Saint/Zee vs. Magura MT7/MT5 : mini review

Better modulation; I noticed a notable increase in power as well (and that has been the feedback from others I know who have bought them).

Would be interesting to see how the MT5s compare against the Formula ROs? The ROs are also a step up in power from Saints, 124NM at the rotor according to a BikeRadar test a few years ago. The modulation on the ROs is pretty good, but it can take some time to get them set up properly… The pad rollback is not that good compared to other brakes, which makes having the bite point adjuster pretty critical to getting them dialed in.

Enduro the free online magazine did a test of a bunch of brakes this month. MT7 was their favourite. Surprise surprise, SRAM Guide was lowest of all six. XT was considered best value. Maura had great power, almost as strong as Saint but better modulation. And very light too.

funny if that is what you got from the review of the guide lol. They didnt say they were the lowest nor did the testing show that either…

funny if that is what you got from the review of the guide lol. They didnt say they were the lowest nor did the testing show that either…

They stated that the Guides were "outclassed by exceptional competition". Interpret that how you may but it sounds like they finished with a lower overall score.

So now the MT5 is weaker than the Saint? =)

I think I am going to bleed my Elixir 7 Trail one last time. If the rear bitepoint keeps wandering I´ll probably get new brakes. Pads and rotors are worn anyway. Worked a lot better than expected, but now that the Enduro will also serve for park duty, I might love something stronger and more fade resistant.

Saints versus MT5 I guess…

This is a very helpful read, but not enough to push me away from my Saints (M820). They offer plenty of power (I'm 210ish) and the ease of service can't be beat. It may be splitting hairs on a full bleed but the "cup bleed" you can do on a Shimano is really handy when a bubble or two shows up after a post-bleed ride.

This is a very helpful read, but not enough to push me away from my Saints (M820). They offer plenty of power (I'm 210ish) and the ease of service can't be beat. It may be splitting hairs on a full bleed but the "cup bleed" you can do on a Shimano is really handy when a bubble or two shows up after a post-bleed ride.

Magura and Shimano bleed the same with a syringe at the caliper and a cup at the lever. I've done the cup bleed a few times on my MT5s to get them dialed in after the first ride or a pad replacement. Works nicely.

ri·dic·u·lous…

Speaking of… if I knew someone was going to pick apart my writing like a high school kid on Shakespeare I would have made the effort to adopt a rhyme scheme.

So I'm fully understood
The M-8-20 brake is very good
But, the M-T-5 and 7 are simply bester
Whether its the power at the wheel
Or that oh-so-smooth lever feel
If you need brakes I'd say find a tester

I'm here all week…

And that is why I rather discuss my bike geekery here,
than in the dreaded pinkibike sphere,
and even if I am German,
I can feel my riding heart warming,
at the wonderful rhythmical yore,
I hear about German stoppers,
in the biking board of the shore.

And if this is that what it takes,
I'll be buying a set of those brakes,
and compare them with wonderous glee,
with my previously owne'd shimano ZEE.

DrewM, or anyone else who has ridden the MT7, how well does the contact point (BAT) adjustment work? I remember seeing a Vital MTB review that suggested that it doesn't really do much. I'm definitely going to spec a set of the new four piston Maguras on a Nomad that I'm building up and I'm feeling kinda torn between the MT5 and the MT7.

I have big hands, wear an XL glove, and don't run my levers too close to the bars so I don't think the reach adjustment will be an issue with which ever model i choose. Overall it seems like the only real bonus that the MT7 offers over the MT5 is the BAT adjustment. If it's a functional adjustment I might be able to convince myself to spend the extra coin, but it definitely seems like the MT5s are a better value. How is the lever feel on the MT5s without any contact point adjustment? The old version of the MT brakes apparently had a lot of lever throw before they would bite… Finally I was thinking of running the Storm SL rotors with a 203 up front, but by the sounds of it maybe this would be too much power…?

Thanks for the informative thread. I've been pretty curious about these brakes and it's nice to have some real world reports.

i replaced a finicky set of xtr's with some MT7's and have a few rides on them. used the same ice-tech rotors.
they are the best brakes i've used.
power is perhaps slightly greater than my trusty zee's, with a bit less fade.
the lever feel and modulation is ridonkulous. it is a perfectly linear feel with linear modulation, very smooth and sensitive. there's no sudden catch like on most brakes, just a smooth increase in power as you pull harder. the reach is very far out, but that looks easy enough to modify with a bit of blade dremelling.
we'll see how reliable they last. my zee's have been incredible. bleed with fresh pads and they feel perfect until the pads are worn.

DrewM, or anyone else who has ridden the MT7, how well does the contact point (BAT) adjustment work? I remember seeing a Vital MTB review that suggested that it doesn't really do much. I'm definitely going to spec a set of the new four piston Maguras on a Nomad that I'm building up and I'm feeling kinda torn between the MT5 and the MT7.

You'll be happy with the MT5s.

MT7's…
they are the best brakes i've used.
power is perhaps slightly greater than my trusty zee's, with a bit less fade.
the lever feel and modulation is ridonkulous.

That's what I said!

The range of lever adjust on the MT5 is much , much broader. I have modified the blade (where it engages the hammer) and the hammer (where it engages the MC piston) on a set of MT7 MCs and they're great, but having ridden both I would buy MT5 next time.

Take the best in class modulation and power and get it all at a high value price point. Best brake period and best brake value?

Only negative so far vs. Saint/Zee is pad life, but it's a bit like good tires, I don't mind the quicker wear at the performance level.

I'll most likely get the MT5s. The link to the KingBarcelona site that was posted a few pages back is pretty over the top. The $115 price includes a 180mm rotor and I believe an adaptor as well… Kinda hard to argue with that price! Just gotta get in touch and figure out the shipping. Even if it $40 they'd still be a pretty smoking deal.

I'm looking a purchasing a spine lightweight spine protector for the upcoming race season so I'll most likely put the price difference between the MT5s and the MT7s towards that. I'm still curious though, does the BAT adjustment on the MT7s make a significant difference in the contact point of the brakes?

I'll most likely get the MT5s. The link to the KingBarcelona site that was posted a few pages back is pretty over the top. The $115 price includes a 180mm rotor and I believe an adaptor as well… Kinda hard to argue with that price! Just gotta get in touch and figure out the shipping. Even if it $40 they'd still be a pretty smoking deal.

I'm looking a purchasing a spine lightweight spine protector for the upcoming race season so I'll most likely put the price difference between the MT5s and the MT7s towards that. I'm still curious though, does the BAT adjustment on the MT7s make a significant difference in the contact point of the brakes?

Shipping from King Barcelona is usually around 20 euros.. so under $40…