Fifty Plus (50+) - It's finished: restored '88 Stumpjumper now a fall/winter Urban Assault Vehicle

I never really looked at old MTB's until I saw discussions at CrazyGuyOnaBike and here about turning old rigid, steel MTB's into commuters or rugged touring bikes. I also saw how many 50+ers are enjoyed their old rigid MTB's as "simple bikes," grocery getters or commuters...and decided to pick one up off Craigslist to turn into a fall/winter commuter.

My goal: to build a "poor man's" Surly Long Haul Trucker. I ended up changing a lot of stuff, but all-in (including the powder-coating), I spent about 50% of the price of a Surly LHT complete. The only thing I kept was the frame (powdercoated), the wheels, the derailleurs, the crankset, bottom bracket, outer and middle chainrings, and the brake handles and shifters.

So, some of you may recall that I sought your advice on which old steel MTB to get. I ended up with an '88 Specialized Stumpjumper, $100 from Craigslist. This is the bike "before":

http://i37.tinypic.com/2dv206p.jpg

I then later started a thread here about getting the frame powder-coated, which led me to strip the frame:

http://i38.tinypic.com/2iu2mwy.jpg

Which after powder-coating became this:

http://i34.tinypic.com/qsters.jpg

And finally ended up as this....

New: seatpost, stem, handlebar tape, Nashbar trekking bars, chain, rear cassette, 24t inner chainring, Marathon 26*1.75 tires, Planet Bike fenders.

Borrowed: Brooks Pro saddle, Shimano two-sided pedals (spd/platform), old Blackburn rack.

http://i38.tinypic.com/b5g000.jpg

So I took it out for its first ride today - I rode over to West Seattle, a pretty ride that I typically don't do because you need to pass through the port/industrial area. Very rough streets, potholes, glass in the road, etc. - this bike is perfect for that.



Downtown Seattle in the background...

http://i34.tinypic.com/52fimr.jpg

I rescued the Stumpjumper...someone needs to rescue this MGB...
http://i35.tinypic.com/2zxs4ko.jpg



http://i34.tinypic.com/kczcc7.jpg


A final shot - this color is "Metallic Copper." It's reddish in the shots above, more orange in the sunlight...

http://i35.tinypic.com/21j7mzl.jpg

A final note - I did commute on this several times (with a load) before I got it powder coated. It's a great commuting bike...very stable and comfortable. After changing out the stem, the fit is very good.

If I were going to use it only as a commuter, I think I would get slightly narrower tires - these are 1.75, and are pretty heavy. However, in the summer I hope to get up on some fire roads in the Cascades, and these tires will be great for that. I've ridden this on some gravel paths in a park near my home and it's just fine (even without knobbies). Should I get into rougher stuff, I got two very nice pairs of knobbies from the original owner, which I can always put back on in the summer.

One interesting thing about this bike is that it has U-brakes. According to Sheldon Brown, U brakes were used on mountain bikes only for a year or two ('88 and '89). They were used because in the early days of mountain bikes apparently regular brakes mounted on the seat stays created too much stress on the seat stays. So the thought was that brakes could be mounted down on the chainstays where the tubes are thicker. Problem is for a mountain bike they got banged around and coated with mud. Now, U-brakes are apparently only seen on BMX bikes.

In any case, I got U-brakes on this bike and I think for a commuter they're just fine. It's been nice not having the brakes around the rack area. Also, all the cables run down low on the bike. It's a very clean approach and very clean looking.



Close up of u-brakes:
http://i34.tinypic.com/124vbci.jpg

What a beautiful transformation, BengeBoy. I love the color and how it changes with the light. It looks like you used bar-end shifters -- did you mount them on Paul's Thumbies, or ??

What a beautiful transformation, BengeBoy. I love the color and how it changes with the light. It looks like you used bar-end shifters -- did you mount them on Paul's Thumbies, or ??

No, those are the original Shimano thumb shifters.

One reason I used trekking bars (instead of regular drops) is so I could avoid the expense of buying new shift and brake levers. Some day this bike might end up with drop bars and bar-end shifters, but all-in that's another $100 (or more) to change everything that needs it. The switch to trekking bars cost only $17.95.

Nice job. I missed the thread on the powder coating, but if your results turned out this good looking, maybe it's something I should look into. How difficult was it?

Oh, I also wanted to make a comment about the u-brakes. I rode them on a Stumpjumper for one summer and thought that the feel was different. It might have been my imagination, but with them gripping wheel at the lower point with virtually no flex in the frame, I felt very confident with them.

I'd give this project an "A".

Looks good and seems a very good fit for its intended usage. I know that frame is quite good. Those U-brakes are interesting.

Props to you on many levels:thumb:
Intrinsically, what a great restoration project; it's great to see a 'classic' revived in this way, and given a new lease on life.
As well, though, your project fits very well with one of my pet theories (waiting to be flamed:D), which is that mtb's (ancient and modern) work extremely well, more so than many like to admit, as all-round 'street'/fitness bikes for the vast majority of non-racing cyclists. I'm willing to bet that you find and continue to find that this bike is a 'favourite'. Just sayin'!

Props to you on many levels:thumb:
Intrinsically, what a great restoration project; it's great to see a 'classic' revived in this way, and given a new lease on life.
As well, though, your project fits very well with one of my pet theories (waiting to be flamed:D), which is that mtb's (ancient and modern) work extremely well, more so than many like to admit, as all-round 'street'/fitness bikes for the vast majority of non-racing cyclists. I'm willing to bet that you find and continue to find that this bike is a 'favourite'. Just sayin'!

+1 and a beautiful bike. WOW!

I wish I had the talent/inclination/imagination/training to do these kinds of projects. My big project was putting platform pedals on my old Bianchi Eros. Nice job.

Nice job. I missed the thread on the powder coating, but if your results turned out this good looking, maybe it's something I should look into. How difficult was it?

Easy -- all it took was (a) a Google search to find a local powder coater and (b) a Visa card.

I did this at Seattle Powder Coat.

It was $200 to strip, powder coat and clear coat the frame. (I also applied FrameSaver myself after I got it back).

I have read here on BF of folks doing this as cheap as $100 to $125 -- don't know if that includes stripping and clear coat. My job would have been $50 less but I chose a custom color.

Bengeboy that is a beautiful ride. What is the color called? Did they do a two step powdercoat cause it looks like its got a metallic in it like my wifes mixte. I know you said something about it before but I have forgotten the color. I want to do a couple of bikes this winter and maybe the Volare if I can. Again nice job it looks great

Very nicely done, BB.:thumb: This type of bike may be the most versatile of them all. Rigid steel MTBs are the physical incarnation of the phrase "Jack of all trades, master of none". There are better bikes for road riding, trail riding, singletrack, commuting, beach cruising, stuff hauling, you name it. But what other type of bike can readily handle all of those roles and many others you might dream up? And by getting creative with changing gearing, handlebars, stems, tires, wheels, forks, saddles, racks, fenders etc., you can fine tune these bikes in ways to completely change their personality, looks and capability.

When you have a good quality frame like your Stumpjumper, the results are that much sweeter. Search this subforum for "lugnut" or "kemo sabe" to see the various reincarnations of my Trek 970 (lugged True Temper OX Comp II tubing). About the only thing I haven't changed on that bike is to have it repainted (or powder coated). But after seeing how nice your bike turned out, I may finally get around to doing that fairly soon.

I actually have a handlebar swap underway now to go back to regular MTB riser bars from the dirt drop bars (Origin-8 Gary) that I have been using. I like the dirt drop bars, but this frame's top tube is a little to long and the head tube just a little too low for me to get them set up just right.

Enjoy your latest creation. I expect we'll be reading about various modifications to it in the future. What do you call it, BTW? That bikes looks like it has enough personality to rate a name.

That is a stunning transformation! The color is gorgeous. It looks just beautiful.

These hardtails are really fun to ride, aren't they?

Bengeboy that is a beautiful ride. What is the color called? Did they do a two step powdercoat cause it looks like its got a metallic in it like my wifes mixte. I know you said something about it before but I have forgotten the color. I want to do a couple of bikes this winter and maybe the Volare if I can. Again nice job it looks great

I think it was called "metallic copper." It was just one coat of powder + the clearcoat.

I was pretty surprised at all the different colors / finishes that they offered..I had always thought of powder coating as just plain flat colors. The green mixte you did for your wife was my first glimmer that it could be interesting than that.

Those U-brakes are interesting.

I realized while working on the bike I had seen something like U-brakes before....on cargo bikes last summer in Peru. A lot of the rugged bikes I saw there had brakes down around the chainstays that then either squeezed in on the rims or pulled forward against them.

Note that the brake pads were carved out of wood, probably cheaper than buying new ones to replace whatever came with the bike.
http://i38.tinypic.com/35kn954.jpg

http://i34.tinypic.com/hvv05y.jpg

http://i34.tinypic.com/i6io3d.jpg

Wowzers, BB. That baby REALLY turned out nice. Congratulations.:thumb::beer:

Hello BengeBoy,

A really nice restoration. :)

Just goes to prove that one man's trash can be turned into treasure.

I had a Fisher Pro Caliber that I just sold this year (for $75) that had those U-brakes on the rear. Since I never rode it in the mud, I never had trouble with them. I thought their stopping power was fine for a rear brake.

My wife had an early 1990s Rockhopper (little brother to the Stumpjumper) and it was a great bike for the money. Sold that one a few years ago. No mountain bikes in the house now. :o

Wow. That's a sweet looking bike, great job. I'll expect you're going
to have many enjoyable miles on your restored, personalized bike.

As far as the "B" is concerned...it's probably doomed to being a donor car.
The sills are prone to rusting out and as they are the car's sole structural support
one needs to be a good welder/body person to bring MGB's back from the edge.
Judging from the poor fitting door this particular one likely suffers from sill rust.
The rubber bumper ones were pretty ladden down with smog control junk also, that
one looks like about a '74?

Happy Trails

One interesting thing about this bike is that it has U-brakes. According to Sheldon Brown, U brakes were used on mountain bikes only for a year or two ('88 and '89). They were used because in the early days of mountain bikes apparently regular brakes mounted on the seat stays created too much stress on the seat stays. So the thought was that brakes could be mounted down on the chainstays where the tubes are thicker. Problem is for a mountain bike they got banged around and coated with mud. Now, U-brakes are apparently only seen on BMW bikes.

In any case, I got U-brakes on this bike and I think for a commuter they're just fine. It's been nice not having the brakes around the rack area. Also, all the cables run down low on the bike. It's a very clean approach and very clean looking.



Close up of u-brakes:
http://i34.tinypic.com/124vbci.jpg


There is absolutely no problem with "U" Brakes and are about the most effective brake you can put on a Bike. Well there are problems- They will not fit on conventional mountings so if they are fitted you are stuck with them. They are heavy aswell so not the ideal brake for a weight weenie. BUT the biggest problem with a "U" Brake is that they love Mud. Just show it some and it will collect- and collect and then collect some more. It gets inside the mechanism- collects around it and will stop the wheel quicker than putting the brake on.

I had a "U" on a 92 Pantera and 10 ft of mud and I was carrying the bike. Not the ideal brake for the UK.

Great bike for such a project and a really nice result. On road the U-brake is a strong wellfunctioning brake. I found some black Koolstop pads for mine that has worked very well.

1) I love the color you chose.
2) My mountain bike (see signature) has a SunTour RollerCam front brake, an under-the-chainstays Shimano U-Brake, salmon KoolStop pads, and those great motorcycle-style 4-finger Shimano brake handles, which I can grab either from the grips or the bar extensions. I am delighted with the bike's braking system.
3) I have considered adding mudguards, since it does sometimes rain around here during the winter months, but I need some which do not require rack/mudguard eyelets, which my Team Issue racing bike lacks. I did install a Blackburn MtnRack using vinyl-coated straps around the seat stays and taking advantage of the chain hanger as a slip stop.

I absolutely love what you have done there. That bike is a thing of beauty. Are you SURE that you want to use it in the rain and snow?

I absolutely love what you have done there. That bike is a thing of beauty. Are you SURE that you want to use it in the rain and snow?

:lol:

So the process went like this: my "beater bike" was going to be the 83 Univega Gran Turismo in my signature line. I bought it last summer so I would be ready for fall rain....But, after tweaking that bike (new Honjo fenders, tires, cables, handlbars, gearing, etc.), I decided it was so nice I couldn't bear to ride it in really foul weather.

That led to the Stumpjumper. Great bike, but needed "freshening up." Now that's it's all fixed up, I'm thinking the same as you: "What happened to the beater bike...".

This could go on forever...

Nice job. I'm begining to see a lot of home build/modified bikes here in 50+. Could it be a trend? Pretty soon we'll be congregating at some drive in showing off the custom work..............:)

+1 to everyones comments. Great job. Maybe I shouldn't have gone with the drop bars and barend shifters on my build after all.

Maybe I shouldn't have gone with the drop bars and barend shifters on my build after all.

I wouldn't say that. That is another good way to set up a rigid MTB.

Fine work there !

I'm mostly interested in touring/utility bikes and when I'm searching for information on products, tips or ideas I usually end on american sites and forums. You guys are so creative and lucky to have all that material available.
I also like very much the recycling thing, giving a second life to objects.
So Bravo for your creation !


This type of bike may be the most versatile of them all. Rigid steel MTBs are the physical incarnation of the phrase "Jack of all trades, master of none". There are better bikes for road riding, trail riding, singletrack, commuting, beach cruising, stuff hauling, you name it. But what other type of bike can readily handle all of those roles and many others you might dream up? And by getting creative with changing gearing, handlebars, stems, tires, wheels, forks, saddles, racks, fenders etc., you can fine tune these bikes in ways to completely change their personality, looks and capability.

ABSOLUTELY.
To me those chromo steel framed bikes of the early times of MTB simply are quintessential. That's why I now have a nice collection of Marin Eldridge Grade, Specialized RockHopper, etc. All of them are set up in the same touring/stuff hauling spirit but with differences in tires sizes, handlebars, racks according to the sort of performance or ruggedness I need.

Like this 1995 Giant Terrago used for rough stuffing

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3078/2650038009_ac65faac9b.jpg

Cheers.
Carlos

Nice job. I've long been a keen proponent of rescusitating these well-built, sturdy bikes. They are actually closer to tour bikes than most of today's MTB's. Thus, they make fine commuters or excursion bikes. Pretty indestructible, too. That goes for the old Deore groups as well. I usually mount North Road handlebars on mine, but my latest will have Nitto drops. It's a 1987 Raliegh Elkhorn, $45 off CL, with all the eyelets and bottle bosses, plus mid-fork rack bosses. Not done yet, but here's the before and after pics. No new paint, though. It'll get new, black cable guides, too.

The Stumpjumper was the first production mountain bike I believe. This one really turned out very nicely and has many attractive features that "modern" road sport-bikes don't have such as attachments for a luggage rack and fenders.

Several years ago I built a road bike using a compact ti cyclocross frame just to get those features in a lighter bike than your typical touring frame provides.

Al

Once again, for your perusal, my '93 Giant ATX 760.

+1 on the above comments. Stunning job!

I bought a Stumpjumper of slightly newer vintage as my rain bike a few years ago, and was amazed how much I liked it- the smooth ride and its gearing were perfect for my hilly, urban commute right out of its long-forgotten box. Have been thinking about modernizing it, and your remake of yours is really inspiring. Great job!

+1 to everyones comments. Great job. Maybe I shouldn't have gone with the drop bars and barend shifters on my build after all.


+1 with BluesDawg. Here is the rebuild of my son's 90's Trek mountain bike which he uses for a commuter at college. He elected to keep the 7 speed with drop bars and bar ends as opposed to upgrading the whole thing to a 9 speed LX with trekking bars.

Before

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm11/monoborracho/Trek%20830/20061.jpg

After

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm11/monoborracho/Trek%20830/830-217.jpg

He elected to keep the 7 speed with drop bars and bar ends as opposed to upgrading the whole thing to a 9 speed LX with trekking bars

Very nice! What kind of bar ends did you find to work with the 7-speed shifter? Do you just have them in friction mode or is there a next indexed 7-speed bar end shifter available (all I know of are used ones via eBay).

He ruined a perfectly good flat bar bike by putting drop bars on it???

Very nice! What kind of bar ends did you find to work with the 7-speed shifter? Do you just have them in friction mode or is there a next indexed 7-speed bar end shifter available (all I know of are used ones via eBay).

The Shimano 8 speed rear barcons were an EBay buy some years back. The 8 speed will work and index with 7 speed, you just have an extra, unused click when you reach the smallest cog. And you need good cable routing with good barrel adjusters to tweak it. You'll notice it has an adjuster not only on the rear DR but also on the cable just after it departs from the handlebars. Or you can run them in friction mode. For this bike we replaced the rear wheel with a NOS Altus hub and rim that had a freewheel of 7 speed width so there was no spacer required on the inside.

Conversely, my Trek 520 was originally equipped with 7 speed LX wheels, but now has XT rims and 8 gears, and the barcons work fine with the 8 speeds. If the barcon has 7 clicks, it will run either 7 speed or 8 speed. Just be sure to set it so the extra click is on the small end of the cassette, and not the big (lower gear) end, else you might pull something into the spokes, like your derailleur.

Suntour friction bar ends work so well on a 7 or 8 speed drop bar bike that I wonder why anyone would want to bother with indexing.

Monoborracho,
That pic of the dropped Trek 830 is one of the handsomest conversions I've ever seen. Very clean and tidy. It's going into my "bikes" folder for future reference. I had one of those in that size. Bought it new in '88. Too bad it finally snapped a dropout. Just not worth fixing at that point. Been patching up those rigid MTB's ever since, looking for The One.

Monoborracho,
That pic of the dropped Trek 830 is one of the handsomest conversions I've ever seen. Very clean and tidy. It's going into my "bikes" folder for future reference. I had one of those in that size. Bought it new in '88. Too bad it finally snapped a dropout. Just not worth fixing at that point. Been patching up those rigid MTB's ever since, looking for The One.


Thank you. Very kind of you to comment. I remember your 830 from some of your earlier posts. Here is a link to the story of the rebuild and imbedded there you'll find an even earlier story about the bike from a few year back.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=478947&highlight=

Thank you. Very kind of you to comment. I remember your 830 from some of your earlier posts. Here is a link to the story of the rebuild and imbedded there you'll find an even earlier story about the bike from a few year back.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=478947&highlight=

Thanks,
Got those pics, too. Unfortunately, I don't have any surplus road stuff on the bench right now. So, it'll be CL or the bins down at Re-Cycled Cycles in Seattle.

My first drop bar MTB conversion from 2005, Sasquatch.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d195/GonzoDawg/bicycles/Uncle%20Duke/Sasquatchfrtqtr2.jpg

Here's my 96 Gary Fisher Tassahara. I originally planned to turn it into a touring bike but it ended up as my utility bike.

Bluesdawg:

Lotta nice flair on those drops. Nice touch with the Flyer,too. :thumb:

+1 Great conversion!

I have been doing similar (but not nearly as beautiful) conversions on rigid mountain bikes myself. I really like my 92 Trek 950. Another thing nice about MTBs is that they can be had for very little money compared to road bikes.


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3185/2858219480_27b8ff947a_b.jpg

+1 Great conversion!

I have been doing similar (but not nearly as beautiful) conversions on rigid mountain bikes myself. I really like my 92 Trek 950. Another thing nice about MTBs is that they can be had for very little money compared to road bikes.

Nice 950. :thumb:

Just to show that these bikes are still nice for their original purpose, here's my '92 970:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2101/2082452744_cc6a160b22_o.jpg

Here's a link to the Timberlin MTB I've got setup as a road bike / commuter / pseudo-tourer. Currently on it's 5th or so set of different handlebars.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=494601

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=89601&d=1229704030

Fenders are setup to clear the Nokian studded tires and will also clear the offroad tires for the most part.

I have to agree that the older MTB's are great for road work.