# 1988 rockhopper



## FraserB (Sep 19, 2005)

well after much deliberating on how to do the rebuild i got the old stead down from the rafters in the garage and dusted it off.
its now my parts box build up/ single speed.

frame is a 1988 rockhopper comp
fork is a rockshox RS-1 i bought in about 1992 when i broke the standard forks that came on it.

i still have pretty much all the original components that the bike came with plus various early 90s upgrades of XT parts. i was going to build it all stock but then i remembered how hopeless the old skool brakes and tyres can be and i wanted it to be practical.
dont think i will run it with the RS-1s long term, would be a shame to destroy them or have something else happen to them so going to look out for some rigids that match the bike or maybe some tange switchblades or similar botrangers


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## richieb (Oct 21, 2004)

Let me know if you don't want those RS-1's, please?!?


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## cegrover (Oct 17, 2004)

FraserB said:


> frame is a 1988 rockhopper comp
> fork is a rockshox RS-1 i bought in about 1992 when i broke the standard forks that came on it.


Looks great! I started a thread a while back about a similar bike I was tempted to get on Ebay, though the price ended up too high for me. The seller didn't know the year, but it had a paint job similar to yours, but it had a rear U-brake.

The general consensus here on the forum was that the 1988 had the U-brake and the 1989 had cantis. Your bike (if you're 100% sure of the model year) suggests that the 1987s had U-brake and/or that the different versions (sport, comp, etc) had different brakes. Of course, that would mean a slightly different frame for each version...


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## FraserB (Sep 19, 2005)

i thought it was a 1988. i bought it in 1989 as the year before model. there was a rockhopper sport and a stumpjumper with U brakes at the shop as well. 
maybe it is a 1989 model 

and richie. i dont think i will part with the RS-1s


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## El Sapo Rojo (Feb 24, 2011)

88 Rockhopper comp resurrecto.


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## TheMachinist (Feb 24, 2007)

cegrover said:


> The general consensus here on the forum was that the 1988 had the U-brake and the 1989 had cantis. Your bike (if you're 100% sure of the model year) suggests that the 1987s had U-brake and/or that the different versions (sport, comp, etc) had different brakes. Of course, that would mean a slightly different frame for each version...


It's an '88. I spent hours looking at the 1988 Specialized catalog. I ended up with a HardRock. The paint color and the bright yellow graphics on this bike are 1988 vintage.

Edit: I was wrong about the year.


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## Retrocowboy (May 16, 2006)

I have a hideous green 86' Rockhopper, full Deore with under the chainstay U-brake.


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## unicrown junkie (Nov 12, 2009)

Retrocowboy said:


> I have a hideous green 86' Rockhopper, full Deore with under the chainstay U-brake.


Actually, that's the 1988 Rockhopper Comp, in what was called Dinucci green. I bought my first one at half-price in Sept '88 after breaking my second 1987 StreetStomper in about a year and change. Specialized gladly gave me half off on a much better bike, and by June the next year I had cracked the right chainstay, and once again Specialized stepped up to the plate. I then bought a '89 Stumpie Comp that _kicked ass_ and eventually sold to *Internal 14* along with a Miyata road bike.

The one at the beginning of this thread is a 1989. No '88s were made with seatstay brakes. The lighter blue/white combo is also the signature feature of an '89, whereas the dark blue/white version are '88s. I know, I built gazillions of them back as they cam out of the box.


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## Fred Smedley (Feb 28, 2006)

Isn't this where Rumpy chimes in.............


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

unicrown junkie said:


> The one at the beginning of this thread is a 1989. No '88s were made with seatstay brakes. The lighter blue/white combo is also the signature feature of an '89, whereas the dark blue/white version are '88s. I know, I built gazillions of them back as they cam out of the box.


That's what I thought. I have an 89 Comp I bought new with the same colors. The reason I didn't get an 88 was the U-brake.


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## TheMachinist (Feb 24, 2007)

unicrown junkie said:


> The one at the beginning of this thread is a 1989. No '88s were made with seatstay brakes. The lighter blue/white combo is also the signature feature of an '89, whereas the dark blue/white version are '88s. I know, I built gazillions of them back as they cam out of the box.


I'm dumb. I thought the blue looked a little faded. Somehow I got my '88 HardRock mixed up with my '88 Fisher CR-7. I thought the CR-7 had the U-brake, but the HardRock had cantilevers. When I looked for pics, they both show up with U-brakes.


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## unicrown junkie (Nov 12, 2009)

icantdrive65 said:


> I'm dumb. I thought the blue looked a little faded. Somehow I got my '88 HardRock mixed up with my '88 Fisher CR-7. I thought the CR-7 had the U-brake, but the HardRock had cantilevers. When I looked for pics, they both show up with U-brakes.


 Not fair! You had a CR-7!!!!! I never got my act together to get a Fisher until '91, when I bought the top of the line Procaliber w/Microdrive, which by that time had become a piece of junk. I loved riding friends version of your bike, even though they weren't particularly light. I tried to get the LBS come down on the rice of a used and bent '89 Mt. Tam a few years back, but nothing doing and I passed.

In 1987 the StreetStomper ( I bought my first one March 12, 1987) had seatstay brakes along with the Hardrock, but in '88 they dropped the 'Stomper and had U-brakes on all mtn models, including the Hardrock and Epic.

Which btw, persuing Mombat/First Flite earlier today, they have the Epic listed as a 1990, but its also an '88. I know 'cuz I was lucky enough to ride alongside that same bike in October '88.


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## TheMachinist (Feb 24, 2007)

unicrown junkie said:


> Not fair! You had a CR-7!!!!! I never got my act together to get a Fisher until '91, when I bought the top of the line Procaliber w/Microdrive, which by that time had become a piece of junk. I loved riding friends version of your bike, even though they weren't particularly light. I tried to get the LBS come down on the rice of a used and bent '89 Mt. Tam a few years back, but nothing doing and I passed.


I got an '88 CR-7 in 1990. It had been sitting at my LBS for two years, so it was marked down from $1400 to $1000. They had two red and black 1989 models marked down to $1100 too. I really wanted one of those with the 1 1/4" head tube, but I barely scraped together the $1000 working all summer with my dad and selling my HardRock and a road bike I had built up. I had the CR-7 on layaway for three months. I remember paying the last few dollars with change I had scraped up from around the house.

I loved that bike. I could not believe how well it handled. I was clearing stuff that used to stop me dead in my tracks. I rode it until the down tube snapped. Then I got a replacement 1995 Mt. Tam from Trek-Gary Fisher. I still have that bike



> Which btw, persuing Mombat/First Flite earlier today, they have the Epic listed as a 1990, but its also an '88. I know 'cuz I was lucky enough to ride alongside that same bike in October '88.


I remember the Epic from the catalog. That was the stuff dreams are made of back then. Funny that it is listed as a 1990. The U-brake is a giveaway on that one.


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## unicrown junkie (Nov 12, 2009)

I take it back, my Procaliber came with Sugino XP cranks, not Microdrive. Brain fart at first. Broke the right arm clean in half one day JRA'ing down a local street in Davis, Cal. They were the hidden fifth bolt style behind the arm.

I liked the Mt. Tams from '95, by that time Trek had cleaned up GFs messes from the early 90s, and the product was quality stuff again. As for Evolution, I sure still like the way it provides such precise steering, coming from my '88 Rock Comp and Stumpies to that Procaliber was a real change, flex in the front no longer existed in comparison.


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## Central Scrutinizer (Aug 30, 2005)

unicrown junkie said:


> The one at the beginning of this thread is a 1989. No '88s were made with seatstay brakes. The lighter blue/white combo is also the signature feature of an '89, whereas the dark blue/white version are '88s. I know, I built gazillions of them back as they cam out of the box.


Hmmm...I always thought mine was an '89 because of the cantis instead of U-brake, but the paint on mine looks to be the darker blue.










BTW, nice build FraserB.


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## unicrown junkie (Nov 12, 2009)

Central Scrutinizer said:


> Hmmm...I always thought mine was an '89 because of the cantis instead of U-brake, but the paint on mine looks to be the darker blue.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 No, blue still isn't dark enough. But after going through even more photos on the 'net, the most telling feature between the frames of 88 and 89 are the latter have a built-in seat collar mounted on the seat tube above the top tube, whereas on the '88 they just brazed in a traditional pinch bolt immediately aft of the seat tube.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

I'm really getting into all the Rockhoppers here. Seems way too many who inhabit this forum are fixated on the high end. The Rockhopper Comp was basically a Stumpjumper in disguise at a $100 less.


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## El Sapo Rojo (Feb 24, 2011)

CS2 said:


> I'm really getting into all the Rockhoppers here. Seems way too many who inhabit this forum are fixated on the high end. The Rockhopper Comp was basically a Stumpjumper in disguise at a $100 less.


The base SJ and the RH Comp are pretty similar in 88. Great deal for a tightwad like me.

I had a nice white and red 88 stumpjumper in my sights ($425) when I saw this 88 Rockhopper Comp for $300 less on CL. One of the posters here said that he built up the bikes in a shop and couldn't see much difference. Components look to be the same, It was pretty beat up and rusty, but $125 for the powder coat, I'm still way ahead.

My original idea was to go for a full on copy of the XO-1.

I still might.


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## unicrown junkie (Nov 12, 2009)

I like everything about that XO-1 except for the rear der. The Ultegra looked atrocious to me, but that is just opinion of course.

*CS2*, it is neat to see how the Rockhopper morphed into the Rockhopper Comp, parts-group wise. In '87 the Stumpie and RH both had high quality stuff, in fact it could be argued that the RH had better stuff on it since it was 6spd Deore, whereas IIRC the Stumpie had a mix of Suntour and Shimano.

In '88 the plain Rockhopper (in either blue, or plain yellow) went straight to the toilet, parts-wise. SpecialEd put Exage on the RH and it promptly became a piece of junk.

I don't know if the geometry was even different on the RH Comp vs. the Stumpie back then, but I jumped super quick at the chance to get one for half price after breaking my 'Stomper.

I've had several 88s, including a Stumpjumper Comp. That was my favorite, but I let it get stolen(kicking self once again). Last, I just learned last week that the RH came out in 85, here I have one at home and I always thought it was an '86! I'm not getting rid of it now!!!


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

CS2 said:


> The Rockhopper Comp was basically a Stumpjumper in disguise at a $100 less.


If frame tubing and components don't matter much, perhaps.


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

CS2 said:


> Seems way too many who inhabit this forum are fixated on the high end.


Nothing wrong with that. Nobody collects pintos.


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## eastcoaststeve (Sep 19, 2007)

girlonbike said:


> Nobody collects pintos.


Ford Pinto Car Club of America - Index



Steve


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

They started that forum when all the german auto clubs didn't want to answer anymore questions about how cool it is to go 0-60 in 8 minutes. 

well....rody says we have cool content and that makes me happy as a clam.


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## eastcoaststeve (Sep 19, 2007)

girlonbike said:


> They started that forum when all the german auto clubs didn't want to answer anymore questions about how cool it is to go 0-60 in 8 minutes.
> .


Hahahahahaha :lol:

Steve


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## unicrown junkie (Nov 12, 2009)

Fillet-brazed said:


> If frame tubing and components don't matter much, perhaps.


*Fillet-brazed* Maybe you can figure out the small wording on the link for the '88 catalog; retrobike :: View topic - Specialized Bicycles catalogue 1988.

I can't make it out good enough to determine the tubing differences between the Stumpie and the RH Comp. But as for '88 and '89, there were no major component differences between the models, both had Deore 6spd.

On the 90s, I think the shifters were the low end LX version on the RH Comp, whereas the Stumpies got the nicer DX rapidfire ones that only blew every other ride. I also wasn't able to see any appreciable difference in the way those models of the RH Comp and the Stumpie handle any differently, it seemed that one had to jump to either the Stumpie Comp or Team to notice.

No matter, they were all good bikes, imho. I sure wish I had one of those last years of the regular steel Stumpies, they handle so nice and balanced vs. my 80s stuff.


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## CS2 (Jul 24, 2007)

unicrown junkie said:


> *Fillet-brazed* Maybe you can figure out the small wording on the link for the '88 catalog; retrobike :: View topic - Specialized Bicycles catalogue 1988.
> 
> I can't make it out good enough to determine the tubing differences between the Stumpie and the RH Comp. But as for '88 and '89, there were no major component differences between the models, both had Deore 6spd.
> 
> ...


They're the same bike. At least that's what Specialized said.
http://forums.mtbr.com/vintage-retro-classic/80s-rockhopper-vs-stumpjumper-frames-694946.html


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## toaster_bike (Feb 6, 2019)

Does anyone know what bottom bracket came with the 1988 Rockhopper? Or what would fit?

I just found an 88 RH Comp frame, it's a little crusty, but I want to build it up into a simple cruiser/townie. 

Thanks!


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