Let's offroad / mountain bike / mtb / ride dirt

That's very kind!

However I ride Euro brakes and I would be scared to touch the maguras...

I have my eye on a Transition Sentinel or a Stumpy Evo. Both at the long travel end for a trail bike but I have my chunky 27.5 hardtail for local hooning (which is why the Scout got sold, too much crosover) and so the bouncy bike only gets used for trips to proper mountains or big jumps.

Currently dithering over

Starling Murmur Trail - 140r / 140f
Cotic FlareMax - 125r / 130 or 140f

Not quite sure how to split the difference except by going with the one with the nicest paint.

Can you ride either of them? Demo day, etc.

I was looking at the Jeht also, tho the starling seems to cover the same bases. Altho starling don’t have any affordable shocks for their full builds at the mo, and the only brakes they carry are maguras (which I’m not keen on thanks to you :-). Not insurmountable issues but minor nagging faff.

Alas, covid still saying a lot of no on that front.

However I ride Euro brakes and I would be scared to touch the maguras...

They're reversible - the levers work in either orientation, so you can literally unbolt, move each to the other side, bolt up again. No need to swap hoses between levers.

and the only brakes they carry are maguras (which I’m not keen on thanks to you :-).

Which is fair, but - I do think I've cracked the code on mine now, if you are in Londons famous London, or can meet at e.g. Surrey Hills you are welcome to have a go on my trail bike (135/150) with fully working Magura brakes...

Echoing Dammit, you're welcome to have spin on my Flaremax if large is about the right size for you. Also London based and in Surrey every so often

I am really happy with my aether 9. bird seem to be about the nest bang for your buck on full builds and their customer service is great.

But I get the impression most modern full sus bikes are pretty decent. So find one that fits with the components and colour you want that you can afford.

V kind of both you and @dammit but I’m in Sheffield’s slightly less famous Sheffield, so probably a bit of a journey for it.

either are great you won't have any problem with that

The murmur says 160 front? But I often can't read

ah they have enduro and trail version and I was looking at enduro.
see i said I can't read

I do think I've cracked the code

Pray tell

Well, in my case I think there were two problems that reinforced one another:

1. The hose run to my rear brake was too short for the design of the calliper and would tug on the banjo connector during big hits when the suspension was at full compression, letting in air/letting out oil.
   
2. Not a single one of the guides available, either official or not, on bleeding Magura brakes is accurate/fully describes the process.
   
   

I addressed problem 1 by lengthening the protective sheath that the hose runs in under the bottom bracket, which means that there is enough slack in the line to cope when the suspension is fully compressed without exerting any force on the connection to the calliper.

With regards to 2, the issue is that if you try to bleed the system with the lever on the bar you are never going to get the air out.

An example: I changed the lever for the rear brake recently as the master cylinder started leaking. I have a theory as to why that is which I'll share off-forum.

Anyway, it meant that I had to fully bleed the system, so I did a traditional full bleed with a syringe at the calliper and the Magura professional bleed bottle at the lever end.

I pushed and pulled fluid from the syringe until no bubbles emerged from the lever bleed port.

Closing the system up at this point and testing it - it's appalling. Back in the stand with the bike.

Now, put a syringe in the lever bleed port with 20ml of fluid, and a hole at the 30ml line. Pull the plunger back to just before the 30ml line so there's a slight pressure drop in the system.

Next, and this is crucial, take the lever off the bar and continually move it around (taking care not to let air from the syringe travel back into the lever) whilst pumping and flicking the brake lever.

Large, then medium, and finally streams of small bubbles will come out - for around half an hour.

Remember - no bubbles came out during the traditional bleed we did before.

Anyway, keep going until your forearm muscles pump up irrevocably or the bubbles stop, whichever comes first.

Put the lever back on the bar, pull the plunger out past the hole, allow the fluid lever to settle, then pull the syringe out and close it up, dripping some fluid into the bleed port before fitting the screw in order to ensure that no air gets in.

Put everything back together - lever will now have a very firm, defined bite point. Success! Make a cup of tea.

It's a wonder more people don't use Maguras, when the bleed process is as simple as that

TLDR. Please make a youtube video of this

I wish all other brands were so easy.

Don't forget to like and subscribe! 👇

Well, ok, but I'm not becoming one of Neil's Patreon supporters

But you'll get access to his premium content a week before it gets uploaded to YouTube.

And you can buy merch before everyone else gets a chance.

Sheffield

Riding in the peaks is different to riding in Surrey. I'd be tempted towards Dammit's advice of the rowdyer end of trail - so maybe the Murmur or the Jeht.

I'm up visiting a friend as I type this, and we went for a loop at Lady Cannings (flow trail) but then popped off a loop round Blackamore and the Devils Elbow. The rocks are real through there - so 140mm rear would be closer to ideal I think. I survived on the hardtail, but keeping up with my mate on his Kona Process somethingorother was not happening.

Also - the Murmur is lush.

The stainless one is particularly nice

Going to have nightmares about whatever Dammit's 'premium content' might be