# 1981 Stumpjumper



## ish (Jun 17, 2009)

Sorry for the crappy kitchen pic, but it's late and my garage has terrible lighting.

Picked this up today, and I'm pretty excited about it. 20.5" frame, which is my size by modern MTB standards, probably not by old school MTB standards. Looks like the derailleurs, seat, grips, and tires have been replaced. The tires are with Ritchey Megabites, which are surprisingly in excellent shape.

I was wondering if the fork had been replaced but the bike looks like it wasn't ridden a whole lot, and MOMBAT lists another late 1981 Stumpy as having a chrome biplane fork.

The bike was (oddly) equipped for touring and has some cool accessories - Jim Blackburn rack, Kirtland Tour Paks, and KKT Lighting blue anno pedals.

There is some sort of issue with the BB or crankset, and of course all of the grease is hardened up.

I didn't need another project, but there was no way I was going to pass this up!


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

nice. grips are original Grab Ons. Fork looks to have been replaced, but not 100% sure. Maybe some of the real early ones didn't have matching forks?


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## mtnwing (Jan 13, 2004)

nice bike. suddenly likin' the VRC again!

All .... please refrain from posting your vintage trek antelope to ruin this special moment.


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## ish (Jun 17, 2009)

Thanks. I realized the grips were original after researching a bit more. This is #241, Mombat lists #198 and some of the 1982s having a chrome biplane fork. For now, I'm guessing the fork is original.

The pedals might be original, also; there are pics of another 1981 with them. Looks like I just need to find a set of original derailleurs. Finding the correct tires and saddle would be difficult and pricey.


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## Dr S (Dec 7, 2007)

Nice find and in great shape too. Those Avocet saddles turn up on eBay every now and then so should be easy enough to find.

Here is my 83 Stumpie that I have just bought. I'm looking for some tyres too


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

Dr S said:


> Nice find and in great shape too. Those Avocet saddles turn up on eBay every now and then so should be easy enough to find.
> 
> Here is my 83 Stumpie that I have just bought. I'm looking for some tyres too


nice hi-jack.

Late 81/82 Stumpjumper, as quirky as it rode, it is a pretty darn cool and historic machine 'cause it was _the_ first mass produced bike with an added bonus of all its cool parts.

83-84 Stumpies, just another me too, mass produced bike with average parts. Only slightly cooler than a Univega.

85-86 Stumpies started doing their own thing with light tubing and steeper shorter geometry which brought back some of their coolness. 

My opinion only, of course.


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## Dr S (Dec 7, 2007)

Sorry to offended you FB. Wasn't trying to Hi-jack anything with my me-too mass market bike. They might be ten-a-penny over in the VRC heartland but there ain't many as old as this one here in the UK. So to me its kinda cool and have enjoyed getting it filthy around the local trails. Cheers anyway


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

Dr S said:


> Sorry to offended you FB. Wasn't trying to Hi-jack anything with my me-too mass market bike. They might be ten-a-penny over in the VRC heartland but there ain't many as old as this one here in the UK. So to me its kinda cool and have enjoyed getting it filthy around the local trails. Cheers anyway


hey, still a cool vintage bike and yours has a neat back story (read it on RBUK) .. Just giving the 82 some credit.


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## Dr S (Dec 7, 2007)

Fillet-brazed said:


> hey, still a cool vintage bike and yours has a neat back story (read it on RBUK) .. Just giving the 82 some credit.


Cheers man:thumbsup:


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## 1 cog frog (Dec 21, 2004)

mtnwing said:


> nice bike. suddenly likin' the VRC again!
> 
> All .... please refrain from posting your vintage trek antelope to ruin this special moment.


You do realize that your comment is the one that jinxed us right?

Now we have 4 threads on Trek 850's brought to the top!:madman:

frog


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## ish (Jun 17, 2009)

I don't see it as a thread jack. The bikes are similar. That is a nice looking Stumpy. Let's please try to make this forum a little more inviting, even if it means a few threads about middling Treks. Old daily riders are just as cool as "baller" glorified-Reflex Yetis that will never see another tush.  

I plan on picking up one of those Avocets for now because they are cheap and "more correct" than the one on there now, but the correct saddle for a 1981 bike is a Stumpjumper branded one.


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## morganfletcher (Jul 22, 2005)

Here's mine, I think it's an '82:





(Click it to go its web page, and you can get a link to a bigger version there. There's more vintage bikes and people if you click through them.)

Morgan


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## cousineddie (Oct 23, 2008)

Dr S said:


> Those Avocet saddles turn up on eBay every now and then so should be easy enough to find.


The correct saddle for the '81/early '82 Stumpy is a black leather saddle labeled "Stumpjumper" in white lettering on both sides of the nose.

Sorry. Didn't notice that this had been mentioned already.


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## tductape (Mar 31, 2008)

morganfletcher said:


> Here's mine, I think it's an '82:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Are all your trails crowded like this or is this a big group ride? Looks like a fun area.


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## zingel (Feb 23, 2006)

here's the number 75: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=406200&highlight=1981+stumpjumper

all original except grips, seat and tires


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## morganfletcher (Jul 22, 2005)

Aemmer said:


> Are all your trails crowded like this or is this a big group ride? Looks like a fun area.


It is a fun area! No, this one is usually uncrowded, in fact most of the time you can ride it for two hours and not see anyone. But on Thanksgiving morning there are maybe 1000 people riding it. It's a tradition here, the Turkey Day Appetite Seminar. Charlie Kelly (Repack Rider here) started it. I've been doing it since I was a kid. (Since that bike was new! No, I'm not the original owner.)

I'm bringing a 1983 Ritchey this year, bought it a couple months ago. It was Eric Heiden's! (Beth still has hers.  )

Morgan


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