ABOUT THE MAGURA GUSTAV PRO BRAKES
The Magura Gustav Pro brakes are designed to be no-compromise, powerful brakes for gravity mountain bikes, e-mountain bikes, and even cargo bikes. Designed to be compatible with the ABS Pro system, the Gustav Pro is a serious stopper that hopes to provide exceptional consistency, power, and control.
Magura Gustav Pro Key Features
- Rotor: The Gustav Pro brake system is designed around the 2.5mm thick MDR-S 2.5 rotor, giving extra thickness to increase stiffness and heat dissipation. This thicker, more rigid rotor features an optimized friction ring area, designed to minimize noise and reduce vibration. By improving heat dissipation, Magura aims to prevent pad glazing and maintain consistent bite during long descents.
- Caliper: The forged one-piece caliper is exceptionally stiff and frankly massive. It is designed to accommodate thicker brake pads than the MT7, offering 76% extra volume for extended service life. The distance between the pads and the rotor has been increased, giving easier setup that’s less likely to rub. The braking power is delivered by four massive 19mm pistons.
- Brake Master: The Carbotecture brake master features a large reservoir volume a 7ml, compared to 4ml in the MT7. This is done in a bid to increase reliability and account for system wear. The high fluid volume also makes the system ABS-ready. The aluminum PRO lever has tool-free reach adjustment built in, though its minimum reach is further from the bar than some – one of few complaints we have with this brake. The hose exit is parallel to the handlebar, allowing for clean integration with both headset routing systems and conventional routing.
- EASY LINK Technology: EASY LINK uses custom hydraulic connectors to simplify the connection of the hose to the brake master, making removal and refitting easier while reducing the chance of air entering the system. The system is supplied pre-bled, with the brake master, caliper, and hose separate, ready for simple installation. Replacement levers or hoses can also be purchased individually and are supplied ready to install. This is an excellent technology for swapping between bikes with reduced likelihood of a brake bleed being required.
Maintenance and Servicing:
Magura claims the design improvements double the time required before maintenance is necessary on the Magura Gustav Pro when compared to other brake models. When servicing is needed, the caliper features a new bleed valve and optimized oil channels to reduce the likelihood of trapped air, improving the ease of the process.
Pricing And Weight:
The Magura Gustav Pro brake weighs a claimed 348g for a single brake with 2.2m hose length. Pricing is set at $362 / €304.90 at RRP, per brake, without rotors. Magura backs the Gustav Pro with a 5-year leak-proof guarantee, giving peace of mind over the long haul.
THE DIRT
When I visited Magura’s HQ for the first ride review, I hopped onto a bike that was already equipped with the brakes. Receiving my long-term test set would mean I could properly test the EasyLink system and get a proper feel for how easy it is to maintain the Gustav Pro brakes. I was sceptical as to how well the system would remain sealed, but I needn’t have worried. From the first installation to the third separate bike these brakes were fitted to, I’ve broken the system and rejoined it without them ever demanding a bleed. Impressive stuff.
On the bike, the setup for lever position proved to be fairly simple. The minimum reach the Gustav Pro brake levers will allow is not the shortest, meaning some riders may feel as if the lever is further out than they would love. That said, I’m in the very “close to bar” camp, and felt little reason to complain with the Gustav Pro Levers adjusted to their minimum. Even so, it would be great to see Magura offer lever blade options as they have on their MT7 brakes.
Once installed, getting these burly brakes bedded in proved to be easy work, and it was time to hit the trails in no time. From the UK’s steepest to long Whistler bike park runs, they saw a wide range of testing conditions, and never once faltered or changed in feeling.
With my 220lb rider weight dragging a brake down Whistler bike park trails, there’s some serious heat produced. As a result, I’ve been very thankful for the recent wave of ultra-powerful, no-nonsense brakes hitting the market. Increased fluid volume and surface area combined with thicker rotors leads to much improved heat management over brake systems of the past, and Magura didn’t hold back with the Gustav Pro brakes in this respect. You pay the price in weight, and they look insanely chunky, but when you’re bombing down steep trails and enjoying the same feel and power throughout the descent, it’s easy to justify the burliness.
Power is absolutely nothing without control, though. I’m a tough man to please, in that I don’t love an “on-off” brake feeling, but I demand feedback through the brake lever to modulate the braking power and traction at the tires. The Gustav Pro strikes a Goldilocks combination of power when you ask for it, with excellent early-stroke control that lets you scrub just the right amount of speed without locking up the wheels. The lever feel is fairly light, too, reducing hand fatigue over prolonged descents. And when it came to scrubbing off speed as hard as I could, there was excellent power on tap that never left me wishing for more.
I experimented with the stock MDP13 black organic pad and the more powerful MDP 13.S silver organic pad, and much to my surprise, I preferred the feeling of the stock pad. The silver pad had a stronger initial bite, which may suit riders looking for a higher initial brake force similar to a Shimano or the SRAM Maven A1. However, for the slippery roots and slick mud I typically find myself riding in, the improved modulation and softer first contact of the black pad gave me improved confidence and control. I never lacked power with the stock pads, but for riders looking for the most power for the least lever pull, the silver pad would be the better option.
Magura receives a lot of flak in the comments and forums with their use of Carbotecture in their brake levers – a reinforced plastic that has displayed some questionable durability in the past on other Magura brake models. While the Gustav Pro uses this material for the master cylinder, I don’t foresee durability being a concern – there is a serious amount of material there.
While I wasn’t ever forced to bleed the brakes, I wanted to do so for the benefit of the review. I don’t love the push-fit of the master cylinder bleed port, giving a less secure connection than a threaded fitting. However, in practice, the bleed system proved to work flawlessly and with minimal mess. The Royal Blood fluid pushed through the Gustav Pro system with ease, taking some notable bubbles with it, and in quick time I was ready to hit the trails again. The quantity of air that came out of the system when I bled them shows just how tolerant these brakes are of a bad bleed, explaining their consistency over the long term and through multiple bike switches.
The Wolf’s Last Word
I’m a huge fan of the power and consistency of the Magura Gustav Pro brakes. Displaying unfaltering, consistent performance over the long haul, and with a high level of control with excellent power on tap, these brakes rank at the very top of my list for aggressive gravity mountain biking and eMTB. 
Price: $362 / €304.90
Website: Magura.com
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ABOUT THE WOLF
Robert’s habitat is the Tweed Valley, Scotland, which is renowned for its root-littered enduro mountain bike trails. Robert has been developing his bike handling skills for the last 16 years. Since he was a pup, he’s been riding everything from BMX through to enduro and downhill bikes. Combining a playful style with occasional speed-focused aggression, he favors supportive bikes, and does his best to push them hard.
Rank: European Tech Editor
Size: 6’2” / 189cm | 220lbs / 100kg
Social: @robert_johnston
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