# Stumpjumper experts



## bellanti (Feb 16, 2015)

I'll admit I recently bought a 82 stumpjumper to cannibalize the stumpjumper tires for my 83 Ritchey. I've never really been into Stumpjumpers, however, I'm kinda diggin this one because it has all the older cool parts like TA cranks and Mafac brakes. The bike is in great shape and appears original. I'm was going to sell it, but I think it just may become my chasing the kids around the neighborhood bike. Doing a little research about the bike, it was made in July of 1982, at the beginning of the lugged frame production. I know production of the Stumpjumpers started in October +- of 1981 with the TIG frames with Specialized stickers on the downtube and lasted about 6+- months until they started the lugged construction. Were these TIG'd bikes the "500 built" bikes I always hear about, or did they include the lugged frames in that first 12 months of production?


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## THE ARS (Sep 14, 2011)

bellanti said:


> I'll admit I recently bought a 82 stumpjumper to cannibalize the stumpjumper tires for my 83 Ritchey. I've never really been into Stumpjumpers, however, I'm kinda diggin this one because it has all the older cool parts like TA cranks and Mafac brakes. The bike is in great shape and appears original. I'm was going to sell it, but I think it just may become my chasing the kids around the neighborhood bike. Doing a little research about the bike, it was made in July of 1982, at the beginning of the lugged frame production. I know production of the Stumpjumpers started in October +- of 1981 with the TIG frames with Specialized stickers on the downtube and lasted about 6+- months until they started the lugged construction. Were these TIG'd bikes the "500 built" bikes I always hear about, or did they include the lugged frames in that first 12 months of production?


It was made in china+-.


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## bellanti (Feb 16, 2015)

Ha...funny..I always searched out old stumpjumpers because I could get the parts off them cheaper than buying the parts on ebay. I decided to keep this one intact..except the tires....and decided to research the history of the 1st year of production. Guess I'm spending too much time on this....it's just a stumpjumper....


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## YakimaDeathYaks (Aug 15, 2012)

1 million % sure it was made in Japan, nice bike


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## bellanti (Feb 16, 2015)

Thanks, I knew it was made in japan, possibly the Toyo factory, but I was wondering about the production numbers of the first year -81 int 82. I've always heard the first batch were the tig welded frames and 500+- were made. I was just wondering if that included the first year lugged frames...as mine was lugged? I like to research the history of any new bike....part of the appeal.


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## YakimaDeathYaks (Aug 15, 2012)

The lugged frames started in 82


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## bellanti (Feb 16, 2015)

Yea, mine was made in July 1982. From what I gather, the first tig welded bikes were built in October of 1981 and ended around June 1982+-. Sometime in 1983 they really started to crank them out. Since mine had the early parts, I assumed they were still building them in small batches. I just really don't know...but for me, if it is one of the "small batch" bikes built, it may be worth keeping as is and not taking parts off for other projects.


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## MERK26 (Aug 31, 2009)

Yeah, cool bike, should stay intact for sure. I have one of the earliest TIG bikes, first decals, socket fork, etc... Sub 200 serial number. Makes me wonder how many of each still exist?


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## bellanti (Feb 16, 2015)

That's cool, you have one of the first stumpjumpers made. What is the serial number? Judging from other people's serial numbers, it seems 500 or so tig welded bikes were made from October 81 to may/ June 82...and probably only a couple hundred early ones like yours. From mid July to the end of 82, the lugged frames, with the older parts were made in small batches. I imagine in 83, with the introduction of Shimano XT components, production took off. Regardless of what some people views about specialized are, they are part of the early mountain bike history. While I typically don't have room in my garage for mass produced bikes, this early original Stumpjumper is here to stay.


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## colker1 (Jan 6, 2004)

THE ARS said:


> It was made in china+-.


That opinion was made in china.


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## lilbugger (Oct 23, 2015)

I am interested to know how many Tigged bikes were built. I have a Tigged frame with biplane fork without the hole for fenders/reflector. It has two water bottle bosses and "Designed by Tim Neenan " sticker. After researching the Internet it looks like there are still quit a few Tigged bikes out there so a total of 500 bikes seems kinda low given the attrition rate over 30 years for mountain bikes. Anyone have a source for this kind of info? I looked at the 25 years of Stumpjumpers book but it was rather vague. How was the number 500 determined, where did "T" for Toyo come from? My bike came from a police auction in the mid eighties and had the serial number ground off so I can't go by that. Any help would be appreciated as I am cleaning her up to ride again.


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## jeff (Jan 13, 2004)

Email Tim Neenan. He's approachable and still in the game.


lilbugger said:


> I am interested to know how many Tigged bikes were built. I have a Tigged frame with biplane fork without the hole for fenders/reflector. It has two water bottle bosses and "Designed by Tim Neenan " sticker. After researching the Internet it looks like there are still quit a few Tigged bikes out there so a total of 500 bikes seems kinda low given the attrition rate over 30 years for mountain bikes. Anyone have a source for this kind of info? I looked at the 25 years of Stumpjumpers book but it was rather vague. How was the number 500 determined, where did "T" for Toyo come from? My bike came from a police auction in the mid eighties and had the serial number ground off so I can't go by that. Any help would be appreciated as I am cleaning her up to ride again.


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## laffeaux (Jan 4, 2004)

lilbugger said:


> After researching the Internet it looks like there are still quit a few Tigged bikes out there so a total of 500 bikes seems kinda low given the attrition rate over 30 years for mountain bikes.


I'm not sure of the production numbers, but there were two early TIGed frames. The first batch had different decals and a different fork. They came with a "T1J..." serial number. MOMBAT.org has a good accounting of the serial numbers.

I owned the "original" version pictured below. It's rumored that the fork used was too long (a result of a Specialized reverse-engineering frames bought from MountainBikes with a fork that was "incorrect"). The story is believable as this is the worst riding bike I ever owned.

Soon afterward an updated TIGed version came out (see the second image below). The obvious difference between the two are the decals and the fork crown. Presumably these ride better than the first version, although I've not tired one.

Between the two TIGed versions maybe there was 500?


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## Repack Rider (Oct 22, 2005)

laffeaux said:


> I owned the "original" version pictured below. It's rumored that the fork used was too long (a result of a Specialized reverse-engineering frames bought from MountainBikes with a fork that was "incorrect"). The story is believable as this is the worst riding bike I ever owned.


Hee-hee.


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## rismtb (Dec 11, 2012)

colker1 said:


> That opinion was made in china.


That ain't no red iron

That's is quite a stroke of luck/karma that Specialized first offering was a lemon. but the rest of the company's decisions seemed spot on. 
I see the second version had the nice specialized headset. What type of hubs came on those? The Specialized hubs with seals bearings were great wondering when the hubs were released? and those early tires to? What a point in time 81-82 was.


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

Repack Rider said:


> Hee-hee.


That is really funny.


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