Cumberlandworx 2025: Day 2
If I know one thing to be true about Magura’s latest Gustav brakes, it’s that they’re absolute magnets for bicycle nerds. Seriously, if you ever lose your bike nerd in a crowd, just park a bike with a set of Gustav brakes in the corner and wait. Okay, maybe add a gearbox drivetrain, alt-bar, and the crank arms off your grom’s 20″-wheeled kiddo rig just to cast a wider net, but I’m certain you’re ‘braking’ through what I’m putting up.
I’ve had folks ask about my Dominions. My black-and-gold Formula Cura4s. Even my first pair of MT7 brakes, when I picked them up used from Dan-In-Japan, what, a decade ago. But nothing compares to Gustav-related on-trail asks or barbs. You know, “What brakes are those?” or “Do you think your brake calipers are big enough?”
Today, we were having a nice chat on the climbing trail with a couple of stylish young gents from Oregon – respect for the bright-n’-bold button-up collared jersey when it’s a billion degrees out.
“Woah, what brakes are those?“
“These are the new Magura Gustav.”
“Those look menacing!“
Yeah, so. I’m going to leave that for a moment and jump to Claire’s trail report, but look for an early-days [Aside] down below. I absolutely still owe you a teardown {photos in the can} and first impressions piece, but nothing quite focuses the mind when it comes to reviewing products like being asked about them regularly by total strangers, and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to put it all together before the end of Cumberlandworx ’25.
Trail Report By: Claire
Thirsty Beaver! Ever since we left Cumberland last year, I’ve been dreaming about riding Thirsty Beaver again. I love Thirsty Beaver. Ever since my papa told me* that we were going to ride a trail that was full of bridges and ladders, I knew that I would like it.
It’s our second day here, and we just finished our first hard ride. Today, we started off by riding all the way up the climbing trail called Sobo No Michi (Sobo for short). Sobo is a long, winding trail. It has some steeper parts, but it really isn’t that hard.
Then, when we arrived at the top, we had a quick jelly-bean break and decided to go up to a trail called Blueprint. But first, we had to climb up this nasty little climb called Above & Beyond, where I sometimes use my first gear. I said that I was interested in single speeding in Cumberland, but I do N-O-T, not, want to do it for Above & Beyond. We rode all the way up Above & Beyond, and we reached Blueprint.
*{Drewitors note: 3x Cumberlandworx trips ago.}
Blueprint is a fun, swoopy trail that then turns into a short loose downhill part and then a short section of swoopy, fun berms to the end. Blueprint goes right into Hunky Dory, which is basically the same thing minus the loose part, and is a bit shorter.
After Hunky Dory, we went to Thirsty Beaver. I had my picture taken with the beaver. Thirsty Beaver is basically all bridges and ladders with some little climbs. Upper Thirsty has more bridges than Lower Thirsty, but Lower Thirsty has a really, really long ladder right at the start.
After that, we rode a couple of short trails, and that put us in front of The Crafty Butcher. The Crafty Butcher has lots of very fun features. For example, a super fun log ride. There is also a fun little rock roll that I love.
Then we rode another couple of short trails all the way to the road, where we then rode up to a trail called Black Hole. Black hole then dropped us at Space Nuggets. Space Nuggets is a short trail with three big humps. When I first came here, the summer I was turning seven, it was the first trail I rode.
[Aside]
Oh, hey, it’s Andrew again. So, fair warning, my quick Gustav brake bit here might {might} also be serving as another thinly veiled excuse to poke on about the ongoing extinction of Plus-sized tires. But anyway, here’s an early-asided peak into my first impressions.
I’ve spent a decade regularly recommending Magura MT7 & MT5 brakes to folks, and when I do I always talk about the power being very accessible, by which I mean they’re friendly and forgiving to ride. Fast or crawling down steep, chundering, jank? Tons of brake when you need it. But evenly applied such that anyone can intuitively feather them. The Gustav is that, but on steroids.
I’d readily believe that the Gustav puts out the most hydraulic pressure of any brake system on the market. It’s effortless to control said power in any terrain and I can haul the ArctuHawk down to family speed with near-zero force on the long lever blades.
You’re of course waiting for the ‘But’ and here it is: But, where these brakes will not match {some} rider expectations is in the initial bite when the pads hit the rotors. There’s just a smooth, controlled, onset of friction – no tire barking full-bite brutalism. ‘Gentle power’ is what keeps coming to mind.
I know that ‘everyone’ wants what the super-shredders want, so a grippier-grabbier pad compound is a must. No worries there, Magura is receptive to taking feedback and delivering options and more friction-forward pad choices will hit the market soon enough.
BUT, as they are now, these brakes are so easy to use that I’ll suggest that, like Plus tires and low-normal shifting, it would be better for the vast majority of us every-riders if this type of pad/rotor interface, with endless power behind it, was the norm.
[/Aside]
[Aside-Aside]
Speaking of Plus tires, so far this trip I’m wishing that Specialized made a 29×3″ version of their excellent 27×3″ Ground Control tire for that magic combination of fast rolling speed and uphill grip. I mean, I’ve yet to slip my rear 3″ XR4 on the steepest or loosest climbs, but I wouldn’t mind if the ArctuHawk, tank that it is, rolled along with something a little more approaching the efficiency of my Freeride BMX.
Single-speeding is all about compromise and I could certainly compromise to a faster rear tire. I’ve considered a couple 29×2.6″ options that I like, but the extra ‘suspension’ and general line-choice forgiveness of the big rear rubber is very much appreciated when trails are funky, fast, and chunky.
[/Aside-Aside]
Other than that, Day 2, the family unit is booting along. I’ve had to make concerted efforts to stage photos compared to years past because the breaks have been few and short and the comeback-confidence is high. Heck, I didn’t even snap a photo of my post-ride ice cream because it was melting so quick!
Today I could have happily pedaled the higher gearing I originally tried on the Arcturian, but as Claire noted when I mentioned it, it is only Day 2. I’m certain by the end of the week I’ll be happy with my Shore-friendly setup. I am still chasing a creak that I’ve isolated to my chainring (dusty summer rides) and I do need to tension my rear wheel maybe. Single-speeding ruins everything.
{Claire: “I thought it was rigid forks that ruin everything?” Andrew: “Yeah, that too.“}
There’s a new level of maturity in Claire’s pedaling where – big days, long week – she’s figured out how to ride more efficiently, driving hard through uphill corners and downhill jank but then finding her recovery sections while still in motion. It’s very cool. Nina has also really found her rhythm both climbing and descending the Minor Threat and both of them were spinning bigger gears than last year.
We’re going to try some new-to-Claire-and-NJP trails tomorrow, now that we’ve hit most of Claire’s must-rides today, so I’m guessing that tomorrow’s trail report may be a little more saucy and a little less nostalgic.
Cheers!
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