The Hayes Mag brought better braking to the masses....and changed the world of mountain bikes
Exclusive: The Brake that Changed Everything
Exclusive: The Brake that Changed Everything
Exclusive: The Brake that Changed Everything
- Thread starter webmonkey365
- Start date
This article really makes it sound like the mag was the first brake on the market, ignoring the similarly terrible AMP, Prostop, Formula, and Sachs disk brakes that were all already on the market and stinking it up. The best thing that hayes brought to the table was a universal mounting standard (what eventually became 74mm post mount), and market acceptance via trek actually producing bikes equipped with disks from the factory.
I live in Kenosha WI. I worked with Scott, Joel Richardson and Len Cabaltera at a local bike shop. Len left to work at a big mailorder bike shop for a few years. In 95 or 96, Len said he was working at Hayes with Kent Merrick on a disc brake. Having replaced a 3rd rear rim with a collapsed sidewall, they sounded like a good idea.
Then I ran into Len and his custom Merrick frame, Hayes equipped bike at a local criterium. It was the second bike ever equipped with Hayes brakes front and rear. Might have been pre-prodution units, they had graphics. Custom Hugi hubs. I had a chance to ride it around and loved it. Only problem, I needed a custom frame made or buy a steel frame and modify it. Len said,"We just need a few OEM's to buy into disc brakes. I hope we can, because we've put a lot into this". He seemed hopefully optimistic. Then a year or 2 later, TREK came along with the 8900. I run into Len from time to time and always forget to ask him if he ever thought the disc brake boom would end up so big. Hayes being the biggest OEM spec at one time.
Then I ran into Len and his custom Merrick frame, Hayes equipped bike at a local criterium. It was the second bike ever equipped with Hayes brakes front and rear. Might have been pre-prodution units, they had graphics. Custom Hugi hubs. I had a chance to ride it around and loved it. Only problem, I needed a custom frame made or buy a steel frame and modify it. Len said,"We just need a few OEM's to buy into disc brakes. I hope we can, because we've put a lot into this". He seemed hopefully optimistic. Then a year or 2 later, TREK came along with the 8900. I run into Len from time to time and always forget to ask him if he ever thought the disc brake boom would end up so big. Hayes being the biggest OEM spec at one time.
So how did they go so far astray, and become perceived as 'dogs' within the OEM/industry?
Even if they produced a far superior brake to the XT today, they would still face a severe uphill struggle to regain market share.
Even if they produced a far superior brake to the XT today, they would still face a severe uphill struggle to regain market share.
Hayes never changed the brake design for 10 years. If they had kept making improvements they would have been in better shape but still would have had a difficult time batteling the big S's for OEM spec.
To be fair, they did try to update with the strokers...but that was an epic fail.
Because china. Decreasing reliability without improved performance all for the same cost. Each sequential brake was a step down, and Hayes didn't care until they realized how few people were buying their brakes anymore. Now they'd have to make a knockout to compete with shimano, but shimanos are sooooo cheap.
Hope did not have decent disk brakes out until the mono m4. I'd choose the mag over the hope c2 or dh4 or mono mini, for any bike for any purpose. Ick. Mags are still relevant today, I wouldn't put anybody I care about on any hope brake before the m4
Early gen: Hopeless