1998 stumpjumper M2 Pro

Yeah completely agree, not a fan of veloceraptors anyway, tend to wash out. Might get some spec tyres in the next month or so.

Not sure if this counts as a barn find or anything since it went unloved on eBay, but I should have it in my hands tomorrow. Looks pretty darn original except for the tires.



The prices that these underrated bikes go for these days are pretty hard to pass up. Should be a great bike for my daughter to move up to from her Cannondale Race24.

Hi All,

Just finished reassembling and adapting this 1998 Stumpjumper M2 with used stuff (XTR rapid rise rear dérailleur, Ritchey riser bar, Specialized short stem, MEC saddle and Icon pedals). Total investment for now is around 250$ CAD (that's 155 GBP and 170 EURO if I'm right). Of course that does not include the tires. I'm really impressed by the quality and durability of the higher end components on this bike, even the brake pads are still usable. Apart for the new old parts, I only changed a few cables. Also, the bike is very light.

The thing that bugs me right now is the Manitou SX fork that is leaking on one side. As one can see from the 2nd picture, the small rubber pads on the compression / damping adjustment is soaked with oil and is slippy. So there's no way to adjust it by turning it. The fork is kind of slow on the rebound but does not seem to be too soft.

I'd like to know what others owners of this bike have gone through with this fork and with the other older components. I already spent hours and hours trying to get a replacement fork so I can order and receive it before the snow arrives here in Montréal, QC. I'd use the winter to try to work on the Manitou SX, but only if it's worth it.

The real challenge with older bikes is the parts. Hopefully CNC and maybe 3D printing will bring hope for the future... We live in a world of obsolescence, it's a shame we haven't started planning reparability and forcing companies to design with it in mind with our laws.

Thanks,

Lefty

Lefty, if you've got oil at the top of those forks, you have an issue. I'm pretty sure they're still a through shaft, closed damper fork so probably an adjuster o-ring or something is sad.

Thanks shogun,

I ordered a rebuild kit from bikerecyclery.com, I will use the winter to get the fork back to life. In the meantime I've been able to order a new Rockshox Recon Silver R that I'll be using on the bike. This Recon will go on another project (1995 FSR).

Great bike (i have the same) look forward to seeing it back on the trails!

Hi, love how the bike turned out! Looks really nice!
I recently acquired '98. stumpy comp; does anyone know if there is any difference between comp and pro besides the color?