Gustav is back. Named after the founder of Magura, the Gustav Pro rekindles the name first used by the company’s first hydraulic disc brake from the 90s, the Magura Gustav M.
Magura claims that “the name Gustav has been reserved for products that achieve the pinnacle of innovation and performance”.
The new Gustav Pro is a hydraulic brake system meant for eMTB use, as well as gravity or other bikes that benefit from greater stopping power. Saying that “anyone can produce brakes that stop light bikes”, the Gustav Pros are ready to stop the heaviest of bikes — developed for more control, later-occurring braking points, with less hand and arm pump.
What’s the Deal?
The Gustav Pros have 2.5mm thick rotors and 40% more pad volume. Because of this mass, the rotors and pads heat up less and “stay in the sweet spot longer”, providing the rider with the brake’s best performance and possible friction values. Magura even claims that these brakes will not fade.
With larger pistons (12mm in the master cylinder, and 19mm at the caliper), the Gustav Pros reduce the overall pressure level. This gives the brakes a well-defined bite point felt at the lever, with “outstanding modulation”.
Magura has doubled the time interval needed for servicing the Gustav Pros. Extra thick brake pads, with 40% more material and thick 2.5mm rotors with a 2.1mm wear limit, keep brake service at bay for “twice as long as usual”.
Brake wear plays an important role when it comes to eBikes. Their weight, power, and speed placed new demands on brake systems. The Gustav Pro claims to have done away with short maintenance intervals. Speaking of eBikes, the Gustav Pros are fully compatible with Bosche eBike ABS.
The Magura has integrated its Easy Link technology for the first time into the Gustav Pro brake master cylinders. This simply means that you can now connect and disconnect your brake hose to and from the master without any special tools.
The Gustav Pro will be available on complete bikes and aftermarket in late 2024
This brings us to Magura’s Easy Tube Technology (ETT). Read on.
Easy Tube Technology
For a while now, bicycle hydraulic brake hoses have been created equal, more or less. Equally a pain in the ass for shops, manufacturers, and the end user. Say goodbye to olives and barbs with Magura’s Easy Tube Technology (ETT). All you need is your desired length of hose (sold by the meter), and the corresponding ETT connection sets. This technology makes it really easy to create Magura Easy Link connections for Gustav Pro and MT disc brakes with Easy Link adaptors.
The Easy Tube Technology product line is not only more flexible but also less wasteful. For example, Magura used to sell 2.5m long after-market brake hoses, but only .8m was needed for the front brake. With the new ETT connections, shops can now cut their desired length hose to the millimeter from a roll of hose. The ETT connections will help end users and home mechanics share in brake hose length flexibility as well.
ETT Hose Connections
To connect a brake hose to the brake’s master cylinder, Magura offers a modern alternative to the classic barb and olive connection – Easy Link. Easy Link is used on the Gustav Pro, the Bosch eBike ABS control unit, and the Magura Cockpit Integration (MCI). Easy Link adapters are also available for existing Magura brakes. Note that the same hose can still be used with a classic clamp-ring connection.
Easy Link simplifies, and speeds up the installation of brakes, while also enabling the re-opening and re-closing of the system. Magura offers crimped and screwed ETT versions to create the Easy Link brake hose ends. The screwed version offers particularly easy handling without special tools, at both ends of the brake hose.
The set consists of an adaptor to press the hose, a slotted clamping ring, and a union nut. Magura offers an electronic and mechanical crimping tool for the crimped version. From the looks of it, the crimped version is small enough that it should fit through internal routing holes without having to remove any parts or cutting the hose. That could be a game changer for modern bikes with complicated internal routing.
ETT Connections for Calipers
The screwed version of the ETT connectors can be used to connect brake calipers. Magura offers ETT connection sets for calipers with banjo connections and for calipers with straight connections.
ETT Connection Sets Overview
- ETT EASY LINK adapter set
- ETT EASY LINK crimp sleeve & ETT EASY LINK crimp adapters
- ETT banjo caliper connection set
- ETT M6 caliper connection set
- EASY LINK 1 valve (adapter for brake masters with coarse threads)
- EASY LINK 2 valve (adapter for components with fine threads)
The East Tube Technology will be available in late 2024