My New $8 Rockhopper

Sun, 20 Mar 2005 04:02:57 GMT,
<[email hidden]>, maxo
<[email hidden]> concluded:
\snip

Quoted message said:

It's a size too small, so I'll have to buy a new seatpost--it's an inch
above the limit in the pic. Feels right though.

Eight dollar brand new Rockhopper. [does a little dance] 😄

picture:
http://photos5.flickr.com/6883710_4c3601909f_b.jpg

There's egg on the rings but at least it's the right colour!
--
zk

In article <[email hidden]>,

maxo said:

Freaky! I've been looking for an old hard-tail to make into a city beater,
but thought I'd spend a fifty on it and then have to spend another hundred
on fresh cables, tires, rack, and whatnot.

This is obviously Destiny at work.

Congrats on a great score. (Or, 2 great scores.)

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

Zoot Katz said:

There's egg on the rings but at least it's the right colour!

--

for an eighties bike I got lucky, some can be pretty hideous! (like my
black and hot pink Trek racer from '89)

I did forget how bizarre biopace rings feel--I'm a high cadence
singlespeeder for the most part, I'll have to halve my rpms on this sucker
to feel comfy. LOL

I did ride biopace during my two years of mountainbiking in the late
eighties so it's not a shock at least.

I do LOVE the old SIS shifters with friction up front and a choice of
friction/SIS rear.

In article <[email hidden]>,

maxo said:

I do LOVE the old SIS shifters with friction up front and a choice of
friction/SIS rear.

They're a lot nicer to replace cables in too, than the
(Shimano) GripShifts with the tiny, losable screws, on
my Norco Mountaineer. I've been thinking about moving
the SIS top-mounts off the old Bigfoot and onto the
Mountaineer, and dispensing with the GripShifts.

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

Sun, 20 Mar 2005 06:01:34 GMT,
<[email hidden]>, maxo

Quoted message said:

I did ride biopace during my two years of mountainbiking in the late
eighties so it's not a shock at least.

They're back!
http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/2005/probikes/?id=julich_csc_cervelo

(but 90 degrees off this time (again))
--
zk

In article <[email hidden]>,

maxo said:

Well, I think I've obliterated my thrift store record!

Today I got a Rockhopper Comp for 31 dollars, but found $23 in a secret
compartment in the tail bag. *grin*

It's a late eighties I think with full Deore, including hubs. Not a single
chip in the paint believe it or not. The drivetrain shows zero wear.

Quoted message said:

Eight dollar brand new Rockhopper. [does a little dance] 😄

picture:
http://photos5.flickr.com/6883710_4c3601909f_b.jpg

Congratulations! A first-rate find.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com
Verus de parvis; verus de magnis.

maxo said:

Well, I think I've obliterated my thrift store record!

Today I got a Rockhopper Comp for 31 dollars, but found $23 in a

secret

Quoted message said:

compartment in the tail bag. *grin*

Where did you say this thrift store was again?

Peter Cole said:

maxo said:

Well, I think I've obliterated my thrift store record!

Today I got a Rockhopper Comp for 31 dollars, but found $23 in a

secret

Quoted message said:

compartment in the tail bag. *grin*

Where did you say this thrift store was again?

Nashville, Tennessee, so you can imagine--99.9% of bikes at thrift shops
are X-mart bikes.

If I lived in a college town like Madison Wisconsin and its much higher
percentage of good thrift shop bikes--I'd probably have a herd of a few
dozen bikes --it's hard to say no, especially when you see a bike you
wanted in, say '86--and there it is for twenty bucks! :P

btw, it's cleaned up looking literally like brand new! I am removing the
hideous decals and the one on the bottom tube is being a pain. Any hints
other than a hair dryer & nailpolish remover?

"maxo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

btw, it's cleaned up looking literally like brand new!

What a fab bike! You are very lucky. What year is it? 1986?

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
Personal page: http://www.geocities.com/cpetersky/
See the books I've set free at:
http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

Claire Petersky said:

"maxo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

btw, it's cleaned up looking literally like brand new!

What a fab bike! You are very lucky. What year is it? 1986?

'88 first year of indexing Deore I believe. It's in the middle of the
Specialized lineup from that year, I wanted one in high school, but had to
settle for a Shogun Prairie Breaker. LOL.

The indexing works like a charm after a clean and a lube.

6 speeds is plenty for a guy that is used to riding a single.

Again, I must repeat, not a single scratch on the paint rims or anything.

I can't decide on whether to ride the thing in the woods or make it into a
utility bike...it rolls so sweetly on pavement with the 1.5 slicks, I just
need to hack four inches off the bars...

In article <[email hidden]>,

maxo said:

btw, it's cleaned up looking literally like brand new! I am removing the
hideous decals and the one on the bottom tube is being a pain. Any hints
other than a hair dryer & nailpolish remover?

Some folks like Goo Gone[tm]. I've never used it,
so I don't know if it might attack the paint.

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

Tom Keats said:

Some folks like Goo Gone[tm]. I've never used it, so I don't know if it
might attack the paint.

good stuff if you need it, but probably the scariest solvent I've ever
used--it's collection of lengthy carbon chains will give you a buzz you'll
never forget--wicked wicked fumes.

Might have to buy another can, or try another one of my least favourite
solvents, throttle body cleaner. Respirator recommended.

At least the decals weren't clear coated--the eighties were a bad era for
graphic design and I need all the help I can get.

aside: I took it for a little beer run this eve and was again
impressed--such a supple little ride, considering the compact frame, and
to be honest, I've never been a huge fan of indexed shifting (except off
road where it's a godsend), but those first generation Deore thumbshifters
are as good as it gets--up there with indexed bar-ends. Simple, not
"integrated" with anything, and straightforward.

In article <[email hidden]>,

maxo said:

aside: I took it for a little beer run this eve and was again
impressed--such a supple little ride, considering the compact frame, and
to be honest, I've never been a huge fan of indexed shifting (except off
road where it's a godsend), but those first generation Deore thumbshifters
are as good as it gets--up there with indexed bar-ends. Simple, not
"integrated" with anything, and straightforward.

Slightly undersized frames and sloping downtubes can be
convenient for times when you've gotta mount by stepping
through.

My rear der's thumbshifter has more clicks than the 6-speed
FW has sprockets. I never did get it set up to
2 clicks = 1 shift all across the spread (but I didn't try
all that hard.) Ended up having to count clicks. Shifting
from one of the sprockets to the next took 3 clicks instead
of 2. But it helped me keep track of where I was in the
shift pattern. Maybe it's supposed to be like that? I dunno.

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

maxo said:

Well, I think I've obliterated my thrift store record!

Today I got a Rockhopper Comp for 31 dollars, but found $23 in a secret
compartment in the tail bag. *grin*

It's a late eighties I think with full Deore, including hubs. Not a single
chip in the paint believe it or not. The drivetrain shows zero wear. The
rims are groovy dark anodized Saturae's (Specialized house brand with a
neat round shape)--again with zero brake pad wear.
Spokes seem to be Wheelsmith.

Tires are brand new 26x1.5" Panaracer slicks, the Blackburn rack appears
to be unused, with no wear marks.

Freaky! I've been looking for an old hard-tail to make into a city beater,
but thought I'd spend a fifty on it and then have to spend another hundred
on fresh cables, tires, rack, and whatnot.

It's a size too small, so I'll have to buy a new seatpost--it's an inch
above the limit in the pic. Feels right though.

Eight dollar brand new Rockhopper. [does a little dance] 😄

picture:
http://photos5.flickr.com/6883710_4c3601909f_b.jpg

That's my kind of shopping.

Great score!

Ron

"maxo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Claire Petersky said:

"maxo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

btw, it's cleaned up looking literally like brand new!

What a fab bike! You are very lucky. What year is it? 1986?

'88 first year of indexing Deore I believe. It's in the middle of the
Specialized lineup from that year,

Mine's an '88, too, and it has indexing. But I don't remember having that
cool paint job available.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
Personal page: http://www.geocities.com/cpetersky/
See the books I've set free at:
http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

Claire Petersky said:

"maxo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Claire Petersky said:

"maxo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

> btw, it's cleaned up looking literally like brand new!

What a fab bike! You are very lucky. What year is it? 1986?

'88 first year of indexing Deore I believe. It's in the middle of the
Specialized lineup from that year,

Mine's an '88, too, and it has indexing. But I don't remember having that
cool paint job available.

Cool paint job, oh dear! It really only looks good when I ride it with my
'flashdance' sweatshirt on.

LOL

maxo said:

Claire Petersky said:

"maxo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Sun, 20 Mar 2005 14:22:03 -0800, Claire Petersky wrote:

> "maxo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
> news:[email hidden]...
>
>> btw, it's cleaned up looking literally like brand new!
>
> What a fab bike! You are very lucky. What year is it? 1986?

'88 first year of indexing Deore I believe. It's in the middle of the
Specialized lineup from that year,

Mine's an '88, too, and it has indexing. But I don't remember having
that
cool paint job available.

Cool paint job, oh dear! It really only looks good when I ride it with my
'flashdance' sweatshirt on.

LOL

I had a Rockhopper in 86 and it had indexing (by this, I think you mean
"click shifting"😉. I still miss thumb shifters -- easy to use, light, and
cheap.

--
Bob in CT

Bob M said:

I had a Rockhopper in 86 and it had indexing (by this, I think you mean
"click shifting"😉. I still miss thumb shifters -- easy to use, light, and
cheap.

Maybe I'm thinking wrong--perhaps 88 was when they started coming with
full Deore group, which made the bike a really great value in its day.

My first MTB in 85 had bull moose handlebars and friction shift shimano. I
upgraded to some gorgeous and indestructable Suntour solid aluminum
thumbthifters with a micro-ratcheting mechanism. I wish I could recall the
model. :/

Yeah, the non integrated shifter really opens up all kinds of
possibilities when resurrecting an older mtb.

maxo said:

Bob M said:

I had a Rockhopper in 86 and it had indexing (by this, I think you mean
"click shifting"😉. I still miss thumb shifters -- easy to use, light,
and
cheap.

Maybe I'm thinking wrong--perhaps 88 was when they started coming with
full Deore group, which made the bike a really great value in its day.

My first MTB in 85 had bull moose handlebars and friction shift shimano.
I
upgraded to some gorgeous and indestructable Suntour solid aluminum
thumbthifters with a micro-ratcheting mechanism. I wish I could recall
the
model. :/

Yeah, the non integrated shifter really opens up all kinds of
possibilities when resurrecting an older mtb.

I still long for $500 or $800 bikes that are the value those were (of
course, now we have full or at least front suspension, which I'd much
rather have).

--
Bob in CT