Magura Gustav_M Reviews

Massive, bone-jarring stopping power; Factory leak-proof warranty; On/Off style braking; Floating caliper design

Weight, expensive (both the systems & replacement parts)

These brakes set the standard for sheer braking power. Hope & Avid are the only manufacturers that have come close to the GustavM's level of stopping. The trade-off is weight and cost. Also, some riders may not like the on-off method of braking that the GustavM provides. There is a level of modulation on hand with the Gustav's, but they're extremely touchy. This can either make your run faster; send you skidding; or worse, send you OTB. Because the GustavM's have so much power, they allow you to brake much later into a turn. The GustavM's floating caliper design is actually based on moto-dirtbike brake systems. This requires a bit more maintenance than normal bicycle calipers. The posts that the Gustav calipers slide on need lubrication on a fairly regular basis, otherwise they will bind and drag.