15 year old Rockhopper worth buying?
 

A local seller a Specialized Rockhopper Comp XL with a Manitou fork for sale. It looks clean and well maintained.
Are these worth getting or is the geometry seriously outdated?
I would just be doing mild trails and/or gravel.
Would a different bike be better?

For light trail use and gravel it won't be bad, only thing I would look for is if the manitou is in need of a rebuild/refresh from 15yo seals, if its just a spring fork that might not be an issue either. An old MTB this age/quality. Modern MTBs do have a better geometry and better wheel size IMO, but the geometry will still be as good as it was at the time and just fine for gravel riding. Tire selection in the size is becoming an issue but high quality wheels are easy to find affordably on ebay. Cost, which you don't mention, will heavily influence how good a value it really is.

He is asking $125.00. He said it had just been tuned up and has like newSpecialized Nimbus Armadillo tires and Shimano Diore XT drivetrain.
I really have no idea if those are good. I also don’t know the weak parts of a mtb. Hubs?

I have an old Gary Fisher Napa that I guess I could use. I just don’t like the cruiser handlebars or the shock-like seat post. It would probably cost more to update it than it’s worth and I would still have an old bike. I bought it years ago and really didn’t know anything about bikes then.

Those are good things. XT is shimano's second from the top groupset, only thing better is XTR. The tires are probably great for commuting, Spec Armadillos in my experience tend to be fairly heavy and dead feeling but the trade off is something that has incredible puncture resistance. They'll be fine for any paved sections you ride but for gravel you'll want something totally different, but you'll have to really look at your riding and decide what. There are options like the Vittoria Mezcal that has a continuous center tread that will ride better on pavement/gravel while still being a decent MTB tire. Hubs are cassette on this bike, not much of a weakness, just need to be cleaned and greased from time to time. At the price its a bargain.

While the geometry is pretty outdated by modern MTB standards. it will be fine for mild trails. And even not-so mild trails. And if it is in good shape, its worth $125.

Its all about condition, though. 15-year old MTB could be pretty ragged. Especially the fork.

Also, those tires are fine for gravel, but not really meant for trail riding. More like commuter tires.

I have my Roubaix for pavement. I have some friends that say I am missing out on some fun.

IMO, if it's in good condition buy it even if you need to invest in off road tires. As far as geometry goes, I like the older steeper head tube, better than the newer slack design, but everybody is different.

It would probably be a 29er and the Manitou wouldn't be original if it was a 2008 according to the specs, At least that is what it looked like when I looked up that model for 2008 (15 years old). So probably not a weird tire size and who knows how old the fork is. It could be newer or older than the bike.

I have a similar vintage hardtail and it isn't a bad ride. I also have a new fully suspended bike, but still enjoy the hardtail sometimes. Too bad the tire choice on this hardtail is what it is. Still for the price if it is in decent shape...

He isn’t sure what year it is. He guessed about 15 years old. He did say it has 26” wheels.
If this is just a so-so price I will pass.
Maybe I will run across something better later.

Honestly, IF it is in really good shape, $125 plus the money for some better tires is a good deal for a trail worthy bike. Really, $125 is practically free in the context of a trail worthy bike from this century.

I stopped working at a shop that sold Specialized in 2006 so I don't have exact knowledge but I did look up what it should have before I answered, in 2008 it does appear there was both options, a Rockhopper comp, and a Rockhopper comp 29er, wouldn't surprise me as 29ers were coming out but there was uncertainty about how the masses would receive them. Since the specialized website referred to the model as having 29er in the name and the OP didn't I assumed that it was left out due to it being a 26" wheel. Should it be a 29er, I would hop all over it in a heartbeat at that price.

The seller said it had 26” wheels.

If it’s in good shape go for a test ride. You’ll know. If you get you'll be the vintage guy.

It’s sold.

No surprise, it was a good deal.

How about a 2010 Stumpjumper for $100?

$100 for a real mtb is basically free. Question is how much work the bike needs. And for $100 I would expect it needs a LOT of work unless the seller is cluless or the bike is stolen.

Don’t expect a well functioning trail bike at the prices you are looking at here.

I would buy it. I'm always looking for deals like that. But I am old. My days of blasting around in single track trails are behind me.