Old spesh enduro expert, worth it?

[Xiorell]

2003 enduro expert, 375 quid. Few upgrades up on there, revelation fork...
Worth it if its tight or, don't touch it regardless?
Kinda like the slight old-skool "ness" look to be honest.
Also a standard 2006 GT i-Drive 5 4.0, same question.

 

[henshaw11]

I've got the 03 sworks version - decent bike at the time, but mebbe a little bouncy when pedalling compared to Spesh's slightly smaller travel (Stumpie FSR ?) a year or two later (a mate bust his Enduro and got the other as a warranty replacement). His failed via a crack around the front of the seat tube, so I guess check that carefully, but I'm not aware it was a common problem. AFAIA any issues they'd had on earlier models has been fixed - some 02s fractured along the weld on the frame suspension mounts (a weld/manufacturing clearance issue I gather, from quizzing a Spesh guy at a show), and the 01s - or earlier 02s mebbe - had seatstay failures nr the disk mount I think which were fixed with a revised design. Another mate bought an 04, which I think was unchanged apart from paintwork and parts.
Maximum fork length was 125mm ,and single-crown, to retain the warranty.
The flip-flop link has two settings - one gives more ground clearance and steepens the head angle a tad. Using the low setting (which I must admit I've done most of my riding with) you tend to clip treestumps with yer pedals.
If there's one weak point it's the mech hanger/dropout design - the chainstay dropout is pretty weedy, the same mate with the fractured from smacked his mech//hanger and the dropout bent with it Rideable with new hanger but missing the small amount of the dropout.
I fitted mine with a hanger banger (On-One do a universal sram/shimano version - or used to, I think someone else now makes copies) to give it more support:
http://northshorebillet.com/products/hanger-bangers/
Curiously, a year or two later Specialized were fitting something similar on some of their longer-travel bikes, IIRC

 

[Xiorell]

Good Intel mate cheers, I did read up a bit about the frame cracking stuff.
So as it stands, does an '03 enduro still do well as a full-susser? Obviously spending the same money now gets much newer tech blah blah, but I suppose I mean how does the bike stack up now as an entry to full suspension?
Or is it so out of date now that it has effectively become a BSO?

 

[henshaw11]

Yer welcome

TBH I'm probably not the best person to ask - haven't been on other full-sussers since I bought it (or that much before, either), and a dodgy neck's meant I've not done that much offroad in recent years either. As entry level, pretty decent I'd have thought - definitely not a BSO ! - I guess the issue is whether there's better alternatives for the money...I guess the other issue, as with all old s/h frames, is what the rest of it's worth *if* the frame breaks. Sorry that's not much use as an answer ! - hopefully someone else will be along with a more comparative answer. Tho' if it's any help, a few people on retrobike seem to be pretty happy with theirs, a couple of years ago
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=130456

If anything, the front end on mine feels a little flexy, but I think that's more to do with the forks (some Magura CP125s, IIRC)

Hmm, perhaps I ought to get out on mine before the weather changes !

<edit> - a minor point, probably common to a lot of similar frames - the small pivot bearings are a bit small, when I flip-flopped my linkage one was a bit stiff..tbh I just lobbed it back together and forgot about it, but that's on a bike that's not done that much mileage or ever seen any mud (that's what the hardtail's for)

 

[Xiorell]

Something you might be able to help out with actually... What's the weight like?
I can't seem to find any readings for that statistic anywhere. Obviously its gonna vary with aftermarket forks/wheels etc, but any indication would help me out.
What I am looking at has been fit with Rockshox revelation 426 forks, mavic crossride rims and avid juicy 5s :-)

 

[fossyant]

I've got my Mates GT i-drive 2.0 which is about year 2000 in my garage. Needs new brakes, but it's kitted with XT and a XTR rear mech. Good bikes, tempted to make him an offer.

 

[Xiorell]

I've got my Mates GT i-drive 2.0 which is about year 2000 in my garage. Needs new brakes, but it's kitted with XT and a XTR rear mech. Good bikes, tempted to make him an offer.

I like them to look at, the spesh is the better spec but not sure which I prefer visually

 

[Hacienda71]

I picked this up last week off a mate who had it from new. It is a 2004 Stumpjumper Expert for £250. First impressions are good. It needs a bit of work to be spot on. Has xt and xtr and new RS Tora forks. I haven't thrashed it yet but will soon. Certainly good enough to try out for a bit of full susser action at a fraction of the cost of a good new one.

 

[Xiorell]

I picked this up last week off a mate who had it from new. It is a 2004 Stumpjumper Expert for £250. First impressions are good. It needs a bit of work to be spot on. Has xt and xtr and new RS Tora forks. I haven't thrashed it yet but will soon. Certainly good enough to try out for a bit of full susser action at a fraction of the cost of a good new one.

Bargain mate, looking good!
That's what's got me looking at older full sussers, I need an MTB but can't help but feel I am gonna want to dabble in a bit of everything - canal paths to pointing downwards action -
Looking at what's out there I'd spend the same or more on a worth while new hardtail and possibly get lesser spec anyway.
Can always get a camelbak for longer trips too

 

[Hacienda71]

Bargain mate, looking good!
That's what's got me looking at older full sussers, I need an MTB but can't help but feel I am gonna want to dabble in a bit of everything - canal paths to pointing downwards action -
Looking at what's out there I'd spend the same or more on a worth while new hardtail and possibly get lesser spec anyway.
Can always get a camelbak for longer trips too

I was in a similar predicament. I needed a jack of all trades. Kept looking at hardtails but when my mate offered me this and I looked into it, it seems like a good compromise. With the lockouts on it is fine for towpaths or a pootle down the park with the kids. Front suspension on and good for a bit of cross country and rear suspension on and it can handle a bit of dowinhill technical stuff.

 

[Xiorell]

I was in a similar predicament. I needed a jack of all trades. Kept looking at hardtails but when my mate offered me this and I looked into it, it seems like a good compromise. With the lockouts on it is fine for towpaths or a pootle down the park with the kids. Front suspension on and good for a bit of cross country and rear suspension on and it can handle a bit of dowinhill technical stuff.

I actually only just realised the rear shock had lockout which has just made everything much more attractive.
Only bummer with a lot of full sus bikes seems to be mounts for bottle cages/pumps etc but I suppose that's what a rucksack is for

 

[Hacienda71]

The Fox rear on the Stumpjumper has three settings from locked to full on downhill mode. It has got a bottle cage as you can see but I think I will end up with a straight rucksack or camelback/rucksack combo. I don't fancy drinking out of a mud covered bottle if I am on a trail.

 

[fossyant]

Great buy that Hacienda. Makes me think to just hold out with my mates GT bike then. It was massively upgraded before my mate got it. It's got Rock Shock SID rear air suspension, that's adjustable, and Rock Shock Psylo SL front - I've heard these can leak, but considering it's been on the bike a long time, it looks and works fine. Considering the wheels are stock crap, it's bloody light.

The only thing that is a worry is the i-drive rear suspension - there is a huge BB area with a floating bearing system in there - looks and feels A1, but if it breaks, then that will be the end. It needs £150 spending on brakes and rotors and a set of decent Mavic Crossrides and a decent saddle - so needs £350 spending to make it pretty good. Drive chain is absolutely fine. Just to hand it back to my mate is £100 for brakes, and he hasn't the cash at the minute.

 

[fossyant]

The Fox rear on the Stumpjumper has three settings from locked to full on downhill mode. It has got a bottle cage as you can see but I think I will end up with a straight rucksack or comeback/rucksack combo. I don't fancy drinking out of a mud covered bottle if I am on a trail.

Muddy bottles are OK - it's just rats pee you need to watch out for !

 

[Xiorell]

Its one of these with a different fork and rims basically