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Home > Product Reviews > Brakes > Hydraulic Rim Brakes

Magura HS33 (2003)

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Reviewed by 43 BikeTrials.com users - Write your review

Shops that sell Magura HS33

Shop	Shop Rating	Location	Ships To	More Information
WebCyclery Shop info and reviews	16 Reviews	USA	World
Wiggle Shop info and reviews	2 Reviews	UK	UK

Rider Reviews

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30 of 33 people found the following review helpful
Wed Sep 03 2003 Reviewed By: Greg (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 2 Years or more Strengths Good stopping power with little effort Weaknesses Initial setup can be tricky Similar Products Used XT Vees, Hydraulic Disc Review These brakes have worked well for me for over 2 years. I've used HS33s on my past three bikes. They are light weight, yet powerful. The initial set up can be tricky, but if you are mechanically inclined then you can quickly figure it out how to do it. Once they are set up properly you don't need to worry about stretching cables or other disadvantages associated with vee brakes.
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12 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Tue Sep 02 2003 Reviewed By: DLG (anon) Rider Level: Advanced
Used Product For 2 Years or more Strengths Strong, stable, dependable Weaknesses tough to set up, TPA red screw thingy will break off in a crash quickly Similar Products Used soles of my shoes Review Went from vees to maggies and never looked back. I still have a box full of tiny parts that go to several sets of broken or mangled vees, no box for the maggie parts- haven't ruined a thing or had to replace any part other than the pads in the last 4 years I've ridden the same brakes. Get a pair and set them up and forget about them.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Sat Sep 06 2003 Reviewed By: Dave Wheeler (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 3 Months Strengths smooth, powerful, maintenance free, totally symmetrical Weaknesses setup can sometimes be a big headache, plastic tpa adjuster Similar Products Used old XT, XTR, sd7's Review I had these on my first ever trials specific rig, a '99-or-so x-hydra. after the grind deteriorated, the stock pads slipped like dress shoes on ice. my tailbone didn't appreciate that much.. but I was a rookie and rather ignorant at the time. I've since moved through a few stock bikes. I loved V's, their power, ease of setup, dependability, etc. they only had one problem, rearward wheel movement. Most pads have more material behind the post than in front of it, so when the wheel rotates backward theres less pad material to be wedged against the rim under flex and it would slip. That was a real confidence killer. So, about 4 months ago I tried an HS33 a friend wasn't using, I knew somehting was wrong with my old setup and I wanted to give them a second chance. I cleaned it, cut new line, re-bled it with blue blood, monuted it up and slapped some plazmatic pads on them. well, I'll just say this brake will be there for quite a while. I don't use a grind and they work super. they never slip rearward because there's the same amount of material on front of and behind hte piston, and they push 100% parallel to the rim so they perform the same forward and backward. they work, really well. but like any brake they have to be set up perfectly in the first place. This is the first brake I've ever used thats never slipped on me unexpectedly.
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Sun Sep 07 2003 Reviewed By: darren brabazon (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 6 Months Strengths awsome stopping power, great for trials Weaknesses tricky to adjust, $$$, not as good as they should be in wet conditions, for the price Similar Products Used hayes discs Review started using them on my trials bike and haven`t looked back, awsome brakes (not the best colour).really useful because it is easy to just put on "half power" where as with discs you either have max stopping or nothing. great all round brake, but are tricky to set up right and spare parts are expensive. still, if you have the money, and are into basically any type of mountain biking deffinitly give these brakes a try.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Thu Jun 12 2003 Reviewed By: Dustin Askins (anon) Rider Level: Beginner
Used Product For 6 Months Strengths Excellent stopping power! Weaknesses May leak. Similar Products Used No other hyrdraulic rim brakes used Review My riding improved significantly after purchasing these brakes. I know Ill stop when I squeeze the lever. The adjustment knob is a very convenient feature. Pads wear down at an average rate. Grinding the braking surface on your rim can improve your braking power even more! My pair did form a leak that Magura wouldnt warranty though. Mine leaked at the barb fitting, I had to buy a 1mm aluminum washer to stop the leak. So of course that meant bleeding the brakes as well, which meant buying a bleed kit. It was frustrating and I was dissapointed that Magura wouldnt cover it, but Id still by HS 33's again.
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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Sat Sep 06 2003 Reviewed By: Ali Khalili (anon) Rider Level: Beginner
Used Product For 6 Months Strengths Very good stopping power, especially with plazmatic pads, Very good lever feel and return, Provides good modulation (even with plaz. pads) Weaknesses Slightly heavier than V's, Can be tricky to set-up properly at first (especially 'elbow' adjustment), Lever broke in a light crash Similar Products Used Shimano XT V-brakes Review These brakes provide excellent stopping power and modulation, combined with excellent lever feel (think Porsche 996 brake-pedal). They have been reliable ever since i equipped them with Plazmatic CRM pads and got them set-up properly. I broke the left-side lever in a crash (over the bars) at fairly low speed, but got it replaced at a decent cost by dealer and they seem solid so far. I'd advise spending at least a good hour or so just adjusting them and trying the set-up out on your bike at first - this will save you time as you wont have to 'constantly adjust' them as i had to for some time. The 'alloy' bolts are extremely easy to strip if you plan to open/ close them in the long term for adjustment, so go for the regular steel bolts. My set (currently used for only the rear) came with the aluminium CNC machined booster, and it is very good in reducing frame-flex (especially on steel frames such as mine). Overall a good product, although with some minor yet annoying flaws.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Sat Sep 06 2003 Reviewed By: Ben Jordan (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 2 Years or more Strengths Braking power is very very strong... Weaknesses .... only powerful if setup absolutely spot on.. and you buy expensive pads Similar Products Used Avid Sd7s, Hope Minis Review Basically the people that complain about lack of power need to setup their brakes perfectly, with a great bleed, great align, and some good pads. I have used Monty X-Lite longs for the last 2 years, in my 3 years of using Maguras. They are the best things ever and I fully trust them... my brakes barely ever slip... and in the most extreme conditions when they do, everyone elses brakes are much worse than mine! The only problem I have found is the lever seals... Ive been through 4 whole lever assemblies due to leaking seals... not great... but I still wouldn't run any other brake. The SD7 rear brake I tried was good, but not as good as the Magura... As for the rear Mini disc... shockingly bad, avoid!!! Oh, and this review is for the rear brake... For the front I suggest a V or Disc, but read the other review sections for details about these, and why to use them over a front Magura ;)
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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Thu Oct 16 2003 Reviewed By: Alex (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 2 Years or more Strengths Good modulation (assuming without tar), look mighty fine, strong, no play when brakes locked Weaknesses Bleeding, gettin the oil on your hands and not being able to wash it off (not easily anyway), wierd material of the lever, slighty heavy Similar Products Used XT-V's Review Accompanied with a liberal coating tar makes these the best brakes out there. No cable stretch to worry about, just bleeding eveyr so often. Zero play when u really need it. Of course the setup is somewhat time consuming, but once everything's done, you wont' have to worry about them. Recognized by every REAL trials rider out there and only rivalled by XTR Vs and Arch Supremes. These are mighty fine brakes, sure the cable lines might b a little fragile and could get ripped out if they get caught on anything, but i'd recommend getting some wire-braided lines! SWEET! ;)
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Wed Mar 10 2004 Reviewed By: Tiny T (anon) Rider Level: Beginner
Used Product For 1 Year Strengths Very good stopping power Weaknesses Haven't had any problems Similar Products Used None Review Used them for 1 year havent had any problems would never change
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2 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Tue Sep 02 2003 Reviewed By: Adam (anon) Rider Level: Advanced
Used Product For 2 Years or more Weaknesses Quite possibly everything Review I first bought these brakes as i noticed nearly all trials riders used them, so i thought they must be good! But as soon as i rode them the problems just kept coming, leaking, kinked hoses, spongy lever feel,poor power, a disaster to set up,locked on pads.... the list goes on. I bled them constantly and was always trying to get them to perform better but nothing would work. Get v-brakes.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Tue Oct 07 2003 Reviewed By: Manning Yuan (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 1 Year Strengths brake power, booster, reach adjust Weaknesses setup, adapters Similar Products Used avid v's, hayes 6" disc Review Once setup and maintained, these brakes are definitive. Reach adjust, adjustable pad clearance, etc make this a very customizable setup. Available colors are neat too. I recommend a light grind with Plazmatic pads (yellow) and light tar.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Fri Oct 31 2003 Reviewed By: pav (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 6 Months Strengths Everything, with right setup lock in all conditions Weaknesses Leaks, price, setup Similar Products Used V-Brakes Review these things are nuts, if you get the right setup, i am currently running them with plazmatic pads and a grindded rim, my brake booster snapped so i am losing a lot of power while i wait for new one to come in and they still lock really well, even on things like rails, will be interesting to feel them with new RB brake booster
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Wed Jan 07 2004 Reviewed By: Chijioke Okafo (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 1 Month Strengths Amazing stopping power & very light Weaknesses a lil tough to put on Similar Products Used none Review Great frame, gives me alot more confidence to try things and not have to worry bout slipping back and cracking my head open. Great for beginners all the way to the top pros. Amazing brake, wouldnt recommend anything else
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Wed Jan 28 2004 Reviewed By: Gregory (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 2 Years or more Strengths great power saved me loads of times. Weaknesses week adjusters Similar Products Used hope disk brake Review The brakes are good and strong but with the 2 bikes that i have i have found that the back brake ajusters have broken every time after around 5 months. All and all a good brake.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Tue Feb 17 2004 Reviewed By: Alex (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 1 Year Strengths powerful, good modulation, awesome stoppin power (especially w/ tar) Weaknesses heavy, sometimes hard to clean (like between caliper and arch hose), slightly hard to set up, bleeding is a pain Similar Products Used XT Vees, XTR Vees, arch deluxe Review Its been about a year since i got these and i can't say i've ever been disappointed. the modulation and power has been incredible, sure things are slightly heavy (you might opt to replace the "steel" booster with something carbon fiber), but i wouldn't substitute these brakes for anything on the market. they look cool, and the trials squeal is definitely the best with the HS33s. besides tomac uses them, every trials rider out there has them on their mod or stock one way or another. aside from that the occasional bleeding and mind boggling first install, the only other weakness is maybe the fragility of the hydro lines - you'll have a huge mess if one happens to be torn out.
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1 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Tue Sep 16 2003 Reviewed By: bob (anon) Rider Level: Advanced
Used Product For 6 Months Strengths amazing stoping power,reliable,good looking,light ,and cheap Weaknesses none Similar Products Used disks Review these brakes are the most amazing brakes ever made well good hope mini disks are no match for these these are the bees knees bye thses cus all the pros have them alright! if u aint got them pick up the phone and get them now ,these rule over disks,these aint just for wanna bees!
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1 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Sun Oct 19 2003 Reviewed By: Tam�s, Elekes (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 6 Months Review Very good brake!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Wed Nov 12 2003 Reviewed By: Seb Lyndon-Gee (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 3 Months Strengths Great feel, easy to adjust, powerful with little effort. Weaknesses a pain to set up(aka 5 HOURS)... Similar Products Used shitmano deore v-brakes Review These things are great, alot of people complain alot about them but i havnt had one problem with them . all you need is to have them set up well and with the right pads and you get ace performance out of them especially if they are used on four bolt mounts.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Sat Nov 29 2003 Reviewed By: woody (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 1 Year Strengths loads of colours, no slippage, fit and forget Weaknesses initial set-up takes a while, decent aftermarket pads expensive Similar Products Used Various v brakes, hope mini, hope m4 Review i used to use a hope minion the rear which was fine till i started to do bigger stuff. it slipped loads and i did'nt trust it. then the lever broke while attempting my first rail ending in an extremely brused coccyx and dented pride. then i got a maggie and have never looked back since. it has improved my riding loads and you can customise your set up with pads, tar, grinding, boosters etc. and make up your own sticky rim concoctions. it is slightly heavy and easy to round off the bolts too though.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Tue Jan 27 2004 Reviewed By: Daryl (anon) Rider Level: Beginner
Used Product For 3 Months Strengths Very Good Weaknesses Leak Easy Similar Products Used None Review I think the HS33's are very good. they are fitted on my Monty X Alp Magura.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Wed Feb 23 2005 Reviewed By: john (anon) Rider Level: Beginner
Used Product For 1 Year Strengths v. powerful. cheap Weaknesses brakes are hard to set up, stock pads are bad Similar Products Used v- brakes w. different pads Review Have got on my jumpin jack so the frame flexes under braking. Use monty milk pads (short) on the back and stock pads on the front. The stock pads change with temperature. The brakes are hard to set up, but other than that, no problems.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Sun Oct 30 2005 Reviewed By: paul (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 1 Year Strengths not a lot Weaknesses always leak, dont set up properly Similar Products Used hs11s Review there just pooh dont get them unless going for a cheap price and desprate.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Tue Jun 13 2006 Reviewed By: mike j (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 1 Year Strengths great stopping power Weaknesses sometimes feel a bit spongy Similar Products Used shimano xt vs Review ive always like hs33 brake for trials, i love the new style levers as well! get them!!!!!!!
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Thu Mar 25 2004 Reviewed By: Ty Smith (anon) Rider Level: Advanced
Used Product For 3 Months Strengths CRAZY POWER! Weaknesses none. Similar Products Used V's, avid disks, hayes disks, coaster... Review This is the most incredible rear trials brake ive use so far. its sooooo freaking powerful, i have no booster, just black pads and tad of tar and BAM!!!! CRAZY POWER AND FEEL I LOVE IT!
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Sun May 09 2004 Reviewed By: rojin (anon) Rider Level: Beginner
Used Product For 1 Year Strengths very good stopping power strong brake Weaknesses setup is annoying Similar Products Used v brakes Review its a good brake its good stopping power but the booster is too small for a halo combat and the setup causes fustration. without booster u find that on v mounts that the magura will cause the frame to move when it is pulled fully.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Tue May 25 2004 Reviewed By: leeson_rider (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 1 Year Strengths good stopping power with the right pads Weaknesses can get spongy in the heat and hard to set up Similar Products Used v brakes Review good brake to get if your starting trials
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Fri Jun 18 2004 Reviewed By: Tiny T (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 2 Years or more Strengths Great stoppin power always reliable Weaknesses Can leak and burst Similar Products Used Vees Review Cant really fault this brake its the best of its kind i love it on the back of my koxx with a hope mono mini on the front.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Wed Jun 30 2004 Reviewed By: Eric Kreiter (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 6 Months Strengths Lots of power! Weaknesses Master Cylinder (Lever) snaps off easily in a crash Similar Products Used Shimano XT Vee Brakes Review Very tricky to set up on your bike. I find they always work themselves loose on one side or the other. I have managed to snap off the lever twice in the past 4 months. They are very brittle material so watch out! I would recommend keeping the lever a little bit loose on ur handlebar incase of crash. The levers are expensive to replace.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Tue Jul 27 2004 Reviewed By: Nic Gross AKA Mr. HopHop (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 6 Months Strengths awesome power, awesome looks Weaknesses so much power it makes the frame flex, kinda hard to set up Similar Products Used canti Review awesome, so good feel, TPA is awesome, once you get them setup they are unmatched.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Sat Oct 23 2004 Reviewed By: william (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 6 Months Review this brake are very good and they are perfect for trials they are very sharp and do not wear out as easy as some of the others
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Thu Dec 09 2004 Reviewed By: michael evans (anon) Rider Level: Beginner
Used Product For 3 Months Strengths everything they are easy to put on and really great Weaknesses they are deathly when you want to stop quick and leak a bit Similar Products Used none Review they are brilliant. if you've got the money, get them
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Fri Dec 31 2004 Reviewed By: steve (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 1 Month Strengths strong grip on rims , cheaper than hydrolic disk brake Weaknesses pain to set up properly , decent pads expensive Similar Products Used shimano xtr Review took me hours to set up , intructions aren't the best . however they are better than most other rim brakes currently on sale .
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Sun Feb 13 2005 Reviewed By: NOEL (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 2 Years or more Strengths feel, power, and precision Weaknesses setting up at first Similar Products Used Magura Louise Review Learning to set them up at first is the worst, but after a while of playing with them you will learn how to set them up to be the best. I have been using them in the rear for 90 percent of the time that I have been riding trials and it doesn't get any better. In the front it's great as well.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Tue Feb 22 2005 Reviewed By: Jef Nackaerts (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 1 Year Strengths generally does what I expect them to do Weaknesses the finishing, bad service from magura (in Belgium), installing (I have a dedicated frame with support for 24" wheels) Similar Products Used cheap stuff from shimano Review local review for Belgium: These are pretty good brakes until they're broken. The 5 year leakproof warranty is hard to get. I also broke those tiny red wheels (TPA knobs) to adjust them...
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Mon Mar 07 2005 Reviewed By: jon goulding (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 2 Years or more Strengths good braking power, good price Weaknesses hard to bleed and set up is too tricky. Similar Products Used Avid single Digit 3.0, Magura Julie Review A good all around buy, but changing the bridge hoseing is a pain. They are a brilliant value for the money. They are a brilliant brake for whatever you ride!!!!
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Sun Mar 20 2005 Reviewed By: NOEL (anon) Rider Level:
Strengths POWER, feel Weaknesses set up Similar Products Used Magura Louise Review What more do I need to say, they are great. Even better with Plazmatic or Koxx pads.
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Fri Aug 05 2005 Reviewed By: Martyn Ashton (anon) Rider Level: Pro/Elite
Used Product For 2 Years or more Review this is a very good magura brake and is ok for starting out and for advanced people like myself. they do cost quite a bit but its all worth it.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Mon Nov 07 2005 Reviewed By: keegan (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 1 Month Strengths none Weaknesses hydro lines Similar Products Used none Review these brakes worked well for about 2 weeks. then the line blew and my front brake is now shot. better lines should be used for these brakes.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Thu Dec 15 2005 Reviewed By: connor (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 1 Month Strengths everything Weaknesses none but the colour is not nice Similar Products Used hs 11 Review its got a nice strong lever and clamp it have a brake booster unlike the hs33 (2005) dont like the colour but still a great brake
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Mon Jan 30 2006 Reviewed By: Ashley Hawyes (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 2 Years or more Strengths great power Weaknesses can't fault this brake, this is the trials brake Similar Products Used none other Review The tpas seem to over-tread quite easy and it maybe a tad tricky to set up to perfection but it is a brillant brake for any trials rider.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Tue Jun 20 2006 Reviewed By: paul allan (anon) Rider Level:
Strengths feels reliable Weaknesses standard pads Similar Products Used hs11 Review excellent brake get decent pads and your away
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Fri Jul 14 2006 Reviewed By: Tyler (anon) Rider Level: Intermediate
Used Product For 1 Year Strengths instant stopping power Weaknesses difficult setup Similar Products Used lots of v brakes Review I first used HS33s on a buddy's monty mod. I was amazed at how well they locked up. i later got into trials myself, and used v brakes for the first year or so. I eventually got frustrated with rolling back when I rear-wheeled stuff, so when I got my new bike I put HS33s on it. I run them with plazmatic pads, and EVO2 adapter. Suckers lock up instantly with a lightly tarred rim, and no play in them once they're locked. If you ride trials, you really should get a HS33 rear brake. They can be a pain to setup, but once done properly you can foroget about them forever (except for pad replacements). Everyone I know who has had a problem with HS33s has not had them setup right.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Sat Aug 18 2007 Reviewed By: Dann (anon) Rider Level: Advanced
Used Product For 1 Year Strengths Good stopping power with little effort Weaknesses None Similar Products Used HS-33 Review This is the rim brake king.
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