I finally got a decent replacement for my old GT Karakoram! The GT is a good bike but the frame is just too big for me and the hard tail suspension is shaking the snot out of me on the trails I live near.

I figured I could find two nice used mountain bikes for less than the price of one new bike and this way both my wife and I get nice upgrades. I also won’t care as much when they inevitably get scratched and dinged. I’d love to get a new S-Works Epic but that price tag is just a tad high for something I’m going to thoroughly thrash the hell out of....that’s dirt bike territory as far as cost goes.

I’ve been slowly piecing this Specialized Stumpjumper together. It’s not done yet but it’s rideable. A swap to a single front sprocket is next as the current set up has too many damn gears and doesn’t like it at all if you are in the wrong gear.





While at my local bike shop getting parts for the Specialized I came across this baby for sale by one of the bike shop employees at a price that was just too tempting. The 29 inch tires of this Giant Anthem feel so different from the agile 26 inch tires of the Specialized.






Now for the questions,

What aftermarket brands do you guys like? I want to replace the handle bars on both bikes and change the Specialized to a single front sprocket. The Giant has a 30 tooth front sprocket and it seems like a decent all rounder.

I also want to get a new front wheel for the Specialized (if the current wheel cannot be straightened any further). What are some qualify brands who make good wheels in the 26inch range that won’t break the bank?

Lastly, has anyone converted a bike to electric? I have seen the kits on eBay and a few YouTube vids that look quite interesting. My GT is HUGE, has a rack on the back and since it’s a hard tail it might be a fun e-bike project.

Nice looking bikes! I also have my old 26" specialized stump jumper. Love that bike. I have two 29" bikes one of which is an E-bike. I still prefer the 26" bike. You used the word agile and it is correct. Long live the 26! My two 29er's handle like tanks.

As for the 26" wheels there are fewer and fewer offerings these days. I found a nice pair of 26" wheels from WTB and they are excellent. Shimano Mavic wheels are good as well.

Those look awesome. Our bike shops here can't get shit for inventory in. Everyone is riding. I called the local Trek dealers for a road bike and they're estimating September-November 2021 for delivery.

The only company I could find to sell complete bikes was Montague, nd they're 3 months back ordered. Riding is more important to my wife than me, so I cannibalized mine (less used) to fix hers up some. Fortunately I have several tires and tubes set aside.

I just built a mountain bike from a frame and individual components.

Between JensonUSA (one of the biggest, oldest online bike shops), Competitive Cyclist (the bike shop side of Backcountry, one of the biggest camping/outdoors online stores), and Worldwide Cyclery (a newish, higher-end MTB-focused online bike shop) I was able to pretty much decide exactly what I wanted for every part and find it in stock. There were a few odds and ends I had to go elsewhere to source.

I ordered everything a few pieces at a time and probably had at least five orders at each of those shops and had good experiences with all of them.

There are tons of aftermarket brands that are highly thought of, but I don't have experience with the vast majority of them so I don't think I can really recommend anything. I'd just look through some of the big online bike shops, see what looks good to you, and then dig around online for reviews to make sure there aren't any obvious problems.

One recommendation... if you aren't aware of dropper seatposts, look into them. They're awesome!

It's basically the up/down air cylinder from an office chair crammed into a seatpost with the actuation lever on the handlebars. It lets you seamlessly pop the seat up high to an efficient pedaling position for flats and uphills and drop it out of the way for downhills or tough terrain. Really, really cool.

I want aware of dropper seat posts. That’s a brilliant idea! I’m gonna have to look into them further.

I’m hoping my local bike shop can straighten the front rim. For $15 it’s worth letting them take a crack at it.

quote:

Originally posted by stickman428:
I’d love to get a new S-Works Epic but that price tag is just a tad high for something I’m going to thoroughly thrash the hell out of....that’s dirt bike territory as far as cost goes.

I’ve been slowly piecing this Specialized Stumpjumper together. It’s not done yet but it’s rideable. A swap to a single front sprocket is next as the current set up has too many damn gears and doesn’t like it at all if you are in the wrong gear.

Now for the questions,

What aftermarket brands do you guys like? I want to replace the handle bars on both bikes and change the Specialized to a single front sprocket. The Giant has a 30 tooth front sprocket and it seems like a decent all rounder.

I also want to get a new front wheel for the Specialized (if the current wheel cannot be straightened any further). What are some qualify brands who make good wheels in the 26inch range that won’t break the bank?

That Stumpjumper is gorgeous....REALLY Nice Components!

I'm a Specialized fan and I too would love the new S-Works Epic, but for the price tag! I'm also old school and love the agility of my 26" wheeled hardtail w/ a Marzocchi Atom Bomb front end & some XT/XTR upgrades!

A couple of questions:
- Why go through the trouble/cost of changing to a single chain ring crank? Couldn't you just NOT shift the front derailler, or maybe change one of the front chain rings to whatever you'd consider ideal to optimize your gearing? My experience on my 'old school' MTB is that I really only shift the front derailler for super insane climbs and I rarely use the big ring. Ultimately only ever use the gears I need anyway.
- What are you trying to accomplish by changing the bars? Do you need more rise, want a straight bar, less weight? I would only consider changing the bars if I needed alter the 'fit' the bike. Further, if you're looking to change the fit, you might need to change the stem as well. Also, in case weight is your primary consideration, lighter is not always better depending on your riding style.

Regarding wheels, I've always been a fan of Mavic, but I get the impression you're hard on equipment, so something more 'robust' from WTB might be more suited to your riding style.

This is going to sound stupid. The dropper post is my favorite feature on my mountain bike. I’d never had one and I got a really good deal on a high end Specialized. It had it and I didn’t really know anything about them. Started trying it out and very quickly determined two things. Going downhill and dropping way low is phenomenal. Also, coming to a stop and being able to drop the seat, and have both feet flat on the ground while I hydrate and catch my breath is a great plus.

I like them so much I might never buy a bike without one. (I’m not really a road bike guy)

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:
This is going to sound stupid. The dropper post is my favorite feature on my mountain bike. I’d never had one and I got a really good deal on a high end Specialized. It had it and I didn’t really know anything about them. Started trying it out and very quickly determined two things. Going downhill and dropping way low is phenomenal. Also, coming to a stop and being able to drop the seat, and have both feet flat on the ground while I hydrate and catch my breath is a great plus.

I like them so much I might never buy a bike without one. (I’m not really a road bike guy)

I've started watching a number of MTB YouTube channels. One of the big ones is GMBN (Global Mountain Bike Network). They regularly call dropper posts the biggest innovation in mountain biking of the last ten years. Several of the presenters have said dropper posts make such a big difference that they'd rather ride a hardtail with a dropper post than a full suspension bike without one.

To Stickman - a lot of dropper posts are designed with the current trend of routing cables inside the frame in mind - the connection for the actuation cable is at the bottom of the dropper post, inside the frame.

However, there are a number of dropper posts available set up for externally routed cables - you would want to make sure you got one of these, unless you can see a way to rig internal cables on those bikes.

There's also at least one that is hydraulically actuated (the Rockshox Reverb - I can't see a good argument for the value of hydraulic actuation, it seems like a headache with no upsides, unlike brakes), and a few that are electronic and wirelessly actuated, with no cable at all (like the Magura Vyron and Rockshox Reverb AXS).

Dropper posts come in different stroke lengths, and different brands/models have different housing lengths, as well. Especially on your Stumpjumper, you would want to be very careful about this, as the seat tube is so short on that bike. So for example, PNW Components is one of the generally well-regarded companies making external-routing dropper posts. The PNW Cascade is their externally routed dropper post, and you can get it in 125mm, 150mm, or 170mm travel.

All the brands give detailed dimensions of their dropper posts so that you can figure out the best fit.

The general idea for selecting a dropper post size is to figure out your ideal high/efficient saddle position, which is where you want the saddle with the dropper fully extended. Then you look at the model(s) you are interested in, and pick the longest travel one that will fit. Getting a 200mm travel dropper doesn't help you if the geometry of your bike means that the top 100mm of travel is higher than you'll ever want your saddle.

On the bike I just built, which has (for a modern bike) a fairly short seat tube and moderately high seat tube clamp, I could JUST get away with a 175mm post from one of the brands with a short housing. My 175mm travel post, pushed all the way into the bike, needs 262mm of seat tube. There are some other 175mm travel posts in that same size range, but there are also plenty that need an inch or two more seat tube.

On my bike, with the 175mm dropper's housing pushed all the way in, the fully extended saddle position is perfect, and I can use the full travel. Even if I could fit a 200mm dropper post in the bike, it wouldn't help me - the extra inch of travel would put the saddle too high. Similarly, even with a 175mm dropper, if the housing was much longer, I wouldn't be able to push the housing all the way into the seat tube. The dropper travel would essentially start higher, and again, I'd lose some effective travel off the top.

Sorry, that kind of turned into an essay, but there is a huge range in what is available and bike geometry and fit has a huge impact on what will work well, and it's not all obvious at first glance.

I completely agree with Pedro, though - having now experienced one, a dropper seatpost is VERY high on my list of most necessary features for a mountain bike.

Nice bikes, Stickman! Where / what trails are you riding? Up here on the peninsula, I have a couple favorites close to home (Lake Maury and Harwoods Mill) and a couple favorites in Williamsburg (New Quarter and Freedom Park).

To answer your questions, my favorite aftermarket parts supplier was Easton. They had several price/weight points to choose from, but they are getting out of bike components. You may find some still in stock on Amazon or other outlets. I also like Ritchey (road and MTB cockpit components) and Raceface. For drivetrain parts, I prefer Shimano but have a couple bikes with SRAM and they ride fine, too. I have wheelsets from WTB, Mercury, and Shimano and like them all. I use Performance Bike, Competitive Cyclist, Jenson USA, Amazon, and sometimes the Ritchey website for parts sourcing.

This summer I completely rebuilt (down to the suspension pivot bearings) a 2011 Specialized Epic Carbon EVO 26", bought used from my brother in 2017 who rode and raced it. Had the Brain fork and shock rebuilt. Reused the Avid Elixir hydraulic brakes with new pads and disks, SRAM X9 shifter, Specialized stem, and the SRAM crank with a new chainring, but everything else was new...Easton alloy seatpost, WTB SL8 Pro saddle, Raceface carbon handlebar, replacement lightly used SRAM X0 derailleur off ebay, WTB Frequency TCS i19 wheels on Shimano XT hubs, etc. It's light and fast but the jury is still out on the Brain thing, might replace them next time around as they ride VERY stiff. For a 1x and especially compared to current bikes, it has a small cassette, but as an XC bike the 36t front and 36t rear is as low as I've ever needed on hills around here.



This was my other summer project, a 2020 Ritchey Ultra on 27.5", complete build-up from a bare frame. I wanted to build a steel Ritchey hardtail since I first saw the 650-B frames in 2015, and finally built it this year. I've ridden it locally but main purpose in building it is for touring trails like the Virginia Creeper. The brakes and drivetrain are all Shimano XT, and I went with 2x front for the lower gear on hills in the mountains. I think I'd have been OK with 1x and 51t rear, and would go that way if doing it over. This is my first BOOST bike and I'm totally sold on thru-axles and on BOOST for 29". The saddle is WTB, and the rest of the components are all Ritchey, mostly the lightweight WCS line. For steel, it came in light at 28.25lbs, and I'm happy with all the components and how it rides.



First shake-down ride at Maury:


Last bike for giggles, I bought this 2014 Giant XTC composite hardtail locally through Facebook Marketplace a couple months ago (before I had completed the Ritchey). It had several high-end upgrades, including an XTR derailleur and Mercury race wheel set, and I got it for a reasonable price. I'm riding it as-purchased for now and may swap a few parts next time maintenance is needed. This bike is AWESOME, totally loving it and rediscovering the sweet acceleration and climbing of a light hardtail bike. I've been riding full suspension for years. Took me a couple rides before I relearned the habit of getting up off the saddle in roots and rough terrain, but that came back quickly. This is my first Giant and first 29er, I can't believe how much easier it is to ride over obstacles. Weight is 23.5-24.0lbs.

What aftermarket brands do you guys like? I want to replace the handle bars on both bikes and change the Specialized to a single front sprocket. The Giant has a 30 tooth front sprocket and it seems like a decent all rounder.

I like deity components for replacement parts on my Specialized hard tail. www.deitycomponents.com

I just picked up a spare 2007 Stumpjumper frame for $19.

How did I get it so cheap? It’s got a huge crack in the down tube.

Many would say “Stick why the hell did you buy that worthless hunk of aluminum?” I have some big plans for this frame. I fell down a rabbit hole last night reading about epoxy and carbon fiber repairs on broken aluminum biking components. I think if done right the frame can be repaired.

The down tube was damaged by an impact after being dropped. luckily that area of the frame is not under a tremendous amount of stress.






I’ve been looking at kits like this to convert a bike to electric. Most of the basic kits have a battery that fits inside the frame. They run anywhere from 600-900+ for a complete kit.



It would be pretty cool to modify my Stumpjumpers frame to carry batteries sort of like this bike. Years ago I rebuilt the gearbox in an airsoft gun to handle the modifications I had made and it worked perfectly. To me one of the most fun aspects of airsoft was the seemingly endless modifications available to the gun and batteries. I bet e bikes are fun to tinker with too.

Nice looking bikes motorheadjohn! That Specialized is GORGEOUS! That Giant looks like a lot of fun too. I’m used to hardtail bikes so a full suspension is still quite new to me.

My local bike store fixed the front tire on the Specialized so now it’s practically as good as new!

These two bikes feel so different. The Stumpjumper is way easier to wheelie and it’s suspension is always doing something (I might have it set up too soft currently) The Giant puts more weight on the front tire and has wider bars so it feels completely different. Overall the Stumpjumper is a more confidence inspiring bike. Something about the Specialized’s ergos and thinner handle bars just feels right.

I really want to try out a 27.5 in tire bike now. The 26 is super agile but when you’ve just hopped off a 29er the 26 inch tires feel small. This are just my observations riding the bikes around my neighborhood. I cannot wait to compare the two bikes on the many trails I live near.

Update.

I might have figured out why my Giant was such a good deal. The lower link likely had a small crack that I have been making larger. It took an hour or two of online digging but I found a new replacement part from a Giant bikes part supplier in the UK that said they could source the part from one of their parts affiliates in Holland. I couldn’t find anyone stateside who had a 2012 Anthem Shock D-Linkage and Bolt Set in stock and this company has good reviews and seems to have a knack for sourcing hard to find parts for older Giant bikes.

Now I am at the mercy of the postal system from Holland to the UK. I paid a bit extra so DHL will ship it from the UK to the US. My international shipping experiences with DHL have been superb lately. Hopefully in 2-3 weeks the Giant will be good to go.

I love this thread. It makes me want to jump in and start modding a bike. If I can take apart a CZ decocker sear cage I could probably handle this. Keep the updates coming please.

pedropcola, go for it! Building bikes is lots of FUN! When I was younger the bike I always wanted was a Standard STA 500(STA standing for Stronger Than All). I loved the beefy full 4130 chromo frame. I found a superb minty frame on the fleabay back when prices were reasonable. I am currently piecing it together slowly with my son. Hopefully we will get more parts in next week. There is a fully built version of this mid-school BMX bike for sale right now for well north of $1000 on eBay!

As far as builds go it’s as basic as you can get, but it’ll be fun and worth a surprising amount when I’m finished. It’ll be all period correct mid-school sourced parts except for the wheels.

I’m going to have to do some research. I have a hardtail 29 Cannondale that doesn’t get any love. I had my bike shop convert it to a single chain ring front and a new rear gearing. I really like singles on my mountain bikes. I’m not fast enough to need a bunch of gears and not smart enough to use them efficiently. Plus I’m medium height and growing up in 26 inches I felt unwieldy on the 29’s. Enter my 27.5 Specialized Camber. Pretty much perfect for me. However, if I could add a dropper post on that 29 I would think that it would make a real good all rounder and tooling around the neighborhood bike. This thread has got me thinking. Hmmmm.

I probably need to start small and service the brakes. I store it upside down and don’t know if that is a factor (I wouldn’t think so but..) but the hydraulic brakes are basically gone on the rear and nearly gone in the front or vice versa. All I know is I pulled it out mid covid only to nearly kill myself trying and failing to stop. Lol. Here comes Mr Google unless someone has a link they recommend.

This baby was due in today but is tracking 1-2 days behind if Fed-Ex’s website is up to date.

It will spend a brief time in this shape before it gets uses as a test bed for my first e-bike build. I’ll be ordering the final parts later this month.