An actual brake comparison study

[carlbiker]

I've been trying to find out what brakes are the best performing and like anything else it's subjective but here is black and white data. I bought some Zees but I'll be selling this on now and buying the Maguru MT7's after doing this exercise, maybe its useful for some of you guys or will bring about some useful feedback....

They also recommend fitting Trickstuff Power+ brake pads which on their tests offered 20% more performance and were quieter.

The best eMTB disc brake you can buy

Disc brakes now have it harder than ever before: we’re riding higher modern tires bite harder, and the trails we ride are getting tougher. To be confident in challenging terrain we need to be able to control our speed, so which disc brake is best? Every year, tires get better, our bikes get more...

ebike-mtb.com

Overview

Brake	Price*	Weight**	Average Breaking Torque	30-15 km/h	45-0 km/h
Formula Cura	€ 124	466 g	74.3 Nm	1.7 s	8.0 s
Hope T3 V4	€ 235	490 g	74.8 Nm	3.3 s	12.7 s
Magura MT5	€ 111	470 g	90.1 Nm	1.7 s	10.4 s
Magura MT7	€ 219	488 g	99.3 Nm	1.6 s	5.2
Magura MT Trail Sport	€ 219 (set)	458 g	85.1/68.1 Nm	1.8/2.3 s	7.6/9.8 s
Shimano Deore	€ 73	548 g	69.9 Nm	3.0 s	9.6 s
Shimano Saint	€ 237	594 g	83 Nm	1.4 s	8.8 s
Shimano XT	€ 146	528 g	78.4 Nm	3.4 s	9.3 s
Shimano Zee	€ 157	576 g	75.2 Nm	1.7 s	12.0 s
SRAM Code R	€ 170	514 g	69.2 Nm	3.1 s	11.9 s
SRAM Code RSC	€ 270	566 g	70.6 Nm	2.4 s	8.5
Trickstuff Direttissima	€ 375	388 g	114.7 Nm	1.1 s	6.2
TRP G-Spec Quadiem	€ 219	608 g	66.2 Nm	2.2 s	7.7 s
TRP G-Spec Slate	€ 219	574 g	55.0 Nm	3.9 s	10.5 s
Tree - Hardwood	€ FREE	7000000g	Not rated	0.0 s	0.0 s

Quite interesting, I was close to buying some hope brakes and looking to sell my Zees until I played around with the table a littl,added a little colour scoring and filtered the fastest to stop dead from 45 km/h:

I know there's more to just raw data, but its a nice starting point! If this study is accurate then I should be avoiding the hope brakes and aiming towards MT7 (the new levers are meant to be nice) Those Forumla Cura look good bang for buck although they recommend the Zees for the most cost effective option if your on a budget!

Finally here is their summary

For eMTBs the Magura MT7 and Shimano Saint models are impossible to beat for reliable and efficient power and the new HC lever of the MT7 nudges it ahead to win the Best In Test. For riders looking for maximum value, the powerful Shimano Zee are a class-act, taking our Best Value award.

Moderator Edit : Added Tree to comparison table.

 

[dobbyhasfriends]

lot of interesting data there, some is pretty surprising too like the Hope !
MT7 looks like the best bang for buck

 

[mark.ai]

Shame they don't have data for the Hayes Dominion A4s ...

 

[Shinn]

I am surprised the Guide R's didn't make the list

I've been trying to decide between the RSC and MT5, thanks for sharing the research - very informative.

 

[Jackware]

How often do you brake to a stop from 45km/h on your mountain bike?

Are you finding the Zees wanting when braking?

 

[Gary]

Disappointed not to see "TREES" at the top of your spreadsheet as the control data

Glad you're feeling better and back to your usual good self.

 

[Rosemount]

Disappointed not to see "TREES" at the top of your spreadsheet as the control data

Glad you're feeling better and back to your usual good self.

Have you been told today Gary ?

Shigura ...

 

[Singletrackmind]

lot of interesting data there, some is pretty surprising too like the Hope !
MT7 looks like the best bang for buck

I have Magura MT7's on my Spesh Levo S-Works and they are filthy! Loved them so much, switched out the SRAM Code RSC's that came stock on my YT Decoy Elite. Night and day difference. Modulation is top notch and can't imagine needing more stopping power. Only gripe is they lack the adjustability of the SRAM Matchmaker clamps. Have to find a happy medium with brake lever/shifter or controller position. I'm running AXS Dropper post on both rigs and Sram AXS on Spesh and Shimano XT on YT.

 

[Jmc123]

I had shimano Zee's with sintered pads and 203mm discs on my mondraker. They were OK but seemed to loose bite, I replaced the discs with 220 magura ebike specific discs and this made an improvement however still not perfect. I then bought a set of Mt5 brakes with mt7 sintered pads, I sold the levers on ebay and used my zee levers. This was a great setup but adjusting the bite point on the levers was a pain so they were replaced with a set of xt levers. I now feel this is the perfect setup for my mondraker ebike; shimano xt levers, 220mm magura discs, Mt5 Calipers and sintered pads. I sold my old brake setup on ebay which helped to fund the new stuff.

 

[Rusty]

Brake comparisons are interesting studies. Have seen 2 studies done within a month of each other using the same brand brake dynometer come up with varying difference in the results. Of course, there is always a bit of subjectiveness when it comes to modulation.

The best study I have seen also involved a non-contact pyrometer and each brake system was tested many times with different pad compounds as well. This was a while back and these were some of the older 2 pot systems and included things like BB5, Stroker Trail etc.
One of the real interesting things was extended performance once the brakes had been applied 4 or 5 times in an row and/or dragged slightly for a period of time.

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

Out of all the brakes I’ve used, for the riding locations I go to.... my favourite brake is

Shimano Deore

based on price / performance / lever design and feel / ease of fitting / easy integration with other Shimano EV stuff / modulation / feel

£150 for a pair of 4 pot Deore M6120 brakes is a pretty good bang for buck. And to me they are the same in terms of power to XT (I’m sure they are the same brake but with less adjustment and prob slightly heavier??).

 

[Mcharza]

I had shimano Zee's with sintered pads and 203mm discs on my mondraker. They were OK but seemed to loose bite, I replaced the discs with 220 magura ebike specific discs and this made an improvement however still not perfect. I then bought a set of Mt5 brakes with mt7 sintered pads, I sold the levers on ebay and used my zee levers. This was a great setup but adjusting the bite point on the levers was a pain so they were replaced with a set of xt levers. I now feel this is the perfect setup for my mondraker ebike; shimano xt levers, 220mm magura discs, Mt5 Calipers and sintered pads. I sold my old brake setup on ebay which helped to fund the new stuff.

Sounds like Shigura set ?

 

[Mteam]

I've got bikes with shimano m8120 XT, magura Mt5 , sram code RSC, hope tech 3 e4 (not the v4 in that test) and I'd generally agree with the ordering in karls table above :-

sram code rsc > Shimano xt 8210 > magura Mt5 > hope t3 e4

But aside from the hope that is way less capable than the rest, they're all pretty close in on trail performance despite having numbers in the table above that would make them appear very different.

 

[Olof Bike Adventures]

I have tested quite a few brakes, but I've found there is not much consistency between bikes with the same type of brake. Depending on wear and tear, brake pads, weather, temperature, size of disk e t c e t c, it is very difficult to form an opinion. Sometimes a low end brake works just as well as a fancy brake with 220 mm disks.

Anyways, I like the Magura MT5s with decent brake pads. Haven't tested the MT7s, but I have high expectations! Code R is nice too, I think I tested that on a DH bike once and I was impressed.

 

[#lazy]

Magura mt5 look the Best Buy for the price , I can’t see how xt’s got 4stars

 

[apac]

Forever waiting on trickstuff.

cant even find trick stuff pads for my mt7.

 

[jbrown15]

I have Code R brakes on my Devinci carbon Troy, I had Guide RE brakes on my Devinci AC. I switched out the Guide's for Shimano XTR M9120 4-piston calipers with 203mm ICE tech rotors front and rear and really liked the upgrade. Then I decided to try some Galfer 223mm rotors front and rear with their ebike specific brake pads and now I love my brakes.

One of my riding buddies is running a Shigura setup with XT levers and MT7 calipers and I still feel like I prefer my setup after I've tried his setup a few short times.

I find that brakes are such a personal preference, there really isn't a "this is the best setup for everyone brake".

 

[Jmc123]

I have Code R brakes on my Devinci carbon Troy, I had Guide RE brakes on my Devinci AC. I switched out the Guide's for Shimano XTR M9120 4-piston calipers with 203mm ICE tech rotors front and rear and really liked the upgrade. Then I decided to try some Galfer 223mm rotors front and rear with their ebike specific brake pads and now I love my brakes.

One of my riding buddies is running a Shigura setup with XT levers and MT7 calipers and I still feel like I prefer my setup after I've tried his setup a few short times.

I find that brakes are such a personal preference, there really isn't a "this is the best setup for everyone brake".

Completely agree with the statement that brakes are a personal choice. What suits one person might not be best for another. I still prefer my shigura brake combo though.

 

[Gary]

I find that brakes are such a personal preference, there really isn't a "this is the best setup for everyone brake".

Couldn't agree more.
I absolutely hate maguras. To me the chunky plasticy lever blade ergonomics and swing angle feels like they were designed for a LEGO bike. What definitely makes Magura levers so incompatible with me is the fact that I ride gloveless, overhang my grip collars with my outer palms and run my lever blades contact point close to the grips. Also riding shorter bikes means my elbows are out further than most so my braking finger comes at the lever at an angle rather than straight on.
I switch between bikes a lot and my own bikes have many different brakes including SRAM, Avid, Shimano & Hope that I get along fine with. I'm also generally not even all that fussy how powerfull a brake is so long as it works enough to lock either end.
most folk brake way too much.

 

[Jmc123]

Couldn't agree more.
I absolutely hate maguras. To me the chunky plasticy lever blade ergonomics and swing angle feels like they were designed for a LEGO bike. What definitely makes Magura levers so incompatible with me is the fact that I ride gloveless, overhang my grip collars with my outer palms and run my lever blades close to the grips. Also riding shorter bikes means my elbows are out further than most so my braking finger comes at the lever at an angle rather than straight on.
I switch between bikes a lot and my own bikes have many different brakes including SRAM, Avid, Shimano & Hope that I get along fine with. I'm also generally not even all that fussy how powerfull a brake is so long as it works enough to lock either end.
most folk brake way too much.

Couldnt agree more about the magura levers, that's why I sold them and replaced them with shimano xt's

 

[apac]

They’re in stock everywhere in Germany.

D175 Disc Brake Pads for Magura MT5/MT7/MT Trail

Product features - Kool Stop D175 Brake pad compound: Organic Post plate: Steel Cooling fins: No Compatibility Magura Magura MT5 Magura MT7 Magura MT Trail (Front) Scope of delivery 1 pair...

www.bike-discount.de

JAGWIRE Disc Brake Pad Magura MT7, MT5, MT Trail Front sport semi-met, 17,65 €

JAGWIRE Brake Pads Magura MT7, MT5, MT Trail Front Jagwire Disc Brake Pads are available in 4 different versions for different riding styles and application

r2-bike.com

Sixpack Disc Brake Pads for Magura MT7 (4-piston) - sintered

Sixpack-Racing ▶ Sixpack sinter brake pads for Magura MT7 (4-piston). Best performance and high durability in all conditions.

www.bike24.com

Nukeproof Magura MT5 MT7 Brake Pads

Nukeproof Magura MT5 MT7 Brake PadsCustom-manufactured in Taiwan to our exacting standards, Nukeproof brake pads now feature Organic, Semi-metallic and Sintered compounds mounted on steel backing plates for excellent heat dissipation and are available to fit all major brake systems. Tested to...

nukeproof.com

Brake Pads for Magura MT7 | ROSE Bikes

The Kool Stop brake pads for Magura MT7 hydraulic disc brakes stand ou

www.rosebikes.com

They’re in stock everywhere in Germany.

D175 Disc Brake Pads for Magura MT5/MT7/MT Trail

Product features - Kool Stop D175 Brake pad compound: Organic Post plate: Steel Cooling fins: No Compatibility Magura Magura MT5 Magura MT7 Magura MT Trail (Front) Scope of delivery 1 pair...

www.bike-discount.de

JAGWIRE Disc Brake Pad Magura MT7, MT5, MT Trail Front sport semi-met, 17,65 €

JAGWIRE Brake Pads Magura MT7, MT5, MT Trail Front Jagwire Disc Brake Pads are available in 4 different versions for different riding styles and application

r2-bike.com

Sixpack Disc Brake Pads for Magura MT7 (4-piston) - sintered

Sixpack-Racing ▶ Sixpack sinter brake pads for Magura MT7 (4-piston). Best performance and high durability in all conditions.

www.bike24.com

Nukeproof Magura MT5 MT7 Brake Pads

Nukeproof Magura MT5 MT7 Brake PadsCustom-manufactured in Taiwan to our exacting standards, Nukeproof brake pads now feature Organic, Semi-metallic and Sintered compounds mounted on steel backing plates for excellent heat dissipation and are available to fit all major brake systems. Tested to...

nukeproof.com

Brake Pads for Magura MT7 | ROSE Bikes

The Kool Stop brake pads for Magura MT7 hydraulic disc brakes stand ou

www.rosebikes.com

No maan, I mean trickstuff power pads. Non in the U.K. trickstuff website down. Only on German language websites.

 

[RickBullotta]

Meh. The variability and inconsistency of those numbers makes me seriously question the results. 2 piston? 4 piston? Which pad compound? Which rotors? Many of the brakes listed offer a number of options for each. I can tell ya one thing for sure: XT's don't take 3.4 seconds to slow ya from 30-15 kph. "Science". LOL.

 

[Jackware]

No maan, I mean trickstuff power pads. Non in the U.K. trickstuff website down. Only on German language websites.

I use a pair of EBC green and a pair of EBC gold in each of my MT7s, cheap and easy to get hold of in the UK, and more than enough brake.
I suspect getting anything from Germany after Jan 1st is going to be an expensive PITA.

 

[apac]

I use a pair of EBC green and a pair of EBC gold in each of my MT7s, cheap and easy to get hold of in the UK, and more than enough brake.
I suspect getting anything from Germany after Jan 1st is going to be an expensive PITA.

jesus, I hadn't even thought about that. Damn the .U.K
Thanks for the pad suggestion

 

[RickBullotta]

I use a pair of EBC green and a pair of EBC gold in each of my MT7s, cheap and easy to get hold of in the UK, and more than enough brake.
I suspect getting anything from Germany after Jan 1st is going to be an expensive PITA.

FWIW, getting stuff from Germany into the USA isn't that bad if its any encouragement for a post-Brexit scenario. I buy dirt bike stuff (helmets, boots, parts) from a couple suppliers there.

 

[Gary]

What is perceived to be so worthwhile about using truckstuff pads over any other brands pads (in your preferred compound)

 

[apac]

I've never tried them...lol, perception is they might not fade as quickly as the standard magura pads, which have faded on me. I also like the fact they are organic. again my perception of sintered pads are they are harsh and noisy.

 

[Gary]

I've used Sintered pads for 20+ years in many many calipers and rarely found them noisy
I guess you mean noisy in the wet? Organic are pointless in the wet and just don't last IMO and they also don't deal with heat as well. Which is what causes fade/glazing

 

[apac]

I've used Sintered pads for 20+ years in many many calipers and rarely found them noisy
I guess you mean noisy in the wet? Organic are pointless in the wet and just don't last IMO and they also don't deal with heat as well. Which is what causes fade/glazing

So do you have a preferred manufacturer? Or do you go for cheap n cheerful unbranded?

 

[Gary]

No. preference really. Just now I'm happily using uber sintered. (not a specific recommendation, just an example that I don't mind)
While a lot of my friends swear by using genuine SRAM/Shimano etc. pads(depending on their brake manufacturer) and some use supoer expensive icetech/finned pads/rotors etc.
I've never found pad manufacturer to make a huge difference. Compound yes. manufacturer not so much. in reality our brakes are all treated differently and used in different/shitty conditions/situations and to throw a real curve ball most of the pads you can buy are produced by the same few factories anyway.
How you look after your brakes/rotors/pads makes more difference IMO