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425 Posts
So who out there has a vintage SJ? Last April I found a mint condition 1985 Stumpjumper on Ebay. It's museum quality, and I think I've waxed it more than I've ridden it. All original parts Suntour XC derailluers, shifters and pedals. Specialized hubs, headset, cranks, Saturae rims, Shimano cantilever brakes with Tomasselli levers. The only non original parts are the Specialized bullmoose bars, Specialized Enduro red grips, Specialized red bottle cage and Specialized Hemisphere tires. Too me, the bullmoose bars signify the golden age of the Stumpjumper, that's why I tracked down one, also on Ebay, and installed them. They remind me of my first two Stumpjumpers, a 1983 and a 1984. Both were stolen from me, the first in 1984 the second in 1986. Neither of them were ridden in the dirt, they were heavy street bombers as opposed to my touring road bike. I loved that 1984 SJ more than anything else, and was heart broken when I saw the Kryptonite lock that was supposed to protect it had been cracked open on Lafayette st. in the Summer of 1986 when I worked as a bike messenger in Manhattan. Inever got over the loss of that beautiful bike. When I found the 85 SJ on Ebay, I knew it was as close as I'd get to that 1984 SJ, so I had to have it. I only wish it had the biplane fork that my earlier SJ's had rather than the unicrown fork. 1985 was the year they went to the new fork and changed the frame just a little in the chain stays. I ride it only on nice days, and like it's grandfathers, it will never see the dirt. I have a totally reconfigured 1994 Rockhopper Comp I use for street riding, and a 1997 Stumpjumper M2 that Ihit the trails with. I am loyal to Specialized for life, they are the only bikes I will buy from now until my death.
