After the successful collaboration and tests in the Cross-Country World Cup and the Enduro World Series, Magura has expanded its partnership with Specialized. As of this season, the gravity team led by Loic Bruni will also be using the German brakes. But that's not all: with this partnership, Magura is bringing important impulse generators from the world's elite into the company for its own product development. The brake lever in particular plays a central role in the optimization of a brake. Since the end of the 2017 season, Magura has been working on new ergonomic solutions and product improvements for the riders of the Specialized teams. Custom-made brake levers are designed to maximize performance and control at the braking points. The funny-sounding saying "If you brake later, you'll be faster for longer" is very true in downhill racing, but the braking performance and characteristics have to be just right.

Magura's marketing man Dominik Voss explains what such optimization looks like for Loic Bruni.


Ride: As we can see from the photos, you didn't test with ready-made aluminum levers but with a carrier handle and interchangeable levers?
Dominik Voss: Exactly. After initial test sessions with Loic Bruni, we were looking for a way to test as many ergonomic variants as possible in a short space of time. In the end, our development department designed a two-part lever with a milled aluminum base and interchangeable plastic shells. The aluminum base has been tested and is fully suitable for use. The plastic shells - known as shapes - are manufactured in-house using a 3D printing process.

How many individual 3D prototypes were in use before Loic Bruni found his perfect lever?
Loic Bruni is an absolute perfectionist and had clear ideas for his preferred shape right from the start. In a meeting with our development team, an initial sketch of his ideal shape quickly emerged. Based on this sketch, our team designed 13 lever shapes. The lever in the first photo has almost exactly the shape sketched by Loic Bruni. After minor changes to the details, we ultimately used this shape for the finished prototype. The other levers cover a wide range of shapes and ergonomics so that we can now continue testing with Loic and other athletes.

What were the most striking differences to the levers you have on sale?
Loic prefers a short brake lever, but rides it with a wide reach. The pressure point and lever reach are a long way from the handlebars.
Our current short 1-finger brake levers are designed to be placed closer to the handlebars. With a wide reach, the grip point on the lever does not offer a clear parallelism to the handlebars, and Loic had the feeling of slipping on the lever. So we designed a brake lever that is short and parallel to the handlebars at the pressure point at long reach. In addition, the lever is more angular and does not have a recessed grip like the HC3 lever. The Loic lever is a rather flat lever.

How many hours of work does a project like this take?
Three man-weeks, i.e. around 120 hours plus five meetings with Loic Bruni and other key athletes.

Will the findings from this customization also be implemented later in the levers for end consumers, as with the 1-finger carbon lever?
The primary aim of the project was to serve our key athletes and their requirements. In the coming weeks, we will continue to work with our athletes on the ergonomics and involve additional test subjects.
The difference between professional and amateur riders is particularly evident in Loic Bruni's lever setting and shape. Loic's wide reach is currently not desired by most customers and athletes. The extreme shape only serves a few riders.

Benefit also for non-professionals

It is understandable that Magura does not incorporate such personalized optimizations into mass production. After all, the components of a Formula 1 racing car have nothing in common with those of a production sports car. Nevertheless, end consumers also benefit from partnerships such as the one between Magura and Specialized, as their athletes provide important input that is later implemented in new and further developments. One example of this is the adjustable HC3 levers, which were developed in collaboration with Danny MacAskill.

Bruni's final brake lever

We now know what the test shapes, the carrier lever and Loic Bruni's preferred lever shape look like. But what about the world champion's final brake lever? There is no information on this yet, but Magura promises to reveal the secret of Bruni's race lever soon.

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