1993 Specialized Rock Hopper Comp

I am still not sure what I was thinking.  I followed this bike for a couple weeks on CL and maybe it was the color/decals combo or my yearning to make a late 80s/early 90s MTB work for me but when it was approaching 3 weeks on CL I made an offer and after some back and forth agreed on $65.

To their credit the seller, who was selling the bike on behalf of a boss who had left it behind, noted in the ad that not all the gears worked.  He did make it sound, however, like most gears worked and only a few didn't, the reality is a few work and most don't lol.  The front shifter is fine but in the rear I can only move back and forth between the 4,5 and 6 cogs so its effectively a 3x3.  That should make test ridding it interesting, I haven't yet because I picked it Monday evening and woke up Tuesday with a cold I have been fighting for the rest of the week.  I did do an extensive WD40 flush of the rear shifter but it has made zero difference.

Another gotcha was that the drive side crank had no bolt!  I had noticed something odd in the CL photos but forgot to look when I arrived as I was thinking about stuck stems and seat posts which were fine.

Fortunately not only did I have a spare crank bolt in the parts bin but its just about a perfect match, that issue is resolved.

In addition to the paint and decals being in good shape for their age the bike has full Shimano Deore LX components, not as high zoot as XT but nice stuff.

The wheels are stock, and matching, Specialized rims laced to Deore LX hubs, and the tires while not what I would pick are not dry rotted and are a robust 26x1.95 size and will certainly do for test riding the bike.

If I decide this bike is a keeper then I think I got a decent deal, if I decide to pass it on I may have to spend at least $25 on a basic pair of Shimano 3x7 shifter brake levers to get the shifting working again.  I have a few ideas about what to do if I keep it. but it needs to be ridden to see how the fit and feel are.  I am toying with the idea of riding it as clunker challenge bike # 2 in all its 3x3 geared glory.  It might fun, challenging and certainly would give me a feel for whether I like the bike.

Ride. Smile. Repeat.