# What year is this Rockhopper Comp?



## Cody Broken (Oct 28, 2006)

Wow, I just spent about an hour typing the component set for this old bike and then I lost the whole f-ing thing. I am too tired to be very pissed. I'll try to regroup and....

So I bought this bike for 30 bones and fixed it up and I like it so much I am curious how old it is. I am going to post the photos and if that isn't enough I'll retype all the frickin frakkin component set again. I'll say this, about everything that can be is Shimano. Shifters are Shimano Deore DX, derailleurs Deore LX, crankset, bottom bracket, wheel hubs, all Shimano. Cripes, here are the photos and I will thank in advance kind souls who help me. Oh, the lettering on the chainstay says "designed in California". Neato.


----------



## RickD. (Apr 7, 2004)

That's a sweet find for $30. I believe it's a 92 or 93. I remember selling those new at the shop I worked at, and that they also came in a charcoal with purple lettering. That was the top of the line Rockhopper, one step below the Stumpjumper.


----------



## Cody Broken (Oct 28, 2006)

RickD. I thank you very much! Very informative. When did v-brakes become the norm? The cantis made me think it was older than 90's, but I don't know my component history. I guess the color is a good clue to the year, late 80's would have been some hideous color. I like this orange, and that charcoal sounds cool too.

Cool! I just did a quick google search and learned that Shimano introduced integrated brake/shifters in 1990. My hopper has those.

I guess those are good ways to research year of manufacture, to study components, or the color of the frame.

Thanks again RickD.! Really got me going!


----------



## thecrazyfinn (Apr 7, 2007)

V's showed up on the Rockhopper line in 97(V's were introduced in 96, but only in XT/XTR form for the first year)

92/93 sounds right to me as well. Having DX components really limits it to then.


----------



## Jack'sDad (Sep 4, 2005)

*What year?*

My '91 was burgundy and I do not recall the orange as a choice. I would put it at before then. '89 or '90. It was my first MTB and only rode it one summer before I got the Trek 930SHX with the paperweight of a Quad 5, well worth its $699 price.


----------



## Cody Broken (Oct 28, 2006)

Thanks finn! I didn't realize v-brakes were only ten+ year old technology. Some reason I thought they had been around longer than that.

I found this website (http://www.vintage-trek.com/component_dates.htm) and spotted a "PH" stamped on the frame side of the inner cage plate of the front derailleur.
According to the chart they show that would make the year of manufacture of that derailleur as 1991, which make sense on a bike sold in 1992 or 93.

You guys are wicked! Thanks again!


----------



## cegrover (Oct 17, 2004)

I had a 91 (possibly a 90?) Rockhopper Comp that I bought used in 92. It was gray with pink/red lettering and had a mix of LX (cranks/hubs) and DX (derailleurs and maybe shifters). Is that the charcoal, or was there another gray? Mine was non-metallic and pretty much battleship in color...


----------



## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

BTW...the barends are backwards... the long part faces forwards with the singletrack solutions/sette bar ends.


----------



## RickD. (Apr 7, 2004)

Cody Broken said:


> When did v-brakes become the norm?


V-brakes first came out in early 96 I believe. I remember getting the pro form from Shimano and ordering them before they were available. They were the XT parallel push versions, with the 8 sp brake/shifter combo levers. I still have those, BTW 

And I think the other color was that battleship grey, but now I don't remember. I know there's that website with PDF's of catalogs from back in the day. I know it's German, but I don't have the link here at work. I'm sure someone on here knows it.


----------



## Cody Broken (Oct 28, 2006)

*Works for me!*

I actually like the bar ends the way they are. I tried them both ways, and short side up feels natural. And since I love sharing photos... my wrist is bent awkwardly because I had to contort in order to get that camera angle.


----------



## papercutninja (Jun 20, 2007)

Gorgeous. AND for $30? You got the steal of the century!


----------

