Magura MDR-P 220mm Disc Brake Rotor [Rider Review]

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for. 

Brakes are more powerful than they have ever been and with the introduction of heavy and fast ebikes, many companies are starting to produce lines that specifically cater to the abuse these bikes put on the brakes. Magura is one of those companies. Their MDR-P Disc Brake Rotor is offered in a 220mm diameter, which offers a lot of braking power, but it is also a thicker rotor. This gives you a more consistent braking platform and it maintains its stability even after heating up drastically. Our buddy Jeff recently threw one on his bike. Let's see what he thought!

Jeff's Review

One common complaint on the heavier e-bikes is the braking. The stock brakes that come on the bikes leave some to be desired. Add to this that I am not a featherweight, more of a heavyweight, I needed more braking power. What I didn’t want to do was replace my full braking system. I was hoping to just do some sort of simple bolt-on to improve the brakes. I have a Turbo Levo that came with the SRAM Guide RE with SRAM 200 mm rotors. These brakes are fine for mellow trails, but they heat up on long descents.

"One day, I was cruising down a long steep descent called “brake check” and I completely lost my rear brakes! Apparently, the rear brakes overheated, and I cooked the oil, to the point that my rear brakes were completely useless until they cooled down."

Yeah, I know, learn to ride better, don’t drag your rear brake, full send, blah blah blah. Well, sometimes I drag my rear brake, so sue me. I searched some online forums, and then all up Worldwide Cyclery to see what they recommended.

I spoke with one of the knowledgeable techs and he recommended going with the larger, thicker Magura MDR-P. It’s a much thicker rotor and dissipates heat much better. They were easy to mount, and the helpful techs at Worldwide Cyclery told me just what mounts I needed to buy to accommodate the larger rotors. I have all the stopping power I need now, and I didn’t have to go through the hassle of installing new calipers and brake levers, plus it's super spendy to replace the whole system. Some people worry about the magnet speed sensor that is mounted on the rear rotor rubbing, but it does not rub. It’s simple, take off the old rotor, put on the new one, tighten in a star pattern. If you haven’t installed any rotors before, just watch a video. The bottom line, these rotors are the bee’s knees. 

Conclusion

"On runs that used to cook my brakes, I can now descend with confidence, and knowing that I have more braking power has allowed me to go faster. I track my times on Strava, and I’m consistently faster now because I have the confidence that if I need the breaks, there are there. I’ll be honest with you, the first day out with the new breaks, I almost thought it was too much braking power, it was an adjustment for sure. After an hour, I got used to the increased braking power and adjusted my modulating. Installation was simple. Some people worry if the 220 mm rotor doesn’t fit in the rear, and I can confidently tell you it fits, without modification." - Jeff