# 1998 "Virgin" Specialized HardRock - NEVER Ridden



## OldZaskar (Oct 18, 2007)

I have a bike... that I don't know what to do with. Here's the story:

1998. Bought my wife a new Specialized HardRock for Christmas. Surprise! But - too cold out to take it outside. Put it away for a week or so. Then, we find out she's pregnant with our first child.

Spring 1999. Wife too pregnant to ride. We move to NYC. Bike goes into storage.

2002. We move to Atlanta - pregnant again... bike remains in storage

2011. The bike has NEVER been ridden - literally never even been sat upon. I can't bring myself to sell it. My wife has NO interest in riding. My daughters (now 12 and 8) have new mountain bikes. I envision Specialized wanting it back at some point - one of those vintage lobby pieces. ;-)

I carried - literally carried it outside today to wash it... it's going in my office on the wall for now.


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## hazardousmtb (Sep 26, 2011)

damn i want it lol a fully rigid bike is hard to come by. my dad has a rigid mongoose ive thought about rebuilding (cheaply)


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## StanleyButterfly (Nov 4, 2009)

Hate to burst your bubble but no company puts their lowest end product on their walls. They do have some old stumpies on display though. 

I'll bite. Is it for sale? How much?


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## OldZaskar (Oct 18, 2007)

StanleyButterfly said:


> Hate to burst your bubble but no company puts their lowest end product on their walls. They do have some old stumpies on display though.
> 
> I'll bite. Is it for sale? How much?


Nah, no bubble. If Specialized ever has an interest in the bike... it'd have to be a lot older than a '98.

And, the more I think about it, I don't think I'd sell it - for the couple hundred bucks (if that) I'd get, I think I'll keep it. Should make a nice piece of art in the office


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## Root Beer (Mar 10, 2011)

I have a 97 Zaskar with 40 miles on it (mostly street) and it's mostly original. Like you, I decided to keep it and just have fun with it. I may paint it and convert it to a 1x8 or single speed. 

That bike looks great, keep it.


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## OldZaskar (Oct 18, 2007)

Root Beer said:


> I have a 97 Zaskar with 40 miles on it (mostly street) and it's mostly original. Like you, I decided to keep it and just have fun with it. I may paint it and convert it to a 1x8 or single speed.
> 
> That bike looks great, keep it.


Wow - ya gotta post a pic of that Zaskar... I'm kinda partial to them 

I rebuilt my '94 Zaskar as a single speed, stripped the stickers, polished the frame and replaced the stickers - actually found a NOS set via Ebay!


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## pint (Oct 6, 2008)

Is that thing hard to pedal??


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## OldZaskar (Oct 18, 2007)

pint said:


> Is that thing hard to pedal??


Nah... well, at least when I put the pedals on


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## jtmartino (Jul 31, 2008)

That thing would probably win a competition for greatest vertical distance between handlebars and saddle.


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## OldZaskar (Oct 18, 2007)

jtmartino said:


> That thing would probably win a competition for greatest vertical distance between handlebars and saddle.


Yeah... I rode that bike like that for 14 years! Well, it had a shock on it for most of those... still, not exactly a downhill bike huh. I bought that bike from a shop in Richmond, VA. The owner said "How tall are you?" Oh, 6'1" You ride Large" I was 25-years-old buying my first "real" mountain bike. I didn't know that my 36" inseam should be considered - yeah 36".

Fast forward to today, and I ride an XXL road bike (61cm Scott Addict SL) because the top tube relative to the seat tube works with my geometry... In short - yeah, that Zaskar was too damn small


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## Root Beer (Mar 10, 2011)

Not the best photo. I took off the shot, Specialized Future shock and put a carbon fiber fork. I didn't want to pay $$$ for an 80mm Fox and 100mm was too long. It's all XT from 1997. I put new tires on it to ride it. It had Specialized Hardpack tires (gumwall). I cut the fork long for comfort. I'm thinking of giving it a military look, army green and custom lettering. 

These are the original decals with the warning labels and all that. I have a 91/92 as well that was all full of custom parts. Grafton cranks/front brake. McMahon powerlink u-brake, white ind. ti-bottom bracket, Revcore Ti-Pedals, Hyperlight bars, A-TAC stem and various ti bolts. 

Didn't mean to derail your thread...here's the photo you asked for.


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## OldZaskar (Oct 18, 2007)

I LOVE ^that^! Looks great! Are you really considering scraping the original stickers? I did that on mine 'cause they were pretty much trashed. But yours look new!

My wife bought me a 2008 Zaskar (a surprise birthday present... she didn't know the new GTs have lost some mojo). It was black and all LX parts, heavy wheels, etc. It's since been upgraded to XT, CrossMax wheels, etc. Oh, and the frame was media blasted and powder coated translucent copper (have a buddy in the biz!)


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## Root Beer (Mar 10, 2011)

Orange is very cool. I wouldn't mind it rather than polishing all the time. 

I was thinking of single speed but this old crankset has the riveted big chainring. M739. I really don't want to put on cheap cranks or spend for a new XT setup. Yes, I'm considering painting it and stripping it. Just considering for now. I built an old Schwinn Spitfire into an military-looking bike last year and was thinking of giving this one the same treatment. 

I have one small nick on on sticker but that's it. People always think the bike is new. I just want to make a project and this bike is like a blank canvas. 

Maybe I'll sell it and get a Surly Troll frameset. I wanted to build a do-all steel bike with big tires. No concrete plans either way at the moment.

BTW-that 94 looks great too. Love to see rigid bikes.


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