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Anyone own a Giant Prodigy or Specialized Hardrock?

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Anyone own a Giant Prodigy or Specialized Hardrock?

Old 05-09-20, 05:56 PM
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Pugs2xLove
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Anyone own a Giant Prodigy or Specialized Hardrock?

Anyone own a Giant Prodigy or Specialized Hardrock? Would either bike be worth buying to fix up? I'm still new to the bike world and looking to gain experience in doing basic bike maintenance so this would be a "project" bike. I do want a secondary/winter bike when the weather turns nasty and can't take out my Cannondale Quick. Current owner claimed they're both in good shape except the rear derailleur cable needs to be replaced - $95 for the Giant and $115 for the Specialized. Thoughts?!
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Old 05-09-20, 05:59 PM
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Originally Posted by Pugs2xLove
Anyone own a Giant Prodigy or Specialized Hardrock? Would either bike be worth buying to fix up? I'm still new to the bike world and looking to gain experience in doing basic bike maintenance so this would be a "project" bike. I do want a secondary/winter bike when the weather turns nasty and can't take out my Quick Disk. Current owner claimed they're both in good shape except the rear derailleur cable needs to be replaced - $95 for the Giant and $115 for the Specialized. Thoughts?!
Depending on the year (I'm going to guess early 90's) you could ask in the MTB forum or here in the C&V forum in its own thread. You're likely to be told "buy which one fits you best." Check old catalog scans for geometry, if you know your fit.

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Old 05-09-20, 07:23 PM
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Posts moved from C&V to their own thread in C&V Appraisals.
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Old 05-10-20, 04:55 AM
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I have a hard rock. Its getting some years on in and very solid. When the drive train dumps on me I am going to convert it to a 1x with drop bars. Its a nice rolling bike. I know I only paid something like $500 back in the day but its been trusty and smooth. I know its not worth much anymore but worth a bunch to me!
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Old 05-10-20, 08:11 AM
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I own several Hardrocks from the 90's. Heavy but solid and long lasting. A good bike to learn maintenance and rebuilding on.
Price all depends on the year and the condition.
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Old 05-10-20, 09:00 AM
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Thanks for the replies. Being a novice to bikes, can you tell me if replacing a rear derailleur is difficult and worth buying if the bikes are in good condition? I am just curious before committing.
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Old 05-10-20, 10:44 AM
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what is the group set? Might be a really cheap replacement....Ebay has a ton of stuff like that pretty reasonable. Be warned though if the rear is that bad there is probably more to fix/replace/repair than meets the eye.

Its a wear part in all truth but it can be a sigh of maintenance issues or lack of care.
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Old 05-10-20, 12:33 PM
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Originally Posted by sdmc530
what is the group set? Might be a really cheap replacement....Ebay has a ton of stuff like that pretty reasonable. Be warned though if the rear is that bad there is probably more to fix/replace/repair than meets the eye.

Its a wear part in all truth but it can be a sigh of maintenance issues or lack of care.
Echo on more to fix with a screwed up rear derailleur. The mode of failure will tell you where to look. Maybe it was dumped into the spokes (check spokes for nicks, loose spokes, out of true wheel) maybe it was trashed in a crash (hanger out of alignment, crash damage in other areas, derailleur mounting threads damaged).
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Old 05-10-20, 03:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Pugs2xLove
Thanks for the replies. Being a novice to bikes, can you tell me if replacing a rear derailleur is difficult and worth buying if the bikes are in good condition? I am just curious before committing.
So now the seller told you it's not the cable but the rd? Then I echo what the others have said. It could be more than an rd problem.
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Old 05-10-20, 03:59 PM
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Originally Posted by 2cam16
So now the seller told you it's not the cable but the rd? Then I echo what the others have said. It could be more than an rd problem.
Sorry I misread, it needs a rd cable. Looks like the seller's two bikes are needing same replacement. I won't know more until I contact seller if I decide to go forward.
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Old 05-10-20, 04:31 PM
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I own and ride a 89 Hardrock as a regular rider great bike but not super high end. Some pics would help as the Hardrocks veried a lot the 80's ones being nicer than the 90's during it's run they went from being really nice budget mid level with full chrom-mo frame with nicely thought copnents choices to keep perfomance and lower cost to semi junk cheaper aluinium. The nicest of the 80's ones could be worth $200 or bit more in very good ready to ride condition while one of the lesser 90's ones in rough shape needs work to ride would only be worth $75 oe less as said it is likely on of the lesser 90's bikes and needs more than the RD and cable .

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Old 05-10-20, 04:45 PM
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Still trying to figure out how to post links on this board.

https://desmoines.craigslist.org/bik...121517143.html

https://desmoines.craigslist.org/bik...121517003.html
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Old 05-10-20, 05:11 PM
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I would say pass on the Hardock nice bike but it likely needs a the drivetrain and fork replaced redone figure $200-300 this bike just isn't worth it. If your looking for something vintage to wrench on look for a nicer Japnese or Us built 80's hard fraeme.
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Old 05-10-20, 10:07 PM
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Originally Posted by Pugs2xLove
Looks like a mid 90's HR. Maybe a riveted steel chainring too. I'd also check the fork. If those are elastomers inside, they could be dead and brittle. Not really a fan of that era of HR's.
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Old 05-10-20, 11:22 PM
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The Hardrock is from around Y2K. I had one from 2002 with a hydroformed frame and similar, but black components, so this one is only a little earlier. It looks like a size large. The “elastomers “ in the fork are just bump stops. There was a style of fork in the mid 90’s that did clever things with cylinders of rubber, but this one just has a steel spring, not much to go wrong. This is a very standard bike and you can still buy brand new replacements for any of its parts. That’s not to say this example is worth any particular price.

i know less about the Giant except I can see it’s size tiiiiiny

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Old 05-11-20, 04:05 AM
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While there is definitely a size difference, it appears greater than actual because the Giant is a hybrid with 700C wheelset, whereas the Specialized is an ATB with 26" wheelset. Despite being older and a hybrid, if it fits, I think the Giant is the better value, though the front derailleur looks bent.
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Old 05-11-20, 08:18 AM
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I would actually pass on both seeing them both and looking closely at the pics. Most have all the same concerns I do, they look clean but both of these were economical bikes back in the day so they are spendy to fix up and the value isn't there.
Shifting concerns and both have suspension forks that will in all likely hood be well shot. Just not there for me. Just my opinion.
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Old 05-11-20, 06:31 PM
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Passing them up is the wisest decision in this scenario so onto the next CL deal lol. Thank you for all your inputs everyone.
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