Italuminium

So here's the culprit that could use some force choked upgrades:

Untitled by ctjr, on Flickr

I rode some pretty nice trails around here with my old 20$ CL special, and it just can't cut it anymore. The spokes of the front wheel have just given up the ghost, some bend beyond the hope of truing. The canti brakes, even tough the pads are ok, the cables are slick and the set up is fine just fail to stop the bike on the more hairy descents around here - I'm talking 45% degree slopes with a convenient fence/busy road at the end after a blind corner .
So, with an upgrade really needed, I started wandering around on the 'web to see what kind of bike I'd like to have for the trails around here.

Here's what I came up with.
-steel frame (ok, Ti, but maybe later). The frame can stay since it fits me fine, I like the geo and there's no point in ordering a Surly or whatever when I got a DB ChrMo boat anchor in the first place!
-V-brakes or hydraulics like the Magura 33's. What's your suggestion?
-a 1xX drivetrain. SS is not going to cut it, not with the half-hour climbs and the long stretches of perfect tarmac connecting the trails to my "base of operations". I rarely use the other two rings and with a wider cassette I won't need them at all

I do have some nice Campagnolo rims, I'd like to use those with some good DB spokes - but which hubs? Not looking for über WW stuff, but decent light and durable hubs.

For the drive train, I'd like to upgrade the alivio derailers to something better shifting without the dreaded gripshifters that are on it now.

In short:
-what's your favorite v-brake?
-what's your favorite MTB hubset?
-what's your favorite solution for a single ring crank?

Thanks in advance!

JAG410 

For that bike, I'd do Avid Single Digit V-Brakes with Avid FR5 levers, with Jagwire cables/housing. You can find strong 26" wheelsets for less than a wheelbuild using cheap parts, so I'd just go that route. I'd keep the 3x drivetrain, perhaps find some Deore/LX derailleurs & shifters.

KD5NRH

Nah, just get a fixie hub for it, and don't worry about brakes or shifting.

DiegoFrogs

As far as the brakes and levers are concerned, I haven't run V-brakes in about 10 years, but I like all of the stuff made by Paul's Components. They're expensive, and you're on the other side of the Atlantic...

I'm kind of wondering what the braking problem really is, though. Are you not able to skid the rear wheel and endo the front wheel? Poor modulation? Just long stopping distance? Much of this could also be the tires that you use, pads, rim sidewalls, levers.

Although I rode a lot, I wasn't really a bike-nerd when my Gary Fisher rigid was stolen 10 years ago. The cheap disc brakes on the modern Trek branded Gary Fisher I bought last spring have really good braking power, but poor modulation, but traction was a ***** in the desert sands I was riding in so my speed wasn't too high, anyhow.

obrentharris 

"Favorite" v-brake? Paul Mini Moto - spendy though. I know I shouldn't spout such heresy in a C&V setting but good disc brakes are REALLY nice on steep terrain. Your local framebuilder might be willing to add rear disc mounts and a stiffener to your frame for a reasonable fee. Favorite hub - Chris King, also pricey, but they last forever. The older XTR and XT hubs with the non-sealed bearings are also pretty bombproof if you repack the bearings every few hundred miles and after every wet winter. I have no personal experience with single ring MTB cranks so I will leave that subject to someone else.
Brent

Elev12k

To be honest, I personally wouldn't invest money or time in that bike. It is low end, not nice, not collectible and I doubt whether it is a joy to ride. Our local classified site is not like six years ago, but much nicer bikes for small prices can still be had.

Brakes: for as far I can judge from the pic it looks like the rear hanger is positioned too high and the routing toward the rear brake could be more direct. The powerhanger device on the fork complicates setting up. Aren't the pads dried out? Is the combination of rim and pads okay? Don't forget it is all low end-ish stuff. If you opt for V-brake: normally V-brakes are, even when poorly set up, capable of locking up your wheel. The backdraw: V-brakes aren't very cool. Mentioned Pauls are nicer and I do like my old ControlTech brakes, but they would be overkill for this bike. Dito for Magura HS33.

1xX gears: the success of this setup depends on the spring in your rear mech. If it has weak tension you run the risk the chain jumps off on bumpy sections.

How much travel is left in that fork?

Glennfordx4

I understand about finding a frame that fits you well & not wanting to change it out, if it were me, here's a list of stuff that I have used on some not so top of the line frames that made huge improvements without breaking the bank.

Brakes,Canti- Suntour or Scott-Peterson Self-Energizing brakes. both front & rear, I have these on 2 bikes with Kool stop pads on them. Once set up these work great and have a good feel to them using Shimano LX brake levers. I also like the Avid speed dial brake levers.

Drivetrain components - Front & Rear Derailleurs, I like the 700 series XT's like the 732, 735, or 739's . The 732 RD is one of my favorites for 6, 7 or 8spd use.

Crankset- I like the old M730 XT cranksets the best, but I also have Deore & Deore LX cranks in 110/74 BCD that are just as nice & all are easy to set up for single ring use.

Shifters- I run Deore LX rapid fire shifters on almost all my MTB's in 7, 8 & 9 speeds and I like all of them. One they don't cost as much as the XT's & to me seem to work just as well, I only have one set of like new 7spd XT's and can't tell the difference.

Hubs- I really don't think you can go wrong with either using Deore LX or Deore XT hubs, they are built good, don't weigh a ton & are affordable.

Glenn

cbchess

Since that wheel is toast why not get a new wheel and go disc? You can get mechanical discs like Avid BB7 for very cheap like $50 for new and almost free for used if you look. If you are not bombing down big drop offs you can get a steel fork with disc tabs for cheap as well. if you still love your V-brakes go for the mullet set up with disc in the front and V-brake in the back.

JReade

I have discs on my modern mountain bike and I love them, mechanical, not hydraulic. It's a serious upgrade.

Italuminium

Thanks for the tips guys, and thanks for bearing with me on my thrifty quest

I'll look into the avid brakes for sure, they seem like a fair deal. Same goes for the XT hubs.

The fork is fine, not too much travel to begin with but I don't feel the need for more plush on the rides I did. The terrain mainly consists of farm tracks of hard packed clay and flint, and almost no jumps and drops. unfortunately it's without disc mounts, or else the mullet set up would be fine (if a little ugly ).

And Elev, I keep on looking on "that site", but so far, no nice deals... It's much easier to get a nice vintage roadie than a nice vintage MTB. That's why I'm upgrading - tired of looking! Plus, I have too many stripped frames and components already, so I'm not buying bikes for parts at the moment - there's only so much room in the shed!

Elev12k

My neighbour bought two CycleTech tange prestige fillet brazed XT2 bikes in one deal for 120 euro's two weeks ago. It is hard to beat that when upgrading your bike.

Italuminium

LOL, yeah that's a great deal.

WNG

Poor man's upgrade:

Avid Single Digit V brake, the better model, with billet arms. Stiff as heck. Get a set for the front and a corresponding brake lever.
The rear could stay canti as you don't care to lock the rear wheel, unless you're into that. V brakes have less modulation.

Agree with Glenn, Deore LX or XT hubs. Bulletproof. Forged shells, and tough polished bearing races.

Oh yes, ditch those Gripshifts! God I can't stand them! Horrid things they are!
If you go 1xX, SRAM 9 speed cassette for the rear. 9 speed Deore or LX RD, Shimano trigger shifter of your choice. And comfy grips when you dump the Gripshifts.
Can't help you on cranks, not up to speed on 1 speed DH cranks and what ring available.
But I'm partial to Sugino. An old 94mm BCD Sugino 5 hole triple has made a nice single for one of my projects.


If you can swing it, I also would go the new fork route with disc brake attachment. Upgrade to cable-disc brake. Major braking improvement.

jrecoi

I would have to say that for the same $50 (ok more like $70), you can get a 90mm Sturmey Archer drum brake for the front wheel. Pretty much the same benefits of a disk brake but with more modulation. Mounting it on the fork will probably require a hose clamp, and the hub itself is a touch heavy at around 1 kg, but compares well with the combined weight of hub+disk+caliper.

georges1

Get shimano last generation of xt 780 v brakes and here is the rest of the non shadow xt 30 groupset https://cycle.shimano.co.jp/publish/c...-trekking.html. avid v brakes are good price performance ratio v brakes