Craigmount
Old School Hero
Background: So I was initially looking around for a nice set of Mavic X 217 or 517 rims/wheels to replace the 117's on my Cannondale. I found a pair on EBay, but they were already attached to a bike. No matter, the seller kindly couriered the Stumpjumper all the way from Barnstaple, Devon up to Edinburgh.
A swift once-over confirmed the bike hadn't been used in a long long time. There were layers of hard dried mud in all the nooks & crevices and under the saddle, one of the pedals was seized, plus tape was wound round the hand grips and parts of the frame.
I'm always nervous about what's under tape on a frame, but it was okay. The 19” frame turned out to be dent-free and with its original decals in a reasonable state. So I decided to keep the bike as it is, rather than use as a donor. I know the Stumpjumper A1 FS is not everyone's cup-of-tea, only sold for one year 1996, however I remember this model in our local Specialized store here Edinburgh Bicycle. - and I still have the original Edinburgh Bicycle catalogue from 1996 (see pic), showing the bike for sale at £1199.95 ... eek!
What I found amusing is the cross-section of typical 1990's stuff on the bike: Bontrager bar-ends, Mavic rims, Shimano XT/LX derailleurs, X-ray 24-speed Gripshift, Dia Compe brake levers, Avid 10 V brakes, Mission BMX/MTB pedals, Rockshox Judy forks, Dia Compe Aheadset, Hope spacers, Easton handlebars, S Works handgrips, TA Specialities bottle holder, Sugino chain rings, Specialized cranks, saddle etc etc.
I’ve enclosed a few pics of the bike more or less as it arrived, after a wash & clean-up. The original hand grips were split, however I was lucky enough to get a replacement pair (thanks Matthew!), and I've replaced the brake cables.
The frame number 96S 003305 is stamped on the rear left dropout, and the bike looks to have had some upgrades a long time ago:- Avid V brakes, Mavic X 517 rims, and Rockshox Judy forks. The Avid brakes are stamped 1998, so I'm guessing they were added to the bike not long after.
But I'm wondering about the forks and the rims?. Does anyone recognise the age/style of decal on the forks and the rims, and what year these items likely date from?
There's no retailer's sticker on the frame, however does anyone recognise the yellow ProBike decals (on both sides)? Are these possibly just a bike shop's or owner's cosmetic addition?
Any thoughts/comments on all the above would be much appreciated.
Many thanks folks.
A swift once-over confirmed the bike hadn't been used in a long long time. There were layers of hard dried mud in all the nooks & crevices and under the saddle, one of the pedals was seized, plus tape was wound round the hand grips and parts of the frame.
I'm always nervous about what's under tape on a frame, but it was okay. The 19” frame turned out to be dent-free and with its original decals in a reasonable state. So I decided to keep the bike as it is, rather than use as a donor. I know the Stumpjumper A1 FS is not everyone's cup-of-tea, only sold for one year 1996, however I remember this model in our local Specialized store here Edinburgh Bicycle. - and I still have the original Edinburgh Bicycle catalogue from 1996 (see pic), showing the bike for sale at £1199.95 ... eek!
What I found amusing is the cross-section of typical 1990's stuff on the bike: Bontrager bar-ends, Mavic rims, Shimano XT/LX derailleurs, X-ray 24-speed Gripshift, Dia Compe brake levers, Avid 10 V brakes, Mission BMX/MTB pedals, Rockshox Judy forks, Dia Compe Aheadset, Hope spacers, Easton handlebars, S Works handgrips, TA Specialities bottle holder, Sugino chain rings, Specialized cranks, saddle etc etc.
I’ve enclosed a few pics of the bike more or less as it arrived, after a wash & clean-up. The original hand grips were split, however I was lucky enough to get a replacement pair (thanks Matthew!), and I've replaced the brake cables.
The frame number 96S 003305 is stamped on the rear left dropout, and the bike looks to have had some upgrades a long time ago:- Avid V brakes, Mavic X 517 rims, and Rockshox Judy forks. The Avid brakes are stamped 1998, so I'm guessing they were added to the bike not long after.
But I'm wondering about the forks and the rims?. Does anyone recognise the age/style of decal on the forks and the rims, and what year these items likely date from?
There's no retailer's sticker on the frame, however does anyone recognise the yellow ProBike decals (on both sides)? Are these possibly just a bike shop's or owner's cosmetic addition?
Any thoughts/comments on all the above would be much appreciated.
Many thanks folks.