Submitted by
ironhorseaholic
a Weekend Warrior
from san diego, ca, us
Date Reviewed: October 21, 2010
Strengths: STRONG AS AN OX
Weaknesses: wheelset not so awesome but works.
Bottom Line:
awesome bike for the price. the fork works great. bike is indestructible and i love it. if you can find a deal on it, like i did, grab it up. too bad iron horse went bankrupt i hope they get some new bikes out soon under new ownership.
Bike Setup: marzocchi mz1, sram x7 shifters and rear derailleur sram xgen front. avid bb5, truvativ stem and bars, wtb wheelset and seat, fsa gamma drive crankset, forte pedals, shimano hubs.
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Submitted by
1997PGT
a Weekend Warrior
from Dover, Delaware, US
Date Reviewed: February 23, 2010
Strengths: Affordable, High End Components, Heavy but VERY Solid, Good Welds, Responsive and Easy to Control
Weaknesses: None So Far (Have Yet To Break Anything)
Bottom Line:
A lot of people complain about the bikes weight, when in reality you are paying for a reinforced frame so naturally it's going to carry more weight. From the factory the BB5 brakes are great, the only reason i changed so many parts and upgraded was i upgraded bikes and took the parts from my old bike (i upgraded those too) and put them on the Iron Horse. The bike is truly a solid competitor and doesn't even come close in comparison with other bikes of the same price. The Marzocchi MZ 1 Fork handles trails with ease and with an adjustable pre-load you can fine tune it to your specific weight/riding conditions. So far i haven't had any issues what so ever (Rode the bike for 3+ months before upgrading parts, no issues before or after). A few people said that after a little while the shifters weren't shifting right and the brakes acted up, that's because after a few months of riding you are supposed to re-adjust and tune everything due to cable stretch. Other wise this bike performs like a 1,500 Giant/Gary Fisher/Specialized for 1/3 of the price! And i highly recommend it for everyone from Beginners to Experts alike looking for a good solid Hardtail MTB!
Similar Products Used: Giant Rainier, Specialized Stumpjumper, Trek 3700, Novara Big Buzz, Giant Yukon, Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo
Bike Setup: Bontrager Race Lite Bars, Bontrager Head Post, WTB Speed V Seat, AVID BB7 Brakes, Bontrager Race Disc Tubeless Rims, Panaracer Fire XC Pro Tires, WTB Clamp on Grips, Bontrager Quick Releases, SRAM 9 Speed Cassette, Stock Derailleurs/Shifters.
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Submitted by
SCOTT
a Downhiller
from Colorado Springs
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2009
Strengths: Solidly built parts list.....good for taking the big hits of the rocky mountains
Weaknesses: Brakes not made for downhill. Sped through a rear set in ust a couple of days.
Bottom Line:
Good bike for my type of riding. Too heavy for flat trails but very solid on the downhills. Came with 2.5 inch tire in front with huge knobs...i changed it for local riding. Keep up the maintenance and you will not be disappointed.
Submitted by
aaronmeister
a Weekend Warrior
from Westpark - Cleveland Ohio USA
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2009
Bottom Line:
I have owned this bike for three years and being an 'old guy' have gone through countless bikes costing 5 – 10 times the price and I think this is a killer deal. I'm Canadian, and this bike is VERY popular above the 49th and also in the EU. I like the geometry and if you're coming from a steel frame you will have to get used to 'big tube' when you look down. My only complaint is that I purchased this bike at Performance in Fresno California ( I was living in Yosemite National Park at the time) and they knew NOTHING about bikes or builds. I took it to my pro mechanic and after he tweeked it was a gem. I had a tech question and I emailed Iron Horse w/ my phone number and THEY ACTUALLY CALLED ME and ANSWERED MY QUESTION. How cool is that? Check out their merits on their website at http://www.ironhorsebikes.com. And no I don't work for them...
Similar Products Used: Specialized Carbon Fiber, Serotta Steel, Mavic MTN etc.
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Submitted by
mschwab82
a Cross Country Rider
from Tempe, Az
Date Reviewed: October 20, 2008
Strengths: Great looks, Decent components.
Weaknesses: nodda
Bottom Line:
Got this bike on Saturday. Been doing my research for the last 5 months and for the price had to get it. It is deffinatly the best mountain bike ive ever owned. Thats not saying much but have riddin bikes 3 times the price that are comparable to this. Got it for 450 at performance bike plus a 60 dollar store credit I used for accesories the next day. I would diffenatly reccomend this bike over anything else for the price you just can't beat it. I have know idea how they could sell this so cheap other than the bike is on clearance.
Similar Products Used: Giant Yukon, Jamis Durango 2.0
Bike Setup: Stock except Shimano PD-M520 pedals
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Submitted by
pantera55j
a Downhiller
from Pg, Bc, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2008
Strengths: Good forks, reliable frame, Light, Sweet brakes, easy handling.
Weaknesses: Derailer is kind of screwy and front brakes rub. Really gay seat.
Bottom Line:
Sweet bike for dirt jumping, nice and light. Gnarly brakes. Awesome for the price. A must have for beginner-intermediate dirt jumping.
STILL RUNNIN STRONG!
Similar Products Used: Kona Shred, Norco Katmandu.
Bike Setup: Stock
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Submitted by
Andrea
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Angeles, CA USA
Date Reviewed: March 12, 2008
Strengths: you've seen the details here so i won't rehash. High end components for an entry level bike. Comfortable and easy to ride uphill. Nice shifting and braking. Solid, double butted frame.
Weaknesses: I had a common issue with the crank becoming unusable within the first month. Took it back to Performance and they replaced it for free. Yes - it's a little heavy. But if you are a beginner (or even intermediate) I have found this to actually be a strength as it has forced me to focus on my technique on climbs and actually grounds me well on the bike on fast downhills. It also hasn't been bad on the weight loss part, so I'm not going to complain about it. The components will probably need upgrading with time, especially if you progress past intermediate, but I assume for most of us who only get weekends to ride, that might take awhile.
Bottom Line:
Let's face it - this is not a high-end bike, so I'm not sure I understand why some people think it is. This bike is what it is - very likely the best component package on an entry level XC bike for beginner to intermediate riders who are not conquering jumping or massively technical downhills. My usual ride is the Sullivan Ridge/Canyon ride and it's done a great job carrying me up that long ascent. Believe me - I did that ride for a year on a crappy bike and the Iron Horse was a dream to switch over to. The shifting is plenty fast enough and braking is excellent. The bike handles well even though it is constantly being slammed for being "heavy." I'm a 135 pound woman who's only been riding for 3 years and I don't find it heavy enough to be a nuisance on a pretty wicked hill. No - it's not made of carbon. It also didn't cost $2500. I also don't get the feeling it will break in half if I take a tumble (knock on wood). It was a great value when I bought it at $600. I'm sure you can find them cheaper and my friend just picked up a Warrior 5.0 for about $550, and it is virtually the same bike, so there are plenty of opportunities to get an Iron Horse deal out there. Performance does a great job of servicing it for you if you become a member.
If you are an entry level rider looking for a solid value bike that you can grow with, or are a weekender who isn't quite sure you will stick with the sport but need a solid bike to work with, definitely check out Iron Horse. Don't believe all the hype about having to start on a bike from a huge brand name that's going to cost you twice as much. However, if you are an experienced rider, a downhill racer, jumper, or just plain beat the crap out of everything you own - you'll have to look for something in a different category than the Warrior.
Bike Setup: Stock. Except that I switched out the seat for a woman's. I'm not experienced enough to get into all the details and spend all the extra money on upgrading parts yet.
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Submitted by
Tim
a Weekend Warrior
from New Fairfield, Connecticut
Date Reviewed: January 28, 2008
Strengths: Bang for the buck -- excellent hardtail bike. Breaks are amazing -- equivalent to or better than some low end hydros. Good stopping power and reliable. Tires are very grippy. Solid feeling bike, won't let you down.
Weaknesses: Twitchy steering. Not smooth like some big, full suspension bikes. This might be good for XC more than other types of riding. A bit heavy, but not for the price. Tires are a bit weak and I dished/warped them.
Bottom Line:
If you can get it for around 500 -- get it. Excellent trail bike and I imagine it would be good for racing and some all mountain. Won't let you down. Not the fastest (it's pretty heavy) but it feels like a rock.
Weaknesses: A little heavy (but not for it's price level), RRP a little high against comparable hardtails.
Bottom Line:
Like a lot of other buyers, I purchased this bike at a discount(it was last years model, in this case). RRP in $AUD was a touch high when compared to similarly spec'd. rides, but the discounted price made it a steal. Although taller and longer than my previous bike (though only a 1/2" larger frame), it took very little time to adjust to the longer travel and more relaxed angles. The view was to always make changes as I could afford them, and this ended with the spec. as listed above, which has met all my expectations (cost, weight & performance). In it's original state the Ironhorse Warrior Expert is a good solid bike with scope to make modifications as your experience and abilities improve, without breaking the bank or upsetting the domestic balance. Unfortunately, from my brief scanning recently, I suspect they are no longer being manufactured, so if you find one languishing in your LBS or find a well loved used model, it is seriously worth consideration
Strengths: Solid frame, the wheelset seems to withstand punishment really well, Avid discs provide solid stopping power.
Weaknesses: A little heavy, issues with the front derailer appropriately gearing into 3rd, tires and tubes are pretty cheap and easily destroyed, the brakes have to be cleaned fairly often, but that's more a blanket statement.
Bottom Line:
This is generally a good deal. I got mine during a Performance sale, as it seems most here did -- marked down from $800 to $550, and worth every penny. I would really recommend replacing the tires at least, because neither the tires nor the tubes are very puncture resistant. I've gone through two sets of tubes so far, and just now got the MotoRaptors. All around, just a great hardtail for novice and intermediate riders.
Bike Setup: Stock + WTB MotoRaptors, soon Avid hydraulic brakes.
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Submitted by
chris
a Cross Country Rider
from downingtown, pa
Date Reviewed: July 5, 2007
Strengths: Decent components (Deore LX)
Bottom Line:
About 1K miles riding this bike year round, mostly PA singletrack. Replaced one shifter (n/c under warrantee), lost left side crank bolt. Finding replacement was a challenge (bike shop incompetence), now some mild clunking in the oedal stroke. Hayes brakes are noisy. Bottom line - for the money is a decent ride. Great way to jump into MTB for reasonable cost (many friends spent similar money and got less bike). Very important - if you ride in winter (cold) you need an air shock not elastomer which freeze solid. This bike is air shock (Splice).
Strengths: Good frame, sturdy, light. I like the fork and that it is easily adjustable
Weaknesses: The rims are weak they bent 3 times before i finaly bought new rims.(the last time they werent fixable)
Bottom Line:
its a good trail bike and ok for dirt jumping. If you crash alot or are a really hardcore rider rims might be bad. But other than that it is a nice bike for the price.
Favorite Trail: Dirt Jump trail in my neighborhood
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At: performance bikes
Similar Products Used: Iron Horse Maverick and GT Boulder
Bike Setup: New Rims, the rest is stock
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Submitted by
Ron
a Weekend Warrior
from Portland, OR
Date Reviewed: April 15, 2007
Strengths: Decent components for the money
Weaknesses: Front Shifter weak,A bit Heavy
Bottom Line:
Great Value, Great Bike. I had used them on intermidiate trails, taking the bike to extream, adn its old good. had problems with the Sram front driller- which one day stop working, no matter how much the shop tune- did not work- had to replace to the best- shimano XT. evere since working like a champ. Also Crankset bearing broke without any reason, not far after i bought the bike- the shop replace it with shimano LX- perfect. All though the problems i had with some components, the biek is awsom, and runs great.
