Iron Horse MKIII
Cycling has in recent years made a huge return to prominence due to key
figures in the sport. Although there are many, one man in particular
has been largely responsible for this trend … his name is Lance
Armstrong. His seven consecutive wins at the famous Tour De France brought a tremendous resurgence in popularity to the sport of cycling. This popularity has propagated to all versions of the sport of which Mountain Biking is a large part of. And as a result, the sale of mountain bikes has skyrocketed.
One popular model that comes to mind is the Iron Horse MKIII Full Suspension Mountain Bike. The makers at Iron Horse created new geometrical designs, decreased the weight, improved the overall specifications, all while dropping the price.
The new design has produced a bike that has greater balance for handling almost any off-road terrain. It is fairly light in weight coming in at just under 30 lbs, while maintaining an improved poise great for handling most descents due to its “slacker head angle” design.
The MKIII goes against the grain of other mountain bikes whose weight minimizes any accelerating capabilities. It has more of the feel of a hybrid while still maintaining the needed durability for the type of riding it was designed for.
The Iron Horse MKIII defies the definition of what a mountain bike should be. The frame is extremely durable while weighing in at only 6 lbs. It is a strong versatile frame that allows it to be used either on the longer cross-country trails or on the more aggressive paths usually reserved for the hard-hitting 4X bike. But keep in mind that although it weighs only 30 lbs, it is not designed like a more lightweight cross-country trail bike. And while It does have its limitations in terms of acceleration, this all-rounder will climb - yet descend and charge “singletrack” with an efficiency that few of its lighter cross-country counterparts can match.
The DW-link, forged with 7075 T6 aluminum, gives the rider flawless pedaling capability, and the lighter materials help to reduce the overall weigh of the bike making climbs less laboring.
In 2008 there were also major changes made in its shape. The top tube was lengthened on the 19 inch frame giving it a marginally improved “trail stretch”; and the head angle was reduced slightly to 69 degrees to give it better handling. An alloy called “6069 aluminum” was used in the construction to help reduce weight; and the custom triple butting use with the external tube profiles maximizes strength. All of these designs helped to reduce the overall weight as compared with the 2007 model. And the RockShox Recon suspension system it uses helps to absorb the major jolts associated with off-road riding.
Overall it is a very versatile ride that allows the rider to take on a variety of paths. And while it is not cheap with a price tag of somewhere in the neighborhood of $1500, this mountain bike is well worth the price.
Deals on eBay
| IRON HORSE MKIII EXPERT 15" Freeride Mtn Bike Frame New | |
| Buy It Now: $599.97 | |
| IRON HORSE MKIII TRAIL FRAME | |
| Price: $60.00 | |
| IRON HORSE MKIII TEAM EDTN-DH-FREE RIDE-FULL SUSPENSION | |
|
Price: $1,000.00 Buy It Now: $2,000.00 | |
