Brakes and e-bikes have a difficult relationship. Especially in the public perception, it is often said that many riders are overwhelmed by the heavy bike when braking and cornering. This is even more true for cargo bikes. "It's irresponsible that you can ride one without a driving licence", a colleague is said to have exclaimed during the photo shoot for this issue. He later changed his mind and no longer wishes to be named. But is it true?
Are cargo bikes particularly difficult to brake?
The fact is that many cargo bikes brake much better than you might think. A simple everyday bike with aged rim brakes is clearly in a worse position. However, riding a cargo bike and braking need to be learnt. The popular long johns with rider at the back and cargo box at the front can be a particular challenge. Without a load in the cargo area, the rider's weight over the rear axle puts little pressure on the front wheel. Hard braking on slippery surfaces can therefore quickly lead to locked front wheels and subsequently to dangerous skidding.
One brake lever for everything
Magura has therefore developed a system to simplify this. One brake lever for everything, just like in a car. The idea has already won a Eurobike award. The system automatically distributes the load between the front and rear brakes. IBS, as Magura's integral brake is called, does not rely on electronics, but regulates everything with more cost-effective hydraulics. Even cautious and inexperienced cargo bike riders should be able to realise safe and short braking distances. Actuation with just one lever leaves the rider's head free for other tasks. Very similar to ABS, but with less expensive technology and without an anti-lock function.
One brake lever for everything, just like a car. The idea has already won a Eurobike award.
On the other hand, IBS has another ace up its sleeve that should make all the difference for cargo bikes. This is because IBS does not distribute the braking load statically. If you only brake a little, the rear wheel in particular is decelerated. This elongates the chassis instead of compressing it and thus ensures increased stability, especially when cornering. An effect that many motorbike or scooter riders will also be familiar with. Only when braking hard does the IBS distribute more and more braking pressure to the front wheel, which can then be braked harder due to the dynamic wheel load distribution. This is a particular advantage for unladen cargo bikes with little load on the front wheel.
Luxury one-hand operation with the integral brake IBS
We therefore ordered two seemingly identical cargo bikes for a comparison test. One with classic brakes and one with integral brakes. When riding in everyday life, it is noticeable how relaxed riding with IBS is. It may sound trivial. But you quickly learn to appreciate the luxury of being able to brake really hard with just one lever. The manual force is surprisingly limited. Of course, we subjected Magura's integral brake to as many scenarios as possible. The test bike had to prove itself on dry asphalt as well as in early autumn wet conditions. We also subjected the integral brake to slopes in order to uncover inconsistencies in the brake load distribution. But the system seems very well thought out.
At the limit, the rear wheel starts to slip first, even without a load. This can usually be easily recovered, but is a warning signal that the limit could soon be reached at the front as well. Braking in bends hardly feels like the heavy bike is losing its balance. For legal reasons, the IBS must still have a lever for the front brake. If you operate both levers at the same time, the coupling of the front and rear brakes creates a somewhat unfamiliar feeling. Depending on how hard you pull one brake, the pressure point also shifts in the other brake lever. In practice, however, you can simply use the right-hand lever to avoid the problem. After a few weeks of testing, we can hardly judge whether the somewhat more complex hydraulics cause problems in continuous use.
Magura's new braking system in a blind test
The exciting question remains: Can even less experienced cargo bike riders realise short and safe braking distances with integral brakes? Magura has already carried out its own test in co-operation with Dekra. When loaded, there was no clear difference between the braking distances. Unloaded, however, there was an advantage for IBS.
Together with Dekra, Magura has established a clear advantage for the IBS in the case of one-hand braking
Of course, the difference was particularly drastic when braking with one hand only was compared. It's clear that anyone who doesn't use the front brake at all for fear of skidding will be much quicker with IBS. After all, the front brake is also actuated with the rear brake lever. And, as is well known, the front brake absorbs most of the braking load in an emergency stop. The fact that the front brake is completely avoided in practice should hopefully be the absolute exception.
In order to make a final judgement on IBS, we wanted to see for ourselves. We therefore involved ten colleagues in a blind test with two seemingly identical Cago FS200 long johns. One with and one without IBS. Which bike had which system was not revealed in advance. We then asked our ten test subjects to perform an emergency braking manoeuvre from 25 km/h. With both brake levers or just one? We did not provide any information on this. The test subjects intuitively used both brake levers. On average, both systems were extremely close together in our test (see below). Across ten test subjects, the average braking distance from 25 km/h was only around three metres. With IBS, the legal requirement of a maximum braking distance of 4.5 metres from 20 km/h is easily achieved, even when braking with one hand.
Our test subjects were therefore unable to realise a shorter braking distance per se with IBS. However, the values of both systems are on a par. Certainly also because our test riders had little cargo bike experience, but a lot of cycling experience overall, and of course also gripped the front brake hard on the bike without IBS. Despite comparable braking distances, the subjective feedback from our test riders was strikingly often in favour of the bike with IBS. "Somehow I felt less wobbly here", is how our last tester summed up the stabilisation effect.
And the costs? IBS is much cheaper to realise than ABS, says Magura. The simpler technology without any electronics is currently only available from a few suppliers. CaGo, for example, charges an additional 400 euros for IBS, which is in a similar order of magnitude to ABS (around 500 euros). At Riese & Müller, on the other hand, IBS costs only 150 euros extra, while ABS costs 400 euros. If other manufacturers also follow this example, the equation of good added value for a low surcharge will actually work.
Advantages and disadvantages of the integral brake IBS
Strengths
- Short braking distance even with only one lever
- Intelligent brake load distribution
Weaknesses
- Unfamiliar lever feel when operating both levers
Conclusion on Magura's integral brake
If you use both brakes correctly, our tests with IBS do not show a shorter braking distance. Nevertheless, we were impressed by Magura's system. The idea is good, the technology seems simple and yet sophisticated. You can now even anchor properly with one hand, the second lever is mainly needed for legal reasons. The biggest problem: The range of bikes with IBS is still too limited. - Adrian Kaether, Test Manager MYBIKE
Adrian Kaether
Editor
