Well … it was such a shame to get to get our vintage Stumpjumper dirty, that we had to just keep on riding it through the muck, the mud, and the rain. But now that we’ve gotten over the “new car smell”, we can get down to the real reason for this whole process … enjoying a unique mountain bike.

[View with PicLens]

As promised, here is our biased review of the bike:

The Big Picture

From the get-go, we wanted to create something unique.  Certainly, there are better performing mid-level off-the-shelf mountain bikes … but that is like comparing a one-off hot-rod to a Honda Accord.  Anyone can own and drive the sensible car (and most people do), but it takes a little bit of personality to own something special.

And like a hot-rod, this bike took a little getting used to.  Remember, this frame predates a lot of the characteristics of the modern mountain bike … it was based the demands of early mountain bikers, far before Downhill was a verb.  But overall, the bike is responsive, easy to ride — and well — a good mountain bike.

Handling / Performance

The overall handling and performance can be summed up like this:  Uphill = Meh, Downhill = Yes!

The low handlebar position and the long wheelbase are not ideal for uphill theatrics.  The 650B wheels combined with more of a classic touring geometry makes for a very long bike.  So … hard efforts out of the saddle are a little awkward; the bike easily loses traction when not planted with the rider’s weight, and you feel like you are standing too far forward over the bars.  That said, long uphill treks in the saddle are pretty good.  The plump tires roll easily over obstacles, and the bike is stable and maneuverable at low speeds.  Basically, you can grind along as the legs permit.

The big surprise of the whole thing is how well the bike goes on the descents. Not that this is a serious Big Hit machine, but it will confidently roll as fast as the rider can hold-on.  Bumps and roots and obstacles are absorbed surprisingly well for a rigid bike … well enough to even [gasp] question the need for any mechanical suspension.  In other words, the bike really responds well to the steering and body-language inputs.  It tracks straight and fast, it feels planted in the corners, and it changes directions easily … just like you would want on Repack.

Components

The 650B wheels are a great upgrade for this frameset.  We’re not just sayin’ that … they enhance the ride, the responsiveness, and the aesthetics of the original bike.  Plus, they fit without fork clearance issues and work well with long reach canti brakes.  If you are upgrading wheels, go 650B.
Likewise, the SRAM X.O drivetrain is outstanding … but what else would you expect?  The shifts are crisp, clear, and without thought.  The rock-guarded Truvativ cranks feel solid, as do the Cane Creek Direct Curve 5 brakes.  After all, when you put on high quality components, you get high-quality performance.

Yes, the Brooks Swift saddle is the right choice for an off-roader.

The one take-away from this project is the 1×9 drivetrain.  Basically, we wonder why we ever used a standard mountain triple crankset … it’s just not necessary for our neck of the woods.  If you can leg-it up the uphills, then you are golden; not having a big chainring is only a slight issue on long dirt road descents.

Quirks

If you thinking of upgrading a vintage lugged steel mountain bike, there are a few “characteristics” that might be of interest:

• The rear spacing is 130mm.  We opted for a custom wheelset from Velocity, so this was not an issue — but cold-setting the frame might be a good option for standard 135mm wheels.
• The seatpost size is not “standard”.  Investigate the size before upgrading the post … ours needed a shim to work with a modern post.
• The front tire must be deflated for front wheel installation / removal.  Not the end of the world, but worth noting.
• A more original Bullmoose style stem and bars might be a little better than our modern Clarence bars.  While this is a personal preference, the Bullmoose is more inline with making the geometry a little comfortable for long rides.

Conclusions

Well … what do you think we will say in our biased review?  Of course the bike is great, it’s unique, it is a blast to ride. But … it is probably not a good idea as the primary bike in your off-road stable.  Sure the bike is fun, but it is not a “race-day” bike; it’s not the best choice for “epic” rides; it’s not the last word in mountain bikes.

So like the original hot-rod analogy, this bike is best as a change of pace, something different, play-time.  This rig is for the rides where you just want to go out and smile; fortunately for us, this is every time we mountain bike.  But for those out there with more “serious” cycling aspirations, you should probably by-pass the Hot-Rod Shop and head down to the local Honda dealership.