This 1992 Specialized Rockhopper rebuild was a group birthday present for our dear friend Gabsi. Spot him riding it in the Streets of Düsseldorf.
Wide rims help to support the 2.3 Maxxis tires and increase their volume. Such rims are hard to come by, as availability is pretty much limited by what happens to pop up on the used market. Most ’90s rims were much narrower.
Usually baskets are best mounted to a front rack. However, the large footprint of Wald 139 has a lot of leverage when loaded, and would put a lot of stress on the connection to the rack. In this case it seemed like the safer option to attach the basket with the hardware it came with.
The Suntour XC cranks were resprayed black with two layers of clear coat for a shiny finish. A 10-Speed Shimano XT drivetrain with a single 38-tooth chainring up front takes care of the shifting.
Before & After
Finding large frames to rebuild for taller riders is always a challenge, as they are getting exceedingly rare. This one was in almost mint condition, though it came with rusty components and a broken chain wedged into its rear wheel. Ultimately almost every part of the bike was replaced. Swipe to compare the before and after photos.
Bike & Rider
Parts List
Frame: Specialized Rockhopper Sport (1992)
Wheels: 21mm wide mystery rims
Hubs: Deore M600
Tires: Maxxis dth 2.3
Stem: BLB Lil’ Quill 80mm
Handlebars: KCNC Rampant 50mm
Grips: SRAM Lock-ons
Brakes: Shimano T-4000
Levers: Avid FR-5
Derailleur: Shimano XT 10-speed
Shifter: Shimano XT 10-speed
Cranks: Suntour XCR
Chainring: Deckas 38t
Cassette: Shimano HG50 11-36
Saddle: EC90 155mm
Basket: Wald 139
Bike photos by Anna Breit. Words by Christoph Wimmer
Billo Bikes 
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