Thoughts on Magura HS33 hydraulic brake for long distance

[peletiah]

Hi!

I'm pondering which brakes i should choose for my new Nomad. I've heard really good things about the reliability of the Magura HS33-brakes and after seeing them live i'm even more convinced that they are a better solution than the classic "wire-controlled" brakes(No abrasion of bowden cables, less and easier maintenance in general). However, i'm not sure if they are suited for long distance cycling where i'll be away from a professional bike-shop for weeks and thousands of kilometers, e.g. in central asia or south america. Price-wise they are the same and if i was not unsure about the worst-case-scenario, i'd definitely go for the Maguras.
What do you think?

Regards
Christian

[expr]

I would be tempted to stay with the more conventional cable pull, should you experience any problems at all, the chances of a possible fix are further away in terms of fixability.

Dave.

[mateusz]

I have HS33s on my home-made tandem (mostly because of easier cable routing). They do not stop better even cheapo Vs, but are, indeed of an install and forget type. I haven't done anything with them for the last 10 years (it is not a very frequently used bike, true). Having said that, all you need for a serious trouble is an awkward handling at the airport (and you should always expect that!), ripped hose and break-less bike, UNLESS you have spares (oil is not really a problem).

[ProMag]

Just registered to say that I've had a set of Magura brakes (Hs66s) for over ten years on my main bike and I've never had any problems due to oil leakage or cylinder seal failure or whatever, just strong reliable braking. The wife has Hs33s on her bike.  They can be fiddly to get aligned initially and they weigh more than other brakes. At least worrying about the risk of the lines getting snagged and ripped during a flight keeps you from worrying about other stuff. When I got a Raven Tour I upgraded the lines to braided stainless steel for peace of mind. Now I can concentrate on worrying about the lever blades getting broken.

There's always Fedex if something goes wrong.

[Andre Jute]

I have Magura hydraulic rim brakes and they are indeed maintenance free and reliable, with a five year leakproof guarantee. But there aren't any spares in local shops in Ireland, so there is no reason to expect spares in shops when you go bush. All it needs to strand you is a careless baggage handler, a vandal (there's a lot of social resentment in places like South America and Africa) or a sharp branch sticking out at an awkward angle.

I'd stick to the wired brakes. If you do decide on the Magura rim hydraulics, at least take the mini-service kit, which includes enough tubing to rebuild the most vulnerable parts wherever you are, oil and so on. I have one in my hand and it feels like about half a pound.

Hobbes

[ProMag]

Does the lack of spares and abundance of social resentment mean I wouldn't tour Ireland with a Rohloff or hydraulics? Of course not. I'm not putting myself about as a grizzled world traveller, but the two trip-halting mechanical failures that have actually happened to me involved the wheels not the brakes. A tumble in the Lake District (wheel and downtube trashed; tour abandoned) and bike damaged during transit to NZ (wheel and forks trashed; four day hiatus). Sharp foliage in Scotland has cut my tyre sidewalls but you'd have to be a pretty unlucky cycle tourist to come across a branch sticking out angled exactly to cut the lines. Hope it doesn't then stab you in the knee.

Maguras are robust enough to tour with, and IMHO the tangible benefits outweigh the theoretical problems. You might consider taking some spare hose and some olives on a tour. I personally wouldn't take the full service kit, only a single bleed adapter and maybe a syringe. If they couldn't be repaired, I would post them home and buy some new brakes locally. They're only the brakes after all, it's not the hub gear.

[peletiah]

Thanks for all your insightful and funny comments. I would definitely buy them with the braided hose kit, the service kit and some extra oil as the tubes seem to be the most vulnerable parts. When a gasket in the levers or some other vital part breaks i'm fubared of course, but this worst case scenario could also happen with a wire brake or any other bike-part. I also assume i can always switch to a cheapo canti/v-brake purchased from a local dealer(Unless it happens in Balochistan or some other godforsaken province).

edit: "fubared" - haha, funny safe-words have been configured here... :-)

[mski]

Have used Magura's before and they were fine, but to be honest i could never see the advantages they had over a set of decent cable rim brakes. Now hydraulic discs are a different matter, but not brave enough to risk them on a long world tour.
What's wrong with Balochistan? I had some of my best times in Pakistan there, plus you would certainly be able to buy v brakes in Quetta!

[peletiah]

What's wrong with Balochistan? I had some of my best times in Pakistan there, plus you would certainly be able to buy v brakes in Quetta!

From the maps it seemed to be the most deserted region of my planned route from Central Europe to India(Especially the border region of Iran/Pakistan, Quetta not so much of course). I'm of course very open to be disabused if this impression is wrong!

[peletiah]

Have used Magura's before and they were fine, but to be honest i could never see the advantages they had over a set of decent cable rim brakes.

No abrasion of the bowden cabling, "quick-release"-lever to change the brake pad in a minute(Which is always a pesky and dirty work at v-brakes, cantilevers where even worse on the other hand). Brakes have always been the most maintenance-prone parts on my bikes so i'd be glad if there's a technically advanced solution(Just as Rohloffs are compared to derailleur).

[mski]

No abrasion of the bowden cabling, "quick-release"-lever to change the brake pad in a minute(Which is always a pesky and dirty work at v-brakes, cantilevers where even worse on the other hand). Brakes have always been the most maintenance-prone parts on my bikes so i'd be glad if there's a technically advanced solution(Just as Rohloffs are compared to derailleur).

True but cartridge's have made it easier to change the pads and you haven't mentioned improved brake performance, which is the only reason i would switch from cable brakes.

From the maps it seemed to be the most deserted region of my planned route from Central Europe to India(Especially the border region of Iran/Pakistan, Quetta not so much of course). I'm of course very open to be disabused if this impression is wrong!

You are not wrong, you may end up with a military/police escort the Iran border side. Iran is one of the Safest places i have been but the border area is a little different. Taftan on the Pakistan side is great, but very much a frontier town ( Its certainly a culture shock after Iran).  The largest problem you may encounter is the trucks and sand covered roads. I loved it though Pakistan is one of my favourite countries, plus the people hassle you much less than the Indians.

[peletiah]

True but cartridge's have made it easier to change the pads

If you are able to extract the pads from the cartridge after they are used up and brake dust, aluminum oxide and rubber have been welded with each other. It's already difficult to squeeze them in, i've never been able to extract them without excessive force, often only with the help of a sharp edge or a screwdriver(After removing the adapter from the brake arm) - and i've been using cartridge-adapters from different brands since 7 years. And positioning the pads is still cumbersome, although a lot better than with cantilever(I remember spending dozens of minutes of positioning on a pair of those). I'm also fed up with bowden wire, you will inevitably loose slipperiness after a while. Two years ago i tried Nokon but didn't experience much difference, besides they start squeaking due to oxide accumulating between the aluminium beads.
Pure "brake performance" is not a decision maker for me, as all brakes i've used in the last years had more than enough power to block the wheels with little force needed on the lever. I've read both XTR and HS33 are superior in terms of sensibility though.

Thanks for your comments on Iran/Pakistan, looking forward to this travel since years :-) I was wondering if it's possible to cross the border near the makran coast, though the crossing at Pishin(Iran) doesn't seem to be open for foreigners.

[Andre Jute]

"Pro-Mag", eh? Would that be "Pro-Mag[ura]"?

Does the lack of spares and abundance of social resentment mean I wouldn't tour Ireland with a Rohloff or hydraulics? Of course not.

I've never noticed "the abundance of social resentment" you write of in Ireland, so your last missionary tour must have been before I came to live here thirty years ago. I trust my compatriots were properly gracious (though I can understand why they weren't sincerely grateful) about your efforts. Nice to hear you still cycle after so many decades; gives the rest of us hope.

Hobbes

[mski]

I was wondering if it's possible to cross the border near the makran coast, though the crossing at Pishin(Iran) doesn't seem to be open for foreigners.

Had some friends try and get through there last year and they were turned away. You are aware how hot it is in the Persian Gulf? Felt like my lungs were on fire just breathing, when i was there. Hope you love Iran/Pakistan.

[peletiah]

You are aware how hot it is in the Persian Gulf?

Nope, but it's not likely that i get there when i have to use to northern border-crossing. Will most probably cross to Quetta and Lahore.