After some years away, then my bikes getting stolen from storage while moving after divorce, I finally got the itch to get spinning again. Of all the bikes that were stolen, my SS/XC bike was the one I missed the most. Just plain fun to ride around town, hit the trails, dirt, urban, liquor store, exercise, was just plain fun to ride.
Found a '97 Specialized Rockhopper with a '98 Marzocchi Z1 BAM fork locally for about the cost of a tank of gas in my truck. Picked it up hours after it was listed. Immediately stripped the shifters, derailleurs, cranks, rear wheel (was a garbage single wall), bars and ridiculously long stem. Swapped in a gxp BB, Descent cranks, Mavic Crossride rear wheel, Ritchey WCS stem and Pro bars, lock-on grips and Rene Herse tires with TPU tubes. Ordered new seals for the fork, spun up a seal driver for it on the lathe and rebuilt it.
Only things left are refining various contact points, will replace the saddle, brake levers and maybe brakes, cables, housing, and getting clipless pedals for trail days. Loving this bike. Last picture is my SS/XC bike that was stolen.
by wraughn-burghandi
1 Comment
every bike counts. go do some wheelies for us.