Ashima sent along a set of their new 2012 Ai2 lightweight rotors for testing to coincide with its product launch at the Taichung Bike Week, which is taking place in Taichung Taiwan this week. Ashima has been making some very trick lightweight rotors for quite some time, and I have used their AiRotor product since it was in its beta stage. In direct comparison to the AiRotor, the new Ai2 rotors are 20% lighter, have larger cutouts and a more wavy and undulating pattern, and the struts are steeper and have been additional bracing.

The Ai2 rotor looks leaner, and the 160mm version weighs about the same as the AiRotor 140mm version, and getting close the uber weight weenie Scrub rotors. They only come in 160mm and 180mm sizes, and should be available in early 2012, and although no pricing was given, they should be very affordable.
Measured Specs (160mm):

• AiRotor – 84.2 grams
• New Rotor – 66.6 grams

I have yet to test the Ai2 rotors, so I can’t comment on how the cutouts, new pattern and lessened braking surface will work in real world riding? I assume that they’ll work pretty well, since the Wayne Moore, the designer and guru behind the Ashima braking products, tests them to extreme levels and pushes their paradigm “without limits.” I am still interested to see their very trick Matrix rotor when it’s finally released.

The Matrix performs the same sort of trickery as the Shimano ICE system, combining steel and aluminum together, using each of their unique properties to make a well performing rotor. The latest iteration has crimping to hold the steel braking surface and aluminum carrier together, and may have a retrofitted plastic fan between the hub and rotor, to provide a small cooling effect.

Magura stunning new MT8 brake is incredibly lightweight (278g w/ 160mm rotor), with great modulation, excellent power and resistance to heat, drag and squeal, which all combine to make it stand out in terms of performance. The high tech works of art use some amazingly innovative production techniques and materials to create a light and strong brake for any type of riding, from cross-country to downhill, and it transcends being categorized within any riding style.

I have always been a big fan of Magura brakes, but they really stepped up to the plate and hit a grand slam with the MT series, and they’re superb, and highly engineered marvels. Magura spent a lot of time, effort and money to create the MT or Mission Team line of brakes, and although they used their extensive know-how and expertise in brake technology, they seemed to have followed the old German proverb “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water” (das Kind mit dem Bade ausschütten), and started with a clean slate. They performed extensive testing on the major brake components, and although each part can stand on its own merit, together they are a symphony of synchronicity! They came up with something called the Performance Faktor, which is a mathematical formula devised by Magura’s design team over two years ago, where the performance is equal to deceleration and modulation plus thermal stability, divided by mass and multiplied by ergonomics (that’s a mouth full).

Magura MT8
The brakes use an open hydraulic system, using their Royal Blood mineral oil for hydraulic fluid, with an integrated all carbon reservoir, carbon levers and clamp, one-piece alloy caliper, and full aluminum fitting bolts. They include the trick Storm SL rotors (refer to Storm review), which are available in 140, 160, 180 and 203mm sizes (6 bolt or Centerlock adapter), with a wide assortment of adapters for attachment to any bike and fork.

The reservoir is created by injecting their proprietary Carbotecture material, which is comprised of mid-length carbon fibers in a thermoplastic matrix, into a mold. The fibers are aligned to optimize strength and lightness, in what they call their Carboflow Process, which uses extreme heat and high pressure. The mold work is so precise and exacting, that it requires no post machine processing. The flip-flop designed Carbotecture SL body attaches to the bar with a split handlebar Carbolay clamp, that weighs a mere 2 grams. The body uses their EBT or easy bleed technology, set up in a mirror imaged dual-port manner for the flip-flop system, so they can be set on either side of the bars. The ergonomic carbon lever is made with their Carbolay technology, and uses a trick and light hollow-pivot to attach to the body, and rotates on buttery smooth composite bushings.

The forged single-piece aluminum caliper uses a double arch design, just like their forks, and the shape optimizes the caliper’s strength in the direction that encounters the largest load forces, and they also absorb heat, and dissipate it away from the main body. The upper or front fin does the oil transfer between the sides of the caliper, which should provide an additional cooling of the fluid? Their stiffening effect, means that the calipers can be machined further, to remove any unnecessary material for a significant weight saving. The caliper uses top-loading pads, for what they call EPR or easy pad replacement, so the wheel doesn’t need to be removed for changes. The caliper has PM mounts, an adjustable hose fitting, and uses two Duroplastic injection molded composite pistons for less heat transfer to the brake fluid, and the pistons have an embedded magnet for brake pad attachment. The organic pads come in two models, the default 7.1 semi-metallic performance version for maximum power, or the optional 7.2 endurance version for longevity.

The top of the line MT8′s are part of their MT brake family, which also includes the MT6, MT4, and MT2 ($369, $269, $174, $104 respectively). The entire brake family shares the same basic technology, with some subtle tweaks and lighter materials for the upper-level models. They all have a carbon master body with the flip-flop design, an alloy double arch caliper with top loading pads, and the dual EBT ports for bleeding. The MT6 uses the Carbotecture SL and Storm SL rotor (same as MT8), but has an aluminum lever and handlebar bar clamp, and the caliper has less machining and larger cooling fins. The MT4 uses the Storm rotor, and has a Carbotecture fiberglass and carbon composite reservoir body, an alloy lever with their BAT (Bite Adjust Technology). Lastly, the MT2, uses the Carbotecture fiberglass carbon composite body, and an alloy lever, and an excellent price point.

Installation
The brakes come with full-length lines, so they need to be cut to size, dependent on user preference and bike geometry. I prefer my brakes set up in moto style, with the front brake on the right side, and the flip-flop clamp design and dual bleed port makes for easy placement on either side of the bars. Undo the barrel nuts on the clamp, and place the reservoir in the desired location on the inside or outside of the shifter pods on the handlebars. Put the clamp on, with the thicker part at the top, and thread and carefully tighten the fragile alloy nuts to their proper specs. The caliper setup was easy due to the pivoting banjo, which made adjusting the hose angle for varying frame geometry and hose routing requirements a snap. If desired, an optional SRAM shifter compatible ‘ShiftMix’ clamp can be ordered.

I measured the desired hose length, and cut them with a sharp set of cutters. Holding the cut section up high to prevent any errant air bubbles, I slid on the sleeve nut followed by the olive, and tapped in the hose insert with a plastic mallet, and finally threaded the sleeve nut into the brake lever, tightening with the proper torque. Neither brake leaked after the hose shortening, nor did they require any bleeding. The EBT (Easy Bleed Technology) system uses a port on top of the reservoir for bleeding, and is easy to use. Although, bleeding brakes are still like getting poked in the eye, and my preference is non compliance. Basic bleed instructions: level reservoir 15 degrees upward, unscrew port bolt, screw on upper syringe, unscrew caliper bolt, screw on a filled lower syringe, push fluid from bottom to top, cycling until bubbles are gone. I worked (ok, mostly I watched) with Jude, Magura USA’s brake guru extraordinaire, at their Sedona Press Camp to bleed a pair, and it was a simple and effortless affair, and the EBT system a definitely effective feature

I didn’t do much breaking in, and did a bunch of good stoppers on the pavement to bed the pads in and get the rotors dusted properly. My usual scenario, is to take them up in the steep and deep, and let them break in by torture!

Impressions
For the entire testing period, I used the MT8′s in a 203/180 combination, on my loyal steed, the impeccable Ibis Mojo HD. The local Colorado terrain is predominantly rocky conditions, with many sections of long steep downhills, rock gardens and slabs, and ugly loose gravel and rocks. I weigh in at 155 lbs, ride with a light touch, and love to use the brakes. I habitually prefer All Mountain riding, and frequent extremely technical terrain, that requires precise maneuvering, split-second timing, and nerves of steel and a big dash of lunacy.

The MT8’s are impressively powerful and strong, with a solid authoritative feel at the lever, and the rotors spin drag free through the calipers, and everything is deadly quiet. In direct comparison to the Louise, and some other monster brakes, they offer slightly less power, but have better modulation, with excellent communication between the lever and ground. One of the hallmarks of this brake is their control factor, as they offer excellent ride and lever feel, and small lever movements give rise to fine toothed speed adjustments. Increasing the rotor size to a 203/180 combination, produces some outstanding strength, and moves them up in the power battlefield. I think they are gorgeous looking, albeit they have a slick Germanic engineering theme about themselves, and don’t look like their boxy predecessors.

Magura worked extensively on the ergonomics of the MT lever shape, and they spent enormous amounts of time and research perfecting their engineering, using public interaction, and input from a Professor of Ergonomics at Stuttgart University (Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz). I have always liked the shape of Magura’s levers, and the MT levers crank up everything by a big notch, with an outstanding and highly tactile feel, and superb ergonomics. They are wide, comfortable, with a nice notch for one or two-finger usage, and the pleasing and functional shape, helped decrease hand fatigue, especially during prolonged use, like on long downhills. The stiff lever allows a concise and firm pull, and is greatly helped by a lack of any slop in the pivot and reservoir body interface. The lever only has reach adjustment, which is altered with a Torx wrench inserted into its front by the pivot, allowing a closer or farther feel, and with a different angle.

Their tactile sense is superb, allowing the system to feel like an extension of your hand, and you can figuratively feel a pebble on the ground when braking. The more technical and gnarly the terrain and conditions are, the more comfortable and functional the brakes felt, and they offered fine adjustment of speed with concise lever pulls. They thrived when doing high-precision moves and maneuvers, whether on mild or heinous terrain, with excellent feedback and response, giving rise to an innate sense of security and control. These light brakes are pretty amazing, and I have taken them down some ugly steep gnar, where many brakes fade and scream with misery, and they just kept quietly plugging away. I loved how you could grab the brakes wherever you wanted, and they would haul your speed quickly down, though they could be a touch grabby if got too heavy handed, which can be a common trait of many strong and powerful brakes. Grab a huge handful of the brake and it was easy to do a stoppie, even in the middle of a rock garden. Pulling the lever with a measured feathering worked just fine, and it allowed the modulation to excel, and if a wheel lock up happened, a minute pressure release at the lever had the spinning along again. Even when cranking down steep terrain that is littered with loose chunky material, the brakes retain excellent composure, with good feedback, modulation and control, without unwanted lockups.

Here is some local terrain in which they thrive:

Click here to view the embedded video.

They were extremely quiet and their muted usage was a major highlight, as I really enjoyed not having a set of brakes squealing while I was riding down a trail. I didn’t hear the usual wispy chatter that the Storm SL rotor cutouts can make on some of the other Magura brakes, which was a welcome change; it was there, but was very subdued, and you really had to listen for it. Sometimes if they were wet and cold, had dirty pads or rotors, they might make some noise, but after a few good stabs with the lever, they were silent again. Even when getting them extremely hot on long steep downhill’s, they were fade free and resisted heat buildup, and made no scraping or overheating noises, and their performance and lack of noise were outstanding. “Silent but deadly!” A lot of the quietness is due to a couple of features and design aspects of the caliper system, that all work in synergy to keep them silent. The Duroplastic pistons, which absorb less heat than metal, have a special coating, which prevents them from sticking in the cylinder, and reduces friction and stichion. The caliper itself, runs significantly cooler by the combination of using organic pads, the composite pistons and the double arch, which acted as cooling fins.

I never felt any pad rubbing nor drag from the caliper and rotors, and they always flowed freely, regardless of how heavily they were being used. Due to the offset pistons giving toe-in as the lever is applied, the pads realign themselves with the rotor, so their spacing seems to remain proper, regardless of pad and rotor wear, rotor warping and heating, etc. When it comes time to replace or clean the pads, the top-loading pads are simple to remove, and don’t require a wheel removal. Simply remove the retaining screw, grab the tabs on the pads and pull them out, insert a new pair, letting the magnets on the caliper’s piston hold them in place, and then replace the screw. After pad replacement, they aligned in just fine, and if they were installed a bit cockeyed, a good jab from the lever set them in properly.

It’s nice that all the bolts (except for the bleed port) use a T25 Torx head, so only one tool was required for the brakes and rotors. I didn’t have any issue with stripping the alloy Torx heads, especially the large caliper ones, but you do need to be cautious, especially on the clamp, and a light hand tightening and finishing off with the torque wrench is the best approach. I never experienced any slippage in the lever clamp, but I could see where they might happen on some bars, though clamping with the proper torque seemed to alleviate any problems for me. The entire clamp system is an oddity, and perhaps not the most robust or carefully thought out, in my opinion. It uses a double-ended bolt or hanger bolt (machine threads on one end and wood threads on the other), in which one end attaches into the reservoir body (wood threads), and the other end (machine threads) accepts a Torx headed aluminum barrel nut or sex bolt, which is what actually snug’s the clamp down. The alloy barrel nut is fragile, and you need to use caution when tightening it down, else the head can get stripped or sheared off, although I never experienced that problem.

Measured Specs:

• Front (cut 32″ ) – 178.6 grams
• Rear (cut 57″) – 191.1 grams
• Bolts (alloy) – 2 @ 3.9 grams
• Storm SL 203mm – 147.6 grams
• Storm SL 180mm – 114.2 grams
• Storm SL 160mm – 92 grams

• QM7 (6″ PM 203 adapter) – 22.9 grams
• QM6 (6″ PM 180 adapter) -  23.4 grams

Bottom Line
The Magura MT8 brakes are supremely functional, feature laden and highly engineered, and everything single piece of the brake is pure bling. The lightness is a component of an entire slew of innovative technologies, from the carbon lever, reservoir, and clamp, to the sculptured caliper, and the special alloy bolts. The brakes have a superb tactile feel, which gives rise to an incredible touch, control and communication, and your hands become ‘One’ with the ground/bike interface. The MT8′s offer great modulation, excellent power and heat resistance, and the rotors spin drag free through the calipers. The caliper’s design makes them the quietest brake I have ridden, and even getting them extremely hot on long steep downhills never changed their silent characteristic. One of the best parts of the brakes is that the MT8’s design and technology have trickled down to the lower levels. Outside of some heavier parts and carbon changes, all the brakes are basically the same, making for an excellent price-point range.

Like anything with an expensive carbon lever that sticks out, I might be worried about breakage, but after multiple crashes (some slow and some fast) I haven’t had any issue, and the alloy clamp barrel does need to be tightened with caution. They aren’t the most powerful brake on the market, but they more than make up for any deficit, with other remarkable and useful characteristics.

In a nutshell, they are strong, light, quiet, fade free and powerful, modulate well, and have a superb tactile feel from the ergonomic brake lever down into the ground. They are the epitome of German perfection!

Strengths

• Uber Light
• Powerful
• Deadly quiet
• Excellent tactile feel
• Great modulation
• Top loading pads
• Anti-Features: squeal, heat, drag

Weaknesses

• Expensive – MSRP: $399
• Questionable crash worthiness of lever
• Clamp barrel nut fragility
• Slight gabbiness under hard pulls

Overall Rating: 5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers 

MSRP: $399

MT8 Specs:

• Visit the Magura MT8 website at http://www.magura.com/en/products/disc-brakes-2012/prod/mt8-1.html
• Full carbon master cylinder
• Carbotecture SL body
• Carbolay lever blade
• Carbolay clamp
• Alloy fittings
• Anti-Feature: squeal, heat, drag
• Feel Safety-Ergonomics
• EBT (Easy Bleed Technology)
• EPR (easy pad replacement)
• Weight From 279 g/0.61 lbs. onwards incl. 160 mm Storm SL-Rotor
• Colors: Brake lever and caliper in a cool black body with red special
• Guarantee: 5-year leakproof warranty after online registration on magura.com

When I first saw the Magura Marta FR at 2010 Interbike, I thought that they were a re-designed version of the Marta series, but in reality, it’s just a cosmetic change of the normal Marta, which is fine, since the line has an incredible pedigree. The new changes are the Grunge Green color scheme, white hydraulic lines, and a gray aluminum lever, otherwise it’s the same excellent product. Magura revamped the Marta line in 2009, and upgrades included a redesigned caliper and reservoir body, a better lever pivot, the use of the larger Louise pads and the new bleeding system (EBT). This year they added the Storm and Storm SL rotors, which are miles ahead of their predecessor’s, with lighter weight, and better power and modulation.

Magura Marta FR
The Marta FR brakes use an open hydraulic system, with an integrated reservoir and an expansion chamber for fluid temperature control. The aluminum caliper is a 74mm PM mounts, a one piece monoblock design, and uses two injection molded composite pistons for less heat transfer to the brake fluid, and the pistons are magnetized for brake pad attachment. The pads come in two models,  the default 6.1 Performance version for maximum power, or the optional 6.2 Endurance version for longevity. The aluminum master cylinder, has an aluminum lever with reach adjust, and dual docking design for the shifter placement. The rotors are sold separately in 160, 180 and 203mm sizes (6 bolt IS) in either the default Storm or Storm SL rotors. Magura has a wide assortment of adapters so their PM caliper can fit any bike or fork, or Centerlock hub. The hydraulic fluid is Magura’s Royal Blood mineral oil, and the brakes are bled using their Easy Bleed Technology (EBT).

Impressions
According to my sources, nothing has changed internally on the FR, but it seems to me that Magura has slowly been refining their quality control and assurance. The FR feels a bit tighter, and hasn’t required a bleed (sort of an anomaly with Magura brakes), and in general seem to have better tangible tolerances?  I have used their Marta SL Mag and the Louise Carbon, which both have the light and gorgeous looking carbon lever, and to me the beefier aluminum lever on the FR seems less sloppy,  though I wouldn’t call it flexy, since both lever types are stout. Although I have never broken a lever, the cost ratio of their aluminum replacement over a carbon is pretty hefty, so that adds another notch for usability to the FR. Initially I found the stark White hydraulic lines garish, but they have grown on me, and I think they add a nice splash of color to the bike (White is the new Black?). I liked the simple and understated Grunge Green color scheme, as it sort of blended in with whatever was on the bike. I tested the FR with a 180/160 and 203/160 rotor size combination’s, using both their Storm and Storm SL rotors, and always with the 6.1 Performance pads. The Storm is more powerful, though seems to lock up slightly easier, while the SL, which has substantial cutouts, has better feathering characteristics and less weight, and the latter was my preference. As always, with the Marta line, I wish they came with Quickfit split clamp system, that is found on the Louise, for faster installation and product swap out and changes.

The FR brakes weigh approximately 245 grams, and come with full length lines (1650mm/65 inches), and will need to be cut to size, dependent on user preference and bike geometry.  Magura sent the test pair to me with my length specification (thanks!) and spec’ed for moto style, so I didn’t need to make any adjustments this time, but it’s a relatively simple process to shorten the lines. The new EBT (Easy Bleed Technology) system which uses a port on top of the reservoir is easy to use, and I have bled my Marta SL Mags a number of times, so I can vouch for the simplicity and ease of the system.

The FR has a snappy and solid feel to them, with a nice tactile touch, and this allowed excellent feathering of the brakes. They worked well in almost any terrain, but excelled in technical sections and in rock gardens, due to their great precise control. On extremely long downhills, they had a slight amount of fade, and belayed a minor lack of brute force power when pushed to its extremes. The lever is nicely sculpted for one to two finger usage, and the reach adjustment is easily done with an Allen wrench (2.5mm) in a small recess in the front of the lever. Sometimes when they were fresh or wet, they would make some noise for a short distance and then quiet down, and remain silent.

Reviews for further reference: Storm and Storm SL rotors and Marta SL Mag

Measured Specs (as tested):

• Marta Fr Front w/ 31 inch hose – 225.2 grams
• Marta FR Rear w/58 inch hose – 238.5 grams
• Storm SL – 160mm – 92 grams
• Storm SL – 180mm – 114.2 grams
• Storm – 160mm – 114.1 grams
• Storm – 180mm – 139.8 grams

Bottom Line
The Magura Marta FR is a great set of brakes, offering precise control and excellent modulation, with good power and superb feathering characteristics. I liked the new subdued Grunge Green color scheme, and although the white hydraulic lines can seem somewhat garish, they do add some interesting color along the lines of a bike. The aluminum lever felt solid, and had a nice tactile feel, although adjusting the reach isn’t the easiest task. On wickedly steep and long downhills, they have a slight amount of fade, though larger rotors can assist in this minor aberration.

The Marta FR is another highly engineered German product from Magura, and along with the newly released Storm rotors, it completes a well rounded  package.

Strengths

• Excellent modulation
• Good power
• EBT system
• Feathering characteristics

Weaknesses

• Slightly susceptible to fade when pushed to its extremes
• Reach adjustment difficult
• No split clamp system

MSRP: $245

Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Magura has been very busy developing, designing and testing (lab and field) their new Storm SL and Storm rotors, in conjunction with their MISSION PERFORMANCE campaign to develop the best disc brake in the world (stronger, lighter, ingenious). The Storm SL and Storm are pretty sweet rotors, and the SL version is my current favorite rotor for my Magura brakes, as its lightweight, while still retaining excellent braking characteristics.

The Louise Carbon and all the Marta series, except for the Marta FR come spec’ed with the Storm SL, while the Marta FR, Louise Bat, and Julie HP come with the Storm. Any of their brakes can use the Storm SL or Storm rotor, except for the Gustav (about to be discontinued). The Storm SL comes in 140mm, 160mm, 180mm and 203mm sizes, while the Storm has 160mm, 180mm and 203mm, all with the ubiquitous IS 6 holes (centerlock adapter is available). Although I wouldn’t use one, it’s nice that Magura is releasing their first 140mm rotor, which is also a testament to how much better the new rotors are, since their previous statements eluded to poor function and safety in that size. The Storm SL and the Storm, are replacing their old SL Wavy and Drilled SL respectively.

Technology
The steel rotors are 2mm thick for strength and rigidity, and the Storm has a larger braking zone, for stability, power and reduced pad wear, while the Storm SL has larger and an increased number of perforations for weight savings and feel. Extensive finite element analysis was performed, for optimized geometry and modulation, for better heat absorption and its dispersion (heat management), braking power, stiffness, durability and weight savings, without warping, noise and juddering issues.

This might end up as the shortest review I have ever completed, since all of mine tend to be long winded and overly technical!

Impressions
I tested the Storm SL and Storm on the new Magura Marta FR brake, and the Storm on Magura Louise Carbon, both were installed on my Yeti ASR 7 All Mountain rig. Both brakes were fitted with Magura’s Performance pads, which I think work the best on the open slotted Storm SL. It is a personal preference, and either pad, the 6.1 Performance Series pad (maximum power) or the 6.2 Endurance version (longevity) work  just fine with both models. The rotors were tossed into lots of extreme technical terrain and long steep downhills, requiring precise braking control, power and fade resistance, allowing repeatable patterns to be established for a baseline. I tend to ride the brakes pretty heavily, so I create lots of heat and torture from near constant feathering and usage, though I still scrub enormous amounts speed when it’s required.

Storm SL
The Storm SL has a great bite to themselves, with good fade resistance and cooling power, though a slight loss of power compared to the Storm, which have a greater braking surface due to fewer cutouts. The bite can be felt as a nice tactile feel in the lever, and gives rise to fantastic precision and control. The Storm SL has been fairly quiet, though they do make a slight ticking noise from the interaction of the cutouts and pads, much like the Ashima AiRotors, but to a lessor degree. They dried out quickly when wet (rain or snow), and quietly squeaked until they came up to temperature. The open slots of the Storm SL give the ability to do some nice feathering, which is useful in slow technical terrain, or when some speed needs to be drawn down with a small dab of the lever. On long extremely steep downhills, more throttling and hand strength with the levers was required to keep the speed down, but they never felt as though they were fading or were weak.

Storm
I think the Storm felt slightly grabby to me at slow speeds, though it was in direct comparison to the feathering characteristics of the Storm SL, and it was easy remedied by hand control. When you need to grab a hand full of brake, they were more powerful, and were usually silent, no matter hard you pulled or how steep and long the downhills were. I did find that they sometimes started to squeal, and a good brake pad cleaning and sanding tended to alleviate the issue. They were very durable, and vastly increased the pad’s longevity. When they got wet, they took a bit longer to dry and quiet down than the Storm SL, but they still created massive power reserves even when drenched. The Storm provides excellent fade resistance, and never belayed a loss of composure on any terrain. They were powerful suckers!

Measured Specs:

Storm SL

• 160mm – 92 grams
• 180mm – 114.2 grams

Storm

• 160mm – 114.1 grams
• 180mm – 139.8 grams

SL Wavy (old rotors – Marta Spec)

• 160mm 102.8 grams
• 180mm 126.4 grams

Drilled SL (old rotors – Louise Spec)

• 160mm 132.6 grams
• 180mm 153.3 grams

Bottom Line
The Storm SL is a supremely wonderful rotor, that have some excellent characteristics, such as feathering, modulation, fade resistance, lightweight, and they look pretty cool! The additional control they offered in technical terrain was greatly appreciated, which was noted on steep rollers and rock ramps, where they tended not to lock up easily. Like any of the cutout rotor types, they do wear pads quicker, and make a slight tick noise, albeit it’s subtle.

The Storm is a great rotor, that is powerful, fade resistant and lighter than its predecessor. They can skate down any terrain, no matter how steep or long, and never suffer any weaknesses nor do they judder, though on occasion they squealed.

Magura has done a great job with these new rotors, and they are highly engineered products, and are a vast improvement on their predecessor’s.

MSRP: Storm SL $30 – Storm $25

Storm SL Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers
Storm Overall Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Storm SL
Url: http://www.magura.com/en/products/disc-brakes-2010/prod/storm-sl-rotor.html
Diameter: 203, 180, 160, 140 (NEW!) mm
Weight: 15% less than predecessor (From 147g/0.32 lbs. (203mm) to 75g/0.16lbs. (140mm)
Compatibility: all disc brake models except Gustav M
Material: high performance steel
Mounting: IS 6-hole version, Centerlock compatible in conjunction with new Centerlock adapter (available in August 2010)

Storm
Url: http://www.magura.com/en/products/disc-brakes-2010/prod/storm-rotor.html
Diameter: 203, 180, 160 mm
Weight: 15% less than predecessor (From 177g/0.39 lbs. (203mm) to 114g/0.25lbs. (160mm)
Compatibility: all disc brake models except Gustav M
Material: high performance steel
Mounting: IS 6-hole version, Centerlock compatible in conjunction with new Centerlock adapter (available in August 2010)

I have been using the very sweet Louise Carbon BAT brakes for just over three months, and they have turned out to be my current favorite stoppers. They are powerful, with good modulation, are quiet, fade resistant, highly tunable and have the bling carbon levers.

Louise Carbon BAT
The Louise Carbon is designed and manufactured in the fatherland Germany (actually in Laichingen), and for 2010 the Carbon’s come in a nifty race white finish. The Magura line of hydraulic disc brakes, includes the weight weenie Marta series, the budget Julie, the Louise and the gravity oriented Gustav. It is interesting, that except for the ultra powerful Gustav, they all have girl names? So considering the Marta’s pedigree, the Louise reminds me of the East German woman swimmers, Anabolic steroid enhanced power machines!

They use an open hydraulic system, with an integrated reservoir and an expansion chamber for fluid temperature control. The aluminum caliper has PM mounts, an adjustable hose fitting, and uses two injection molded composite pistons for less heat transfer to the brake fluid, and the pistons are magnetized for brake pad attachment. The pads come in two models, the default Performance version for maximum power, or the optional Endurance version for longevity. The rotors are sold separately in 160, 180 and 203mm sizes (6 bolt IS or Centerlock) in either the default Drilled SL or Venti rotors. Magura has a wide assortment of adapters so their PM caliper can fit any bike or fork. The hydraulic fluid is Magura’s Royal Blood mineral oil, and the brakes are bled using their Easy Bleed Technology. The aluminum master cylinder, has a carbon lever with reach adjust and Bite Adjust Technology (BAT), and attaches to the handlebars using their Quickfit split clamp system.

Installation
The brakes come with full length lines, so they need to be cut to size, dependent on user preference and bike geometry. I prefer my brakes set up in moto style, with the front brake on the right side. Many years of motorcycle riding has my brain pretty attuned to using the right hand, and in addition, my right has finer motor skills for precision braking.

The lever/reservoir assembly was easy to install, since the Quickfit split clamp doesn’t require the grips to come off. Undo the bolt on the Quickfit, which causes the clamp to swing open, and place it in the desired location (inside or outside shifter pods) on the handlebars, and close it shut and thread the bolt back in. The caliper setup was easy due to the pivoting banjo, which made the hose angle adjusting a snap.

I measured the desired length multiple times (not a place to screw up), and cut them with a sharp set of cutters. Holding the cut section up high to prevent any errant air bubbles, I slid on the sleeve nut followed by the olive, and tapped in the hose insert with a plastic mallet, and finally threaded the sleeve nut into the brake lever, tightening with the proper torque.

Neither brake leaked after the hose shortening, nor did they require any bleeding. The new EBT (Easy Bleed Technology) system which uses a port on top of the reservoir is easy to use, and I have bled my Marta SL Mags a number of times, so I can vouch for the simplicity and ease of the system. Although, bleeding brakes are still like getting poked in the eye, and my preference is non compliance. Basic bleed instructions: level reservoir, unscrew port bolt, insert syringe, unscrew caliper bolt, screw on a filled syringe, push fluid from bottom to top, cycling until bubbles are gone.

Impressions
For the entire testing period, I used the Louise in a 180/160 combination, on my new loyal steed, the All Mountain Yeti ASR 7. The Colorado terrain is predominantly rocky conditions, with many sections of long steep downhills, rock gardens, and ugly loose gravel.

To bed-in the rotors and pads, I drove up and down the street, accelerating, followed by medium braking, repeating this process about 20 times, and then the same scenario for 10 times with a firmer pressure.  This helps burn in rotors, which  integrates pad compound onto their surface, and burnish or polish the pads, both of which give rise to better performance and longevity. The BAT (Bite Adjust Technology), which is the red knob on the lever, allows an adjustment of how far the lever strokes (independent of lever reach) before the pad’s contact the rotor, so you can fine tune where the lever stroke applies the power. The lever reach is adjusted by using a 2.5mm Allen key in the port next to the BAT, which is sort of a pain, and I wish they had on the fly adjuster instead? I preferred a set up with a long reach and a firm bite. The combination of BAT and lever reach allows an entire slew of tunability, dependent on user preference, terrain, bike geometry, etc.

When I first started to use the brakes, I kept locking up the rear, since I wasn’t used to that much power, since these babies are powerful suckers, and I had to use the rear more gingerly. No matter where I was riding or the terrain I was on, I could stop on a dime, and bring my momentum to a quick standstill. The modulation was good, but not on par with the Marta’s, but their Uber power more than made up for it. By varying the amount of force on the levers, you had amazing control and precision, which was always predictable, and could easily scrub off speed anywhere, although their bite (sharpness) might not be for everyone’s tastes, although I liked it just fine. The strength and bite of the brakes, allowed great versatility in technical terrain, and helped with trial moves at slow speeds. The levers had a comfortable, solid feel without any mushiness nor flex, felt good in my hands, and they looked sweet in carbon.

I slammed the brakes as hard as I could, taking them onto the ugliest long steep descents that Colorado has to offer, and they performed admirably, never fading, and allowing a good deal less hand fatigue, even when pulling for prodigious periods of time. I like to ride the brakes on steep terrain to maintain my speed, and the Louise took a lot less effort to scrub speed, just a light feathering was all that was required. I used my Marta’s on the same terrain, and my hands ached, were tired, and scrubbing speed required additional pulling pressure overall. When the brakes got wet in the typical Colorado rain deluge, they would maintain their stout power and control even when soaked. They have stayed pretty silent overall, and only required an occasional sanding of the brake pads to silence them.

The Drilled SL rotors worked just fine, and I never had any warping issues, and they were pretty silent even when pushing the brakes fade limits. They are not the lightest rotors, but they have been reliable and very durable. Even with all the mileages and hard braking I have done, the brake pads have been long lived, and their wear has been minimal. The Performance version of the pads, which I used most often, suit the braking style of the Louise better than the Endurance series.

Measured Specs
Front brake uncut (64″ hose) – 277.2 grams
Rear brake uncut (64″ hose) – 277 grams
180mm rotor – 153.3 grams
160mm rotor -132.6 grams
Front total (uncut) => 430.5 grams
Rear Total (uncut) => 409.6 grams

QM6 adapter (front) – 23.5 grams
QM12 adapter (rear) – 19.2 grams
Bolts – 5.8 grams

Bottom Line
I am not sure how many superlatives can be piled on top of each other to describe the Louise, but they are pretty close to being a perfect brake, albeit they are slightly heavy. The Louise has proven themselves to be tough, robust and a reliable all around brake. They are powerful, fade resistant, quiet, predictable, with a crisp and snappy feel, and offer excellent control and precision. The On Demand power, allows speed scrubbing or an all out stop, anywhere and at any time, with an easy dab from the lever, giving rise to less effort being required and decreased hand fatigue. The carbon levers look good, are light, comfortable, and have a nice feel without any mushiness. The BAT and the reach adjustment, allow lots of tunability, for rider versatility.

They do have a sharp bite, which may or may not suit everyone’s tastes, but I enjoyed the control and feeling that characteristic brought forth. They are not the lightest brakes, but their power and reliability, and inherent features more than make up for this slight deficient. The Louise is the Uber stopping Queen, and are my current favorite brake.

Strengths
- BAT (on the fly): in concert with lever reach adjustment
- Fade resistant
- Uber powerful
- Quiet
- Reliable
- Quickfit slit clamp
- EBT system

Weaknesses
- Lever reach adjustment not on the fly
- Heavy rotors
- Heavy brakes

MSRP: brakes $233 each, rotors $19 each

Overall Rating: 5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Magura Louise Carbon BAT Specs
Technical features: Open hydraulic disc brake system with integrated reservoir. Dual piston fixed caliper with automatic pad wear adjustment. Heat Eater: Toolless adjustable hose fitting (45°) with integrated cooler. Pad wear thickness can be checked without removal of the pads. Quickfit brake lever (master) for superfast installation and removal, featherlight 2-finger carbon lever blade with reach adjust and integrated Bite Adjust Technology (BAT) for pressure point modulation. Ventidisc rotor with 15% improved ventilation in three diameters.
Weight: From 439g/0.96 lbs. (Ventidisc) resp. 400g/0.90 lbs. (drilled SL rotor).
Colours: Brake lever and caliper race-white.
Gear Shifter compatibility: Compatible with all Shimano STI, Sram trigger and Sram and Rohloff twist grip shifters. Not compatible with Shimano Dual Control. Dual Docking. Trigger shifters can be mounted both inside and outside the brake lever.
Note: Also available with lighter drilled SL rotor for weightweenies. Ventidisc also available in Centerlock version.
Guarantee: 5-year leakproof warranty after online registration on magura.com

Magura Louise url: http://www.magura.com/en/products/disc-brakes-2010/prod/louise-carbon.html

I have been out cranking and bashing away on a pair of Hayes Stroker Gram disc brakes for almost a year now on my Ibis Mojo. Although they are not the lightest pair of brakes I have used in the ever expanding weight weenie disc brake world, they are quite powerful, with excellent fade resistance.

Hayes Company
Hayes Brake has been in the brake technology business since 1946, and their brakes are used on everything from all-terrain vehicles, bicycles, construction equipment, motorcycles, riding mowers, tractors, snowmobiles and utility vehicles. Their work was extended to the mountain bike market in 1997 when Hayes Disc Brake was formed, and this group eventually morphed into the vast Hayes Bicycle Group, which includes Wheelsmith spokes, Sun Ringle wheels, Answer bike parts and Manitou shocks.

Hayes Stroker Grams
The Stroker Grams is the lightest of the Hayes Stroker series (5 versions), and they have been designed and marketed towards the cross country riding user group. Each kit includes the brake, a rotor, a mini bleed kit, carbon levers, alloy backed pads (semi-metallic) and a full titanium bolt kit. They are available in 140, 160, 180, 203, 224 mm sized rotors, and come with an appropriate sized post mount adapter. The master cylinder and caliper are made with aluminum, and use Kevlar hoses, and Hayes high temp DOT4 brake fluid. They are only available in the Lucky Black color (soon a white version), which has a sort of cool looking speckled finish. To minimize weight, Hayes removed as much of the already minimal lever body as possible, and on the master cylinder, they used finite element analysis, removing as much non-structural and redundant material as possible.

Finite element analysis (FEA) is a numerical technique for finding approximate solutions of partial differential equations (PDE) as well as of integral equations. In a structural simulation using computers, FEA helps tremendously in producing stiffness and strength visualizations and also in minimizing weight, materials, and costs. In a nutshell, it does mesh discretization of a continuous domain (the body or structure) into a set of discrete sub-domains (elements).

My usual long term brakes have been the Magura Marta SL brakes. I have a set of the 2007 Marta SL’s and recently got a brand new set of the Marta SL Mags, which use the larger Louise brake pads and much improved caliper system. The Marta SL’s are my main brain comparison and cross referencing brake, although I have used most of the current lighter brake systems for short periods of time.

Although the lines were a tad long on my bike, I never did get around to bleed them (lazy), but they are supposedly easier to bleed then previous Hayes brakes?

Impressions
The Stroker Grams are very easy to install since they use a split clamping system, and have a symmetrical flip flop design. The flip flop design means you can put the brake levers on either side of the handlebars, which is great if you are like me, and want your front brake in the motorcycle mode (on the right). One pain with the Marta SL’s is they lack the split clamp system, so to swap out brakes I have to remove the grips and shifters, which is a royal pain in the wazoo. They are a bit clunky looking, but retain a certain charm, and I did like the speckled black finish.

Measured Specs
——————–
Rear (line, caliper and lever) – 57 inch line: 247.4 grams
Front (line, caliper and lever) – 34 inch line: 231.1 grams
180 Hayes rotor – 151.7 grams
160 Hayes rotor – 114.7 grams
180 Hayes adapter – 10.1 grams
180 Hayes adapter bolts – 15.8 grams
Rotor bolts (titanium) – 7.2 grams
Caliper bolts (titanium) – 7.7 grams

The levers have a small adjuster knob that allows you to alter the reach, although it was a bit difficult to adjust them on the fly while riding. I really liked the feel of the lever in my hand, it was extremely comfortable and ergonomic. The brakes performed admirably, and they were very fade resistant, even on extremely long downhills. I abused them regularly on one of my local steep rides, in which I ride the brakes pretty hard and quite frequently, and all I could get them to do is make a low guttural grit sound.

Like any brake, when they get wet with rain or snow, they squeal and howl for a bit, but it seems to be short lived. They do make a deep gritty sound, especially when grabbing a good handful of brake. Their power loss when they were extremely wet was noticeable, but not significant.

I did find that the levers were just a bit flexible, and it took a long amount of stroke before the lever actually engaged, which made them feel a bit spongy until you really pried hard on the lever. Their modulation was good, though they could be a bit grabby, and you really needed to grab a good handful of brakes to get the power coming from the system, but they were quite powerful when you needed them. One thing that they seem to lack is an ability of lightly feathering the brakes, something that is nice to have in some technical terrain. Another quality was their lack of drag from the pads, which is always a slight issue on my Marta’s. My overall highlight would be to call them powerful, with a good bite, a tad grabby, excellent fade resistance, with good modulation.

The brake pads are easy to take out, even with the wheels still on the bike. However, during re-installation I sometimes had some issues getting the little spring to pop back in properly on the piston. If it doesn’t pop back in just right, then things won’t line up, and you’ll get rubbing on the rotors.

I was initially a bit apprehensive about the levers getting damaged since they sort of stick out from the body, but that turned out to not be the case. I have taken a few good diggers, and twisted handlebars in some strange contortions, and the levers have survived without a scratch. I think the flexing levers might help protect themselves, since they can subtly move, which prevent them from breaking or getting damaged.

Bottomline
The Stroker Grams are a moderately light brake in comparison to their weight weenie competition, yet they are powerful, and seem not to fade on long downhills or during extended hard braking. The levers are a touch flexible, and along with a long throw, they have a spongy feel, but a robust handful makes the brakes work just fine. Their main downfall is that they can be a bit grabby on slow technical terrain, so you need to modulate them properly. In regard to their noise levels, they rarely squeal, but can make a deep gritty sound.

The Hayes Stroker Grams are a fine brake, are well made, and have good attributes and features, and they would be a nice addition to any bike.

Strengths
-Excellent fade resistance
-Lever has good comfortable feel in the hand
-Good power
-Ti hardware
-Pad replacement without taking off the wheel

Weaknesses
-Bit grabby
-Not the lightest of the weight weenie
-Slight gritty sound

MSRP $280-$310

Purchase from eBikeStop.com

Hayes url: www.hayesdiscbrake.com

Hayes specs
-Titanium hardware
-Carbon Lever Blade with tool free adjust
-Radial, Symmetrical; Aluminum Master Cylinder
-Two-piece aluminum caliper, Caliper positioning window, titanium bridge bolts
-Semi-metallic pads with aluminum backing
-Kevlar wrap hose
-Hayes high temp DOT4 hydraulic fluid
-535 sq mm pad size
-6-bolt T-25 rotor bolt pattern
-Rotor sizes 140 (rear), 160, 180, 203
-Published Weight: 355 g(160mm rotor), 339 g(140mm rotor)

While I was at the Interbike 2009 show, I dropped by the Ashima booth, and had a nice conversation with the main man of Ashima, Wayne Moore. Wayne had on display a set of their new PCB brakes, and some colored rotors. The lightweight AiRotors brake rotor now comes in red, black, blue, yellow, and white! I got a trick set of the red ones to test out, and I must say that the colors really add to their uniqueness.

Initially, Ashima had recommended running the AiRotors in a reverse direction in comparison to other rotors, so instead of the struts rolling against the direction of rotation they go with it. The reasons were that the AiRotors lightweight struts perform significantly better under tension, since under compression, they are subject to bending forces. After some more research and analysis, Wayne decided that the normal rotor direction performed better, so “reverse was worse”.

Their new brakes are very radical and innovative. The PCB or PanCake Brake has no pistons, and instead operates using a diaphragm seal.

The design is very simple, lightweight, and has very thin calipers (25mm). The piston less design, gives an excellent response, simpler manufacturing, and has an equivalent area of a 20mm piston. The PCB just became a Design Award Winner at the Eurobike Show, so congratulations to Ashima for that achievement. A split pin with a center spring keeps the pads held against the diaphragm covers.

The red piping aids fluid transfer between the sides of the caliper, and should help with cooling. Wayne gave me a beta sample to test out and review, so it will be interesting to see how they perform? My short trip up and down the street after installation showed some promise, so I can’t wait to thrash them on some steep local terrain.

Ashima PCB measured sample spec
Front:
weight -185.9 grams
hose length – 29 inches
Rear:
weight – 209.9 grams
hose length – 57.5 inches

I really liked the PCB color combination with the red piping and accents, since it really worked well with all the red highlighting and my red/black DT Swiss EXC 150 fork on my Ibis Mojo.

Wayne has another brake in the works, the 4 pot APVS (Ashima Power Valve System). It has four pistons comprised of two pairs of axially mounted pistons. When the brake lever is lightly pulled (initial braking ), two 14mm pistons are engaged, and as a more progressive and firmer force (higher loads) is applied two 22mm pistons engage. It means it has the equivalent of 26mm pistons. This design results in better modulation with less pulling force. The red piping (same as the PCB) aids fluid transfer and cooling. The design sounds very trick, and I can’t wait to see how it performs on the trails.