Mountain Biking - Adding Disc brake tabs to the frame. Worth it?

I am trying to decide what to do with this bike.. I am wanting to get my Dean Ti bike back to working order again and get it up to date. It is a Pre-disc brake era(1998) bike but is still pretty nice. So I am looking at getting Disc brakes. Cost to weld the tabs is $225 from the manufacturer! My fork has them on it so its ok and I have a lead on a good set of wheels and brakes.

Would this be a bad move? Or should I just sell the frame and move on? (Or get some new V-brakes and wheels)

Because it's the manufacturer adding the tabs, I would go for it.

If you really like the frame, you might want to just go disc up front or just pay 225. Or you could try to sell that frame and get a new one.

also depends on what kinda disc brakes you plan on running, if you are gonna go a cheaper route then i'd just run disc up front with v in the back, but if you're gonna get some hydros or even if your gonna run bb7s then personally having that much better a brake up front would bother me (also the feel diff with hydros would be annoying) so then i'd say either new frame or add the tabs,

I have mechs out back and hydros up front. It DOES feel odd.

If you really like the frame, you might want to just go disc up front or just pay 225. Or you could try to sell that frame and get a new one.Thank you for so succinctly reiterating the possible choices that the OP already knows about.

No problem. I pride myself on my ability to say a lot without really saying anything.

Didn't see that part of his post, actually

:)

Should become a politician.

I had a 98 Litespeed Owl hollow I loved - but litespeed wanted to charge me nearly 800 to add the tabs (had to replace both dropouts) - so I made my own set up here (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=346279&highlight=) - I rode it for about a year, but never really trusted it. Finally I found a Kitsuma on Ebay I replaced it with. - If it only would have cost me 225, I would have done it.

Just run a disc up front and a v-brake in the back. The front back is most of your braking power so you'll get 90% of the benefit with no extra cost.

I had a 98 Litespeed Owl hollow I loved - but litespeed wanted to charge me nearly 800 to add the tabs (had to replace both dropouts) - so I made my own set up here (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=346279&highlight=) - I rode it for about a year, but never really trusted it. Finally I found a Kitsuma on Ebay I replaced it with. - If it only would have cost me 225, I would have done it.

Thats amazing.

you could always do a combination of front hydro disc and a rear hydro v brake. then it wouldnt feel as wierd i dont think.

Ordinarily I'd say get a new frame, but that's no ordinary frame and 225 is a good deal. Go for it.

That is an interesting thing you put on the bike to run discs!

Considering Litespeed wanted 800, I am leaning toward getting the tabs added onto it, and I do really like the bike! If I sold the frame I would end up with a lesser frame that would run discs, and that would seem too much like selling my soul!

I am looking at the Hayes 9's for brakes and I don't think I'd want to mix them with the V's. I have thought of trying Mechs on the front, but would probably stick with V brakes if I chicken out on the tabs.

well if you get the tabs welded on be sure to post pics

Dooo it. Just be sure to have a back up bike for when you baby is away - Dean is notoriously sloooooow. I had a completely stock Ionic Johnny Rotten frame from them that took nearly three months over their original time qhuoted. For a stock frame. Endless variations of the "two weeks" excuse every time I called.

See if they'll dimple your stay inners to get you more tire room in back as well!

Thanks for the advice about the time and to add the tire clearance. I do have another bike to ride, and I have been riding it lately because the Dean is in pretty bad shape as far as components go, it is in for a makeover. The other ride is a Barracuda A2T, and is a pretty sweet ride itself, probably deserves a picture post.

If I do the tabs I will post pics afterward. I am still undecided though - getting cold feet when considering the $$ to do everything! I am getting a lot of people telling me that it simply isn't worth the $ and trouble to tab a frame, and just get a set of good V brakes and good wheelset. Disc brakes do have big cool factor even know I have never used them before.

This is starting to kill me!!!

If you do it, make sure to have them get rid of the v-brake bosses. Aesthetically the thing will look much nicer. If you like the bike and it's getting a component update over the winter anyhow, I say do it!

I hadn't thought about removing the old brake mounts but that would be a good idea. It even has a mount for cantilever brake cable housing on it! That could go too.

If you really want discs then I'd spend the money to add the tabs. If you go this route get some nice brake line routing 'tabs' like this:

http://www.mtbtrailreview.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/img_4071.jpg

However, I personally would go with a good set of v-brakes and a pair of ceramic wheels. I am very happy with my Paul's Motolites and Mavic CrossMax wheelset.

why do you need discs in flat michigan? I'd just run Disc in front, V-'s in back. You use your front more then back anyways, if you're doing it correctly....

That Moots looks awesome!

Actually my username is misleading.. I have moved to Kentucky since but I will keep my name in hopes I get back there. I don't think I really NEED discs, it would be nice though, and I usually try to not worry too much about what is on the bike but i'm getting wrapped up in this one..

Just run a disc up front and a v-brake in the back. The front back is most of your braking power so you'll get 90% of the benefit with no extra cost.

That was the best response in the thread.

^Yup. But then, I am miserly.

I've got a Moots with no disc tabs. I've thought about sending it in several times but then I'll go for a ride and be impressed all over again as to how well the brakes do work (XTR v's with ceramic rims). Stripping it, packing it, rebuilding it plus what Moots charges, plus the disc brakes and hubs and I'm thinking what, am I nuts or something? It's classic the way it is...

I have decided to do it... eventually. This frame is worth the cost to add it, and I could not replace it with something close to this nice for that investment. And I really don't want to go through trying to find another bike that fits right. I also like NOT having paint to worry about. They can refinish the frame while it's there and put new decals on it and it will be like having a new bike again, but I already know that I like it.

I have thought about trying a disc up front until I get around to adding to the back. The first thing I want to do is to get a nice set of UST wheels built up on rims that will work for either kind of brake, and I will do the rest when I get to it.

Thanks!

IMO you should just commit to discs and go with disc rims-they're lighter. I'd recommend Juicy brakes- easiest to set up and bleed (trust me, I've installed and bled every type while working in the shop)

why do you need discs in flat michigan? I'd just run Disc in front, V-'s in back. You use your front more then back anyways, if you're doing it correctly....

This is exactly what I was thinking.

I have ridden plenty in W. Michigan (summers) while calling home in Nor Cal. While $250 isn't really much, couldn't you use that money to buy a nice V-brake instead? I'm not so incredibly impressed with my disks that I would need them on a re-furb bike.

It is not so much that I NEED to have disc brakes, it is something I would like to do while I am updating everything else on it, I would want to regardless of location. I don't consider a DEAN Titanium frame a refurb bike, it is a high quality ride! For what it costs to get it updated to fit modern gear, I could not get a frame that could hold a candle to it!

I don't live/ride in Michigan anymore. I will do the iceman there and maybe one or two other races, but I will be riding in mostly in KY and also some in TN/OH/NC and WI also this year.