Now that Magura is rolling out their new MT Trail brake set, the brand looks ready to tackle one of the more popular segments of the mountain bike market. But even as good as the new MT Trail brakes are, there is still one thing that some people take issue with – the lever.
Personally, I’ve been riding the Magura brakes set up for one finger braking for some time, they just need to be pushed inwards on the bar. However, the new lever does more than just shorten the blade. Riders with shorter fingers or those going huge all have something to cheer about with the new shape…
Compared to the standard lever, the new blade is a good bit shorter with a more aggressive bend at each radius. Not only does this allow for one or two finger braking, but it also allows the lever to be adjusted much closer to the bar which is good news for those with small hands.
If you checked out our interview with Danny MacAskill, you’ll know that he has been running bits of rubber on the back of his brake levers to keep the levers from hitting his other fingers during big drops. Magura has taken that input in mind with the new levers and designed a much more blunt tip to the lever so it would be more comfortable in that situation. With the shorter lever though, it may no longer be an issue.
Out on the trail, the new levers felt great and should be a hit with most riders who use only one or two fingers to brake. Thanks to the rounded profiles the levers are comfy under your fingers and provide gobs of power when matched to the new MT Trail brakes. Combined with their new HC Storm rotors, the MT Trails are my favorite Magura brakes in a long time.
When they are first available, the One Finger lever blades will only be available as an aftermarket product. The MT Trail Carbons will be sold with a carbon brake lever and clamp, and the OEM only MT Trail will ship with a standard aluminum brake lever and clamp. Magura expects the shorter lever to be available by Eurobike and they will be available for $89 per set.
The levers will fit all MT series including the MT6, MT7, MT Trail, and MT8, and come in at the same weight as their other aluminum levers.
