By switching to magnesium for the master cylinder and adding a carbon fibre lever, Magura saves 43g over the standard Marta, and the skeletal 129g 180mm SL rotor makes this version more competitive.
A closed clamp makes fitting to carbon bars a gentle job. Carfully bedding in the pads is essential to get a good lifespan out of them. Modulation and power are consistent and adequate for most situations though.
WMB verdict:
Value: 3/5
The 180mm version is comparatively light, with a sharp feel and good reliability - not cheap though.
Okay then, they’re light (a genuine 315g ish), they’re powerful, they’ve got excellent modulation and feel, the lever shape is lovely, they have adjustable lever reach and they look cool. Once bedded-in properly the pads will last for months. They sit next Shimano and Sram shifters perfectly well (and the angled hose exit on the lever makes for good hose routing too). They have “proper” wavy rotors that deal with filth very well (160mm, 180mm and 203mm sized rotors are available). They’re easy to shorten the hose; there’s spare olives and stuff in the box so all you need to find is a a Stanley knife, a 5mm Allen key and an 8mm spanner.
Yes, they are double-take inducingly expensive but they are the best brakes in the world. So that’s fair enough in my opinion. You can also get cheaper virtually-as-good as non-magnesium non-carbon Martas.
Overall: The benchmark brake.
This is the brake that the MBA wrecking crew compares all other brakes to.
