2003 Specialized Hardrock

I would just like to share my thoughts on my new bike.

First and foremost I would like to thank all of those over at MTBR that donated parts and advice. You know who you are. I thank you so much for the help, I really appreciate it.

My current bike is a 2003 Specialized Hardrock. The bike has a nickname, Frankenbike, because it is made up of all kinds of mis-matched parts that were obtained either through barter or good friends sending me parts. The bike rides well, and works great.

The parts list:

• Frame – Aluminum “A1” Specialized Hardrock frame, 19 inch
• Fork – Rock Shox Judy TT fork, 3 inches of travel, with pre-load adjustment knob on the left side
• Brakes – Shimano XTR V-Brakes
• Brake Levers – Promax V-Brake levers
• Shifters – SRAM X5 9 speed trigger shifters
• Front Derailleur – Shimano Acera
• Rear Derailleur – SRAM X9
• Crankset – Shimano Alivio, 22t, 32t, 42t
• Bottom Bracket – Shimano sealed bearing, square taper
• Chain – SRAM 9 speed with Powerlink
• Cassette – Shimano XT, 12 – 34t
• Pedals – Generic
• Seatpost – Generic
• Saddle – SDG
• Handlebar – RaceFace Air Alloy
• Grips – Animal
• Stem – World Force
• Headset – WTB Momentum Comp ST
• Front Hub – GT
• Rear Hub – GT
• Rims – Speed Master
• Tires – IRC Mythos XC, 2.10 inch

Cockpit:

The cockpit is laid out very nicely. The trigger shifters take some getting used to as both levers on each shifter are operated with the thumb, so they have to be set at a certain angle. The riser bar has a nice up sweep, allowing my favorite upright riding position. I prefer the short stem, it just takes very little input for the bike to turn. The only thing I want to change are the grips. They tend to make my hands go numb.

Fork:

I think this is the first time I have owned a Rock Shox Judy fork. I have been told it’s a low end Judy fork. I have found this fork holds up to my weight and still offers 2 to 3 inches of travel. The fork has mounts for both V-Brakes and disc. The fork also uses the old school fork boots. I don’t have any complaints about the fork. I believe I may need to overhaul the fork sometime soon, it is showing signs that it needs work lately.

Drivetrain:

The drivetrain is a mix of SRAM and Shimano parts. I really like the SRAM X9 rear derailleur. the x9 changes gears on the 9 speed Shimano XT 12-34 cassette with precision. I have never had a Shimano rear derailleur shift as well. This may be due to the 1:1 actuation ration of the shifter and derailleur, or the fact that the rear derailleur mount point to the bike does not move at all and the cage does. Shimano derailleurs pivot at the point were they attach to the bike. The shifters take some getting used to. The upshift lever works like any other shifter, by pressing the lever in with the thumb to shift, and it swings horizontally. The downshift lever sits behind the upshift lever, is also operated by the thumb, but pivots vertically, up and down. I find it a hassle sometime to get my thumb in there to down shift. If I was to switch to any other shifter setup it would be a Grip Shift setup. The crank is a Shimano Alivio crank, attached to a Shimano square taper bottom bracket. The chainrings are not original to this crank save the middle 32t chainring. The 44t and 22t are from parts donated. The front derailleur is also Shimano. I have a SRAM front derailleur as well, but it will not fit on this bike, and I did try it at one point, but the inner plate will not clear the 32t chainring when trying to shift up to the 44t chainring. Front shifting is spot on although it took a lot of work to get dialed in correctly. This is one of the few bikes I have owned with a 27 speed drivetrain, and thanks to the 34t cog on the rear and the 22t chainring on the front this bike does climb very well.

Brakes:

The bike has Shimano XTR V-Brakes. These brakes are some of the most powerful brakes I have ever used. They feature “Parallel Push” technology. Basically they have a small arm that attaches between the mounting post and the brake pad pivoting mount. The brake pad is fixed to the pivoting mount. All of this works to make the pads go straight in and out instead of hitting the rim at an angle. See the pictures I have attached to this article. The brakes work extremely well, I have no complaints. They consistently surprise me with the power they offer.

Rims, Tires:

The rims on this bike came off an old GT I-Drive bike. Not sure about the brand, all they say is Speed Master on them. When I first got them they were so out of true I had to have them professional trued. So far they have remained true, near perfect even with all of the riding I do. The rims are a bit heavy. The rear hub has an authoritative audible click when the freewheel is spinning.  The tires are IRC Mythros XC tires, 2.1 inch. These tires have a folding beam. I’ve never had a tire with a folding beam. The tire’s sidewalls seem to be made of a thin rubber because the tire will slide back and forth while I am riding the bike even at high pressures. This sensation can be quite disturbing while taking hard corners or climbing in the saddle.

Final Thoughts:

This is an awesome bike. It is made even more awesome and better because I ride parts that were given to me graciously. So far, at the time of this writing, I have put nearly 100 miles on the bike. I find myself climbing in a higher gear than usual, and cruising in a higher gear than usual. I don’t know if it’s the gearing or the fact that I love riding this bike. It may be made up of parts from many different sources, and the parts on it may look like they belong to several different bikes, but it rides great.

Thank you MTBR members!!