Ryno317

Hi everyone,

I have been searching for a bike to go out and ride some rail trail's and the occasional off-road dirt trail's with loose gravel. So I came across a Specialized Hardrock 19" w/ silver and red paint scheme, listed as a 2000 model. I did some research and from what I have read it was supposed to have a front shock Rock Shox Jett S, the one pictured does not, just a solid fork and the paint matches. So I doubt it was replaced. Is it a 2000 model or another year? I just want to know, so when I go to research parts or sizes, I'm looking at the correct sizes for the model I have.

Also it has grip shifters and I would like to swap them out to regular shifters, is this do-able? Anything else I should be aware of or check before purchasing?

Thanks

Kapusta

Who knows what particular model you have (picture would help) but it is best to figure out the parts you need as it comes up. Who knows if in the past 20 years some things have been changed on the bike.

As far as the shifters:
How many speeds is this (front and rear)
What brand and model is the shifter? How about the rear derailleur? Again, pics will help if you don't know.

Darth Lefty 

yeah, not enough info.

I had a 2002 Hardrock and it was good enough.

70sSanO

I don’t have an answer, but I think it came with a suspension or steel rigid fork. Considering it was on the lower end of the models, it is more likely that the fork is original.

Regardless, it is actually a good thing. I would be surprised at almost 20 years of riding an original Jett would still work. Forks wear out and parts for old forks aren’t readily available and there are few new ones to fit your old head tube size.

And for your riding ia rigid fork shouldn’t be an issue.

John

Ryno317

Sorry, I'm to new to post pictures yet. From the looks of it, it's a 3x7 with Shimano components, Acera front derailleur, cant see the rear. It looks pretty stock to me, only upgrade I see is a set of bear trap type of pedals.

Thanks for the replies.

Darth Lefty 

Very, very likely any Shimano 3x7 or 3x8 shifter pod set will work fine. Back to your size question, 19" is a large. Mine was that size and was always a little too big for me at 5ft8.

You can post pics in your album and we can link them but you've only got two more posts to go til you can take care of yourself. I'm seeing photos of Hardrocks as late as 2000 with rigid forks. Seems like 2000-2001 was a transition year when they introduced the aluminum frame at the top build but still had steel frames below. By the time I bought mine in early 2002, this option was gone. Here's a googled-up example:

Ryno317

Pics added to Album, thanks for the great idea.

i'm 5'10, so a 19" frame should be ideal for me. But I haven't bought it yet, so I can still test ride it and see how it feels. I will want to upgrade to a 1x, so that should bring new shifters, right?

Kapusta

Whoa! That is one unique stem/steerer/headset setup. Never seen that before. Looks like a threaded headset/steerer with a threadless stem. And why is that stem sitting on the steerer all crooked like that? Looks like it was all designed that way. So that top cap bolt might not be what was saying it was.

Have you tried loosening the bolts on the side?

Ryno317

I haven't purchased it yet, and I haven't been able to see it yet, these are the pictures from the Ad. I did notice the top cap looking alittle off, but just thought it was something unique to Specialized.

70sSanO

It would be interesting to know the brand of that stem. I don’t think it is Specialized, but it almost looks like an early attempt, (poorly executed?), at a multi-set type stem that Specialized does make.

It possibly could still be a quill with the top dome rotating and and the side bolts locking the stem angle in place. But I’ve never seen anything like it either; and not sure how it works.

John

Edit added: That logo does look like a Specialized “S” in the center.

c_m_shooter

That is just an old quill to threadless adaptor. The top cap bolt is offset because the wedge bolt would be in the way if it was centered. That isn't a 2000 model bike, more likely mid 90's. Doesn't matter really, they were decent bikes as long as it isn't worn out.

Fibber

Wow, I pulled a Specialized HardRock from the 'recycle' corner of the town X-fer station last week, and have this bike's cousin (post #8 above). The identical odd looking angled offset threadless steerer. At first I thought it was some kind of owner threaded-threadless conversion, but all the parts have the stylized "S" on them and the same round stickers as shown above, so now I'm thinking it was either original equipment or a factory kit field upgrade??

Otherwise, it looks pretty 1999'ish.
Cr-Mo steel frame, Black & Silver with identical color transitions & fonts
Jett RockShox front suspension
3x7 Shimano drivetrain.

I'll try to get a picture up later today. I pulled the wheels for some repairs, so the frame is still sitting outside. I was going to do some basic restoration in preparation for donating it to the local bike advocacy group, but the steerer/bars really have me scratching my head as to what this is. And why does the center cap on the stem say Low-Hi? Can you change the angle?

Fibber

Ah! Look what I found on a search! Identified as a year 2000 model.

Fibber

I particularly liked the seat stay sticker pronouncing that the frame was "Designed on Sun Microsystems" hardware (same as shown in the photo above). Does it take a supercomputer to optimize a rather basic bicycle style geometry?

Fibber

Inquiring minds had to know.... An overnight soak with some Kroil and disassembly revealed:

A conventional threaded headset at it's core, with a 1" steerer bore.

A Specialized by Kalin brand 25.4mm (1 inch) quill insert with a wedge bolt, with a 10 degree offset in the 1 1/8" upper half to where the handlebar stem bolts on. So you can add or subtract 10 degrees to the riser stem's 20 degree set angle. A small notch at the base guarantees alignment in only two positions (+/- 10 degrees). Interesting.....

I guess it added an air of modernity and adjustability to a late 1990's bicycle that was somewhat rare in this price point.

Darth Lefty 

In the Nineties? Haha, yeah for sure. Not to optimize, but to manufacture. One frame might seem simple but that's not what is going on here. It might not all be true, but it's implying that all the fixtures, butting, hydroforming molds, tube mitering, robot welding, paint and decals, for all the models and all the sizes, boxes and crates, component spec and keeping them all in just in time stock, and so much else are all using the same CAD, also carrying all the information to the factory floor that used to be on drawings and in manufacturing planning.

Fibber

I don't think so... IIRC, Sun was not a top choice for manufacturing floor management systems. There were much better options.

I did for a while have a Sun system for microchip CAD files interfaced to a nanometer-precise stage as part of a prototyping system. That they were good at. Design bicycle frames? Meh....