Stumpjumper - 81/82, when was the switch TIG to lugged?

[craigsmith]

Having got in a chat with GoldenEraMTB about an early years Stumpjumper on ebay (ebay and marketplace watch - http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=68578), I thought I'd put this one up for the collective wisdom of Retrobike. Someone out there will know for sure.

The question is: exactly when did the first Stumpjumpers switch from TIG welded to lugged. Conventional wisdom (and the 25 Years of Stumpjumper book) says only the 81 frames were TIG, but I have what I think is an 82 - serial no. TC200428 (pictured below). And MOMBAT shows some it describes as 82s, which are clearly TIG welded.

OK, go.

Craig

 

[GoldenEraMTB]

do you have an up close pic of the seat tube top tube junction, and the of the headtube from the driver's side?

Great looking stumpjumper

That's not the 81 fork, correct?

 

[craigsmith]

It's gone dark again my side of the pond! Pictures to order will go up tomorrow. The forks are the biplane style.

 

[craigsmith]

As requested...

 

[GoldenEraMTB]

As requested...

Thanks...definitely looks like an 81...cool bike.

now about the look of those welds....hmmmm.

 

[craigsmith]

Maybe that's the secret of why they switched to lugged frames - someone at the factory lost the file.

 

[GoldenEraMTB]

Maybe that's the secret of why they switched to lugged frames - someone at the factory lost the file.

haha. I just wrote you a pm with something to this effect. Anyone know why they switched over to lugs so quickly?