for the home mechanic.
That's great to hear, can't wait to get my hands on a set of those Tech 4's, love the look of those braided lines!
-Tor
Magura's are awesome breaks but the bleeding takes practice they are not the most friendly to work but oh boy once you learn to work with them. They are awesome!!
That is so true... I love them so much I have Maguras on five of my bikes!
I run shimano xt 4 piston brakes with 200mm hs2 sram rotors love the combo on my nuckproof mega 290
It would have been nice to discuss also rotors. The Magura offer the MDR-P, this look great. Also riding the MT-7 myself I can only recommend going for the split pads rather than the ones you were showing. Great video, keep it coming!
It's tricky to cover every topic possible, otherwise our videos would all be like 2 hours long, haha. But that's why we always post our contact information, so people can reach out with their specific questions.
Just got those trp’s with 223 rotors. Can’t lock it up.. I’m going back to saints.
My TRP Quadiem's are my fave brakes so far.
Sub'd soon as that Mechanic guy walked in explaining the ends and outs of the brake systems. I always wanted to try all these brakes just didn't know what bleed kits they required, saved me from going done a huge rabbit hole!!!!
You can tell these guy (and company) are about the community of mountain bikers vs a lot of places advertise who pays them and wants $$$
I was pretty sure I was gonna get the Hayes for the next build. Now I’m certain
Can't go wrong with the A4's 😎
-Tor
I’m interested in the different rotor requirements… and also TRP after market levers?
TRP uses the 2.3mm rotors and I used 2.0mm rotors on both Maguras and Hayes with no issues!
-Tor
I wouldn't touch anything that has Dot5 anymore. Had Codes for the longest time and even with the Bleeding Edge, it's a pain the A to bleed especially once the bleed bolts gets corrosion. One drop can really mess your paint, not to mention that fluid also tend to eek out of the pressure release ports (looking at you Sram)
Stay away from the Hayes if you're anti Dot fluid! The other two options use mineral oil, which you probably shouldn't drink either but is definitely not as hard on the paint if you spill!
-Tor
Always gotta be one thing that stops any one product from being perfect lol Hayes mineral oil brakes when 🤨
TRP DHR EVO th Best ..
Brown Jason Young Kevin Thompson Mark
Mike and crew, great vid as usual. My history with these brakes.. I had the 1st Gen Magura brakes (neon yellow) on my GT RTS-2 and OEM Hayes on my 2000 Specialized FSR BIGHIT (still own). Both of which work way better than my current Shimano brakes on my Intense Carbine. My next upgrade will be brakes, so this vid comes at a great time.
Thanks for the comment! We definitely recommend running a rotor thicker than the 1.8 centerline rotor you're talking about. With the TRP's you need to use their 2.3mm rotor because their calipers are designed around it, and I used a 2.0mm HS2 rotor with the other two systems.
-Tor
Trickstuff Maxima. Best brake out there. Will never go back to anything less.
Hope Tech 4s for me. With Hope floating rotors.
Hi there
Soni ride street trials with TRP evo but i think i need to sell them and get something else.
1. Problem - pad rock. It make horrible noises.
2. Problem - everytime i start my ride my brakes do not work. I have to first pour water on them and then bed them in.
Interesting video but the background musak spoilt it for me.
How do these compare to saints? I had saints forever and love them but I’d switch if they were that much better
Hi guys i have question for you. Recently i bought my dream bike Norco Optic. Bike has TRP slate evo brakes but i noticed after long downhill ride brakes started to faded. Do you think uprage to DH-R will be noticable? And one question, can more powerful brakes damage my front fork in time? I have Rock Shox Pike Select 140mm. Thanks for your answer.
I've had multiple sets of MT7s (for different bikes) and they were probably the most noticeable upgrade for me, and really helped my confidence downhill. To be fair many 4-Pistons would be! So much power. Their service kit was def nice to have for the home mechanic. They can be a little noisy with the close pad contact. But, I've since upgraded to Oak Levers which have some adjustability built in. Before that I was a Shimano fan. I'd probably run Saints otherwise!
I tried the magura mt7 and mt5 I liked the mt7 but I broke the lever after 2 weeks of use and couldn't find a replacement within a month, at a reasonable price the whole system was just 400$ cdn, the TRP are very fine brakes but I had one caliper failure, covered under store warranty.
Presently I'm running code rsc, DB8 and Lewis LH4 on my bikes, still have the mt7 they are on my wife's bike.
I'm riding a 50 lb e-bike and on high speed, long, steep descents the stock Code RS' needed so much finger pressure to slow down that I felt like my hands would seize up. Recently put on Hayes Dominion A4's and the reduction in pressure needed is unbelievable. Pro tip: SRAM caliper adaptors don't play nice with the Hayes calipers. I ended up having to shim to make them work.
Hey Craig! I had the exact same issues with SRAM adapters not playing nicely with the Hayes calipers and ended up grinding the adapters down to make room for the beefy A4 calipers. Double check that you're getting perfect contact between the rotor and the pads, if you're using shims it can be hard to get right and make a BIG difference in braking power!
-Tor
What he said^^^. I used TRP adapters and had to do a little bit or filing on them to fit the hayes
@@TheLostCo Yep, on the front 220 SRAM rotor I had to grind a bit on the adaptor + shims to get clearance and make sure the pad was contacting in the center of the rotor track. Rear 200 SRAM rotor was just shims, no grinding. Unfortunately Hayes adaptors are rarer than hen's teeth.
The issue with crosshair alignment is that it only minimizes caliper twist on the top bolt when tightening them down (from experience and general mechanical knowledge).
The top of the caliper will twist in until it hits the crosshair adj bolt. However the bottom one will still twist away from the bolt.
The bottom bolt would be more effective on the inside of the caliper (of course the disc is in the way) to stop the caliper from shifting when the bolt is tight.
Two bleed ports? Ughh. I grew up on Hayes but I think the TRPs are better overall.
TRP flaw is that the bleed port screws allow too much oil to sit in the threads after bleed. If you don't spray them out with air pad contamination is VERY easy.
For all the issues I have with Scram, especially their brakes, Bleeding edge is the single best bleed kit/feature of ANY brake I have worked on over the last 20+ years. Unfortunately it's only on some of their brakes and nobody else has caught on yet.
Magura, brake caliper flex? Did Gary Fischer invent that hype? I don't buy it.
I've had several bikes that come with Tektros. I will never try TRPs, no matter the reviews due to the experiences I've had with Tektro.
It can definitely be hard to get past a bad experience with a product, but TRP and Tektro make completely different brakes. TRP stands for Tektro Racing Products, and they operate very separately from Tektro, working with the top downhill athletes on their products.
-Tor
How is it with the adapters for Hayes Brakes, have you got any idea? Will the sram 180 to 200 mm adapters work with Hayes calipers and the 203 rotor? PM standard front and rear.
I did my first bleed on magura MT5-E and it was easy af X). just follow their 4min tutorial hit with a plastic tool the caliper to remove the bubbles and tadam it works fine :)
I loooooove my MT7 brakes with the hc3 lever. I have gotten it perfect for what I need. having that leverage adjustment is a game changer, it makes it possible to get exactly the same feel on the front and rear brakes wich make them incredibly consistent.
and then there is the power. all the power you need and more, and because of all that power, not that much arm pump. I came off code brakes and I immediately felt the difference when it comes to arm pump. and that power never stops coming. I have the race pads on my brakes and they are really strong at the start of the run and even stronger towards the end of the run. they just keep on braking and the more you abuse them the more stopping power you have.
I have a feeling that I will never switch from magura going forward, that's how much I love mine.
riders that don't do enduro anymore as in old dudes like me {77} really don't need to bleed brakes very often . i've had Magura MT5s for four years without bleeding . granted i don't ride as much anymore but if you're not burning up brake pads you do t need to bleed . Also for trail riders ,commuters , touring ,MT5 is more brake than you will ever need , so save yourself some money and go for MT5. the only down side is the levers are not as adjustable as MT7 .
Magura MT8 carbon levers are pretty weak and I have broken one during not so harsh fall... aluminum is much better, not to mention HC3
Well i have magura mt5s on my trailbike and although they are the cheaper version i think this problem could also apply to the mt7: As the mastercylinder is this plastib, the thread for the cable is as well and in my experience its extremely easy th crossthread it and therefor make the level unusable (mabe I'm just ti dumb to thread it in but I'm going to blame it on the cheap buildquality)
I have impressions only with Magura. Two negatives - if you want to put a 2 brake pads to the caliper - you will have to remove it from the bike. No such issue if you put 4 pads. Also one should be really careful when reconnecting the hose to the brake body - it is very easy to strip the thread and then you go with Shimano brake lever and you have a Shigura. Which is better.
I have the Hayes Dominion and I have never in my life ridden a brake that strong. I have them set up with a 203 magura mdrp rotor and the red galfer pads. They have so much power that a friend of mine nearly went over the bars in the parking lot( he rides shimano) as he pulled them. Worth mentioning is that I had to tinker with the pad and rotor because I couldn’t get them to brake silently. With the current setup there is minimal to no sound.
There’s about 7 times more words in this video than needed.
I have the MT7’s. Been riding them for 3+ years and I weigh 100+kg. I love them. The feel and stopping power is excellent. Just be careful with the screws on the lever body. Also I don’t think you mentioned that the Magura has many different pads you can choose from and is also a radial pull master cylinder which is one of the reasons why it’s so ridiculously powerful and responsive. Got nothing but good things to say about my maguras and when they finally die I’ll buy another set.
Glad you're stoked on the Maguras! Definitely one of the best brakes out there and also was a huge fan of all the brake pads they offer! Just wish that they would come in a metallic compound too...
-Tor 😎
Probably worth noting the Magura has a radial mounted lever where the TRP and the Hayes have a axial mounted lever which will effect how they feel and modulate.
I almost had my mind up on the trp’s and then they said “least powerful out of the group” 😅 I way 220 pounds will the trp’s be strong enough for stoppies?
This is great roundup of all the non big S brakes, really covers it all!
Personally I have Shimano on all my bikes now but I briefly owned a bike with MT7s and have demoed bikes with Maguras a few times and have always really gotten along with them. The lever shape and bite point are really what I like and frankly the only reason I don't have them now is because of what I heard about the bleed process but maybe I should give them a long term shot next time.
The bleed process isn't bad at all! Maguras get a bad rap because they're a little different from what people are used to, but if you just follow the video there's not much that can go wrong :)
-Tor
Watch out in the long run the masters cylinder piston will start to leak and this part is not available at Magura.
Great vid. On the Hayes dominion, what's the difference between the sfl version vs normal. Are the levers the same length or actually shorter? if shorter, how is that more designed for a smaller hand?
Still looking for this "Magura bite", my front brake is so weak I can apply it full force and pedal through it (albeit quite hard). Clearly the issue is on me and my ability to get it properly set up, but this has been a 30 day battle so far. The rear brake is working nicely though, I cannot pedal through it if I apply the brake full power, so I must be on the right path.
Sounds like a contaminated rotor and pad so they aren't grabbing. Or a glazed pad from in proper bedding in process
Hey Jamison! Sorry you're having issues with the Maguras, I agree with James that it could be a contaminated rotor and pads, especially if it's making a howling noise.
-Tor
Intend Trinity .. or Trickstuff Direttissima, I never want to ride an other brake anymore
Yea I never want to drive anything but a Bugatti from now on!
-Tor
DAm, now I want the Dominions. 🚴 There goes my wallet
They've stolen my heart and my money 😭
-Tor
I absolutely hate my Magura brakes. I wouldn’t recommend them to anyone
I wish all brakes buy that has options bleeded or apart as a pain letting fluid out to feed though frame to then bleed