rvarunner2

I hope I am in the right spot.

I have an Ironhorse Maverick 1.5 (I know it is old, but it has served me well). I am slowly upgrading and want to make sure that I use a compatible cassette/freewheel (not sure which is better), derailer, and shifter. I know how to swap the parts out, but I want to make sure I do not waste money because I am on a budget.

I currently have a 3x8 speed freewheel. I want to go to 10 speed. I usually ride mountain trails and roads. Also, I am going from a triple drive to a single drive. I have the single drive on order.

The plan is to eventually swap the front forks so I can have disc brakes on the front. I have the spot to mount the caliper to the rear frame already.

What are your thoughts? Any assistance would be great.

andrewclaus

Welcome.

First determine if it's a cassette or freewheel hub. Look at Sheldon Brown's site for help. Then measure the distance between the rear dropouts.

ClydeClydeson

Not familiar with your specific bike, but you probably have a straight 1-1/8" head tube on your fork, which is not the standard size any more. So you may need to look around a bit to find a replacement fork that will fit. The longer you wait the fewer compatible forks that will be available.

Although unless your current fork is not functioning, I don't think that 'upgrade' is worth the time or money. A decent fork, if you can find one, is a good chunk of the cost of a new better bike.

rvarunner2

I am sorry I am not familiar with it. I am learning. I just rode for fun but now I am wanting to do more. I found a fork on eBay for $65, but is it okay to have disc brakes only on the rear? I rarely use the from breaks anyway.

rvarunner2

It is a freewheel. I do not want to sound stupid, but where should I measure.

HillRider

Are you sure it's a freewheel? 8-speed freewheels do exist but they are rare. Remove the rear wheel and measure between the inside faces of the dropouts. If it's 126mm, that's 7-speed and could either be a freewheel or cassette. If it measures 130mm or 135mm it's 8-speed and above and almost surely a cassette. If you have an 8-speed cassette, then a 10-speed cassette will fit your existing wheel. If it really is a freewheel you need a new rear wheel to go to 10-speed.

I assume you meant to say you rarely use the front brakes. If so that's a mistake as the front brake is by far the most effective. A rear disc brake by itself is a not a worthwhile upgrade.

adamrice 

Unless you are scrounging used parts, what you're trying to do will quite possibly be more expensive than just buying a new bike.
You should. Your front brake does more of the work to slow you down, thanks to a phenomenon called momentum transfer.

rvarunner2

Thank you. I will have to measure after work. Just curious. Why is it more effective? Should I be using both together? I don’t mean to sound stupid. I just ride for fun without knowing the mechanics of it. It is slowly changing.

andrewclaus

My older brothers taught me to cycle back in the 1960s, and they taught me to use the rear brake. I didn't learn the better way until I joined this forum. The front brake is definitely the better brake. It's not a perfect analogy, but think of when you're running, which foot do you use to stop with? There's a slight chance of lifting the rear wheel off the ground, but practice and experience will negate that. Start with the front, then add rear brake as needed. It only took me a few years to relearn the process. Finally, on my last set of brakes, I wore the front out first.

I see some inexpensive bikes with front disc and rear rim, but never the reverse.

70sSanO

Just to back this bus up a bit…

Unfortunately Iron Horse has gone the way of many other 90’s mtb mfgs over the years. They get sold as the company struggles and ultimately end up in Dick’s or Walmart.

Since you stated it is old and has rear mounts for a disc brake, it is probably a post-2000 bike. That is about the time mfg’s started adding mounts for a disc brake option. As such it has 135mm dropouts.

As already stated, if it is originally a 3x8 it is probably a cassette. I can’t recall any 3x8 mfg’s using a freewheel. If someone swapped out the wheels for a 26” freewheel, that is a different situation.

If you are making this swap, you can tell if a lockring is used to hold the cassette on, or the entire cluster is threaded on. Determining that determines if you can upgrade in pieces.

If it is a cassette, yes you can go 1x10. You’ll need a new rear derailleur for 10 spd, shifter, cassette and chain.

The fork is another issue. If it is rigid, I’d start looking for one with a 1-1/8” steerer and disc brake mounts; something like a Kona P2.

If it is suspension, the offerings are on the lower end. Suntour will probably always have 26” disc forks. I think Rockshox have their Recon and TL models. Either way, you need to start looking for one soon.

Vintage forks are another way to go, but servicing them is getting tough as parts have dried up.

Have fun.

John

VicBC_Biker

You ride trails and roads, so I assume you want a wide range of gear choices? (Low gears for the hills, fast gears for getting down the road....)

Why are you changing from 3x8 (which I have on my hybrid) to 1x10 ? My 3x8 setup has at least 14-15 different gearing choices that I'll use on a typical hilly road ride.

What cogs are on your present cassette? What chainwheels on your triple?

ClydeClydeson

Front brake is better because when you are braking your weight and the weight of the bike shifts to the front wheel and off the rear wheel. So the harder you brake the less effective your rear brake can be before the tire starts skidding, and the harder you brake the more effective the front brake can be as more and more of your weight is carried by it. It is important to use your front brake because when the time comes that you need to stop in a panic, the rear wheel alone will not stop you nearly as quickly as the front brake - the difference is probably 2x longer to stop with just the rear.

In fact, the maximum possible braking will be when the rear wheel is practically completely unweighted but not quite lifting off the ground, and in this scenario all the braking is done by the front.

There is a small chance of braking too hard with the front brake so that you get pitched over the handlebars. This is very easy to avoid, but you need to practice using primarily your front brake so you are familiar with the feel and how hard you can brake when the need to stop quickly arises.

ClydeClydeson

Also, while there is nothing inherently wrong with disc brake rear & rim brake F, for the above reasons, it's a pointless change. New cables, housing, and brake pads will be money better spent.

The limiting factor for rear brakes is not the style of brakes rim vs disc, but the traction of the tire. Even crapola single pivot and centrepull road brakes on old 10 speeds can skid a rear tire on most bikes.

Retro Grouch 

Price out the cost of the replacement parts you are considering and compare that to the price of a brand new bike with comparable parts.

VicBC_Biker

And don't forget that your current bike can be re-sold. Very ordinary older bikes are going for surprising $$$ in my area. The downside of the 'bike craze' is that there may not be a lot of choices in new bikes right now.

xroadcharlie

That looks like a fine bike for recreational riding as is, if it is in good working order.

Unless the bike you are upgrading is special, or has serious flaws, IMO its not worth doing the upgrading you suggest, Do yourself a favor and cancel your order. You might want to replace Tires, cables, brake pads, and any parts that are worn with as close as stock as practical for compatability. Properly adjusted, cleaned and lubed and you're good to go. A new seat might be a good idea if you find this one uncomfortable.

DiabloScott

Forgive my bluntness, but I think you're in over your head. What you're thinking of doing will be expensive and not very useful and you don't have the experience to know this. A more experienced person wouldn't do it because it would be expensive and not very useful.

the "over locknut dimension" is measured between the inside flats of the rear dropout - or the outside lock nuts on the rear hub... they need to be the same.

70sSanO

I’m not sure if anyone mentioned this, but you will have to buy a new wheelset, (technically hubs) when you go to disc, making what you have now a moot point. I’m guessing $150-$200 for a lower end.

The plus side is, providing you really like this bike, is finding a 1-1/8” steerer suspension fork for disc brakes, even for a 26er, is a lot easier than one for rim brakes.

The other route is to analyze if that bike is really worth it to you. Even if you want an older mtb, it might be better to find a more desirable frame, (better yet a complete bike), to use as a base. Not saying don’t do it, but $600-$800 down the road might make you look at your Iron Horse investment with a bit of buyers remorse.

John

masonv45

I know most here ride road bikes - where the front brake is your primary brake.

But the OP stated he rides mostly mountain trails. Where traction is questionable, the rear brake is used more often than the front. It's much easier to recover from a rear tire slide vs. a front tire slide.

Having ridden rim brakes for 15 years - and disc brakes for 5, the differences to me are negligible. Disc brakes are slightly more sensitive and don't lose their initial "bite" when it's wet. But at the speeds I ride, it's easy to adjust your braking distance. Rim brakes take 2 fingers while disc brakes take 1.

In summary, do whatever you feel comfortable with for braking- the differences are really not that much.

Camilo

I'll bet with the new wheels that you'll need to go disc, with cassette, shifters, brake levers, fork, cables, chain, rotors, some tools, etc. you'll be well over $500, probably pushing $1,000 for very basic stuff. Hydraulic discs are nice, but not a trivial learning curve for installing and setting up (just did it for the first time and I'm a pretty experienced home mechanic).

Plus, 3X8 gearing is perfect for a recreational rider, imho. You won't be gaining anything by going 1X. The 3X is often used very similar to 1X on the middle ring for most flat and rolling hills, with the other two rings used going downhill or uphill. Plus, well adjusted rim brakes, with good pads will stop you just fine.

But, if you're really intent on a 1X system with mechanical discs, look for and buy a new, basic level bike and sell what you have. You'll be way ahead of the game and get right on it and ride! .

HillRider

The ability to maintain their "bite" and braking when wet is the most appealing feature of disc brake, that and the fact they don't abrade away rims in dirty conditions. Rim brakes take two fingers and hydraulic disc brakes can take one finger. Mechanical disc brakes require about the same hand effort as good dp or V rim brakes. I have TRP Spyre mechanical disc brakes on one bike and, while they stop the bike very well and are easy to modulate, they are not 1-finger power brakes.

cpach

There's no reason any of these ideas won't work. You most definitely have a freehub, which means getting a 10 speed cassette on there is no problem. 1 1/8 straight steerer forks now top out at the mid end, but upgrading your older bike it'd probably be a bad use of money to go after anything higher end. Consider a lower-ish end Rockshox fork with an air spring, something like a 30 Silver TK Air. The original was probably designed around a 80mm fork so don't go anything bigger than a 100mm or you'll excessively slacken the head angle of the bike and raise the bottom bracket too much, messing with your steering, in addition to putting additional stress on the headtube.

Parts availability is all messed up right now, but generally unless you're buying used the Microshift Advent/Advent X range is pretty nice for the price for relatively modern 1x mountain drivetrains.

I'll be honest though, if you don't know if your bike has a freewheel or freehub I think the odds of you overestimating your knowledge to do this upgrade are high. That doesn't mean you can't do it, but really it requires an amount of self education that exceeds the resources of this forum.