Updating an old steel mountainbike

[Regurgatron]

I'm amazed by the number of people claiming v-brakes are as good as disc brakes.

Im not claiming that and I used them (both) daily, but lets get back to the original post mtmf1 has a old Kona which
cant take discs at present, what I was saying is please dont fit disc mounts to it instead look around for the best rim
brakes you can find and fitting a 8 speed set-up is quite sufficient, Ive got a '91' and a '94' Explosif, '94' and a '98'
Kilauea, plus a '99' Stab Deluxe so I have some experience with old Kona's.
I do have and ride modern stuff as well.

I agree with you 100%. It would be sacrilege to put discs on a classic Kona. I've got a '97 Cinder Cone.

[Bikefayre]

My recommendation is to find a decent set of disc forks off a second hand bike, an easy upgrade. Also have a look at woollyhatshop.com as they do great wheel deals for a pair. For an older bike try fitting the Shimano Megarange derailleur and gears available from sjscycles.co.uk Also the Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB tyre is perfect for older bikes too. Ditch any plastic and steel components and replace with alloy, you will notice a difference.