1998 Rockhopper resurrection

lol, yes, the 'whale tail' is an abomination....maybe as I have decreed the front crud too ugly already and prefer to get sprayed and put glasses on I should just go the whole hog and get my backside sprayed up too.....

...and cheers! Angling for a set of cheap Reba's with V mounts in 100mm to chopper him up a bit/ make plusher still. Feels like the front coming up a bit (20mm) would be a great thing, and with the new 60mm stem steering is PLENTY snappy, so combo should be the 'done deal'......if the Pace's were just a wee bit longer i would probably not bother as they do feel pretty good as well....

And looks wise the plain grey with the red Bombers is my favourite too!! Only the 19" frame was too gatelike in the filth and the Bombers too stiff in the end. Only got about 3 cm travel....rides MUCH better now!

So he is finally coming to a natural peak....almost all things have been changed since the beginning of the thread.

He is now like so:



Not so retro now with Reba Race 100mm (and ghetto sprayed white-used to be ugly black), Nobby Nic 2.25 front, Ralph 2.25 back, Cane Creek S3 headset, monkey lite 640mm carbon bars, 70mm stem, modern XTR shifter but with original STX RC rear mech, as it just works beautifully ....Avid SD7 levers but with old diacomp brakes and SRAM 970 cassette.

The last thing now is he's going to get some Hope Bulb hubs in a wheel rebuild by Cannondale King, as to make him pick up in a snappy manner and sound like a fishing reel and then he's at his peak I reckon. Rides so so sweetly!!

One question:

I have little experience to compare properly, but if any on you know this 98 Nitanium Rockhopper frame (mine in 17") and could compare it to a modern frame in ride quality that would be ace. I mean, I love the way it rides with the 100mm. Loves it! Like it was made for it. Obviously wasn't but you know........I wonder how much magic I could gain riding say a Cotic Bfe with a 100mm in comparison?? Any ideas? Anyway, I'll ride this thing this year regardless I reckon, as it's just too sweet...

these things ride RUBBISH compared to modern hard tails...

in all seriousness.. compared to my on-one 456

i think modern hardtails just have better geometry to run modern longer travel forks and be able to climb without feeling quite so wandery with the longer forks.. oh and they tend to have disc mounts now too..

ran my rockhopper with some 1997 100mm Z1's back in the day and it felt great.. the On-one just feels a bit more planted and confidence inspiring through the really rough stuff

though i do prefer the lighter weight, retro look and zippy racier feel of the rigids or 80mm judy DH hybrids i run on it now..

would love to try it with some 100mm light modern forks though... bet it rides great!

Indeed, I mean longer forks and discs was the only things I could think of a new frame would make possible, just ride quality wise this thing is bloody gorgeous now! So bugger the plan to get a bFe for now.....this 17" with my 6 4" is superbly chuckable as is....

Rebas a little too saggy perhaps, depending on task at hand, but pump is about to arrive to get that sweet spot nailed and also waiting for the Hope rear so engagement will be a bit more instant and then I don't think I'll wish for more until I want longer forks or FS.....which majority of the time with Surrey Hills being my roughest and more often Richmond Park and Wimbledon common's nooks and crannies I really don't need.....100mm that work properly go a long way.....

Bla bla....excited

One more thing I will definitely get s a 27.2 seatpost to soften things for my rump. Just unsure if to go carbon.....should be safe, I'm not heavy, and would flex nicely would it not?

Did you ever do anything else with the larger rockhopper?

No, but this summer will finally bring him out. When I get my wheels done for the MTB 17" I'll only need a cheap silver front wheel for him and a rear mech for cheap and he'll be complete...minus tyres thinking Rubino slicks, the old silver breaks and silver Spesh flatbar and long stem and 1x8 which I still have, maybe get a 38t for the front or so......and then have a sexy road toy for short local bursts.

Got an old ugly blue set of Rock shox Jett's with the 17" frame at the time, so they'll be ghetto sprayed black and should look sweet on the gunmetal frame. And I like something to swallow kerbs and such. Toying with a suspension post too as the tyres won't give me any comfort....probably start him in a few weeks, focus still on the wee one.....

So here is the last incarnation of the 17" frame. He's a lovely tool, so it will sting a little when most of his parts are going to migrate to my new Psycle Werks Hare......and some other parts back to the 19" Rockhopper frame in my avatar, which is getting slicks to turn into a road toy.

So for now as a goodbye pic to the 17".....but he will never get sold and most likely built up again fairly soon. Just too nice to ride.



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Awsome build thread loved the new incarnations, cant wait for the next one keep up the good work!!

Cheers mate! The Wild Hare thread is up and running and should hot up with pictures pretty soon.....