Specialized Hardrock 1998... *Updated 30-1-10*

jpstar

Frame: Specialized Hardrock 1998
Forks: Specialized rigid forks
Bars: Bikehut flat alloy
Stem: Specialized fast fit
Headset: Not sure
Grips: Revel red
Bar Ends: Decathlon aluminium

Front Brake Lever assy: Promax linear pull
Front Caliper: Promax Vee-brake
Front disc: N/A
Rear Brake Lever assy: Promax linear pull
Rear Caliper: Promax Vee-brake
Rear Disc: N/A
Hoses: N/A


Shifters: SRAM X4
Cables: Transfil Black Snake gear cables
Front Mech: Acera-X
Rear Mech: SRAM X4
Chain Device: N/A

Seat: Specialized Softlite
Seat Post: Aluminium micro-adjust
Seat Post Clamp: Specialized

Cranks: Specialized strong arm 24/34/42
Chain: KMC X8
Cassette: SRAM PG830
Pedals: White DMR V8's
Bottom Bracket: Unspecified

Front Wheel:
Rim: Mavic XM317
Spokes: ACI Stainless steel
Hub: Deore
Tube: Michelin C4
Tire: Michelin Country Mud

Back Wheel:
Rim: Mavic XM317
Spokes: ACI Stainless steel
Hub: Deore
Tube: Michelin C4
Tire: Michelin Country Mud

Weight: 26/7?

Other info: Blue components are the original ones. Red are ones that have been replaced since August 2008.

Whytepeak

Cool bike...

What type of steel is the frame?

jpstar

Err I think its Chromoly although I'm really not too sure.
and cheers....

clarkson

wow, that is actually really quite light!!

Really like the fact you're still riding an old rigid bike, and not being pushed into this 'newer is better' malarky.

jpstar

clarkson
Cheers mate, it's more that I'm not being pushed, it's more "it's what I have"
Was bought in the thought "I can do that up" and been doing it slowly replacing bits that break with better bits.
I actually love the fact that it's a steel rigid, just seems to give it "character" if I'm honest, not to mention the fact when you over take people they look at you funny...

jpstar

Yay for christmas, means the bike has had a fair few new parts fitted with more to come as I buy them in. But for now heres the brand new spec list:

New bits include:

SRAM X4 Shifters


SRAM X4 Mech


SRAM PG820 Cassette


Revel Grips


Michelin Country Mud tyres for the winter season.

Also some Transfil Black Sanke Gear cables.

The tyres grip really well from what I have riden, the shifters, mech and cassette work very well. The chain I'm a bit iffy about as I had it snap on the maiden voyage to a friends house. But its been fixed now and seemed to work ok on the last ride I went on.

Still need some pictures of the bike itself, but had a test ride the other day and it works fantastically. Completely different feel to it. Tempted to get new wheels for it eventually or maybe Hrydraulic rim brake seeing as how there are no disc brake bosses unless anyone has any ideas?

Joe

freeride-mike

a mate had hydraulic rim brakes on his GT RTS back in the day and tbh i didnt find them any better than a well set up v brake!

IMO i wudnt bother instead maybe look for some XT / XTR v's 8)

jpstar

haha Thanks, might look into those.

jpstar

Ahhh finally got my crappy little resin pedals off with the use of a very long pole attached to a spanner took some grunt but it was fantastic to final see some movement after over a year of the things.
So I promptly went out to the LBS to get some DMR V8's in originally black, but there weren't any so I settled for white
Can't wait to ride them, the feel so much more grippy and confident than the plastics.


Lovely

jpstar

Going to replace the bottom bracket and crankset, looking at this = http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain-bike-chainsets/shimano-deore-590-chainset.html
Worth it? Don't want something expensive because I'm getting/building new bike soon (Another On One 456 :oops: )
Thoughts on it?

jay12

jpstar wrote:

Going to replace the bottom bracket and crankset, looking at this = http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain-bike-chainsets/shimano-deore-590-chainset.html
Worth it? Don't want something expensive because I'm getting/building new bike soon (Another On One 456 :oops: )
Thoughts on it?

i'v got one. the BB is very smooth. the cranks are pretty light and generally very good. but the cranks get rubbed quite alot by your foot

jpstar

Ahh, I'll be using clear crank tape then cheers, did you get yours from merlin as well?

jay12

jpstar wrote:

Ahh, I'll be using clear crank tape then cheers, did you get yours from merlin as well?

no, rutland

jpstar

ah right, cheers.

eebygum

Good to see i'm not the only one riding around on one of these ;p I think mine may be even older and its in need of some serious upgrading. I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts on how it rides when you've finished customising!

And You're dead right about getting strange looks from passers by...the sort of look you would give someone if they were riding a giant aardvark or something.

Keep the pics coming!

jpstar

Nice to hear someone is riding something similar eebygum , won't finish upgrading ever probably, just fixing broken parts with better ones, still a lot left to do though, BB is going...


New changes:
Chain, now a KMC X8. The SRAM definitely reached the end of it's life and was breaking lots, 3 times in 3 rides, so I thought "bin it" It's gone and has been replaced with a KMC, simply because I've never had a KMC chain and I'm testing.
Cassette, replaced the cassette at the same time as the chain because of general wear and tear. Its now a Sram PG830 (11-30), which is nicer looking than the previous one because it's shiny

Test ridden both today, working very nicely, really prefer the ratio's on the new cassette to the old one. So much easier to ride which is pleasing.


Next thing to upgrade will either be the chainset/BB OR the seatpost/saddle combination. BB is gone (wobbles badly, maybe a service will do?) but the saddle will not stay in one place in the seatpost, it moves about, no matter how tight the seatclamp bolt :evil: No idea why either... SUPERGLUE :twisted: :idea:

jpstar

Chain and cassette are both holding up well, haven't noticed them which means they're doing well. Taken the bar ends off, just too see how different it was. It's a lot better for the riding I'm doing, I'm surprised I didn't do it a while ago. Have a lot more control with the extra 40mm width on the 600mm bars.
Next upgrade = chainset and BB just need to measure the BB and then it's an alivio chainset and square taper BB. Can't be bothered spending £60 odd on the deore hollowtech when the bike has cheaper components and alivio will do just fine.