Mountain Biking - older rockhopper

So a friend of my parents found out I was looking to get a mt. bike and told them he had an older bike that he would give me. Luckily he is also about the same height(6"4') so it should be the right size as well. They got it today and sent me the pictures(attached). I won't get to ride it until I go home in about 1.5 weeks. About all I know about it is that it is an older Rockhopper. Does anyone know what year it is or have any other info on it?
Thanks

Here are the pics:
http://xs125.xs.to/xs125/08100/img_0870-2828.jpg
http://xs225.xs.to/xs225/08100/img_0869-2580.jpg

Judging by the cantilever brakes and threaded stem, my guess is early 90's.

Edit- I see it has Gripshift, which would put it '95 or so, although THAT could have been added. All just guesses, though.

looking at the the high res pics and on bikepedia.com (jut found that) i am thinking 97 because of the colors listed but 96 has says AceraX component group and it says that on the crank arms. they both say grip shift. 97 says threadless so I guess that eliminates that because you said it was threaded.
I don't know a whole lot about bikes so I am not exactly sure what to look for. I can host the high res pictures if that would help.

http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?Year=1996&Brand=Specialized&Model=Rockhopper&Type=bike
http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?Year=1997&Brand=Specialized&Model=Rockhopper&Type=bike

I'm not sure which year your is, but if I had to guess it would be a 1994 Rockhopper Comp. I have a 94 Rockhopper Sport. These are very light bikes for old steel MTBs. Mine weighs in at under 25lbs. No matter what year yours is, the Rockhopper was and still is a very capable bike. Yours looks to be in really nice shape.
Ride the crap out of it.

I'm digging it. Nice bike.

Very nice.

Thanks for the info so far. it has got me going in the right direction.

So I got my mom to go look at it more closely. It says A1 on the frame so that makes me think it is Aluminum.
rear derailleur is Shimano STX
breaks are Shimano Altus brakes, Dia-Compe PC-3 levers
grip shift(couldn't find which one)

now I am thinking it is the 1996 rockhopper A1 by looking at http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?Year=1996&Brand=Specialized&Model=Rockhopper+A1+FS&Type=bike

does 1 1/8" sealed mechanism mean threaded?

edit- anything else I should look for that would give away the year? I cant wait to go home for spring break and ride it!

Yup, that would be aluminum. I think you've got the wrong bikepedia listing. I think you meant to post the non-suspension listing. It came in red. From the pics, it looks like it could be 1 1/8 head, hard to say. If it is, you may want to check to determine if the frame was designed for a suspension fork. I had a 97 Gary Fisher Tassahara that had a rigid fork, but was actually designed to have a suspension fork. Installing a suspension fork with around 80mm of travel did not create a problem with that bike's geometry.

yeah I must have copied the wrong one. I was looking at both of them at the same time. That was the main reason for figuring out the year/model was to see if it could use a suspension fork when I got the money to get one. It looks like the exact same bike but one has a suspension and one doesn't.

here is the rigid one
http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?Year=1996&Brand=Specialized&Model=Rockhopper+A1&Type=bike

Well it's at least a '94, because before that there was no Shimano STX. And if you go too far back into the early '90s, I think all the Rockhoppers would have been steel. But I would guess it's more like '95+, as others have said. Definitely not a bad bike, especially for free. If it were mine, I'd probably put some basic Sugino or Shimano square-taper cranks and V-brakes on it, and then ride it until I started breaking things.

I like it. And throw the frisbee for the dog!

In my family we have a couple of old, rigid Rockhoppers and one rigid Stumpjumper. They're all sweet bikes. The threaded stem makes suspension forks problematic (doesn't it?) but they're great ride-around-town bikes just as they are. They would also make excellent touring bikes if you didn't have money to buy a real touring bike.

Better brakes are on the list of things I thought should be changed. I am pretty much a bike noob. But wouldn't it be a good idea that if I do find a suspension fork for it to wait to get brakes until then?
Would this bike be ok for doing some trial riding? That is why I wanted to get it. I was originally looking to buy a hardtail but free is a better price and if I could upgrade this to a hardtail for inexpensively all the better.
I have read that bikes can be changed to threadless. would that be worth it for the more options and is it hard to do? I want to learn how to do it all myself. This seems like it will be a good starter bike.

V brakes would be a good upgrade for sure. You could go ahead and get them now, a suspension fork will have to come with cantilever/V-brake studs (like the bike now has front and rear), unless you want to end up with a disc brake in front and a V in the rear. I would recommend V brakes all around just to keep it simple.

Yes, you can go to threadless on this bike, a necessity if you get a suspension fork since virtually all suspension forks come threadless now. The important thing here is to find out the steerer size (diameter) that the fork needs to be to fit this frame. From the picture I'm gonna guess that it is a 1 inch steerer. I suggest that you take it to a good bike shop to determine this for sure (they can help you with an initial evaluation of the bike, too). If it is indeed a 1 inch steer tube, you fork choices will be limited quite a bit since most forks now use 1 1/8 inch steerers. Try to find a Marzocchi MX Comp w/1" steerer, that would be a good match for this bike, they are usually under $200.

You guys are awesome!

So I got some more info on it from my mom that confirms it is a 1996 A1(as long as the info on bikepedia is good).

it has
Shimano Altus brakes, Dia-Compe PC-3 levers Would these levers work with v-brakes?
Grip Shift SRT-300i
Shimano Alivio Front Derailleur
Shimano STX Rear Derailleur
3x7

according to bikepedia it is 1 1/8!

http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?Year=1996&Brand=Specialized&Model=Rockhopper+A1&Type=bike

any brake/fork suggestions? something not expensive, I am in college. It will probably be a while for the fork but knowing what to watch for would be good.

Good on the 1 1/8" steerer! Sorry, I didn't notice it on the bikepedia listing.

For V-brakes you will need V-brake specific levers, different pull ratio than those for cantilevers. On a budget I would suggest any of the Tektro brakes and levers.

The Marzocchi MX comp in 1 1/8" would still be a good choice on a budget, if you can find one. If it were me, I would try to find one with 80mm travel.

Thanks. Now I just need to figure out how long the steerer is and get some money.
There is one of those forks on ebay right now with an 8" steerer. 04 Marzocchi Bomber MX Comp with a 85mm coil spring. is is only $25(with $19 shipping) right now.
For the brakes I plan on going to the LBS here in Oregon because there is no Sales Tax so I will save a bit on that.

I can't wait to go home and get this so I can actually ride it!

Of course if you get a new fork you'll need to get a new headset and stem as well, since that one is threaded instead of threadless.

yeah, that didn't look to be to expensive if I found the stuff on sale.

The first thing my girlfriend said when I showed her the picture was we need to swap those brakes lol. So I have been looking at brakes and levers and saw some brake levers that had built in trigger shift
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/SL308B13-Shimano+St-Ef50+Shiftbrake+Lever+Set.aspx
would those swap with the grip shift?
with these brakes
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/BR408A00-Shimano+Deore+M530+V-Brake.aspx
before shipping it is ~$60
I am going to check out the lbs here maybe tomorrow to see if they carry them so I don't have shipping/sales tax.

I have always been a fan of separate brake levers and shifters/pods. What if you like the grip shift? What happens if you switch to 8 or 9 speed? Things to consider. And, yes, the shifters/levers you found will swap out just fine. For the $60 it will be hard to beat the cost.

I know I don't like grip shift, probably should have put that in earlier. I have had them on an older trek(820 I believe) I had when I lived in Hawaii. I had triggers on the bike I had before the trek but that got stolen(the reason I bought the trek) and I loved those. I see your point about swapping to an 8 or 9 speed though. I hadn't thought about that or knew it was possible. If I do that it I don't think it would happen until the 7 speed stuff needed replaced. I will have to look around to see if I can find a good deal on the separate type ones.

for brakes, try to find a deal on some Avid SD7 v-brakes and levers. They are great V-brakes.

Those shifters should work fine as long as you already have a 7 speed cassette. Actually, they would also work with an 8 speed cassette (and maybe 9?) you just wouldn't be able to use all the cogs. Also, I've had very good luck with Deore V-brakes.

I have this exact bike, although a few components are different. the frame is pretty good, nice and light and the lack of suspension makes it even lighter. I have used it for several loaded mountain bike tours and it faired pretty well, although i did have to change the rear derailleur a few years ago.

the v brakes would be great as they would still keep the weight nice and low and provide better stopping power. I'm considering a carbon front fork because the current forks are damn tough on the arms when you take it anywhere rough, and it would shed a load of weight. do you really think the geometry could handle a suspension fork?? Maybe less than 80mm?

Great thread, i tryed mentioning this before but didnt much of a response.

from what I have found this bike could have come with as suspension fork. The Rockhopper A1 FS came with a Rock Shox Quadra 5. I am having trouble finding the travel on it though. if I find it I will post it here. Once I get some money I am going to try to get the fork recommended above(The Marzocchi MX comp) which is 80mm.

So it looks like the Quadra 5 was a 52mm travel according to mtbr reviews.

If you want to save some $$$, consider a used fork off of ebay. 80mm travel forks are not in big demand.
Good luck with your project. I'm glad that bike landed up with someone who will revive it.

Thanks. I have been looking at ebay for forks but I also need to convert it to threadless. To do that I just need the fork, headset, and stem right?
Any other suggestions on forks so I have more options to look at?

I've actually got a Quadra 5 in my closet. I'll be honest with you, it kind of sucks. :o

thats what I have read. I was just looking for the travel on it so I knew what the stock travel was.

Not sure about that particular model but I had an old rigid stumpjumper for a while that had a stoopid steep head tube angle. If that bike is similar and came with a 52mm fork it probably wouldn't hurt too much to throw on an 80mm. Anyways, you probably won't find anything with less travel, so it's sort of a moot point.

Thanks. I have been looking at ebay for forks but I also need to convert it to threadless. To do that I just need the fork, headset, and stem right?
Any other suggestions on forks so I have more options to look at?

Yes, and your new fork will probably not have a brake cable hanger for your current cantilever brakes...which won't be an issue if you're planning to switch over to vbrakes at the same time.

You can also get cable hangers that work in place of headset spacers. I have one on one of my bikes. Just sayin.' And yeah, switching to vees would probably be for the best.

So I went to the lbs and they had a brake set for $40. It has the brakes, levers, cables and all the hardware. They are Tektro Quartz MT14 brakes and Tektro Elipse mt3.0 levers. So now I have new brakes.

That would make a sweet rigid SS!!!Strip off the derailleurs and shifters and go single speed baby!!!

I have a rigid Rockhopper right around that year with the STX (although it is steel). My $.02 is keep it rigid and perhaps SS as psychlnut suggests (although we don't all live in Sarasota...).

By the time you switch out the headset, races, stem, spacers, fork, you're sinking a good bit into what could be a significant future investment. And risking the geometry being really sloppy.

Ride the hell out of the RH as is and save your pennies for the next bike. Then commit it to commuter duty with slicks fenders and a nice rack.

I continue to believe that most of us can really enjoy a rigid ride on varied terrain (unless you are planning on riding mostly rockgardens and big drops). YMMV.

Hey, we've got our fair share of hills around here. We just call them bridges!

Hey, we've got our fair share of hills around here. We just call them bridges!

Not to hijack (which means I am about to hijack)...

My mom lives in Old Myakka and when down there in the country I take her husband's Walmart bike on the trails in the park by their house (Myakka River State Park I think it is called). Really fun riding! I imagine a rigid SS is perfect for that area. In fact multiple speeds and suspension starts looking awful silly.

(end hijack)

I do run a rigid SS in the hills of PA from time to time and enjoy it. But I still have two speeds:
riding and walking.

kzinti,
Look what I found on CL for $10. Its a 94 Rockhopper Sport, double butted steel frame. I think I've got a RS quadra with a 1" threaded steerer somewhere. I think I'll build a MUP rider for sandy, Rail to Trails use. This way I can keep my MTBs from getting sand in the chain and BB. These old Rockhoppers are great.

kzinti,
Look what I found on CL for $10. Its a 94 Rockhopper Sport, double butted steel frame. I think I've got a RS quadra with a 1" threaded steerer somewhere. I think I'll build a MUP rider for sandy, Rail to Trails use. This way I can keep my MTBs from getting sand in the chain and BB. These old Rockhoppers are great.


I've got a 1" threaded Judy fork that I don't need. :D

nice. I have been watching craigslist to see if a fork would pop up. I can't wait to go ride it. less than a week until I go to my parents and get it. I wont get in until late Monday so the first ride will probably be Tuesday.

Sort of beside the point now, since he got the new brakes...but those hangers wouldn't work so well with the suspension fork he plans to get...lol.


You can also get cable hangers that work in place of headset spacers. I have one on one of my bikes. Just sayin.' And yeah, switching to vees would probably be for the best.

Sort of beside the point now, since he got the new brakes...but those hangers wouldn't work so well with the suspension fork he plans to get...lol.

Heh, good point. Was still thinkingabout it as a rigid. Brain fart.

I went for a short ride today then put on the new brakes. It stops so much better now

http://xs225.xs.to/xs225/08122/n19500240_31985800_5157334.jpg

That would make a sweet rigid SS!!!Strip off the derailleurs and shifters and go single speed baby!!!

I agree. (having just done this to an older specialized frame ;))

And as far as hills go, if you can't make it up hills with a 2:1 ratio, you need to get in better shape.

Thanks for the info so far. it has got me going in the right direction.

So I got my mom to go look at it more closely. It says A1 on the frame so that makes me think it is Aluminum.
rear derailleur is Shimano STX
breaks are Shimano Altus brakes, Dia-Compe PC-3 levers
grip shift(couldn't find which one)

now I am thinking it is the 1996 rockhopper A1 by looking at http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?Year=1996&Brand=Specialized&Model=Rockhopper+A1+FS&Type=bike

does 1 1/8" sealed mechanism mean threaded?

edit- anything else I should look for that would give away the year? I cant wait to go home for spring break and ride it!

I was looking at that vintage myself. Did Specialized make any steel bikes in 96?

Tim

It looks like it. Look for the ones that don't have A1 on the frame.

It looks like it. Look for the ones that don't have A1 on the frame.

Thanks for the info. I will check it out.

Tim