Specialized HardRock Cruz identification
 

Posted a want to buy a while back to try and find a steel frame to make a wet weather commuter. Several people have been gracious to offer some nice frames for this project, but most were a little too nice. I think I have found something to work with locally. It is what I believe to be a 1991ish Specialized HardRock Cruz. It has all 7 speed SunTour XCT components and Araya Wheels. Serial Number is MOK 85678. It has a Direct Drive Off Road Tange CrMo decal.

Is this a 1991 model? Am I to assume that the frame, fork and stays are all Tange straight gauge CrMo? I cannot seem to find an exact match. Found a Specialized catalog online in German that seems to be a close match but the colors listed are white and bright red.

http://i1163.photobucket.com/albums/...ockPreFull.jpg

http://i1163.photobucket.com/albums/...ckPreclose.jpg

http://i1163.photobucket.com/albums/...irectDrive.jpg

The Bikepedia website should have that bike listed. In the three years I've been working on bikes five or six of them have passed through here, and while the components are not great (is it the Alivio brakes with the plastic part that always breaks?), all of the frames have turned out to be solid, even if they looked trashed originally.

Performance has a 26x1.5" tire called the Metro that they sell as cheap as $10, and that makes a big difference in ride and performance on the road.

Thanks, I actually have a set of those tires just waiting to be installed.

Specialized HardRock Cruz matches up most closely to a 1991 according to the German Specialized Catalogs I found on the link below. It is the only year I specifically see the Cruz as a HardRock model. Color does not match but components are close and the graphics match. There was a 1990 model with a blue frame but different graphics. Wonder if they had the frame left over and put the 1991 component group and graphics on it.

Check-out the link for many MTB catalogs in German of course.

http://mtb-kataloge.de/

I thought that model name 'Cruz' was familiar (though what does it refer to?)

Look what showed up at my house last night.

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...9&d=1347212203

This is a bike I picked up a couple of years ago for $20, looking like a disaster, but which turned out to be fine after a very thorough cleaning. Some grease and bearings, cables, and a set of those Forte tires, and I was ready to flip it. Then I realized that an old family friend was looking for a bike, so I gave it to her, and it just came by for an adjustment. The stem had come loose! Also, I had forgotten this one had the Suntour drive components. The rear shifting was not working, at all, and all that took was to replace the cable, which was pretty crusty in the housing, with a new one: now it's smooth as could be, indexes fine.

It is nice to see this bike again, and know that it's being ridden a lot and serving well.

Thanks Chicago Al. It will be a while, have another bike I am currently working on, but I will post pictures when I finish working on my HR Cruz.