At 324 grams per wheel (that’s the whole shebang…brake levers, rotor and caliper) the Marta SLs are the lightest hydraulic disc brakes available and are aimed directly at the “I won’t buy it if it isn’t made out of carbon and weighs more than a speck of fly poo” crowd. Magura kept the weight down by spec’ing the unit with a carbon fiber brake lever and a lightweight caliper machined from a single piece of aluminum. Other nifty features include self-adjusting pads, reach-adjustable brake levers and a six-inch wavy rotor that Magura claims helps the system shed mud.
The Marta SL is a twin-piston, open hydraulic system that (like Shimano’s systems) relies on mineral oil rather than DOT fluid. The upside of mineral oil is that it doesn’t absorb water over time and it won’t blister your paint or irritate your skin when you spill it all over the place during brake bleeds. The downside of mineral oil is that it heats up more easily during long descents than DOT fluid. Mineral oil is also more sensitive to outside temperatures (particularly cold weather) than DOT. Such scenarios can lead to an inconsistent feel at the brake lever.
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