83stumpjumper


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  • in reply to: My Heart is Broken, My Bike was Stolen #98032

    I had my 1984 Stumpjumper stolen in the summer of ’86. I’ve never gotten over the loss of that bike!
    Check CL and Ebay, but move on and buy a better bike now since you know you love to trail ride. Never leave it where you can’t physically touch it at all times!

    in reply to: Upgrades? #97702

    Nope, because the minute difference in weight wouldn’t make a difference in the quality of the ride. The old saying applies here, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. If you want to change components to make the bike look different, it’s the same as changing parts on a car for a different look. You’re not doing it for performance, you’re just trying to achieve a different look.That’s what I did. If people really want to change parts because they saw a certain pro using it on his bike, or it got great reviews in a magazine or website, that’s their business. They just shouldn’t be under the false impression it’s going to make them a better rider. Now if something breaks on the bike, or isn’t working the way it once did, by all means replace it with what ever you want. If you want to be faster, or climb hills quicker, get out and ride what you have.

    in reply to: Upgrades? #97700

    Nope. I made it clear that I changed those parts just for the look. In no way can any of those components make you a better rider. My brakes stop me, my derailluers shift sharp and smooth everytime, I would never change them. Everything works, that’s why I don’t need to spend money to replace them.

    in reply to: Upgrades? #97698

    Absolutely nothing wrong with my original seatpost, bars and stem. I changed them for a different look, not to enhance performance. To enhance my riding, I ride more.

    in reply to: Upgrades? #97694

    Too often people get caught up in wanting to have the latest and greatest on their bike. I say, if your current brakes stop you now, why spend money on new ones? Same thing for derailluers, if they shift you into the gear you want, when you need it, no point in buying a new one.

    I’ve been riding the same Stumpjumper since 1997, and the only changes I’ve made to it are seatpost, stem and bars. That was to have them all black. The reason I don’t buy a new bike is simple, my current one does everything I need it to. The bike is a tank! It’s never failed me.

    in reply to: Upgrades? #97692

    If I can steal a quote of sorts from cycling great Eddy Merckx, "To be a stronger rider, you don’t need to buy upgrades, but ride up grades". Remember, it’s the rider, not the bike!

    in reply to: Derailleur Question #97530

    No, that’s not normal. You should have it adjusted properly by yourt local bike shop. Was the derailluer, or hangar bent to cause this? Or has it always done that?

    in reply to: How do YOU remove grips from your bars? #97427

    I know it’s the opposite of taking grips off, but when putting them on, hair spray works great. It makes the bar slippery when first sprayed on, they it drys tacky to keep the grips in place. Just make sure you slide them on right after you spray the bars.

    in reply to: Switching from V- brakes to discs #96374

    Disc brakes are a lot more complex to maintain than V brakes. I’m willing to bet your V brakes stop you every time you use them. I know mine do. Disc brakes big advantage, I think, comes when you do stream crossings, and bombing down mountains. If you’re not doing much of those things when you ride, V brakes are just fine.

    in reply to: Tire Recommendations? #96139

    Specialized makes several tires that are good for street or trail. Most of them have a built in flat protection too.

    I’ve owned 5 Specialized bikes over the years. Starting in 1983 with a Stumpjumper. After it was stolen, I bought a 1984 Stumpjumper. It too was stolen in 1986. Ten years later I got a Rockhopper Comp and converted it to a street bike. It serves me well to this day. I have a 1997 Stumpjumper Comp that I rip through the trails with. It does everything I need it to, that’s why I never bought a newer one. Lastly, I have a museum quality 1985 Stumpjumper, my current favorite. It’s waxed more than it’s ridden, and it will never see the dirt.
    Any other bikes I buy from now until death will be Specialized.

    Specialized, Specialized, Specialized!!!!

    They were building mountain bikes when most of todays bike companies didn’t even exist. They have a deeped history of the sport than anybody else. The first production mountain bikes were built by Specialized, 30 years ago. They have enough models to cover everything from the beginner to the expert. There’s tons of great bikes out there, but Specialized has the history that nobody else can claim. For that, they get to wear the crown.

    in reply to: Vintage Mountain Bikes #94173

    The red bike in the top photos is my museum quality 1985 Stumpjumper. It’s all factory original parts, with the exception of the Specialized tires, bullmoose bars, grips and water bottle cage. I think I’ve waxed it more than ridden it. Found it last April on Ebay. I only wish it had the biplane fork. 1985 was the first year Stumpjumpers came with the new unicrown forks. This bike will never see the dirt! It’s a comfy street rider for local errands. I owned a 1983 and 1984 Stumpjumpers during those years, both were stolen by 1986. I never got over the loss of my 86 Stumpy, it was perfect. This is as close as I’ll ever get to it. I love the early Stumpjumpers, they wre true works of art back then, they still are today. Back then you had your choice of either the SJ or the cheaper SJ Sport. Sports still show up for sale on Ebay in various conditions and prices. A good condition Stumpjumper is very hard to find.

    in reply to: Is MTBing really all that "Green?" #94534

    I was thinking the same thing for the last few weeks! Unless you have a trail behind your house, you have to load the bike on to a car and drive to a trail. My closest trail is 8 miles away, my favorite trail is 24 miles away. So to get my rides in, I have to burn fuel to do so. Most road riders need only roll out their front door and start riding. They have us beat handily as far as being green. But I think we have more fun!

    in reply to: Eggbeater pedal problems? #93672

    I’m sure mine were a fluke, but that soured me on them. My old Ritchey’s are back in service, and doing just fine now. Pretty sure what I had were the Eggbeater 1’s.

    in reply to: upgrading my brakes #93955

    If you have brakes that already stop you, why spend the money on changing to disc? Unless you’re riding serious downhill or riding through a lot of streams, I don’t see the benefit. I have V brakes, and they stop me every time. They’re low maintenance and they work. How’s your derailuer working? Smooth? It would be a good investment to install Gore Ride On gear cables. They don’t get any smoother! I think that’s a better way to upgrade your bike, and cheaper too. My shifts are perfect every time.

    in reply to: so what was your first mountain biking outing #93832

    My first mountain bikes were 1983 and ’84 Stumpjumpers that I bought when I worked at a bike store during those summers. Both bikes ended up being stolen from me. The first because of my own negligence, the second, the real heart break, through a cracked open Kryptonite lock. Neither of these bikes ever saw the dirt. They were kept spotless and used as heavy street riders.
    It wasn’t until 1996, when I got a good deal on a new Fuji with a Manitou shock, that I discovered the joy of trail riding. A year later, I had upgraded to my original love, the Stumpjumper. I started expanding out into trails in other areas and states, including a ski mountain that earned me stitches in my elbow. 13 years later, and that ’97 Stumpjumper Comp still does everything I ask of it. All I’ve done is replace the fork, the tires twice, and a new bar and stem, but that was just for cosmetic reasons. It’s a solid bike that I’m sure will serve me well for years to come. As someone who rode marathons and long distance in my early teens,and that ain’t happening now, trail riding is the most fun I’ve ever had on a bike!

    in reply to: Eggbeater pedal problems? #93670

    I liked them, but have no confidence in them now. If I got another set, I’d be inspecting them after every ride, waiting to find a flaw. They really were good pedals, but they were an impulse buy when I saw them on sale for $40, there was nothing wrong with pedals I was using. The store took themback and gave me full credit, at the original price, not the lower price I paid. So I came out a little ahead in the end.

    in reply to: Eggbeater pedal problems? #93668

    Yes, it was the rubber plug on the crank arm side that had popped out. I was more concerned at how the pedal had binded up. Nothing should fail like that after 15 hours. While mine might have been a fluke, I lose confidence in a product when something like that happens. My Ritchey’s are back in place on the end of the crank arms now, and the cleats have been reinstalled on the shoes. I’ll just have to get used to that system again on my next ride. The Ritchey’s never needed maintenance, and they are still smooth after 13 years.

    in reply to: Right of way on hills? #93348

    My riding partner was unsure of who had the right of way on a hill. He was informed by another rider we were passing, that he should have yeilded to him on the hill. I was almost sure that was the case, but didn’t say anything. That’s why I turned to this forum, thanks for your thoughts.
    I know if I’m pulling myself up a hill, the last thing I want to do is stop half way up to let a guy passing down hill roll by. I hate walking up a hill unless I have to because of my own limitations!

    So we’re all in agreement then, let the guy trudging up the hill continue, down hill rider get out of up hill riders way. The exception being a down hiller bombing by at a speed that’s too fast to stop safely. Personally, I don’t think you should be going that fast unless you have a clear view of the trail ahead of you, and see there are no other riders.

    We all learn something from the more seasoned riders.

Viewing 20 posts - 1 through 20 (of 39 total)