1997 Stumpjumper M2
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1997 Stumpjumper M2
I'm curious what the community would appraise this at. For the purposes of this thread let's presume it's all cleaned up, with new cables and grease, and I'd theoretically be posting it for sale in some vintage MTB specific group and be willing to ship it.
As it is I have plans to convert this to a drop bar dirt-tourer with a rigid fork. I figure I'll take it bike camping this summer, and if it doesn't jive I'll convert it back to original and sell it.
Deore LX 8-speed with XT rear derailleur, Avid 1D brakes, tires and saddle original, the whole bit. It's got no issues I could find, although admittedly I know nothing about suspension forks. A new elastomer kit is like $60 but I don't how to diagnose if it needs one or not. It sat in a basement collecting dust for god knows how long before I acquired it.
As it is I have plans to convert this to a drop bar dirt-tourer with a rigid fork. I figure I'll take it bike camping this summer, and if it doesn't jive I'll convert it back to original and sell it.
Deore LX 8-speed with XT rear derailleur, Avid 1D brakes, tires and saddle original, the whole bit. It's got no issues I could find, although admittedly I know nothing about suspension forks. A new elastomer kit is like $60 but I don't how to diagnose if it needs one or not. It sat in a basement collecting dust for god knows how long before I acquired it.
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Those were really fast and handled fantastic back in the day. It's still a capable MTB. I raced on a factory DBR (Diamondback Racing) and the DBR had a flexy rear triangle, but the Stumpjumper handled with more precision.
It's a real shame that those semi-vintage MTB's have faded out. I don't know if the vintage MTB collector crowd is after those.
It's a real shame that those semi-vintage MTB's have faded out. I don't know if the vintage MTB collector crowd is after those.
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Not a knock on the bike but I think most vintage MTB collectors like the rigid bikes better. And if you're looking for an offroad bike, this is an area where the technology has moved on.
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I don't think this Stumpy is a good bikepacking conversion candidate. As a XC race bike, it doesn't have many braze-ons for racks, fenders, etc. If I were you I'd find a rigid mtb from the late 80's to early -mid 90's as a base. The mid-range bikes will have braze-ons the high-end race bikes won't. If you size up on the frame you'll have more room for possible frame bags too.
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Those were really fast and handled fantastic back in the day. It's still a capable MTB. I raced on a factory DBR (Diamondback Racing) and the DBR had a flexy rear triangle, but the Stumpjumper handled with more precision.
It's a real shame that those semi-vintage MTB's have faded out. I don't know if the vintage MTB collector crowd is after those.
It's a real shame that those semi-vintage MTB's have faded out. I don't know if the vintage MTB collector crowd is after those.
I don't think this Stumpy is a good bikepacking conversion candidate. As a XC race bike, it doesn't have many braze-ons for racks, fenders, etc. If I were you I'd find a rigid mtb from the late 80's to early -mid 90's as a base. The mid-range bikes will have braze-ons the high-end race bikes won't. If you size up on the frame you'll have more room for possible frame bags too.
I'm also rebuilding an '86 Schwinn High Sierra, so I do have the proper bikepacking candidate of which you speak as well. 😁 (Yes, I'm hoping to do a lot of bike camping this summer. 😄 )
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As an aside, and before someone points it out, I have considered (and tried my best to calculate) how switching from this suspension fork (which is pretty low travel) to a non-suspension corrected rigid fork will change the angles of the rest of the bike. It should fall under half a degree, which, according to what I've read, is inconsequential. 👍🏻
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If the seat is set at your ride height, then the bike is likely too small for you regrettably. Its a medium frame (about a 17”) judging by the looks . Its quite nice to see one un-molested and in such nice shape though
others on here may disagree but my opinion based on top tube length is that the 90’s era hardtails (commonly with 23” and 23.5” top tubes with aggressive, short head tubes ) do not make as good a drop bar conversion as the older bikes. I have seen some slapped together builds with ridiculously tall short reach stems that try though, but your Schwinn may be a better candidate for this duty
but - my humble opinion only.
Your Stumpy is quite nice.
others on here may disagree but my opinion based on top tube length is that the 90’s era hardtails (commonly with 23” and 23.5” top tubes with aggressive, short head tubes ) do not make as good a drop bar conversion as the older bikes. I have seen some slapped together builds with ridiculously tall short reach stems that try though, but your Schwinn may be a better candidate for this duty
but - my humble opinion only.
Your Stumpy is quite nice.
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Very nice bike I would suggest keeping as is and riding it some before you make any changes. As said probably not a great drop bar rigid fork conversion candidate. Myself I would keep it intact and look for another bike to convert. Prices values on bike like this seem to be coming up a bit so you could probably sell this one for $400-500 to the right buyer plus shipping.
Last edited by zukahn1; 04-05-22 at 06:29 PM.
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Regarding your question about elastomers; there are two failure modes that I know of:
1-Bikes that are ridden hard and often tend to collapse the elastomers with time, so the crown-to-axle length becomes shorter with accompanying loss of travel. Your bike does not appear to suffer from this problem.
2-With the a passage of time (perhaps made worse by exposure to ozone or heat) elastomers can become stiff and unresponsive, making for less travel and a harsh ride. Your bike may be a candidate for this kind of degradation.
Brent
1-Bikes that are ridden hard and often tend to collapse the elastomers with time, so the crown-to-axle length becomes shorter with accompanying loss of travel. Your bike does not appear to suffer from this problem.
2-With the a passage of time (perhaps made worse by exposure to ozone or heat) elastomers can become stiff and unresponsive, making for less travel and a harsh ride. Your bike may be a candidate for this kind of degradation.
Brent
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