Project - Old Specialized Hard Rock

[ThePainInSpain]

Just bought this from a neighbour for €30 (about £25), my idea is to renovate it and use it as an on-road bike for the winter.
I may live in the sunny south of Spain, but the winters can be total crap and very wet. There are no 'country lanes' here, your either on road or off.
I have a B'Twin Rockrider which have been riding the tracks over the summer but a lot of these tracks get impassable in the winter. But the Rockrider with it's full sus and off-road tyres, is a bit heavy on the blackstuff.

HOWEVER it may end up on the tip the way things are going. The seat was way too high for me but the seat post was stuck solid. Have tried everything that has been recommended both on and off this forum. It is destroyed now as I have cut it off about 1" above the frame and, with a hacksaw blade, cut down the whole length of the post., but the bugger still won't budge. I am running out of ideas and patience.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Beg, borrow, steal another mtb frame (and seatpost if not included) and move the parts over...

 

[Norm]

Shame you are in Spain, there's some stuff on there I'd give you £25 for.

Also a shame that you've chopped down the seat post.

 

[ThePainInSpain]

I have to get the post out somehow, I think I will end up having to cut it in 2 lengthwise. Once it's out I will get a new one and can then start renovating it properly.

 

[Globalti]

Caustic soda will dissolve aluminium. Try drain cleaner.

 

[twobiker]

If you put a metal blade in a jigsaw could you cut it lengthwise ?.

 

[ThePainInSpain]

DONE IT........................

It's took me a week, on and off but it slid out this morning (ok, ok, behave).

I managed to cut it lengthwise, twice, so it was in 2 pieces. Hammered screwdrivers down between the post and the frame which prized it away.

I was then able to get WD40 in place and we have something over here called 'Aqua Fuerta', literally translated is 'Strong Water', in fact it's an acid, used for cleaning drains and de-scaling boilers. Was able to let that seep down.

Just thought I'd have another go this morning, gave it a tap with the hammer and it moved down, though, if it moves down now, then it must move up. Clamped it in a pair of stiltsons and it just slid out.

Now I can start work on it properly.

 

[ThePainInSpain]

Would anyone have any idea as to about how old this bike is?

 

[fossyant]

It looks a similar age to my Dimond Back Ascent - early 90's before suspension started to come in.

If Tange Cro-mo, these things are bomb proof.

 

[VamP]

Looks pretty similar to my Rock Hopper. 1994.


Steel MTBs from that era are now very cool. I have just given my Rock Hopper a second lease of life as a CX race bike, which I use as my back up bike, and my girlfriend races on if she comes along.



It gets more comments at races than all the rest of our bikes put together.

 

[Norm]

Aye, my old Giant Coldrock is of the same sort of era - I think it even has the same shifters - and I bought that in 1990.

 

[ThePainInSpain]

Well, I'm making good progress..............

New tyres, because I found that the originals had perished.
New seat post and saddle.
The rest is original, I used almost a whole bottle of KH7 degreaser to clean everything. It had been hung up in a dusty old garage for 0ver 10 years.

Still some work to do, need to re-cable the brakes and fit new brake blocks, but I'm getting there...........