The skinny cross country lass in the bulging Magura line up, Marta is a sharp and shapely stopper that's designed for the weight conscious speed set.
With the reservoir buried in the fat lever body, the broad and deep hollowed lever feels super solid and sharp. This combines with the onepiece calliper for really precise modulation and control clarity.
Power is ample, with the 180mm rotor, while the lighter 160mm rotor will still be enough for normal XC use. The mineral oil based design suffers when cooked though, and we saw rapid fading on the dyno, which correlates with feedback from our mountain men. The ultra light rotor also suffered permanent warp at temperatures most rotors didn't even shimmy at.
They're also one of the few brakes still using IS mounts as standard, which reduces weight but means faffing with washers for a drag-free setup. Mineral oil does make them kinder to hands, paint and fish downstream, though.
The light weight is the main selling point here (the World Cup winning carbon levered Marta SL is £200) but even this 'basic' version ain't cheap.
