Shimano vs Magura brake upgrade?

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
Author
Subscriber
Mar 29, 2018
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10,702
the internet
Personally I wouldn't buy Magura, Formula or any other brake that pretty much no bike shops stock spares for. That leaves just shimano or sram really.
VFM wise I can't really see past the Shimano MT520 Basically as powerful as XT, same ergonomics, similar weight but without the pointless adjuster dials.

I only ever feel any of my own brakes are lacking power if I've just come off a bike with something incredibly powerful.. in reality very few brakes these days genuinely lack enough power. Certainly not to the extent of any requiring 220mm rotors.
 

Tamas

Well-known member
Founding Member
Jan 22, 2018
483
503
Hungary/Bosnia and Herzegovina
Saint or Zee... their stopping power is the same and no need for 220mm rotors. Cheap (Zee) reliable, easy to bleed and they have ergonomic 'one finger' levers.
I'm running two sets of Saints on two bikes (four years on my Strive and two years on my Meta Power) they replaced Guide RS and RE and I would never give my cash for anything else.
 

Barto

Member
Aug 28, 2019
37
11
Qld
Thanks for all the advice. I'm just as unsure which way to go now though...
Shimano zee look good and I found some cheap. What pads and rotors should I get if I went this way?
I've also got a good (similar) price on the Magura Mt5 ebike specific set. I guess warranty would be a concern with both as I'd be purchasing from overseas?
Does 4 piston mean I don't have to pull the trigger as hard to get the same result?
Will I have to pay extra to get mounts to suit my shifters?
Sorry for the random questions. Replies to any parts are appreciated!
Cheers
 

Tamas

Well-known member
Founding Member
Jan 22, 2018
483
503
Hungary/Bosnia and Herzegovina
Thanks for all the advice. I'm just as unsure which way to go now though...
Shimano zee look good and I found some cheap. What pads and rotors should I get if I went this way?
I've also got a good (similar) price on the Magura Mt5 ebike specific set. I guess warranty would be a concern with both as I'd be purchasing from overseas?
Does 4 piston mean I don't have to pull the trigger as hard to get the same result?
Will I have to pay extra to get mounts to suit my shifters?
Sorry for the random questions. Replies to any parts are appreciated!
Cheers
It depends on where/how you ride. If you want to bring out the max then RT86 with finned metallic Shimano pads but I run the non-finned organic pads too without any issues.
If you had your shifter on the same clamp with your SRAM brake then you can use the clamp without the brake. Zee brakes are Shimano I-spec B compatible but personally, I prefer the shifter on a separate clamp for independent adjustability.
 

Haedesz

Member
Sep 20, 2019
51
80
Belgium
Thanks for all the advice. I'm just as unsure which way to go now though...
Shimano zee look good and I found some cheap. What pads and rotors should I get if I went this way?
Zee's come with finned pads which are called icetech (I think) and are compatible with the rotors you already have on your bike IF you want to keep them. If you go up or down in rotor size (160/180/200/203/220mm) you also have to buy different post mount adaptors for the right size of rotor. Shimano also have Ice-tech marketed rotors.
I've also got a good (similar) price on the Magura Mt5 ebike specific set. I guess warranty would be a concern with both as I'd be purchasing from overseas?
Seems like a non-issue since both are overseas?
Does 4 piston mean I don't have to pull the trigger as hard to get the same result?
Every brake has a different kind of feel, there's alot of info/reviews online of the specific feeling and power per brake. Ofcourse it would be best to try them out yourself if you have the chance, but most of the time this is hard to achieve logistically.
Will I have to pay extra to get mounts to suit my shifters?
Magura uses Shiftmix clamps to connect your sram shifters + brakes. No idea if the shiftmix on your bike atm is the exact same as the afternarket ones.
Also a guess; Zee's will probably need a different kind of adaptor since theyre competing brands..

Can anyone confirm / debunk this?
Sorry for the random questions. Replies to any parts are appreciated!

I would suggest visiting a LBS before you purchase something, as they can give you the information about the shifters, feel, warranty...

Cheers
 

laustin956

Member
Oct 3, 2019
66
39
uk
Hi got magura mt7 on my other bike had problems with the front sent back changed for new in under 48 hours great service
 

Rusty

E*POWAH BOSS
Jul 17, 2019
1,513
1,673
New Zealand
Shimano every time.
Zee is nice but I have never had an issue with BR-M8120 mated with 8000 or 8100 series rotors.
A couple guys I have been out with ran Maguras with 220 rotors but both have managed to bend one. Not a biggie to straighten out but I have had straightened 203mm rotors cause issues warping after some huge high-speed downhill runs.
 

juuungle

Member
Apr 18, 2019
15
25
New Zealand
For those here that have changed/upgraded their brakes - has anyone had any issues running the Levo (I have a '19 Expert) handlebar remote between the brake lever clamp and the grip?

I'm looking at a set of XT M8020's, but the clamp position doesn't look like it would allow for enough space to fit the handlebar remote next to the grip, when positioning the lever in a normal place for one-finger braking.
 

Kiwi in Wales

Short cranks rule!🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
Patreon
Founding Member
Jan 24, 2018
1,241
1,589
Carmarthen, Wales
For those here that have changed/upgraded their brakes - has anyone had any issues running the Levo (I have a '19 Expert) handlebar remote between the brake lever clamp and the grip?

I'm looking at a set of XT M8020's, but the clamp position doesn't look like it would allow for enough space to fit the handlebar remote next to the grip, when positioning the lever in a normal place for one-finger braking.

Here you go, is this what you are looking for?
Ok, they are not XT’s but Saints but they have a very similar clamp.
Hope this helps.

81A1C2C5-AFAB-4CFA-834E-4B930FDF6CE1.jpeg
 

juuungle

Member
Apr 18, 2019
15
25
New Zealand
Here you go, is this what you are looking for?
Ok, they are not XT’s but Saints but they have a very similar clamp.
Hope this helps.

View attachment 21967
Hey man, thanks for posting the pic. The clamps do look pretty similar. My current brake setup (Code R's) has the lever approx 90mm from the end of the grip. Do you think that brake position would be achievable?

Brake lever.JPG
 
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