'97 Specialized Rockhopper

[Jazzper]

Got myself a Specialized Rockhopper tonight (2nd hand). By checking Bikepedia I would identify it 1997. Can you guys confirm this? I like the frame a lot qua color and geometry but oh boy is this bike mistreaded!
It's an ex rental used in the Belgium Ardennen with a lot (A LOT!) scratches and chipped of paint. Think I'm gonna ride it as my city bike. The price was according to what I got...

after arrival

inspection (writing down all stuff)

stripped of bidon, rear light, lock, fender

need some heavy work on this bike. Perhaps some upgrading of parts too. Chain, cassette and cables are spanking new. Rest is in bad shape.


Frame: Rockhopper Specialized, CrMo taper butted, direct drive, oval section. Size is 48cm (makes 19"). Ritchey dropouts
Fork: Specialized

Headset: could not identify
Stem: rebranded to Specialized
Handlebar: same ^^
Grips: unknown

Brakes: Dia Compe VC 727 v-brakes (nice reviews... )
Brake Levers: a specialized and a replaced Shimano Altus ST-EF29-L

Shifters: Shimano could not identify
Front Derailleur: Shimano Alivio FD-MC18
Rear Derailleur: Shimano STX RD-MC34

Cassette: Shimano Hyperglide (i'd guess HG50 :x)
Chain: SRAM
Cranks: Shimano Acera FC-M330
Bottom Bracket: not identified so far
Pedals: junk

Hub Skewers: Shimano
Rims: FIR MT240 (Black) Single eyelet budget rim
Hubs: Shimano Acera X FH-M290 / HB-M290
Tires: Specialized Hardrocker 26 x 1.95

Saddle: PRO Comfort 1
Seatpost: unknown 30.4mm 35cm
Seatpost Binder: Specialized QR type

Weight: much

sorry for the v-brakes

bottomline: it costed next to nothing and after a warm bad of repairs it will make a lovely daily city ride i'd guess. For now: need more info, comments and suggestions!

 

[sex one]

I hope you have changed the forks......seeing as they are bent/damaged......they look as if theyve been ridden into a wall at speed :?

 

[Jazzper]

nope, did not.

but I had the same feeling..

hmzzzz.. what now.. bend it back?
I was not planning to place a suspension fork in it

 

[sex one]

you will know if they are bent as the steering becomes twitchy as hell.

There isnt much you can do really as bending them back will only make them weaker....the safest option is another set of the same forks im afraid

 

[bigdavevw]

Niiiicceee, shame the forks are bent tho

 

[Jazzper]

I did some more work on this bike and completely took it apart:

I went to an autoparts store with the fork and tried to match it with one of their red rattle cans (Motip)

I read 100 tutorials on painting/spraying complete bikes but none described repairing paint chips. I have no clue how to do it. Masking parts with tape is one thing but than? Spray? or spray in a cup and use a little brush?


Oh and I couldn't resist buying an early 90's green rockhopper frame almost for free. Don't know what to do with it yet

 

[stoner]

I would send the frame to be stripped, cleaned and powder coated by a pro.... And i don't want to repeat everybody else but get those forks checked out.... They do look bent... :shock:

 

[drcarlos]

I would send the frame to be stripped, cleaned and powder coated by a pro.... And i don't want to repeat everybody else but get those forks checked out.... They do look bent... :shock:

Also when you do it check the underside of the downtube for any deformation as when my old Mustang was bent like this the frame deformed there too.

Carl.

 

[Jazzper]

strange thing is: if I have the seperate fork in my hands I can't really see anything strange

but.. I'm no expert either

 

[captain8track]

re forkish

Don´t mean to be rude, but that fork is better of in a dumpster.

It is not rideable, it´s destroyed the good news is that it´s not a very pricy fork so go down to your local Lbs for another one, and just paint it black or something with satin finnish.

Look at the pictures one more time, it probarly got hit by a curb, real bad... frame seems ok!

Just don´t want you eating soup for a year because of a bad fork...