I initially thought I'd been ripped off when I bought this bike off of ebay. The seller had advertised it as a 1997 Rockhopper, with some scratches, but otherwise okay. The seller had also advertised it as aluminium, but I could tell from the tubes that it was a cromo. The photo was small, but it looked okay, so I bid, and bought it for 45 squids!
The rain hides the scratches quite well!
On collection, I felt that the buyer had understated the condition of the bike, somewhat... The scratches were numerous, and there were an above average amount of bare metal patches caused by repeated scuffing. Bike carrier damage, I reckon. There was also a dent on both sides of the down tube, as if someone had put it in a vice. The brakes and shifters were scuffed beyond belief, and the Gripshift was vague and couldn't hold the gears in place. oh, and it was a 1998 model. :facepalm:
Dent.
Here's the spec when I bought it. Mostly original, apart from the stem and the seat (and probably the seat post), I think:
Frame: 19" Specialized Rockhopper (Ritchey Nitanium)
Fork: Specialized Direct Drive
Headset: 1 1/8" threadless Ritchey Logic
Stem: 1 1/8" X-Tasy High Cover (105mm ext, 35mm rise)
Handlebar: Specialized aluminium
Brakes: Dia-Compe VC757
Brake Levers: Dia-Compe DP7
Shifters: Grip Shift SRT-600
Front Derailleur: Shimano Alivio
Rear Derailleur: Shimano STX-RC
Cassette: 8-speed, 11-32
Cranks: Specialized Strong Arm Expert
Chainrings: 22/32/42
Rims: DRC MT19
Hubs: Ritchey
Front Tyre: Specialized Traction Control 26x1.95
Rear Tyre: Specialized Traction Master 26x1.95
Saddle: Plastic awfulness
Seatpost: Aluminium
At first, I thought I might just resell it, and hope I get roughly what I paid for it, but then I found people saying that the Nitanium frames were pretty good. I was still a bit dubious.. I didn't really feel like putting money into such a ratty frame, and the dents made me feel that a respray/powder coat would be too much of an expense.
Then I found this thread: http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... p;t=192838
I'd considered stickerbombing the bike, but didn't have enough (any) stickers, and thought it would look a bit tacky anyway (it's better suited to BMXs, I reckon), but the rat look.. I never realised it could look so effective! Plus, I already have some Nitromors, I have wire wool, I have arms, and I have a lot of rain..
Project "Rusthopper" is go!!
First on the to-do list is to replace the saddle, stem, and shifters, which I'll probably source from my previous bike. Then over the next week, I'll start using the Nitromors during my lunchbreaks at work. Can't really do it at home, as it's too stinky to do indoors, and too rainy to do outdoors. oh, and there's the small matter of a curious 2 year old boy. Last time I did stuff to a bike while he watched, he took to trying to 'fix' my bike whenever he saw it. Usually by banging it with toy cars. :shock:
I'll post progress pics after each break. It will no doubt end as a total mess, and I'll have to scrap it!
flickr set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/spatuluk/s ... 373615562/
The rain hides the scratches quite well!
On collection, I felt that the buyer had understated the condition of the bike, somewhat... The scratches were numerous, and there were an above average amount of bare metal patches caused by repeated scuffing. Bike carrier damage, I reckon. There was also a dent on both sides of the down tube, as if someone had put it in a vice. The brakes and shifters were scuffed beyond belief, and the Gripshift was vague and couldn't hold the gears in place. oh, and it was a 1998 model. :facepalm:
Dent.
Here's the spec when I bought it. Mostly original, apart from the stem and the seat (and probably the seat post), I think:
Frame: 19" Specialized Rockhopper (Ritchey Nitanium)
Fork: Specialized Direct Drive
Headset: 1 1/8" threadless Ritchey Logic
Stem: 1 1/8" X-Tasy High Cover (105mm ext, 35mm rise)
Handlebar: Specialized aluminium
Brakes: Dia-Compe VC757
Brake Levers: Dia-Compe DP7
Shifters: Grip Shift SRT-600
Front Derailleur: Shimano Alivio
Rear Derailleur: Shimano STX-RC
Cassette: 8-speed, 11-32
Cranks: Specialized Strong Arm Expert
Chainrings: 22/32/42
Rims: DRC MT19
Hubs: Ritchey
Front Tyre: Specialized Traction Control 26x1.95
Rear Tyre: Specialized Traction Master 26x1.95
Saddle: Plastic awfulness
Seatpost: Aluminium
At first, I thought I might just resell it, and hope I get roughly what I paid for it, but then I found people saying that the Nitanium frames were pretty good. I was still a bit dubious.. I didn't really feel like putting money into such a ratty frame, and the dents made me feel that a respray/powder coat would be too much of an expense.
Then I found this thread: http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... p;t=192838
I'd considered stickerbombing the bike, but didn't have enough (any) stickers, and thought it would look a bit tacky anyway (it's better suited to BMXs, I reckon), but the rat look.. I never realised it could look so effective! Plus, I already have some Nitromors, I have wire wool, I have arms, and I have a lot of rain..
Project "Rusthopper" is go!!
First on the to-do list is to replace the saddle, stem, and shifters, which I'll probably source from my previous bike. Then over the next week, I'll start using the Nitromors during my lunchbreaks at work. Can't really do it at home, as it's too stinky to do indoors, and too rainy to do outdoors. oh, and there's the small matter of a curious 2 year old boy. Last time I did stuff to a bike while he watched, he took to trying to 'fix' my bike whenever he saw it. Usually by banging it with toy cars. :shock:
I'll post progress pics after each break. It will no doubt end as a total mess, and I'll have to scrap it!
flickr set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/spatuluk/s ... 373615562/