Specialized Stumpjumper Mystery Model

[RetroVelo]

Obvious observations to me:
-sloping top tube
This makes the frame a 1990 or younger but also not an Epic.

-affixed seat post clamp with the center area indented around the circumference
This excludes M2 frames or composite frames where the seatpost clamp is milled; i.e. your bike is steel frame (do the magnet test to confirm). The actual bolt going through the seat post clamp is also not original.

-lack of eyelettes
The only non-eyelette chromoly frame they made in the early 90's were the 1992 and 1993 S-Works Stumpjumper steel frame.

-components
I suspect the thumbies are original. Check the date codes on the thumbies.

-rear dropouts
The triangle hole makes the frame chromoly. M2 frames have solid dropouts.

-rear cantilever cable stop arch
Your frame doesn't have one, unless that too was ground off with the (maybe) eyelettes. The arch went missing in 1993 and some people claim a missing arch on their 1992's. Catalog pictures have the arch, but tons of photos of 1993 Stumpjumpers do not. Rather, the frames got a metal noodle welded onto the non-drive side just below the seat post clamp. The only other frames that did not have the arch were also the 1992 and 1993 S-Works.

The serial number should have an S or K in the third digit to be an S-works.

Ultimately, I am stabbing in the dark. So take this summary worth a grain of salt.

Thanks so much for your help.

Frame is definitely made of steel. Third digit in serial is an "L". (see attached pics).

I used acetone to wipe paint from the dropout, no evidence of grinding anywhere. Original paint was white.

Frame does not have a cable noodle for rear brakes, no evidence of being ground off either.

I believe this bike originally came with the white Judy fork currently installed as it is a 1" steerer and evidence of white paint under that crappy
blue make-over.

Wheels are BX23 and hubs are Deore XT FH-M732 / HB-m730.

 

[MuchAlohaNui]

Check Mombat Specialized History and have a look at the table. There you may identify what model you have based on paint and a few component date codes. Whether the component is m730 or m732 is somewhat relevant, the actual two-letter date code on the component will help with temporal resolution.

 

[trailwright]

This Specialized Stumjumper is a conundrum. I am the second owner. The person I bought this from became over time emotionally detached from the bike and thus, the exact model had slipped their mind. I inquired with general questions to help them recall. When I picked this up, all they said was 'the bike is rather special and was very expensive in the early 90's' and 'the parts are original' (less the tires currently mounted).

I originally thought this to be an 91' Epic (in part due to identification in the Mystery Thread) and honestly since I have owned it, has been hanging on a bike rack in the basement waiting to be worked on. The reason I say this is an Epic is due to pouring over catalog scans and comments in the Mystery Thread. However, a local guy asked about it the other day on why there are welds at the head tube. My first answer was 'well, because these bikes are lugged in either titanium or chromoly'. That was the end of that. This morning I thought, well, I'll take a Neobymium magnet to the frame.

The magnet attracts on all tubes . Now I have no idea what this bike is. Looking for photos online brings more confusion than identification.

If you would like additional photos, please feel free to ask. A few caveats to pay attention to if you'd like to help solve this mystery:

*the serial number, from what I can read, the black paint at the BB makes this a bit hard to read
*the Shimano chainstay mounted U-Brake was a very limited year optional add-on from Specialized
*the stickers (or lack there of)
*all the parts are original (XT)
*Specialized was notorious for releasing bikes with components not matching the catalog - I have a 1992 S-Works M2 Team where the catalog states Suntour XC Pro but I have a very very late number serial number in full XT, which I also bought from the original owner

Details, details details ALL IN CM:


Serial number: 8915599
Shimano XT M730/733

Top tube (theoretical horizontal plane): 53.5
Top tube actual: 52.5
Bottom tube: 61
Head tube: 8.8
Seat tube: 43
Chainstay: 43
BBody width: 73 mm
Fork steerer length: 12
Fork width: 1"
Stem length: 120 mm
Stem clamp diameter: 25.4 mm
Rear dropout: 135 mm
Front dropout: 100 mm

View attachment 708313View attachment 708314View attachment 708315View attachment 708316View attachment 708317View attachment 708318

It's definitely not an Epic. I was originally fairly confident to say that it's a 1989 Rockhopper Comp frame that's been resprayed and applied with later decals and had an XT upgrade from its original Deore II. My reasoning being that the RC seems to be the only model that had a women's specific size of 15" which due to heel clearance and cable routing necessity came with a U-brake. Other than the Epic and this one model size in the Hardrock and RC, Specialized had ditched the U-brake for the '89 model year. And the forks would suggest it's not a Hardrock (single eyelet here). Now as others have mentioned, Specialized could've pulled a curve ball here. The confusing elements are that the colour (if actually original), the XT components and the lack of seatstay higher up pannier mounts match an '89 Stumpie Comp spec, but that didn't seem to come in the small size that warranted the U-brake. Regardless, the decals are definitely a later edition.

 

[trailwright]

I have an even more mysterious Stumpjumper steel frame model, no eyelets and with a 1" steerer, take a look, perhaps you can tell me what it is. Yes, someone erroneously painted this over and perhaps upgraded the components.

I think you've got an S-Works Steel. Rear dropouts are the giveaway. Year - hard to know but '93 to '95 for sure. Nice find though, shame about the shitty respray!

 

[RetroVelo]

I think you've got an S-Works Steel. Rear dropouts are the giveaway. Year - hard to know but '93 to '95 for sure. Nice find though, shame about the shitty respray!

That was a good lead. Looks like the S-Works steel, but very early. The 92-95 had the brake line noodle welded under the seat collar, but found a mention that S-works from around 1990 did not have the noodle. If my serial number starts with an 89, then it's probably that model they speak of.

 

[trailwright]

That was a good lead. Looks like the S-Works steel, but very early. The 92-95 had the brake line noodle welded under the seat collar, but found a mention that S-works from around 1990 did not have the noodle. If my serial number starts with an 89, then it's probably that model they speak of.

That was a good lead. Looks like the S-Works steel, but very early. The 92-95 had the brake line noodle welded under the seat collar, but found a mention that S-works from around 1990 did not have the noodle. If my serial number starts with an 89, then it's probably that model they speak of.

I should of looked a bit more carefully at those dropouts, but yes the cut out is less elongated than an S-works Steel and the seat and chainstay ends are rounded rather than with a flatter end profile. And of course the noodle being omitted. My understanding is that S-Works wasn't a separate brand until '93, everything until then being a Specialized model, so if this frame is earlier than that then it'll fall into the Stumpjumper or Rockhopper camp. Given that this frame is missing the noodle or another type of brake cable hanger would suggest that the hanger was one of those which was attached to the seat bolt / QR itself. A quick scan of the brochures shows this was common in '89, though confusingly the Stumpy Comp from that year has a welded on hanger! The lack of dropout eyelets is also confusing. I think these have likely been ground off very neatly as they came on every frame except the S-Works steel and the Epic Ultimate, but could be impossible to tell now.

 

[RetroVelo]

Check Mombat Specialized History and have a look at the table. There you may identify what model you have based on paint and a few component date codes. Whether the component is m730 or m732 is somewhat relevant, the actual two-letter date code on the component will help with temporal resolution.

Found two pics of serial numbers in the same format on bottom brackets that run horizontally on the BB. Appears S-works had the year stamped in the serial numbers on the S-work steel frames. So my frame was made in 1989. My wheel/hub parts are late 1980's as are the shifters.

 

[RetroVelo]

I should of looked a bit more carefully at those dropouts, but yes the cut out is less elongated than an S-works Steel and the seat and chainstay ends are rounded rather than with a flatter end profile. And of course the noodle being omitted. My understanding is that S-Works wasn't a separate brand until '93, everything until then being a Specialized model, so if this frame is earlier than that then it'll fall into the Stumpjumper or Rockhopper camp. Given that this frame is missing the noodle or another type of brake cable hanger would suggest that the hanger was one of those which was attached to the seat bolt / QR itself. A quick scan of the brochures shows this was common in '89, though confusingly the Stumpy Comp from that year has a welded on hanger! The lack of dropout eyelets is also confusing. I think these have likely been ground off very neatly as they came on every frame except the S-Works steel and the Epics, but could be impossible to tell now.

I removed the paint with acetone in those areas, there are no grind marks or previous weld spots, no eyelets and no welded hangers to speak of. In fact white paint was still there and it looks like Pearl White paint, very indicative of a Stumpjumper. Now I am thinking this was one of those in-between transition models that was a Stumpjumper S-Works before it became S-Works in 1989.

 

[Repacker]

The one in question at this point in the thread hasn't got a rear brake bridge on the rear seat stays, as per this 89 Comp Stumpjumper which had the rear brake cable hanger threaded through the seat clamp bolt.


Here's some pics of @Sergio1069's Steel S Works which just closed on ebay. A 1991.

 

[RetroVelo]

The one in question at this point in the thread hasn't got a rear brake bridge on the rear seat stays, as per this 89 Comp Stumpjumper which had the rear brake cable hanger threaded through the seat clamp bolt.
View attachment 721103

Here's some pics of @Sergio1069's Steel S Works which just closed on ebay. A 1991.

View attachment 721102

My bike could well have had that floating brake hanger on the seat bolt at some point. I am beginning to believe 1989 was S-Works experimental stage. Everything on my frame looks like a Stumpjumper standard or Comp without eyelets, hangers and brake noodle. Perhaps it was made special order for a race team?