Interbike 2009 - continued

Pedro's

Pedro's had a couple of very interesting tools, the trickest being the Tülio. The Tülio is 'all in one' QR and tool. The Tülio replaces your standard quick release, except the usual QR lever is now a detachable tool. The multi-use tool includes 8 components: 4,5,6, and 8mm hex wrenches, No. 2 flat head screwdriver, a chain tool and a pair of spoke wrenches. I played around with the Tülio, and it was quite easy to remove the tool for usage, and the best part was the QR axle stays tightened while the tool was removed. Loosening and tightening the tool lever like a normal QR was a breeze. An excellent and innovative device!

VHoldR ContourHD 1080P

VholdR Launches ContourHD1080p: The World’s First HD Helmet Camera to Shoot and Share 1080p Video.

Shoot and Share video in Full HD with the Only Camcorder Small Enough to Fit on Your Goggles

Seattle, WA–September 29, 2009– VholdR, the market leader for HD Helmet Cameras, is introducing the ContourHD1080p. Built for outdoor enthusiasts looking for the ultimate video quality, ContourHD1080p is the World’s First Helmet Camera to shoot 1080p video and enable you to share it online. It features four HD settings (1080p, 960p, and two at 720p) with two frame rates (30fps and 60fps) and four configurable settings (metering, contrast, exposure, and microphone sensitivity). But, most important the ContourHD software will share your adventures in “Lifelike” 1080p video to VholdR.com. With its single button operation and dual lasers for alignment, ContourHD1080p brings the biggest HD video online with the popular, and easy to use ContourHD camcorder line. Priced at $329.99 and shipping mid October, ContourHD1080p will be a fast moving product this holiday season.

“ContourHD1080p was inspired by the professional user,” says Marc Barros, VholdR’s CEO. “It’s still an easy to use Helmet Cam, but with Full HD video and adjustable settings, you can capture world-class video with a camcorder you can wear. It’s like taking a professional film crew with you where ever you go!”

The ContourHD family drives a shoot to share experience of wearable video, software, and an online community. With the introduction of ContourHD1080p, VholdR.com will be the only adventure sports community where you can share and watch Full HD video from with in the action, captured around the world! Today 70% of VholdR and ContourHD customers share their adventures on VholdR.com – a vibrant community of adventure sports enthusiasts who are mapping the world through video.

Features New to ContourHD1080p

· 5 Video Settings (User Selectable)

Remember your adventures in lifelike 1080p or replay the action in butter-smooth slow motion. With a high and low switch, customers can use the Easy Edit software to pick which two video resolutions best meet their needs.

Full HD - 1080p (1920x1080) at 30fps

Tall HD - 960p (1280x960) at 30fps

Action HD - 720p (1280x720) at 60fps

Contour HD - 720p (1280x720) at 30fps

Fast SD - WVGA (848x480) at 60fps

· Configurable Settings

We’ve taken configurable to a whole new level. Use the Easy Edit software to set the contrast (high, medium, or low), metering (center, average, or spot), and exposure (-4 to +4). Did we mention you could adjust the microphone sensitivity? Now you really can control how much of the action you hear.

· Record 3.5 Hours of 1080p Video

ContourHD1080p records over 3.5 hours of 1080p video or up to 8 hours of Contour HD to its own removable MicroSD memory card. Compatible with up to a 16GB memory card, ContourHD1080p will capture hours of your video adventure.

· Share 1080p Video

Easy Edit software (Mac and Windows compatible) makes it simple to import your videos from the camera, clip out the best parts, and share them to VholdR.com. VholdR.com now accepts 1080p video so you can be the first to shoot Full HD and share it to the world.

Features Standard to ContourHD Cameras

· Wearable Anywhere

Patent-pending TRail^TM Mounts “slide and lock” ContourHD onto a series of different mounts for your goggles, helmet, handlebars, vehicle, or anywhere else you want to mount it. Wear HD video on more than just your head.

· One Button Simplicity

ContourHD’s operation couldn’t be simpler with a single record switch (to be operated even with a pair of gloves on) and click to share software.

· Laser Alignment

Two lasers and the 180^o rotating lens ensure you line up the shot every time.

· Armored Body

A light (4.3 ounces), water-resistant, all-season camcorder with an anodized aluminum body withstands dust, dirt, mud, and snow.

· Wide Angle Lens:

At 135 ^o, the ContourHD lens strikes the perfect balance in capturing the entire scene with minimal distortion.

· Rechargeable Battery

ContourHD uses a removable, rechargeable battery to records 2-3 hours of video before recharging with the included USB cable or charger (sold separately).

A rugged camcorder for the estimated 75 million outdoor enthusiasts around the world, ContourHD makes it easy to capture video from within the action and share it online in seconds. And it’s available in two models this holiday season: ContourHD ($279.99) and ContourHD1080p ($329.99). Visit www.vholdr.com to learn more about the ContourHD cameras and find a complete list of retailers.

To learn more about ContourHD visit www.vholdr.com

Interbike 2009 - Indoor day 2

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American Classic
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American Classic has updated their mountain bike wheelset with a few new tweaks. Foremost is that the rim is now tubeless. I have a set of their All Mountain wheels, and I have used a rim strip to run them tubeless, and it was hit and miss getting tires to work. So the new tubeless rims are a welcome change. The rims come in either white or black, while the hubs are a very cool red! The new rims are wider, deeper and lighter, and the new geometry has increased stiffness. They come in both 26 and 29 inch sizes.

Interbike 2009 - Indoor day 1

Today was the first day indoors of the mighty Interbike, and it was as overwhelming and crowded as ever. I had a few appointments today (sort of a new thing for me), and then spent the rest of the time visiting my network of vendors that I review for. It is nice to get a face to face talk with someone. Phones, emails and instant messenger are useful, but it is amazing how much of an interpersonal creation happens with actual close proximity to a person! Trust, comfort, respect and friendship happens at an almost instantaneous pace, acceleratious maximus!

Interbike 2009 - Outdoor Demo Day 2

The weather at day 2 of the Outdoor Demo was a touch milder, but it was still windy, dusty and hot. I had a couple of bikes on my To Do list, but it became very crowded, and it was extremely difficult to get many rides in. At least there was some free food around!

Interbike 2009 - Outdoor Demo Day 1

I arrived in Las Vegas on Sunday to some unfriendly 100 degree stifling heat. The next day I ventured up to the first day of the Outdoor Demo for Interbike 2009 in Bootleg Canyon. The temperature died down to a moderate 90 with wind gusts up to 30 mph, so it was a dusty, hot and bone rattling dry.

UFO Plast Body Armor Review

UFO Plast Body Armor - Lightweight Elbow and Knee-Shin guard

As I was wandering around 2008 Interbike Dirt Demo seeking some shade and cold refreshments from the beastly desert sun, I bumped into this small booth that was carrying biking body armor. UFO Plast is an Italian company that started out making body armor protection for off road motorcycles, and they have more recently broadened into body armor for biking and snowboarding. As I was talking with the exhibitors, I saw these intriguing looking elbow pads hanging on their tent wall. They are part of their Enduro series, which includes their Elbow guard and a Knee-Shin guard.


I had recently taken a nasty digger and left a good chunk of flesh from my forearm on an abrasive rock on a local technical trail (Palmer Park in Colorado Springs if you must know), and I was looking at some body armor to help alleviate that type of issue from happening again. The pads were very lightweight and had just enough padding to protect the elbow and the forearm. A lot of the typical body armor is made with beefy plastic pads, and it's a bit much for slower speed All Trail singletrack terrain that most of us regularly rides our mountain bikes on. The pads have a bit of waffle foam padding that is placed right in the proper spots to protect the elbow and the forearm. The padding is actually comprised of a special layer of polystyrene with a Lycra band.

To put the elbow pads on, you insert your arm into one end of the elastic band and wiggle your arm until the pre-bent elbow slot pops into the proper spot, and then you cinch it down with a Velcro closure located by your biceps. The inside periphery of the elbow pads has an open elastic mesh for ventilation, and provides enough tightness to prevent them from flopping around.


Impressions

Elbow Guard
Over the past year of testing them, I have pretty much had never taken them off while out riding, and after years use, the mesh is starting to wear a bit (getting thread bare), but the rest of the padding and the super structure are fine. Pretty amazing considering I have been wearing them 3 days a week for 2 to 4-hour rides, and they have gotten beaten up and sweated on. I have taken a few decent crashes, and they have provided adequate protection for rock gardens and technical terrain, albeit taken at moderate speeds. In addition they are great brush, bush and tree guard as you go through tight singletrack, in which it takes mini blows, and keeps the scratch level on your forearms to a minimum. They are lightweight, comfortable and only moderately warm while wearing. Most of the time I hardly notice that I am wearing them until I hit a bush while riding along.


This was a nicely made product that would suit a lot of singletrack riders to protect the elbows and forearms in technical terrain. I wish I had them when I took my digger in which I left a good deal of my flesh on that rock. I went back to the same section of rocks and bested the technical portion, and felt more confident since my elbows and forearms were protected.


Knee-Shin Guard
I also tested their brethren Knee-Shin guard a couple of months later. They are constructed of the same material, with the waffle padding in front and the mesh in the back. The knee portion has an articulated cup of the waffle padding for coverage and has a small Velcro closure on the very top to hold it on.


The shin portion has a long waffle padded section that covers most all the shins, and then uses a mesh back with a Velcro closure. I tended to reserve the Knee-Shin guard for downhills or very technical terrain, and otherwise they were attached or in my hydration pack. The Knee-Shin guard were lightweight and moderately comfortable, but if used them for long periods of time they rubbed the back of the leg just above the knee, especially if you were pedaling a lot. The knee cup seems to kind of hold them in place, which is good, since they liked to slowly wander down your leg, and you sometimes have to give them a bit of a yank to bring them back up. Wearing Lycra tights exacerbated the issue.



I took a couple of decent crashes with them, and they helped, but somehow I always seemed to get hit right square in the spot between the top of my shoe and the bottom of the shin section?


Bottom Line
The UFO Plast Enduro Elbow guard are pretty much the cat's meow, I never go for rides without them. They are lightweight, comfortable, ergonomic, provide great tree and brush protection while riding and of course provide great protection when crashing. I rarely notice that I am wearing them.

The UFO Plast Enduro Knee-Shin guard are also lightweight, comfortable, and provide great protection when crashing. I only used them for downhilling and technical riding. They did tend to wander down on your legs while riding, which was a bit annoying, and if you ended up pedaling a lot they could rub the back of your knee a bit.

The UFO Plast Enduro body armor series is a great product, that will suit All Trail riders or anyone whom rides technical terrain and wants some armor protection. I feel naked if I am not wearing the Elbow pads on any ride!

Strengths
-Lightweight
-Comfortable
-Excellent brush and tree protection
-Adequate crash protection

Weaknesses
-Knee Shin Guard rubs back of knee on occasion
-Knee Shin Guard can drift downwards while riding

Value Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers
Knee-Shin Guard Overall Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers
Elbow Guard Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

NOTE: UFO Plast is currently looking for a US distributor, refer to their website for more information
UFO Plast url: http://www.ufoplast.com/

MSRP:
Knee-Shin Guard $37
Elbow Guard $26
Sizes: S/M and L/XL

UFO Plast Elbow Guard: http://www.ufoplast.com/en/product-details/mtb-bmx/knee-shin-guards-and-elbow-guards-mtb-bmx/MTP6176
UFO Plast Knee-Shin Guard: http://www.ufoplast.com/en/product-details/mtb-bmx/knee-shin-guards-and-elbow-guards-mtb-bmx/MTP6190

Schwalbe Fat Albert Review

I have been using the Schwalbe Albert series of tires for many years, and have always had a special fondest for them. I had predominantly used the Albert snakeskin version (26x2.25), which rolled well, had bombproof sidewalls, good traction, decent weight and was easy to set up tubeless. The original Albert series came in the Fat Albert (26x2.4), the Albert (26x2.25) and the Little Albert (26x2.1) versions.

At the Interbike 2008 show Schwalbe had a couple of new tires on the market. One of the most interesting was the revamped Fat Albert. They come in a 26x2.25 and 26x2.4 size, and in a front and rear specific version. The newly revamped tire has their new U-Block technology and their new Triple Nano compound. The filler particles for the Triple Nano have been changed in size from 200 nanometers to 10 nanometers. This means reduced internal friction, which lowers rolling resistance and smaller particles mean more surface area so grip is improved.

Be Prepared, better safe than sorry

I have been noticing that when I go out for a mountain bike ride, that if I decide not to take something, I will surely need it. I think that by saving a few ounces and some mild back discomfort that I can gain the upper hand by having a lighter pack. NOT!

I am always second guessing the weather to see if it might rain or storm, and instead of bringing my bulky rain jacket, I will bring my water resistant wind breaker. Not only that, I will go out when a storm is obviously brewing to tempt fate with the lightning. I have had more than enough close encounters of the lightning kind already in my biking and ski mountaineering adventures. I had lightning hit a tree not 50 feet away from me in Monument on a bike ride, and in fact, I had to go get the fire crew to come down from the Hot Shots center to put out the smoldering tree! I digress.

So the day I decide to leave my rain jacket in the truck I get stuck in a monstrous downpour, I mean it was coming down in torrents. Besides it raining cats and dogs, the wind kicked up, and it was raining sideways! I was huddled down in heavy trees with my wind breaker on, my pack on my head for coverage and hugging a tree for a rain and wind break. With the lightning blasting all around me, I was slowly getting wet, and I started to get mildly hypothermic, meaning I was cold and miserable. The rainstorm let up (not the lightning of course) and I slowly made my way back to the truck. The trails were totally drenched, with huge long puddles on the singletrack, and needless to say I had to walk the rock sections since it was very sketchy for riding and it all made for very slow going. I was very glad to get back to the truck! I met the family at a local restaurant and my wife had gotten me a nice cold ice tea to drink, I switched to a warm cup of coffee instead.

I almost always wear my elbow guards, since they are good brush guards and are hardly noticeable to wear. I left them in the truck, since I was going to be doing some milder trails that day. At the end of my ride I hit a hidden tree root and did an OTB (over the bars) swan dive, and I landed smack on my forearms. It pops into my head, gee those elbow guards would have been nice!

Today I leave my knee/shin guards in the truck, which is usual, since I think I only need them for really technical terrain. I ended up on some of that technical terrain, and I fall over really hard into a rock field. Ouch, I put a big knot right on the bone of my shin. I think to myself, wow those knee guards would have been nice.

Moral of the story, bring everything you will need, better to be over prepared and safe, than sorry.

Moots Open Trail Review

I have been testing the new Moots Open Trail titanium mountain bike stem since late winter, and it is the best stem I have ever used, period. That is a very bold statement, but I have been through my share of stems, and they all have a certain feel and a set of characteristics, and the Open Trail stands at the forefront of stemdomhood (ok, I made the word up).

That titanium stem is unobtainium, man!

The Open Trail was Moots first foray into creating a full fledged stem for mountain biking with a 31.8 clamp for oversized handlebars, and it is the burly mountain relative of the Moots Open Road stem. The mountain bike precursor to the Open Trail was their Ti Beam stem, which has only a 25.4 clamp and a 2 bolt faceplate.


The Open Trail is made with bi-ovalized titanium tubing, a newly designed 4 bolt aluminum faceplate, a titanium dual binder and comes stock in 90,100,110,120x6, 130x10 sizes. Moots use 3/2.5 Pi-Tech CWSR (Cold Worked and Stress Relieved ) seamless titanium tubing, which is comprised of 3% aluminum and 2.5% vanadium.


Titanium 101

Symbol: Ti
Atomic Number: 22
Group: Transition Metal
Atomic weight: 47.867
Density @ 293 K: 4.506 g/cm³
State (s, l, g): solid
Melting point: 1941 K
Boiling point: 3560 K
Shells: 2,8,10,2
Electron configuration: [Ar] 3d² 4s²
Crystal structure: Hexagonal


Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver white color. Titanium can be alloyed with many metals to produce strong lightweight alloys for use in multiple industries, in situations where lightweight strength, corrosion resistance and ability to withstand temperature extremes are required. It was discovered by the English amateur geologist William Gregor in 1791, then independently rediscovered and named by the German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth in 1795, whom named it for Titans (Latin - Titanos), the first sons of the earth in Mythology. It is the only element that burns in nitrogen.

Installation
Sliding the stem onto the fork steerer tube was pretty tough, so I did a light sanding/buffing to make it easier, but it still had some tight tolerances. After I had done multiple installations the stem slid on a tad easier, but was always snug. I do wish that the edges and corners of the stem clamp tube were a tad softer, they are just a bit sharp, but I am just nitpicking! The stem can be installed reversible with either a 6-degree rise or drop, depending on your requirements. Since the stem is created with specific tube sizes, they are constrained into how short they can make the stem's stack height, so it is a bit taller than a normal stem. The beefy and wide four bolt faceplate was very nice, and it gave a nice wide surface area to hold down the handlebars.


Moots recommended to not use titanium bolts, since galling or seizing can be an issue (titanium on titanium), so Moots specs all of their stems with 12.9 alloy steel bolts. If you do use titanium bolts, always inspect them regularly, and liberally use anti seize lube on the threads, and for the faceplate a brass washer is suggested to prevent creaking. I of course have used titanium bolts without issue, but caveat emptor. I tightened everything down with my handy new Pedros Demi Torque wrench, which allowed me to set the torque properly.



Impressions
Holding the Open Trail in your hand, and examining the absolutely exquisite welding, you realize this is another Moots work of art. This was not something that was thrown through a CNC machine or quickly welded, it was meticulously machined, mitered and welded by hand. Drool!


The Open Trail has that unique titanium property, it is stiff and strong, but has the silky titanium wonderfulness to it that takes away the harshness, edge and bite out of rough trails, without a hint of flex. It has a sort of microscopic suspension built into the material. Unless you have ridden a titanium bike, seatpost, handlebar or stem, it is difficult to explain the superlative exquisiteness of titanium. Think up riding fast through a set of stutter bumps, then think of that same set of stutter bumps after a good rain has softened them, that is how titanium absorbs things.


I used the Open Trail on my Ibis Mojo for a long period of time, and most recently switched it to my Moots Mooto-XZ 29er. It didn't take me long to miss the Open Trail on my Mojo. The first couple of forays out onto the local rocky terrain using any normal stem beat me up immediately. The lack of the vibration damping properties of titanium were readily apparent, as my hands, arms and legs had to absorb more micro terrain fluctuations and roughness. The Open Trail was bashed and crashed through as many rock gardens and difficult terrain, I could toss it into, and it never belayed any hint of flex, it just stayed the line, a silky one at that.

Measured Specs
Moots stem 156.7 grams

While titanium is a light metal, and has good stiffness vs weight, due to construction processes and dealing with specific standard tube sizes it is a crap shoot in getting what a weight weenie would consider a light part. The Open Trail is not the lightest stem on the market, but for stiffness vs weight it is a real gunslinger.

I think we need a gunslinger
Somebody tough to tame this town
I think we need a gunslinger
There'll be justice all around


Welding Titanium
Titanium is a hard material to work with, and is expensive to purchase. It must be welded under an environment free of atmospheric gases, which means the area behind the welds are purged of containment's (oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen), then filled with an inert gas (usually Argon) to keep the welds from becoming brittle. Moots start out with precisely mitered pieces, and those joints are then welded together at low temperatures using no weld wire, and then 6/4 ELI (extra low interstitial) titanium weld wire is used for the second pass. This double pass welding method, has proven to be the strongest weld process for titanium, but is obviously more time consuming and intricate. The welding itself needs to be done with care and expertise, so there is a long apprenticeship before becoming a master titanium welder.


Moots have a meticulous quality control, and use the finest grade American made titanium, and those exacting standards show in the end product. I have toured the factory and was amazed on how much time and effort it takes to create any of their products.


Bottom Line
The Moots Open Trail titanium stem is plain and simple a beautiful work of art, and it offers unsurpassed stiffness and strength, excellent vibration damping, and lifetime of durability due to the long fatigue life of the material. Moots have engineered the Open Trail with specific tubing, alignments and geometry that not only creates a functional juggernaut, but one that are aligned with the titanium's properties to create a superlative masterpiece.

The issues and complaints I had with the stem were nitpicking, and were very minor.

Why Ti? It is silky yet stiff!


Strengths
-Stiff
-Silky titanium feel
-Strong 4 bolt handlebar clamp
-Moots welds

Weaknesses
-Clamp tube is a bit sharp/rough
-Difficult getting onto steerer tube
-Steerer clamp height is tall
-Expensive

Value Rating: 3.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers
Overall Rating: 5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers


Moots Open Trail Specs:
Five Stock sizes with custom options.
Available in 31.8 diameter handlebar clamp only.
Aluminum and carbon handlebar compatible.
Removable 4 bolt AL faceplate
Double ovalized for strength and stiffness.
Exclusive Moots designed and manufactured dual binder for superior clamping strength.
Steerer tube clamp 45mm
170 grams for 110mm length
Five year limited warranty on craftsmanship and materials.
90x6 OT stem $395.00
100x6 OT stem $395.00
110x6 OT stem $395.00
120x6 OT stem $395.00
130x10 OT stem $395.00


Moots url: http://www.moots.com/

Magura Marta SL Magnesium Review

I have been using Magura Marta SL brakes for many years, and had always been satisfied with the brakes, but I always wanted a tad more power and modulation. Magura revamped the Marta line in 2009, and then sweetened the pot with a lighter version using forged magnesium. The new brakes have met my expectations and then some!


Magura Marta SL Magnesium
Magura updated the Marta lineup with some new innovations for 2009. The upgrades include a redesigned caliper and reservoir body, a better lever pivot, and the use of the larger Louise pads. The new reservoir body contains a new bleeding system, that is drastically easier to use.

Which brings us to the Mags, their latest tweak on the Marta SL. The Mags come with a titanium hardware, a special paint job (white/red), a magnesium reservoir body and an aluminum caliper. The rotors are sold separately in 160, 180 and 203 sizes in either the default SL Wavy, Drilled SL or Venti rotors.


Magura were originally going to have a full magnesium set, but due to some tooling issues they have stuck with an aluminum caliper, so the weight wasn’t quite at their projected project weight. The weight weenie crowd not surprisingly, was up in arms over the lack of a full magnesium brake for Magura's lightweight flagship and benchmark model. Hopefully, they can overcome the issues and release a magnesium caliper sometime soon.

I love the smell of napalm in the morning...Smelled like...victory.

Magnesium 101

Symbol: Mg
Atomic Number: 12
Group: Akalai Earth Metal
Atomic weight: 24.305
Density @ 293 K: 1.738 g/cm³
State (s, l, g): solid
Melting point: 923 K
Boiling point: 1363 K
Shells: 2,8,2
Electron configuration: [Ne] 3s²
Crystal structure: Hexagonal
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, and atomic number 12. It is a fairly strong, silvery-white, light-weight metal, and was first produced in England by Sir Humphry Davy in 1808. The name originates from the Greek word for a district in Thessaly called Magnesia.


With a density of only two thirds of aluminum, it has countless applications in cases where weight reducing is important. It tarnishes slightly when exposed to air, and is protected from air and water by a thin layer of oxide, which is fairly impermeable and hard to remove. Magnesium is a highly flammable metal, but while it is easy to ignite when powdered or shaved into thin strips, it is difficult to ignite en masse or bulk. Burning or molten magnesium metal reacts violently with water, since it creates hydrogen gas, so if your brakes spontaneous combust throw sand on them!


Installation
Installing the Mags on the handlebars was sort of a pain, since they don't use a split clamp, so it necessitates taking off the grips and the shifters. Trigger finger shifters can be installed on either side of the brakes (dual dock), but I use twist grips, so they were attached in the usual inboard manner.

The new bleeding system called "Easy Bleed Technology" or EBT has drastically changed for the better, which is really nice since Magura Marta's are notorious for needing regular bleeding, although after my initial installation, I haven’t required one. The new port on top of the lever reservoir makes bleeding a much easier task.


Basic bleed instructions: tilt the upper reservoir slightly down from level, unscrew the top port bolt, insert a syringe, unscrew the caliper bolt, screw on a second brake fluid filled syringe into caliper port, and push the brake fluid using that bottom syringe into the top syringe, then pull and push the fluid between the syringe's until bubbles are gone.

The new bleed port made doing a bleed almost pleasant, notice I said almost because any system is a bit of a chore, but this new system is a highly engineered marvel in comparison to the old method. Bleeding brakes is like a poke in the eye!


When I shortened the units to fit my bike, I followed the directions perfectly for the rear brake, and I cut the rear line and was I able to connect it back up without doing anything else. Just make sure that you keep the cut line elevated, and don't try and make any drastic changes to things as you progress. Somehow I got some air into the brakes (I made changes as I went) when I did the front line, and I had to bleed it, so I got a first hand experience with the newer method, and it was enjoyable and easier for brake bleeding. Again simple is as simple does!



Technical Features
The redesigned reservoir body has many features, including the EBT bleeding system, a new pivot system for the carbon lever, and of course it is made from forged magnesium, except for the composite reservoir cap. It uses an open hydraulic disc brake system with completely integrated reservoir, and is filled with Magura's Royal Blood mineral oil brake fluid. The carbon lever now uses stitched carbon fiber, for greater stiffness.

The redesigned caliper is one piece monoblock aluminum for maximum stiffness, and uses injected molded composite pistons for less heat transfer to the brake fluid. The dual pistons are also magnetized so that no clips are required to hold the pads in place. They come with their 6.1 Performance Series pad (maximum power), but you can also get their 6.2 Endurance version (longevity). The rotors which are sold separately, come in the ubiquitous 6 bolt IS in 160, 180, and 203mm sizes, in their default SL Wavy (lightweight), the Drilled SL (mud and cooling holes) or the Ventidisk (All Mountain). The calipers are post mount, but Magura has an entire slew of adapters to fit most any bike or fork.


Instead of the usual powder coating, the caliper and reservoir bodies are painted with a nice white and red color.

Measured Specs:
front brake uncut (64 inch hose) - 219.3 grams
160 rotors - 111.2 grams
total w/ 160's - 330.5 grams

rear brake uncut (64 inch hose) - 218.4 grams
160 rotor - 111.0 grams
total w/ 160's - 329.4 grams


Impressions
The Mags were used on my primary steed the Ibis Mojo, in any sort of terrain that Colorado can throw at you. The testing terrain is predominantly loose rocky conditions, with many sections of long steep downhills, rock gardens, and ugly loose gravel. I could cross compare the brakes against a 2008 set of Marta SL's and some new Hayes Stroker Grams. The Mags were equipped primarily with the SL Wavy rotors, but the Ashima AiRotors were also used regularly, and I used 160/160, 180/160 and 203/160 combination's.

The power difference between the 2008 to 2009 is significant, although it still doesn’t approach the power of some of its competitors. Using a 160 in front on the newer brakes, feels like a 180 of its predecessor, and modulation has also greatly increased. The redesigned calipers, lever, and reservoir body, along with the slightly larger Louise pads (more surface area) have made a wholesale difference in the functionality and characteristics of the Marta’s. The Louise pads will not fit the older version of the Marta's.


The Mags just have a more robust feel to them, and the levers felt snappier and more solid, albeit a bit firm in the hand. The reach adjustment is done with a small allen wrench (2.5mm) in a small recess in the front of the lever. The redesigned lever itself has a much better pivot with less stiction, giving a more powerful feel throughout the lever stroke. I like the shape and feel to the lever, it makes for nice one or two finger usage.

The Mags perform quite well in almost any terrain, and they have excellent modulation, allowing beautiful feathering of the brakes. I loved how the brakes could be used in technical sections and in rock gardens, it was really easy to do a dab of brakes or grab a big handful of them, and they would do so without any compromises or complaints. On long downhill’s they performed decently, but once the brakes got pretty warm they got a tad of fade to them, but it was much better than its predecessor. A larger rotor size combination such as 180/160 or 203/160 helped a lot with the fade issue, and I also found that the Ashima AiRotors really assisted since they have an extremely high tolerance to fading (caveat: after market rotors can void a warranty).


Although they were mostly a quiet brake, the pads needed to be taken out on an occasional basis and sanded, else they tended to squeak on long downhills. They performed admirably in the wet, and mud, and dried out quickly when they got soaked.

One of my favorite things I like about the Mags is the sweet red and white paint job, which not only looks good, but the white helps show off the already gorgeous carbon levers. It also blends well with a whole slew of white forks and wheel sets.

As usual, thanks to Justin for helping me out when I needed anything for the test! You dah man!


Bottom Line
The Mags are a highly engineered German marvel, they have excellent modulation, good power, are lightweight and are gorgeous looking. If bleeding is required the new EBT system is much easier to use.

They can be slightly susceptible to some fade on extremely long, and steep downhills, but larger rotors help alleviate much of that issue. I liked the feel of the brake, but some may find it to firm, and the reach adjustment is difficult. I do wish they had released a full magnesium set!

The newly upgraded Marta is a huge step forward, and the Mag version tweak is another sweet brake from Magura!

Strengths
-Lightweight
-Excellent modulation
-Good power
-Gorgeous

Weaknesses
-Slightly susceptible to fade
-Firm feel
-Reach adjustment difficult
-Not fully magnesium
-No split clamp system

MSRP: $368

Value Rating: 3.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers


Marta SL Magnesium url: http://www.magura.com/en/products/disc-brakes-2009/prod/marta-sl-magnesium-1.html