What you see here is a 1988
Specialized Rockhopper comp, I picked this bike up early in my gettin'
back on a bike time line and I honestly didn't know too much about
mountain bikes when I found it on Craigslist. I called the fellow up, we
made arrangements and a short ride later the bike was hanging off of my
bike rack and on its way to my house. On the way home I thought that I
would stop into a Local Bike Shop (LBS) to see what they would quote me
to get it road worthy again to which the fellows response was "It's going to cost more than $150 and rather than do that I have this used bike right here that will do the same job" Not really the point nor the answer to the question that I asked so I thanked him for his time and took the bike home.
This is as I got it, flat dry rotted tires, rusty everything and in need of some love.
I started looking around online
to see how one would go about removing rust from an old bike and found
lots of good information, I read on one site that using aluminum foil
and rubbing compound would do the trick, since I had both of those
things I started scrubbing. I don't know how long it took to get the
bike looking good again but I pretty much didn't stop scrubbing and
polishing until it looked decent to my eye. The bike is slightly too
small for me but it is ridable if I put the seat post and stem at its
limit and since I don't really do long rides with this one I am fine
with it being a tad small with its 18 inch frame, I ride a 21 inch frame
but a 19 works for me too depending on the bike. I did document the
process, well the before and after photos anyways and below you can see
the difference in what I started with and then how it cleaned up,
enjoy.
Notice the U brake, I thought that was interesting when I first saw it.
I may change the Biopace crankset out if I start using the bike more regularly.
Look at that 14 year old chrome shine!
Click any image for a full size view.
Over all I think the bike came out
great! That bottom most photo is as the bike sat after I finished the
clean up and was as I got it, note the ragged dry rotted tires are still
on it at that point. I have made a couple changes since that image was
taken but not many, different saddle, seat post, a set of Specialized
tires, different water bottle cage, some touch up paint work and new
grips and I have plans to change it a bit more before I am done. I am
adding a set of Kenda Klaw 2.1 tires, possibly a set of Serfas fenders
that I picked up on the cheap and if I go with fenders I will add a rear
rack and use the bike for when its wet outside. Because of the fact
that it is slightly small for me I may add a longer seat post to pick up
about an inch of leg room and a set of riser bars that I have laying
around but that's something for a later time.
The old Rockhoppers current configuration.
Like the K2 I have a connection with
this bike, perhaps because it is the first rehab that I have done since
getting back into cycling or maybe I just like the idea of having an old
steel mountain bike to beat around on or loan out. I like the bike so
much that last spring I was selling another Specialized bike that I
rehabbed and on the test ride I rode with the guy that was buying the
Hardrock and I took this bike, in addition to buying the Hardrock that
he was test riding he offered me $200 for this bike and I turned him
down. Turning down a clean $200 for something that I have more fun time
than money into may not have been the best idea in the world but like I
said, there is something about this bike that I like.
I will update this page as things get added/taken away from this bike.
Cheers!
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