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Saint m820 vs magura MT7


Laurence--Trials

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Im considering a new front brake set up because.. i erm.. feel like it and i like new shiney things :D. Currently running a zee lever on a saint caliper on a 203 trialzone rotor. Ive never tried either of these brakes i hear that the mt7 is more powerful and lighter(im a massive weight weeny) but has a fair amount of flex (which is worse than a heavy brake for me). Any reviews, opinions would be lovely, thanks guys. 

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Racingline 

discs available in 20", 24" and 26". 

Multiple fluid options 

Superb lever feel, add booster if extra solid is your thing 

Lighter 

Many pads available to meet your desired brake performance. 

 

Winner winner ;)

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I wouldn't say the MT7 has much extra flex, it's just not quite as solid feeling as the Shimano brakes are.  If you're standing around squeezing your levers you can tell, but if you're riding it's not really something I've noticed.  Much prefer the blade profile/shape of the MT7s to the M820s, and to be fair I'd say the MT7 calipers are better than the M820s too, but that's not to say the MT7s are the outright best.  The lever pivot pin setup on the MT7s isn't amazing, and I imagine over long-term use the M820 might be more durable, and the reach adjust on the M820s probably won't wind off over time in the same way the MT7s does (not the end of the world).  The other advantage the M820s have is the Servowave lever - you get more pad-to-rotor clearance as a result of this, so fewer rubbing issues.

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I usually just have to nip mine back to where they were before, not sure about them running out of thread though?  They just seem to work loose through use (sick rhymes), but I just put a little extra turn on them and they'll be back to where they were rather than actually using more adjustment, if that makes sense.

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It makes sense haha. As the pressure point is getting closer and closer to the bar I adjust them further away to compensate this. I thought this is what you ment, I guess I misunderstood ;) 
I'll give them a bleed, maybe this will get them back to the old setting. Thanks.

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I heard great things about the MT7, so I ordered one up with my new bike as a xmas present to myself. I had a bunch of shows lined up over the winter, so I put the new brake on my bike the day after christmas and went to my local indoor spot for a little ride.

The first thing I noticed was how terrible the pad knock was! Honestly it felt like something was broken "KRACK KRACK KRACK!!". The double-pad setup fits very loosely in the caliper, and the retainer pins are much smaller than the hole in the pads, making for a terrible pad knock combination. I heard later that the pros riding this brake are mostly using MT5 pads, which reduces the problem.

Despite the terrible pad knock and cheap plastic lever feel, the brake was decently powerful. So I warmed up a bit, and did a few gaps to front and it locked super well, I was impressed. However, on my next move I went to pull the brake and the lever blade fell off! The little silver pin that holds the lever blade in place had worked itself out of the brake!! The result - crash and sprained pinky and ring finger.

I was pretty pissed off, especially since I had 2 months of shows to do. I switched back to the hope, and even with stock pads it's just as powerful as the MT7. I can't trust the MT7 anymore - I just cant get over how the whole cheap plastic assemble is held together by press-fit pin that is apparently loose enough to fall out after 15 minutes of riding. My brake should have never made it out of the factory. It was missing one of the plastic sticker things which is supposed to be on both sides of the brake (it's a flip flop design), and also prevents the pin from falling out.

Needless to say, I do not recommend this brake, but if you do use it, make sure you get the MT5 pads and check your lever body to make sure both stickers are in place and the retainer pin is not falling out.

Edited by JKH
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Only got top-side stickers on mine and didn't have issues with the pins coming loose, but I covered up the underside with some Sugruu left-over after I did my lever blades.  Should hold anything in place should it come loose.

Definitely not a great system though, not really sure what they were thinking...

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I don't think Magura anticipated how much some riders (trials especially) put side-to-side forces on the lever blades, that seems to be why the can come loose, Magura are making a bolted version with cnc lever blade to try, hopefully they'll work and be for sale soon after. 

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I had an experience riding the 810s for about a month on a loaner bike f/r... That was a great feeling strong brake.

Riding friend got the m7 right when it came out- had leagues of problems with it, pad knock is HILARIOUS and bugs the shit out of me just riding with him. It started to leak, he sent it back to magura and they hooked him up with a new one- great customer service.

 

im in the dark ages with avid bbdb on all my bikes, but guess what- I ride it for a year without ever touching it... Tried to go to an xt disc - leaked straight from the factory, sent it back. The feeling of hydros is great, but I feel they aren't worry free (aside from those 810s I rode for just a month... Would they last 10 months of riding with no maintenance?). I don't like working on my bike, I don't care if stuff is heavier I just want it to keep working with no maintenance.

no experience with the 820s..

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Not sure if it's been mentioned yet, but the problem with the Shimano M820 caliper is that the post mounts are weak. Honestly, if your M810 is not leaking and you are not a weight weeny there isn't much reason to change. Funny about the BB7 AndyT, it is hard to beat this brake, especially with good pads!

The other option is to build a set of brakes around MT7 calipers, but the mineral oil system limits you on lever choice. A friend of mine built a set brakes Deore levers and Magura MT7 calipers and it worked well but felt spongy compared to my Hopes. Hopefully Magura comes out with a nice CNC lever, then it might be worth taking a second look at the MT7.

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SRAM have updated the Guide calipers for 2016 by the sounds of things.  Just launched a load of info about them.

sm_guide_rsc_caliper_silver_3q_l.jpg

"S4" - some jazzier material for the pistons and other stuff like that.  Also needs a proprietary bleed kit, just for that caliper.  SRAM/Avid are the absolute worst for that shit.  Bleeding a brake should not have to be as complicated as they make it.  I wasn't really on board with Magura's "Just stick a syringe tip into the lever's blow-hole" bleeding system at first, but due to replacing my rear hose and needing to bleed my front brake recently I've had to do it a couple of times and it does work really well.  Quick, simple, done.  Not "Get your fancy syringe with weird bleed hose, create a vacuum to get any air out of the fluid, eat some dicks...", just "get it done".

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If they're going to make it use all random syringes and fittings the least they could do is supply it with the brake :P  The Hope/Magura system's are just nice and easy, use fairly conventional bits and pieces, etc.  Every time we've had to do anything with the Avid or SRAM brakes it's generally been ballache, which isn't the case with Maguras/Hopes.  

Well, not all the time at least.

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  • 5 months later...

So where's the cnc lever @Ali C has been talking about? :D I ordered some MT5s (with Trialtech pads) to go with my Fourplay but might swap the levers with some Saint or SLX (810/665) ones if the feel is as bad as described here.

Edited by niconj
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