retrobikeguy

bidaci

Here it is in it's current state. Still trying to fine tune, but figured I post and update.

timbo157

This is my 1981 Beacon Mountain bike. Sorry for bad cell phone pic. It is mint - and as I bought it new, except for the seat, grips, and tires. Still has working digital Z80 powered speedometer that I bought with it(I don't really know if it has a Z80 in it - just looks like it might). I have never seen another - or can find any info on it, but it was a very early production mountain bike. Everyone used to ask me what it was when I first bought it. 18 speed, cantilever brakes, components nice, but nothing special, and it is heavy, but it is pretty early.

jcm

Oh yeah? Mine's even cheaper: 1988 Trek 830. Absolutely no pedigree whatsoever. Made in Trekwan and totaly bombproof. Bought it new and only used it for a couple years, then I hung it in my shop and got fat. Shook it out a year ago and realized some mods would do nicely. Hence the saddle, bars, tires and fenders. Gearing is original with Sakae OvalTeck up front. Deore in the back. Mid-level at the time but it shifts as smooth and quiet as my two bikes that have 105 stuff. I love this bike and I use it for everything including centuries.
Naked:

Dressed:

xB_Nutt

Not really vintage, but '92 was 14 years ago. Frame and fork are the only original parts. Still climbs like a scalded ape and beats the crap out of you bouncing down hill...

caloso

If any Specialized fans can help me date my Rockhopper, I'd be much obliged. It's gray, with the lovely aqua highlights (including an original Specialized aqua bottle cage), Shimano Mountain LX shifters (friction in front, 7spd indexed in back), Biopace chain rings, TIG welded CroMo frame, Araya rims. I picked it up from a neighbor's garage sale for $40 for the purpose of pulling the kids' trailer but I've used it as a commuter and a Tahoe trail bike. I've done nothing to it but add the panniers and bar ends, and a bit of lube. It rides like a champ and is suprisingly fast once it gets up to speed.

I like the horizontal top tube and have thought it's much more like a touring bike than a modern MTB. I'm not a fan of flat bars and I've heard that for awhile Specialized made drop bars an option on their mountain bikes (I know that Bridgestone did), so I may go that route when I break it down for its winter cleaning.

greybeard87

[QUOTE=cyclodan]Uhhh, except there was no such thing as a Specialized Stumpjumper in 1980.


Last year Specialized was celebrating 25 years of the Stumpjumper and published a book highlighting its history. Lets see 2005 - 25 = 1980

BobHufford

[QUOTE=greybeard87]The Specialized web site does show 1980 as the intro date as well, though I think Specialized might be reinventing their own history a bit (not unknown when it comes to MTB histories). Mike Sinyard didn't develop the bike until after purchasing a set of Ritchey/Fisher Mountainbikes and I think that happened in early 1981 (Jaquie Phelan relates a story on the VATB list of when she was dating Gary F. at the time and there was a race in May of 1981, shortly after Fisher had sold the bikes to Sinyard. Fisher call Sinyard and asked if he was going to ride one of the newly purchased bikes in the race -- Mike didn't (since the bikes were apparently over in Japan getting copied for the Stumpjumpers).

Jeff over at First Flight is compiling a list of early bikes and doesn't have anything prior to October 1981.

https://www.firstflightbikes.com/stumpjum.htm

Bob

clayface

That was in 1988, the only year Specialized sold the RockCombo. The pic attached was borrowed from:
https://vintagemtb.tripod.com/id79.html, a page that doesn't seem to exist any longer.

caloso

Clayface:

Cool! Thanks very much for that picture. I'm definitely going with drops now.

clayface

A different view, this time showing the Specialized BB-1 dirt drops.

jwc

My 1989 Specialized Hardrock Comp....used as my rain bike....and my $9.99 plus shipping handlebars. I call it my truck, because it hauls all my junk to work once a week. The original name for it was Frankenstein, but it rides so good that I felt I was insulting it.

wirebead

I found a RockCombo on Craigslist... don't know anything about it, but it is so strange I couldn't resist buying it. The drops are really comfortable... can't wait to try it in some singletrack to see how they feel.

It needs a good cleaning and new cables, but I'll post photos once it's ready.

caloso

Are the BB-1 drops still made? I have thought about getting some Nitto 135 randonneuring bars for the Rock Hopper. They look like they'd be a good bet.

clayface

Only 500 RockCombo's were ever built. The final production bike was heavy , in spite of using triple butted chrome-moly, and handling was not as expected by the designers (a completely different bike to the prototype)

After I retired my '90 HardRock from its touring duties, I decided to "Comborize" it and took off all the touring accesories. The final result was two lbs lighter than the RockCombo.

Dave Moulton

1985 Fuso MTB; only 50 of these built.

The chainstay bridge was left out so dirt and mud could drop right through. Because leaving out the bridge can lead to bottom bracket shell failure due to sideways flexing; a diagonal tube brace was added from the right chainstay to the seat tube. This brace also had the effect of stiffening up the whole bottom bracket area.

Note the front derailleur cable stop incorporated into the brace tube.

SecondSkin

My '89 (I think) Giant Sedona....now singlespeeded. Quad-butted chromemoly frame is fairly light (24lbs as shown), but very poorly welded. Rides pretty well, though.

greybeard87

You can often find WTB Dirt Drops on E-Bay which like the BB-1's were made by Nitto. They are really short across the top and flair out drastically through the drop (cureved part). The 135's are more conventional but splay back slightly along the top and flair out slightly after the drop.
The closest thing available currently are made by On-One, They are called "midge" but like most current bars they are black ano. Available from Price Point:

https://www.pricepoint.com/detail/145...Handle-Bar.htm

pgoat

I would guess '94. I could be wrong tho

Fred Smedley

This was a $3.00 sally buy, was missing seatpost and wheelset.

pgoat

here's mine, shortly after the fat tires were swapped for street slicks (about 7 years ago), a later tube-wrapped incarnation for commuting, and its current be-stickered state.

pgoat

I'd keep that one unless it doesn't fit you well, or the lbs guy pulls out something truly special.

jet sanchEz

Hrm, I think the guys over at Specialized have been reading this thread, they brought back the classic Stumpjumper for '07. I like it

https://specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=16882

YoKev

Oh, only $1300 for the Stumpjumper Classic...

I'll take 5

BobHufford

Aside from the price, surely they could have come up with a more classic looking crank than that. Nice try ...