digitalattrition said:*Well the standard for most hydraulic unicycle brakes are Magura
HS33s. So I'd go with those. I believe there is one version with a
steel cable, but that is a tad overkill in my opinion. I'd say go
with the regular brake cable version. *
The steel braided hose is an aftermarket addition. Both Unicycle.com
and Bedford have brakes with the braided hose upgrade already installed.
Unfortunately it's an expensive upgrade.
The braided hose is stronger and more flexible. It's less likely to
kink or break compared to the stock black plastic hose.
The main problem is the crossover hose (the short piece that goes over
the tire). Rocks or sticks can get stuck in the lugs of the tire and
rip the crossover hose. That's a problem with the stock plastic hose.
The braided hose is strong enough that it is less likely to get ripped
or pulled out. That's also why you want to have clearance between the
tire and the crossover hose. The stock crossover hose is a bit short
for fitting over a 3" tire so it tends to be too close to the tire.
The Magura brand braided hose is expensive. That's why the braided hose
upgrade is expensive. The alternative is to get some braided hose
custom cut at a DH bike shop. A DH bike shop should have good quality
hydraulic hose and the necessary fittings to fit the Magura brakes.
They can custom cut the hose and get it all working. The non-Magura
braided hose is not going to be as good as the Magura braided hose, but
it will be less expensive. That's the route I went with.
You can find used Magura HS33 brakes on eBay. But buying from eBay can
be a bit messy because there are lots of little details that you'll need
to get right to get the brake working on a unicycle. You'll need to
make sure that the brake is in good condition and that you get the right
brake mount. The 'two bolt trials style Magura mount'
(http://www.unicycle.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=549) is $26 at
Unicycle.com. Factor that in to the price if you're buying from eBay
and the brakes don't come with that style of mount. You'll probably
need to bleed the brake if you buy used from eBay. To do that you'll
need to buy a bleed kit which is another $20 or so. If you don't want
to deal with all of those issues then just buy from Darren or
Unicycle.com.
--
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