napiur

Hi everyone,

First time here . New to the biking world. I found a used bike for sale and it seems to be a good fit for me- size, trail riding, commuting, within my budget.

I've browsed on bikepedia and couldn't confirm the bike being sold was a 1997 spec rockhopper A1 FS mtn bike. This isn't really a problem, I just want to know that I am paying a fair price for it. I also want to know what the model is for future reference ie replacement parts etc. Could someone help identify this bike and/or give a fair price for it? Thanks!

Seller is posting it with the following description ($200 asking price):

For sale is a 1997 Specialized Rockhopper A1 FS mountain bike. The frame is 13.5" Components include:

-Magura HS22 Blue hydraulic brakes with Liken carbon fiber brake boosters.
-SRAM grip shift, 22/32/42 chainrings with an 11-30 seven speed cassette, Shimano Deore LX derailleurs
-Rock Shox Indy C front suspension fork
-Ritchey Rock SCX rims
-Fizik Vitesse saddle
-Avocet Cross invert tires
-Profile Design bar ends
-Water bottle cage, kickstand, and rear rack

pictures below:

EDIT: since this is my first real bike, could someone also advise on how to inspect this used bike. IE what should I look for when I take it for a test drive?

cobba

How tall are you, that's a very small frame.

napiur

i'm five feet

jimc101

On the basis it fits, looks to be a good deal from similar recent posts, would budget for a replacement for the forks at some point, as these were the bottom of the line Rock Shox BITD, the saddle is a female specific, are you female? Brakes, Magura's are good, HS22's are long OOP, but pads are still available for them, I have a set of HS33's from the around the time, still going strong with no servicing during their life.

napiur

I am female. How much should I budget for a replacement fork? The bike will be used 1/2 commuting & 1/2 bike trail riding.

jimc101

For forks, you would need to source one with rim brake mounts, this is a limited market now, but Rock Shox and Manitou still make them Rockshox XC28 Suspension 26" Fork > Components > Forks > Suspension Forks | Jenson USA (take it you are in the US) for a lower budget there are Suntour forks.

napiur

Thanks JIMC! How do you know when to replace a fork?

jimc101

When they stop working (going up and down), it should be noticeable when this happens, for your described use, this shouldn't tax the forks too much, so you may get a lot of use out of them, technically the Indy's are serviceable https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CNfY2Ko4Es, but SRAM/RockShox don't normally support their products after 10+ years, and yours are nearer 20 years old, so spares may not be available, and if they are, you need to work out if any service would be cost effective vs replacement.