ive switched from Shimano to MT7s. I’ve had them over a year now and they’ve been great.
I’ve even managed to bleed them successfully. Fortunately, I’ve only had to do it twice.
Frankenbrakes and brake improvement discussion
- Thread starter Udi
- Start date
I’ve even managed to bleed them successfully. Fortunately, I’ve only had to do it twice.
cura
bough both cura 2 and cura 4 past year or so...neither had quick connect, but they're easy to shorten hoses/bleed
Mt5 and Shimano levers. Done.
learn to bleed? Using the funnel, you can do a bottom up bleed. Just make sure to pull down a couple times while you’re bleeding up. Helps get in all those little spaces and displace air.
learn to bleed? Using the funnel, you can do a bottom up bleed. Just make sure to pull down a couple times while you’re bleeding up. Helps get in all those little spaces and displace air.
I highly suggest cheap servo wave. I like Saint levers with the MT6 (old) calipers because I am a shallow person and am attracted to the bling.
There's a real finality to dying. So in that sense, absolutely done.
Right so that's why I ask. People complain about the magura master cylinders cranking in crashes, I clipped my right bar/brake level 3 times on my ride last night so that's a real concern for me. But it seems like the actual piston in the shimanos wear out and cause near death experiences, and the only fix for it seems to involve machining your own custom parts.
Yeah, but you can get a few years out of the Shimano levers before the first symptoms show up. Then toss them and get another pair.
Except if your first symptom is a leaver that leaks all it's fluid while on vacation.
From what I can tell:
(1) trick stuff - essentially fixes all the issues that crop up in most/all modern brakes, however expensive and lead times
(2) shigura - works quite well, with the shimano lever wildcard thrown in. Magura levers have funky ergonomics and questionable durability. Eventually the shimano lever cylinder will start going, the lever will vary in bite point and hard to get a good bleed. At this point, once it starts being an issue, just buy a new brake lever. XT levers are widely available and cheap. Magura MT5 brakes/calipers similarly available at low prices.
(3) Formula Cura 4 - well received and high functioning, but have minimal pad roll back like formula brakes are prone to, and frequently pad drag on the rotors as a result. Seemingly durable otherwise.
Curious if this lines up with other people experience.
Very happy with my shigura brakes, much more predictible than any anything else I have ridden for many years, very Smooth power build up, and great stopping power. Love em.
would still be on Formulas, except for the non-stop drag issues.
(1) trick stuff - essentially fixes all the issues that crop up in most/all modern brakes, however expensive and lead times
(2) shigura - works quite well, with the shimano lever wildcard thrown in. Magura levers have funky ergonomics and questionable durability. Eventually the shimano lever cylinder will start going, the lever will vary in bite point and hard to get a good bleed. At this point, once it starts being an issue, just buy a new brake lever. XT levers are widely available and cheap. Magura MT5 brakes/calipers similarly available at low prices.
(3) Formula Cura 4 - well received and high functioning, but have minimal pad roll back like formula brakes are prone to, and frequently pad drag on the rotors as a result. Seemingly durable otherwise.
Curious if this lines up with other people experience.
Very happy with my shigura brakes, much more predictible than any anything else I have ridden for many years, very Smooth power build up, and great stopping power. Love em.
would still be on Formulas, except for the non-stop drag issues.
I am too quite happy with my shigura. I actually change my levers today for the new SLX. I have had mt500 levers before for around 350 hours of mainly trail riding. No issues with those except for the throw feeling like growing over time. I am not sure by how much tho since the new levers don't feel that different... I will have to dubbel check my bleed later.
Trickstuff pads are a good improvement over Magura's original.
I have the Cura 2 on the other bike, I like them too. The power comes a little faster than on the shigura. No biggie. I didn't had them for a long time yet, never changed pads, no bleeds, so limited experience in other words
Trickstuff pads are a good improvement over Magura's original.
I have the Cura 2 on the other bike, I like them too. The power comes a little faster than on the shigura. No biggie. I didn't had them for a long time yet, never changed pads, no bleeds, so limited experience in other words
I haven't had a shimano brake part on any bike in over a year.
I only have a few teeth left, no need to tempt fate.
so if you are full Cura brakes everywhere now, have you gotten it so they don't endlessly drag?
inquiring minds want to know.
inquiring minds want to know.
Depends. What's the ambient air temperature?
Not kidding
TLDR; sometimes not really but sometimes not always
Someone posted a while back that forumula released a piston seal that increases pad retraction. Anybody know more about that?
Lots of stories about Magura MT7s being a PITA to bleed properly, and reports of lever flex are disconcerting too. I've heard Magura USA support is amazing, but a lot of those reports of amazing service are from people who exploded the all-carbon lever body in crashes. I was seriously considering some for the reports of great power and modulation, but those other factors turned me away. Clearly lots of others here disagree with me tho.
I briefly had the 2 piston Formula Curas, but the ergonomics didn't work with my 11spd XT shifter for whatever reason. Brakes felt great though.
I'm still running TRP Quadiems on both of my bikes (hardtail and enduro bike). Cheap, insanely reliable (main attribute), and I like the ergonomics. They aren't as powerful as you'd expect for such a chunky brake, but the newer DH model reportedly has a lot more power since pros were asking.
reviewer on nsmb spoke to formula and said it was a running production change... might be worth getting in touch with him or formula to find out which brake serial #s got it or what the story is with the seal kits
You can buy them at least. I might just do it and see if they're any different.
BTI | Formula Italy Caliper O-Ring Kit (1 Caliper), Cura
Bicycle Technologies International - A bicycle parts distribution company located in Santa Fe, NM.
bti-usa.com
fwiw, my cura2s never drag, but the 4s almost always drag.
I have some Cura 2 that are easy to set up and don’t drag.
Anyone on the Hayes Dominion? I’m pretty happy with them.
They have minimal rollback similar to the Formulas, btw.
Anyone on the Hayes Dominion? I’m pretty happy with them.
They have minimal rollback similar to the Formulas, btw.
Pro-tip. A drop of Motorex Supergliss on the pads and the drag will not be noticeable anymore.
ok, will do! How’s the sled coming along?
The only thing keeping me sane right now.
Have a set of Dominions on the trailbike.
So far I like them.
No issues with drag or rubbing (NSB mounts and Hayes rotors)
I did have one do some stupid to the bar things.
Hayes warranty hooked me up with a new brake and enough parts to rebuild both, and all I did was e-mail and ask for some troubleshooting tips.
Hope and Magura both make 203 to 220mm post mount adapters.
So the Formulas seem to be a mixed bag as well. Leaning toward another set of MT7... if I have issues I’ll bastardize them with some shimano levers but to be honest I’ve never been super excited with ServoWave™️...
Dumb question time, what do you guys mean when you say “pad rollback” is this different from lad retraction??
Dumb question time, what do you guys mean when you say “pad rollback” is this different from lad retraction??
Curas and mt7s are both fine. Just pick your favorite lever ergonomics
Mighta been @Udi who was assisting me with Formula rebuild tips.
Basically it's an update for certain (probably older) models: Enhanced Caliper Technology. I've installed it on my Ones. The front is now drag free, rear is still a little draggy, but that might be down to caliper positioning. Overall I'd say a pretty good improvement on older models. I'm guessing here, but I would assume newer models like Curas already have that tech... I think the ECT update is at least a few years old.
On a different note... can someone give me the pad width of a 2 pot XT finned pad? Also ideally the height from bottom of pad material to centre of locating pin? I've attached pics of the requested measurements for reference.
I assume the XT pads are wider than the Formula pads, but hopefully not 'taller'. If so, I'm thinking of grinding down the XT pad to fit a Formula caliper. The L04Cs are really quite good, but in the interest of optimisation... I gotta have a crack!
The one risk I do see is potentially over heating the pad material while grinding.
Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Thanks in advance!
I assume the XT pads are wider than the Formula pads, but hopefully not 'taller'. If so, I'm thinking of grinding down the XT pad to fit a Formula caliper. The L04Cs are really quite good, but in the interest of optimisation... I gotta have a crack!
The one risk I do see is potentially over heating the pad material while grinding.
Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Thanks in advance!
L04c does the job in the R0R calipers for me, Hab and kidwoo had some worries with them rocking in the caliper afaik.
Trickstuff has a big spreadsheet with pad specs, in German ofc. I'm on my mobile phone atm and the sheet sucks for it. I can translate later if you want/care.
Scheibenbremsbeläge
trickstuff.de
Perfect! Just used google translate, so no need to help out, but thanks for the offerL04c does the job in the R0R calipers for me, Hab and kidwoo had some worries with them rocking in the caliper afaik.
Trickstuff has a big spreadsheet with pad specs, in German ofc. I'm on my mobile phone atm and the sheet sucks for it. I can translate later if you want/care.
Scheibenbremsbeläge
Looks like if I want to do this it's 4mm off the sides in total. Hmmm, it's in the 'consideration' box.
On another note... I take it your R0Rs are still working well? Are they powerful? I was kinda keen on them before this One refurbishment project, but the bad review on PB put me off.
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