So I was recently given a 1992 Specialized Rockhopper from a good friend I met over at MTBR.com. This bike may be old and not worth reviewing. However it rides great and I wanted to share my thoughts on how it handles the trail. I am very grateful for this bike, and have taken it on plenty of rides.
A special thank you to my friends over at MTBR for this gift. Thank you!
- Frame & Fork – CroMoly frame, CroMoly Direct Drive ridged fork
- Brakeset – Shimano cantilever
- Shifters – SRAM Gripshift
- Front Derailleur – Shimano Exage 400 LX
- Rear Derailleur – Shimano Exage 400 LX
- Crankset – Shimano Exage 400 LX Biospace
- Pedals – Generic
- Bottom Bracket – Shimano sealed bearing (Square Taper)
- Rear Cogs – Shimano 7 speed cassette
- Chain – Shimano HG
- Seatpost – Generic
- Saddle – Specialized
- Handlebar – Bontrager
- Stem – Generic
- Headset – 1″ Threaded
- Hubs – Shimano Exage
- Rims – Specialized
- Tires – Panaracer Smoke
I have forgotten how it feels to ride a cromoly frame. Riding on aluminum over the last decade or so has made me forget how light cromoly rides and how fun a lighter bike can be. I’m also riding without a suspension fork. I feel it is making me a better rider as with my weight all the forks I owned never worked as they should. Besides simplicity is best. Here’s a few thoughts about the bike:
Cockpit:
I must say this bike is very old school. I thought at first it would not suit me to ride old school. I was so very wrong. Old school seems to suit me much better than some of the new school bikes I have ridden. The cockpit consists of Grip Shift shifters, and Shimano brake levers. The front brake cable runs through the stem. The guy that tuned up my bike before giving it to be included a riser bar. I never have been a really big fan of cantilever brakes. These ones work really well. The shifters work as they should, nice loud clicks when switching gears. I must also point out that this bike is one of the few that I have owned where the front shifting is spot on and painless. The only thing I wish I had was a shorter stem.
Fork:
What can I can about the fork? It is a rigid front fork. It handles the trail well and it very stiff. It actually brings back memories of some of the old bike I have ridden that had the same type of fork. Stiff, light, and simple to use.
Drivetrain:
To be honest I had never heard of Shimano Exage 400 LX components until I seen them on this bike. I have seen other older Shimano components. This drivetrain just rocks. The shifting is spot on. I never find myself trimming the from derailleur just to get it to shift, it just shifts perfectly every time. The rear derailleur shifts as it should and keeps the chain tensioned. The crank has Biospace chainrings. I am not sure what the big deal was about the rings. They pedal well and shift well. Not bad for twenty year old components.
Brakes:
Shimano centerpull cantilever brakes. Not as powerful as V brakes or disc, yet they do work very well. At first I had little faith in these stoppers. After running down a fire road on a local trail I have more faith in these brakes. They squeal a bit every now and then. Overall they perform well, they stop me when I need to stop and slow me down when I need to trim speed.
Rims, Tires:
The rims on this bike were made by Specialized. The hubs are Shimano Exage hubs. I’ve ridden the bike pretty hard and the rims are staying true. Really impressive considering I’m a Clydesdale. I’m running Panaracer tires front and read. The front is a bit bigger then the rear at 2 inches wide while the rear is 1.8 inches wide. I haven’t lost any traction while climbing, they do very well off road and while riding the street.
Final Thoughts:
This is an awesome bike. Nice and light, it glides over the trails. It is a thrill to ride and has brought the joy back to riding for me. I am very grateful to those who gave me the bike. Here’s to many more long days out on the trail. Thank you!!
UPDATE: Sadly this bike was stolen recently. The loss of the bike has been tough to deal with. Hopefully the bike will be recovered.
Tags: Bike Review, Mountain Biking, RockHopper, Specialized
Kona's Weblog 
September 16, 2012 at 11:34 AM |
Hi – I just peeked at your blog following the link from your sig in fedora forum. I’m familiar with this because I had back then a Raleigh which had a just perfect frame and the derailleurs were 300LX at front and 400LX at the back. The 400LX was very good (the top was the 500LX I think). The ‘Biospace’ chainrings are slightly ellipsized so theoretically they would compensate for the different speed while pedalling (faster in vertical sense and slower in horizontal sense). I think it probably just didn’t make much, if any, difference. I was never a mountain biker but I journeyed 3000 KM once with it here in Brazil. Back then the bikes were great and the first ‘performance’ components were *really* sturdy. Then gradually they became lighter. But my life took other directions and I didn’t follow up with bikes much after the 90’s.
September 16, 2012 at 1:00 PM |
I’ve heard that the Biospace chainrings help with power. Something about a dead spot at the top of the pedal stroke. Biospace was supposed to cure that. Thanks for the comment.
November 17, 2012 at 10:32 PM |
Where is the picture of the bike?
November 17, 2012 at 11:19 PM |
I’ve uploaded a picture, thanks!
April 25, 2013 at 10:23 PM |
Sorry it was stolen. I own this same bike, with the addition of a spring action neck, to take away some of the downhill vibrations. This bike rocks. I take it up and down my local 4k foot Mt Diablo. For 20 year old tech it does it’s Job well.
Although I recently changed out the crank and sprockets for a true round set. As the stock set is oval, it’s not to good for your hips and lower back. plus I prefer cranks 1.5 inches shorter than this.
November 6, 2013 at 3:34 PM |
Hi guys. I have a very early Rockhopper Comp., colors white in front, and blue in back. The fork is black, not white. Any body know if some Rockhopper Comps. came with a black fork instead of the common white one? It’s year is around 1988. Thanks! Rene.
August 6, 2017 at 1:45 AM |
I bought this same bike back in 1992 and I still have it. It was my first non-department store bike. I have really enjoyed it and still ride it. Mine came with a straight handlebar and push button shifters. I put a Brahma bar on it, which is curved on the ends like a bull horns, instead of adding bar ends. It allows me more choice in riding positions. I recently replaced the worn out shifters with Altus levers/triggers. The derailleurs are still in great shape. I put a Specialized Future Shock on it in 1994 and it has held up fairly well. I just have to check the air once a month. I hope you found a good replacement. I have had my share of bicycles stolen despite my best efforts to thwart thieves. Thanks for your thorough review. I enjoyed it.