abr303
Retro Guru
Just recently I was browsing online as you do when post a came up with someone advertising on behalf of someone else wanting a value on a friends old Stumpjumper that had been hardly used.... I wasn't sure but I thought this looked a tad suspect but curiosity a got the better part of me and I made an enquiry. A handful of images were forwarded and I was quite shocked as the images seemed to reveal a very unused steed..... The bike itself was a 1991 21.5" Stumpjumper Comp, the Matte Blue/Grey version with full XT. As it wasn't my size I thought I could donate a lot of the parts to another Stumpjumper project in my size of the same year that I am currently working on as you do.
Anyway, I get a response from the chap after my enquiry but asking me if my name was such a such who use to work at a certain independent bike shop.... I twigged who the add was by and it turned out to be my old Madison/Shimano rep from a few years back
. He obviously knew the owner and said he'd put me in touch so numbers where exchanged. My old rep mentioned that the bike hadn't seen much use at all and even recalls back in 1997 peeking at it under a blanket at the owners garage at home. He'd offered to buy it but the owner wasn't interested at all at the time.
Fast forward 28 years and the owner was looking to sell and wanted a rough but fair valuation and would sell. We got in touch with one another and it was soon arranged that I could view it and a price was provisionally agreed on that was fair to both parties. It was only just over an hours drive away but would of travelled much further after arriving and seeing the condition..... Bought brand new from Davies Bros. Cycles of Chester on 6/9/1991, the comp wasn't even the bike that the owner had originally ordered. Initially a Black DX equipped Stumpjumper was ordered but after a few weeks had passed it had still not arrived. The owner receives a call from the bike shop giving him bad the news but also had some good news..... The bad news was that there wasn't any stock left available of the DX equipped Stumpy in the end despite reassurances previously from the shop. On the other hand they were offering him a free upgrade to the Stumpy Comp which the owner gladly accepted without even knowing what it looked like.
Well, when I first saw it in the flesh I was gobsmacked....! It was like it had literally come out of the box with the original owners manual sitting on the saddle!! Not a blemish on the frameset, it still had the original Ground Control Extreme tyres, handlebar grips, Turbo saddle, Post Modern seat post, front and rear cateye reflectors and the wheel reflectors. All the Deore XT was in tip top condition. I knew then that this was a genuine, very rare bike in such condition that had seen very little mileage which the owner confirmed. After taking ownership the owner had used it lightly but a back injury caused him to put it into storage until a later date.... Over the years, he just kept it under a blanket in a good garage so it has faired really well. Tyres have not perished and all the cables were like new. The only thing to note was the aluminium had dulled/flatted off on the components somewhat but was to be expected given the bike was 34 years old! Cups of tea were exchanged, a lot of bike and car banter later and I was on my way with a big smile on my face.
I've given it a very sympathetic thorough overhaul, cleaned, degreased and inspected everything, drivetrain degreased and lubed. Cables have all been checked and lubed, hubs stripped and greased, bottom bracket and headset were treated to the same with fresh Shimano premium grease. Lots of little minor fettles to get it all working spot on. All the XT parts have cleaned up well and are now nice, bright and shiny as they should be. The originality is simply amazing so I have not deviated from it and to be fair, nothing needed replacing. Really made up with this find and for those who were concerned about me stripping it for my other projects, that is not going to happen!
In my XC Whippet years, I rode a lot with a mate who had the very same bike but in an 18" frame. I remember him buying it from the Specialized dealer I use to work for and feeling a tad jealous as I could only afford the dx Stumpjumper at the time on my measly mechanics wage. I know I won't ride this one because of it's size but it will look great lined up with my other stumpies.... Just need to find an 18" 1991 Comp frame now....
Anyway, I get a response from the chap after my enquiry but asking me if my name was such a such who use to work at a certain independent bike shop.... I twigged who the add was by and it turned out to be my old Madison/Shimano rep from a few years back
. He obviously knew the owner and said he'd put me in touch so numbers where exchanged. My old rep mentioned that the bike hadn't seen much use at all and even recalls back in 1997 peeking at it under a blanket at the owners garage at home. He'd offered to buy it but the owner wasn't interested at all at the time.Fast forward 28 years and the owner was looking to sell and wanted a rough but fair valuation and would sell. We got in touch with one another and it was soon arranged that I could view it and a price was provisionally agreed on that was fair to both parties. It was only just over an hours drive away but would of travelled much further after arriving and seeing the condition..... Bought brand new from Davies Bros. Cycles of Chester on 6/9/1991, the comp wasn't even the bike that the owner had originally ordered. Initially a Black DX equipped Stumpjumper was ordered but after a few weeks had passed it had still not arrived. The owner receives a call from the bike shop giving him bad the news but also had some good news..... The bad news was that there wasn't any stock left available of the DX equipped Stumpy in the end despite reassurances previously from the shop. On the other hand they were offering him a free upgrade to the Stumpy Comp which the owner gladly accepted without even knowing what it looked like.
Well, when I first saw it in the flesh I was gobsmacked....! It was like it had literally come out of the box with the original owners manual sitting on the saddle!! Not a blemish on the frameset, it still had the original Ground Control Extreme tyres, handlebar grips, Turbo saddle, Post Modern seat post, front and rear cateye reflectors and the wheel reflectors. All the Deore XT was in tip top condition. I knew then that this was a genuine, very rare bike in such condition that had seen very little mileage which the owner confirmed. After taking ownership the owner had used it lightly but a back injury caused him to put it into storage until a later date.... Over the years, he just kept it under a blanket in a good garage so it has faired really well. Tyres have not perished and all the cables were like new. The only thing to note was the aluminium had dulled/flatted off on the components somewhat but was to be expected given the bike was 34 years old! Cups of tea were exchanged, a lot of bike and car banter later and I was on my way with a big smile on my face.
I've given it a very sympathetic thorough overhaul, cleaned, degreased and inspected everything, drivetrain degreased and lubed. Cables have all been checked and lubed, hubs stripped and greased, bottom bracket and headset were treated to the same with fresh Shimano premium grease. Lots of little minor fettles to get it all working spot on. All the XT parts have cleaned up well and are now nice, bright and shiny as they should be. The originality is simply amazing so I have not deviated from it and to be fair, nothing needed replacing. Really made up with this find and for those who were concerned about me stripping it for my other projects, that is not going to happen!
In my XC Whippet years, I rode a lot with a mate who had the very same bike but in an 18" frame. I remember him buying it from the Specialized dealer I use to work for and feeling a tad jealous as I could only afford the dx Stumpjumper at the time on my measly mechanics wage
. I know I won't ride this one because of it's size but it will look great lined up with my other stumpies.... Just need to find an 18" 1991 Comp frame now....
