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!!

 

 

1997 Specialized Ground Control

Tax return season is here so I pulled the trigger on a new bike. At first I was looking at buying a 2014 Motobecane. However, after buying a few other things I decided it would suffice to just get a good used bike. So I ended up buying a 1997 Specialized Ground Control Comp. Considering the price I paid I got this bike, and all of the excellent parts on it, for a steal. Thank you Craigslist! This is just my 3rd or 4th full suspension bike I have owned. I’m not a big fan of full suspension, but I can see where it’s has it’s advantages. One of the biggest trade offs for not buying a new bike was disc brakes. However, considering that these days my mind is more about the ride and not the bike I ride, I really don’t miss having disk brakes.

• Frame – Aluminum “A1” Specialized Ground Control frame, Horst link dropouts
• Fork – Rock Shox Indy XC fork, 2 to 3 inches of travel, with pre-load adjustment knobs
• Shock – RST coil shock, Fox 500 pound spring, 2 inches of travel
• Brakes – Promax Vee-Brakes
• Brake levers – Shimano LX Servo-Wave levers
• Shifters: Shimano Deore LX 8-speed SIS trigger shifters
• Front Derailleur – Shimano Deore LX, top swing, top pull
• Rear Derailleur – Shimano XTR
• Crankset – Shimano, 22t, 32t, 42t
• Bottom Bracket – Shimano sealed bearing (Square Taper)
• Chain – Shimano HG
• Rear Cogs – Shimano 8 speed cassette
• Pedals – Generic
• Seatpost – Specialized
• Saddle – Selle Italia
• Handlebar – Azonic
• Grips – ODI lock-on Ruffian grips
• Stem – Kona
• Headset – Cane Creek
• Front Hub – Shimano STX-RC
• Rear Hub – WTB
• Front Rim – Sun AT-18
• Rear Rim – Ritchey Rock WCS (I have a match Sun AT-18 for the rear, however it needs an overhaul)
• Tires – Panaracer Fire XC Pro, 2.1″

Cockpit:

The cockpit is laid out beautifully. The handlebar is the widest handlebar I have ever used. The stem is on the shorter size, and I have always preferred shorter stems over the traditional longer ones that were popular in the nineties. The trigger shifter were almost completely froze when I got the bike, I used some bike lube to get them working again, and for good measure I added some grease so they would not seize up again. They seem to be working OK with clean and crisp clicks that come from pulling or pushing the triggers. The only issue is the gear indicator on the left side is a bit lazy, not sure how to fix that. In the long run I would like to switch over to GripShift as I prefer GripShift over triggers. The Servo-Wave levers are unique in design, and the design allows the levers to be pulled very little while at the same time applying a great amount of force to the brake set for stopping. Much better design than standard levers. I was happy to see the bike came with ODI lock-on grips. I usually add these grips to all of the bikes I buy. Easy on and off. I will have to find a set of ODI grips for the GripShift when I do that upgrade in the near future.

Fork:

I have never been a big fan of the Rock Shox Indy series of forks. With all of the other forks available in 1997, many being better quality, I have no idea why this fork was chosen to be on this bike. A Rock Shox Judy would have been a better choice. The fork is in decent shape for it’s age. Sure it has scratches and tears on the Rock Shox stickers down both legs, but I figure every bike has scars to show for it’s use so it does not bother me. The fork runs smooth, does a good job on trail chatter as well as it can given the fact it is a short travel fork. The only issue I had with the fork so far is the brake boss came out when I took out the brake. I had to buy a new brake boss. The pre-load dials work as they should, and the fork seals are still in good shape.

Shock:

I don’t really know what to make of the shock or rear suspension at all. I’m a Clydesdale so rear suspension, especially this setup with only 2 inches of travel and a 500 pound spring, does little to mute rear wheel trail chatter. It beats a hardtail, even with minimal travel. I think a better spring, like a 800 pound spring, may yield better results for my riding. No issues with the shock itself, it works as it should without any mechanical issues. I would think a replacement would be hard to find seeing it has a unique mounting system.

Drivetrain:

Think of these words. Shimano, Deore, LX, and XTR. You would think with components at this level I would get smooth shifting. Nope. I haven’t quite figured it out yet, but it seems the rear derailleur likes to ghost shift on an 8 speed setup. Either the hangar is bent in some way I can’t quite see to fix or the LX shifters don’t like the LX front changer and XTR rear changer. The is the first bike I have had XTR on. So far I’m impressed. However I have rode with SRAM’s XO group, and I must say the XO group is a bit better at shifting. I think I may need to replace the cassette and chain. That should solve the issue. Overall the drivetrain is in good shape.

Brakes:

Well there is something to appreciate in good old set of vee-brakes. Easy to setup, low maintenance, minimal weight. The only bad side is poor stopping performance in the wet weather and having to true the rims more than usual to keep the system going. Eventually I would like to see a set of Avid brakes on the bike. However, for now, the Promax brakes do a splendid job. I spent a great deal of time setting them up properly. The rear rim is a bit out of true, but is near perfect, and I still got the rear brake set up to offer plenty of stopping power without rubbing. Thank goodness these brakes are not like the old center pull setups. Easy to dial in. The brakes work very well with the levers. controlling speed is no issue. However, even after all the good things I have said about these brakes, if I could I would opt to install a good set of Avid BB7 disc brakes, or a set of hydraulic disc brakes.

Rims, Tires:

The bike came with a matching set of Sun AT18 rims with Shimano STX-RC hubs. The rear hub needs to be overhauled and trued, so I pushed a Ritchey/WTB wheelset I had into service. I might just keep it this way as the rear rim has a beefier gauge spoke compared to the Sun rim. The bike came with my favorite tires, Panaracer Fire XC pro, in a 2.1 inch size. It would have been a bit sweeter if these were the Fire XC pros with the red sidewalls, would have added some flair to the bike. However I like the tires because of the aggressive tread pattern. My trails can get really muddy some times of the year.

Final Thoughts:

This bike is one sweet ride. It’s on the lighter side for a XC full suspension mountain bike. I have replaced the cables, so now I need to take it out and break those cables in. As I said earlier I wish it had GripShift, but that’s easy to fix. For some reason the late 90’s bikes seem to suit my style of riding best. They also seem to be built better than newer bikes. I am quite happy with this bike, here’s to many years together on the trails!!

Pictures:

1992 Specialized Rockhopper

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.