Anyone tried Magura Gustav Pro?

[p3eps]

I've just been on my bike for the first time in about 6 months. Was diagnosed with the 'C' word (not C**T!!) in October, and have been unable to do any physical activity until recently. I've been doing some Zwift over the last few weeks, but the return from the Easter holidays was my goal for getting back on a real bike!

Today, I got to the trail... and rode the miles of fire roads and single track to get to the top. Within about a minute of going downhill, my front brake (Magura MT7) pretty much pulled straight back against the bar. It did have a little pressure, however it's safe to say that it ruined my ride!
This isn't the first time it's happened, and I'm getting a bit sick of my ride being ruined by the MT7's and their terrible bleeding (or my lack of ability to do it!). I can spend an hour getting them so they feel rock solid. Ride them near the house round the roads, and they feel great,. Onto the downhill section, and they turn to mush. When they work, they're brilliant... but I feel I've spent a lot of time and effort on them, and half the time it's for nothing!

I figured I'd maybe try something else... and was considering the new Gustav Pros.
A few key things I need from brakes...

• Decent power... although my Levo SL is a little over 17kgs... so I maybe don't need 'ebike specific'?
• Modulation. I love the feel of the MT7's when they're actually working properly.
• Reasonably light weight. The MT7's with the Storm rotors are only about 425g's.
• Ability to fit a carbon lever. Why? Because I have Reynauds Syndrome - which means I have perpetually cold hands (especially in the winter). A carbon lever stays much warmer in the winter than an aluminum one does!
• Cost - I'm not on a particular budget, but at the same time don't want to spend ridiculous money!
• Easy maintenance.

I see from videos that I can change the lever... but what I can't tell is whether my carbon MT7 levers will fit?
I also wondered about my matchmaker adapters - but I see there are new Gustav ones available for SRAM. I have a couple of Bike Yoke adapters which actually put the SRAM PODs in the perfect position (for the first time in 5 years of using AXS!), so I hope these work!

Had anyone tried a Gustav Pro yet... and are they a big upgrade from the MT7 in terms of quality and servicing?

 

[smc_stefan]

I'm also waiting on real life reviews of the Gustav Pro. All professional reviews are very promising, but real life riding is, where problems appear nobody was talking about on the regular YT channels and so on.

Since I use HS2 rotors and Galfer purple pads on my Code RSC, I actually like the braking power and modulation, but I really really hate, that I have to bleed those bloody bastards like 5x a year and only every third time I get them perfectly bled for whatever reason. Been bleeding my brakes for more than 20 years, but those SRAM brakes are one of it's kind. That's why I want to get rid of them.

For quite some time Saints where high up on my list, but now I'm literally 5 seconds away from pulling the trigger on a pair of Gustav Pro.

 

[p3eps]

I've got my MT7's all re-bled now and feeling good... but I live in fear that I pull the lever on and there's no pressure again!!

All the videos on Gustav's are from mid last year. They've only just been launched in the last month (I think), so I'd have expected to see real life reviews by now. Odd. When Danny MacAskill was showing them off a few weeks ago, I figured that was them officially released.

I'm intrigued by the quick release hoses on the Gustav. I can see Magura's own videos on how to attach them and release them - keeping the pressure inside - but nothing on how to shorten them for the front. I did watch a video on making up a new quick release connection, but there's no info on whether the bits come in the box, or if they're even available. I don't want a 2m front brake line!

I'd really like the Trickstuff Direttissima special edition - as the blue would look awesome on my bike... but at £1100 (brakes only - no rotors or matchmakers etc), I don't see it as a realistic option!!

 

[smc_stefan]

There are tons of test and build videos (at least in german) online already, they all came online within the last two months. But all of those are from more or less professional channels, what I would be interested in, would be real life user experience.

- Is the quick release really as good as shown?
- Is the factory pre-bleed really good enough?
- Are they really serviceable as easy as advertised?
- How do they perform after a month of hard riding, not just after one day of testing, where they give you a factory prepared set of brakes.

I don't question the braking power, as that has always been good with Maguras.
The First Edition sold now comes with everything you need to shorten the brakelines, except a brakeline cutter. Furthermore you will need to buy the Gustav Pro shiftmix adapters if you want to mount your shift and seatpost levers directly to the brake levers.

I gonna give my RSCs a last chance, will completely re-bleed them with racecar grade brake fluid, if that doesn't help, they will be out of the window soon.

Some example videos:

 

[Bear-uk]

I'd try the Shimano servo wave levers like the xt first.
Mine feel good without any problems of the plastic magura levers whilst still giving you the power your used to.

 

[ctcampbell]

I fitted these to my new Bullit this weekend. Installation was incredibly easy, they provide all the parts in the box except for a 7mm open end spanner. I didn’t have to bleed either end after shortening both hoses.

Nice thing about the easy link is not being in the luck of the gods about whether your twisted hose is twisted “just right” to roll the master the other way and have the hose point in the correct direction when the master is attached to the bars.

They have the usual Magura MT7 feel, the lever blade is definitely further from the bars but when reach is wound all the way in they sit in about the same place as I have my MT7s on my other bike.

The shiftmix adaptors have not really been improved from the MT versions. There is absolutely no adjustment for angle so if you run your levers relatively flat then you will be reaching to shift gears/operate dropper.

The new bar clamp works well enough. Certainly better than the wood screws on the MTs.

Pad clearance is exactly the same as MT7s, which is disappointing given Magura claim these are easier to align the rotors. I found no such improvement. I guess that’s the price you pay for next to no lever dead stroke.

Can’t comment on long term performance, but they did bed in almost immediately and they feel more than powerful enough.

 

[unclezz]

To me Magura have a huge problem: serviceability.

If something brakes you need to replace the full caliper or lever. They do not sell small parts.

This is one of the of the reasons why I left them and not going back.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your experience either way the Gustav!

 

[ctcampbell]

To me Magura have a huge problem: serviceability.

If something brakes you need to replace the full caliper or lever. They do not sell small parts.

This is one of the of the reasons why I left them and not going back.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your experience either way the Gustav!

Yeah very true. They do slightly better on the Gustavs in that you can buy just the master without a lever, but that’s it.

 

[MiloSWORKSgen4custom]

I have been running the Gustav Pros for about three months, having secured a first-edition pack, including the amazing 2.1mm rotors, while on business in Germany for a great price . I will clarify that these are on my Amflow Pro, so not a heavy rig, but I am 124kg and normally have issues with overheating on MT7's, Code Stealths, and even Mavens on long descents, choosing expensive different pads etc (they only go up to 203mm discs, I normally run 220mm on the front of mine and I can tell you I don't miss the 220's, I wouldn't need any more power or cooling). On these, nothing. They run really cool well, the fins on the pads help, the larger volume of oil helps and the rotors are amazing. I fitted them myself easily, shortened the front and rear hose and lost no oil, and refitted the easy fit connectors and they were great. I have hardly had to touch out of the box. They look great on my bike against the black and gold, and for me are the holy grail of brakes. I has a set of the red Maven Ultimate Experts for a short period and was really disappointed. These have been outstanding and you will see a lot more UK reviews as more come into the UK. I picked up 4 pairs of pads whilst I was there, which is good as spares and accessories seem to be in short supply there at the moment. I need 2 Shiftmix adaptors, £12 each, but nowhere has them..... But as they have only really just been released, I am very pleased and can see them being really popular, if for nothing else, the amazing discs.

 

[Hiltix]

Thank you very much for your detailed feedback.
I am currently deciding between Gustav Pro and SRAM Maven. Is there anyone here who has already ridden both brakes and can report on their experiences?

 

[smc_stefan]

I have been running the Gustav Pros for about three months, having secured a first-edition pack, including the amazing 2.1mm rotors, while on business in Germany for a great price . I will clarify that these are on my Amflow Pro, so not a heavy rig, but I am 124kg and normally have issues with overheating on MT7's, Code Stealths, and even Mavens on long descents, choosing expensive different pads etc (they only go up to 203mm discs, I normally run 220mm on the front of mine and I can tell you I don't miss the 220's, I wouldn't need any more power or cooling). On these, nothing. They run really cool well, the fins on the pads help, the larger volume of oil helps and the rotors are amazing. I fitted them myself easily, shortened the front and rear hose and lost no oil, and refitted the easy fit connectors and they were great. I have hardly had to touch out of the box. They look great on my bike against the black and gold, and for me are the holy grail of brakes. I has a set of the red Maven Ultimate Experts for a short period and was really disappointed. These have been outstanding and you will see a lot more UK reviews as more come into the UK. I picked up 4 pairs of pads whilst I was there, which is good as spares and accessories seem to be in short supply there at the moment. I need 2 Shiftmix adaptors, £12 each, but nowhere has them..... But as they have only really just been released, I am very pleased and can see them being really popular, if for nothing else, the amazing discs.

View attachment 161434 View attachment 161435 View attachment 161436 View attachment 161450

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience. Spareparts shortage bothers me as well, prices dropped below € 500 for the first edition and I would be ready to pull the trigger but no SRAM adaptors available anywhere. Guess I'll have to wait a few more weeks.

 

[Mteam]

I recently had a quick ride on a friend's bike fitted with the Gustav pro brakes, it was a really short ride so I can't go into a lot of detail, but they felt pretty good to me, very powerful,possibly the joint most powerful brakes I have tried, alongside hope tech 4 v4, the gustavs may even have been a little more powerful, it's hard to tell. They felt like they had less modulation than the hope tech4v4.

For reference I have the following brakes on various bikes

-hope tech 4 v4
-magura mt7
-Shimano xt m8120
-sram code rsc

 

[Roundbadge]

Thank you very much for your detailed feedback.
I am currently deciding between Gustav Pro and SRAM Maven. Is there anyone here who has already ridden both brakes and can report on their experiences?

I had mavens then tried TRP Evo Pros on my new Crestline S180
Now I’m running the Gustav Pros.
The mavens when bled and given the piston massage properly are very powerful but have a very narrow modulation window.
It’s easy to accidentally lock a wheel especially the front.I had to be more conscious of my braking.I hated that.
The Gustavs are the polar opposite modulation wise and have the smoothest most predictable modulation and power ramp up of any brake I’ve tried.the power is there like the mavens but way waay easier to control.The TRP Evo Pros come in a close second.
The one thing instillation wise is they are harder to align and you have to fudge the calipers more carefully to avoid pad rub with the rotors.
Magura is coming out with lever options as well.

 

[Hiltix]

I currently ride the Magura MT7, which I have really appreciated over the years. But now I just want a brake with a little more braking power. This narrow modulation window is what makes me unsure. I guess I'll just have to test it out. Thank you for your feedback.

 

[ctcampbell]

I switched my MDR-P rotors over to try them out, no noticeable difference in pad gap but weirdly it does feel like there is more lever throw before full bite. Yet to try them out on the trail.

 

[Roundbadge]

I currently ride the Magura MT7, which I have really appreciated over the years. But now I just want a brake with a little more braking power. This narrow modulation window is what makes me unsure. I guess I'll just have to test it out. Thank you for your feedback.

Just to be clear the modulation window on the Gustavs is very wide very forgiving.
The Mavens I mentioned have a narrow window of modulation/ramp up of power.

 

[ctcampbell]

Has anyone that’s running these managed to set them up so they don’t squeal? I feel like these are actually worse than my MT7s in that regard.

 

[Durrti]

Have a buddy running them and they are noisy! I’ve been running the Radic Kaha, and it’s the best brake I’ve ever ridden. Modulation and power are insane, look stunning and decent price.

 

[Roundbadge]

Has anyone that’s running these managed to set them up so they don’t squeal? I feel like these are actually worse than my MT7s in that regard.

Initially I only had a bit of rotor rub but we’ve dialed it.a bit of noise squeal on the front but it’s gone now.
No noise now.very quiet brakes.
I’d be curious to try a 220 up front when available.
A lever option too.

 

[ctcampbell]

Initially I only had a bit of rotor rub but we’ve dialed it.a bit of noise squeal on the front but it’s gone now.
No noise now.very quiet brakes.
I’d be curious to try a 220 up front when available.
A lever option too.

What did you do to get rid of the noise? Did you have to lubricate pistons at all? Any warped rotor issues?

 

[Roundbadge]

What did you do to get rid of the noise? Did you have to lubricate pistons at all? Any warped rotor issues?

One rotor was lightly out of true and we straightened it

 

[RM.SGO]

Just installed a set yesterday on my new Bullit. Haven’t had it out yet but need some help on Shiftmix adapters… I CAN NOT for the life of my find them / figure out the right part to be looking for. Anyone have a link?

The one issue I have is that the body of the lever is wide and protrudes laterally more than the outward appearance suggests. As such you can only bring them so far in towards the grip if running another accessory in between (like a motor controller for instance)

 

[Roundbadge]

Just installed a set yesterday on my new Bullit. Haven’t had it out yet but need some help on Shiftmix adapters… I CAN NOT for the life of my find them / figure out the right part to be looking for. Anyone have a link?

The one issue I have is that the body of the lever is wide and protrudes laterally more than the outward appearance suggests. As such you can only bring them so far in towards the grip if running another accessory in between (like a motor controller for instance)

View attachment 162562 View attachment 162563

Oh yes I see your issue there.
Fortunately for me I run the levers “one finger” style so they are mounted pretty for from the grips.

 

[Nashvegas]

Have a few bafang ultra bikes and would like to upgrade to the GUSTAV pro.
Any idea if you can fit the other magura handles such as MT7e with the higo sensor to the GUSTAV body? Love my ultra bikes but doing any technical work the brake cutoffs are the best way to immediately exit the power, thus needing the higo levers from the MT7es.

 

[RickBullotta]

To me Magura have a huge problem: serviceability.

If something brakes you need to replace the full caliper or lever. They do not sell small parts.

This is one of the of the reasons why I left them and not going back.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your experience either way the Gustav!

That's simply not true. You can get replacement levers and other parts without replacing the master cylinder.

Also, the Gustav is MUCH easier to service/bleed than the MT's are.

I have a set that I have not yet mounted up.

 

[RickBullotta]

Just installed a set yesterday on my new Bullit. Haven’t had it out yet but need some help on Shiftmix adapters… I CAN NOT for the life of my find them / figure out the right part to be looking for. Anyone have a link?

The one issue I have is that the body of the lever is wide and protrudes laterally more than the outward appearance suggests. As such you can only bring them so far in towards the grip if running another accessory in between (like a motor controller for instance)

I strongly discourage anyone from using shiftmix or other compound mounts - you sacrifice adjustability and ergonomics for very little benefit (a few grams, maybe).

 

[RickBullotta]

I had mavens then tried TRP Evo Pros on my new Crestline S180
Now I’m running the Gustav Pros.
The mavens when bled and given the piston massage properly are very powerful but have a very narrow modulation window.
It’s easy to accidentally lock a wheel especially the front.I had to be more conscious of my braking.I hated that.
The Gustavs are the polar opposite modulation wise and have the smoothest most predictable modulation and power ramp up of any brake I’ve tried.the power is there like the mavens but way waay easier to control.The TRP Evo Pros come in a close second.
The one thing instillation wise is they are harder to align and you have to fudge the calipers more carefully to avoid pad rub with the rotors.
Magura is coming out with lever options as well.

The Hayes caliper alignment tools helps a lot with Magura setup/alignment also.

 

[unclezz]

That's simply not true. You can get replacement levers and other parts without replacing the master cylinder.

Also, the Gustav is MUCH easier to service/bleed than the MT's are.

I have a set that I have not yet mounted up.

What about the caliper?
And what about internals of the pump?

As far as I know , if you have issues with sealing in the caliper (for example) , you canmot rebuild it. Same goes with the lever. Only few parts are repairable. Mostly you need to buy a completely new part.

 

[ctcampbell]

What about the caliper?
And what about internals of the pump?

As far as I know , if you have issues with sealing in the caliper (for example) , you canmot rebuild it. Same goes with the lever. Only few parts are repairable. Mostly you need to buy a completely new part.

As great as it is that brands like Hope are fully serviceable, the overwhelming majority of riders are not going to take apart a master or caliper to fix it. They either buy a new one or pay the bike shop, which will probably cost more than buying a new one.

 

[unclezz]

As great as it is that brands like Hope are fully serviceable, the overwhelming majority of riders are not going to take apart a master or caliper to fix it. They either buy a new one or pay the bike shop, which will probably cost more than buying a new one.

This is a true fact.

I am personally over that way of thinking and I try to keep what I have for as long as possible. Especially if parts are doing a great job.
So, although i still have a set of Magura on one of the bikes, I would nkt buy them again if I will ever need to replace them