First time seeing this channel, the thumbnail with the modern Sworks paint job pulled me in. I really wish you had budget to modernise the bike, just to do the paint job justice. Chainstay, downtube, toptube, seat stay - on an alloy frame some protective wrap is a must with a paint job like that 😩
It's funny listening to you at the beginning of this making it sound like this S-Works is completely obsolete. It worked 20 yrs ago, so it would still work now. You're just use to more modern bikes that have improved the experience of riding trails. I have been riding mtn bikes for 30 yrs and rode my 1998 Barracuda XC up until 3 yrs ago. Yeah, my 2020 plus hardtail is a major upgrade in the handling department, but I still miss the old bike at times. It drew alot of looks and newer riders were keen to ask questions about it. BTW I have a friend who has a 2001 Stumpjumper FSR w/ full XTR and Fox suspension front and rear. He swapped out the front to a 1x and still shreds on it
@@puntoycoma47 So true. I get irritated at "riders" that try to remove obstacles or smooth out every trail to make them fast and flowy like a BMX track. Oh, and go around obstacles or tech sections because it's too "hard", eventually making the singletrack into an 8' wide dirt track.
@@johnnydoe66 the worst thing to happen to MTB was to become popular. Sports goods companies need to devise a new golf replacement to catch all these middle aged dentists away from us.
After over 3 years of watching Seth, I just discovered your channel, Both my dad and I love watching your videos and love the old bike restorations. Before my dad got his new bike last year he was riding a trek 1997 carbon hardtail, so this brings back the memories of us upgrading his bike.
A hack we use at the shop I work at is when a shifter isn’t engaging we blast it out with white lighting degreaser. The pawls usually get stuck in place from the old grease and that will free it up.
"will these rim brakes even stop me?!" Well, all of us who used to ride rim brakes survived to see them replaced by discs, so I'd say that was a bit sensationalist. Other than that, really liked the build. Reminds me of my old XC Pro!
Ah yes, that was my same thought! When people ask me why I use canti brakes on my build... Well last time I checked, the mountain has been here for more than the last 15 years, I'm pretty sure people survived riding down it with worse.
ALOT of sensationalism...the premise of this seems to be based on some revolution in bicycle design, in the last 20 years. what 29's? disc brakes? those were available in 2002. yet, this was Specialized top of the line. doubting xtr v brakes?? hHAHAHAHA that is funny right there.!
yeah same here....top of the range XTR shift incredibly well....but it sounds surprising...leaking tubeless tire is "the end of the world"...just add a tube...i love the build, but too much "old tech is dodgy tech" reference
I started MTB in 1992 with a GT Tequesta that had the shittiest brakes, coming from a GT BMX with no functioning brakes it was ok, up to my 1995 team SX I didn't realise softer compounds existed, little revolution in my head. V brakes were a bit better Then the disc came and I realised all the rest was trash. Tbh all rim brakes were shit.
The people complaining about the bike don't seem to understand the purpose of this build at all. This isn't just for a low budget bike build, this is a test to see how an older but very high end bike of it's time compares to today's modern standards. And currently as it sits, the original setup just doesn't cut it for Evan's riding style. It's not that it's a bad system, this was the leading edge when it was new. But there have been massive improvements in today's cycling standards since then. As someone who's loving and building up an older bike myself, I can appreciate the love you obviously have for this bike. You don't just completely repaint a bike from scratch that you're not planning on going the full distance with. I for one, am highly excited where you're planning to go from here. I'm seeing atleast a new rear shock, a 1x drivetrain and maybe even a dropper. You change those up and your going to rock that trail! Can't wait for the next episode!
Haha you nailed it on the head and fully grasped the main point of the whole video. I have a whole slew of parts ready to go for this bike, just need to find a new groupset for the Polygon first and then I'll use that Deore on this bike. Thanks Luther!!
That bike was my wet dream when I was a kid 😍 I actually had the same S-Works frame years ago in a metal flake gold colour. I'd ride that round all day. Love it.
Soooo I have the same bike (except with disc brakes) Sat in a basement for 15+ years. Literally every step you’re having trouble with, I can confirm and been there. Things I found: 1. Even after rebuilding the fork, it was shot. This had to be replaced. 100mm fork made the head angle better too. The original Duke XC flexed a ton too. 2. The rear float shock was a PITA to rebuild and they are very specific in regards to weight and fluid. Anything lower than 80W would get past the seals. Now it’s great. 3. Bite the bullet and purchase a dropper; The bike cannot be ridden without one as the seat post cannot be lowered more than an inch. Biggest flaw of this frame. Use the front derailleurs routing and ditch the front mech. 4. I upgraded to 1x9. Even with a clutched rear mech, the slap is horrendous. Wrap the back linkage with bar tape and use felt tape to quiet the chatter from the chain and cables. Makes it much better. 5. Frame bearings were shot from age; these needed to be replaced for the rear to track right. 6. You can’t fit a tire larger than 2.2, I’ve tried. Skinny for today’s standard, but thats all the frame can except. After all that and standard maintenance (headset, new BB, brake fluid flush, hub rebuild, tubeless conversion, indexing) it’s solid, I sling rollers and drops and no one even realizes I’m on a 20 year old bike! But a LOT has to go into these older bikes to make them huckable! Also, best to pick up a “lightly used” one as many of these were ridden hard and fatigue strength of the aluminum can be detrimental; the right chain stay is prone to crack over time! Hope this helps anyone wanting to pick one of these up!
I restored my old Felt Virtue One last year. I absolutely love the bike, and there is something satisfying about throwing a leg over an old 26er every now and then.
That's actually a quite good looking bike, even by todays standards. Awesome paintjob! Just needs a bit more travel upfront, dropper post and a 1x drivetrain. Sure it's not economically sound, but where's the fun in that ;)
I have that bike and still use it at my parents home from time to time. Your wheel is probably not flexing but slipping in the dropout that's why it touch. You should use a strong QR and crank it a lot. Riding without dropper is defentely not a really fun experience anymore so i use one. You have to find a small travel one because not much is exposed. It's still not meant to be ridden aggressively but it makes for a pleasant casual ride. The orginal main pivot bolt are super fragile and will snap. I use something standard in strong steel and it just work.
With that bike you should go into the next Specialed Concept Store and ask for an appropriate bottle holder. Watch the faces of the sales guys in disbelieve while the new intern frantically checks the computer for that new S-Works model... which he can't find in the database. Pure gold! :D))))
I ride a vintage Sid with 28 mm stanchions. They do flex too much! But I'm a very light guy and ride cross country mostly. The ultra light weight makes it super fun and agile on narrow turns It's just about doable in heavier terrain. Glad you went for v brakes!
I've got a similar bike. 2000 S Works M4. Flat black anodized. Full XTR. I've run it with disc brakes and V brakes. They offered a kinda funky rear disc adapter , it bolted to the brake boss. Also got the carbon fiber e plate derailleur mount. And the Risse long travel rocker linkage. Judy SL fork. It was and still is a fun bike on tight windy single track. Outdated yes. But still fun. 23 pounds with v brakes and just under 25 with disc brakes. Contrary to popular belief people could actually still mountain bike back then. Prior to all the ever changing standards of today. I can't deny that modern bikes are superior in virtually every aspect. But old bikes are still alot of fun. I got my first mountain bike back in 1986.
when i saw those wheels I thought we are going backwards with mountain bikes now Those wheels are the go I have always wanted thick spokes like that for my rear wheel I am constantly breaking spokes in my rear wheel and how the spokes screw straight into the rim with no spoke holes make tubeless so much more reliable and easy. wow.
Don’t give up this bike. It’s not obsolete and it will perform if you get everything tuned correctly. You may need to hang some more modern parts off that frame first. Try taking a few links out of your chain because you shouldn’t be dropping it like that. I can’t wait to see part 2 of this build.
We must see it again. If my 2009 gary fisher v brakes can stop my 260lb frame in southeast tn. I know you can get that beautiful bike back to peak performance.
disk brakes and v-brakes are basically the same thing....pads on a disc. With rim brakes, you're on a '26 inch disk, disk brakes its only 180' or so... but its away from water/mud that can cause braking issues when mountain biking. why road bikes still use rim brakes.. its a lighter, superior system if you take the water and mud out of the equation!
Well that's a shame it doesn't seem to be working. I have a 99 Stumpjumper FSR XC that I revived and it handles the trails well, even the blacks, but at a moderate speed. I swapped the 3x for a Micro Shift 9 speed, 11-42 with a 32 up front, what a game changer. No slap and smooth shifting with plenty of low to get up everything. I put a 740 bar and 35mm stem, and yes, a dropper. The dropper was the hardest to find, had to get one short enough to clear the suspension. Had her recently at the local bikefest, and boy did she get some attention, lol.
Interesting build! Some funny quotes re the older tech too. 😅 I built up a slightly earlier S Works recently too. XTR, RaceFace, Hope etc. Kept the original width bars and long stem too. No complaints here round my local trail centre.
In regard to the Chris King headset, making bearings is very hard. Chris King is absolutely worth every penny and seem to last twice as long and are easy to service.
These old XTR V brakes are the best v brakes I have ever used. I have a set on a race bmx bike and my late 90’s stump jumper. I have a couple of sets of these brakes and am looking to buy more
I have two of these similar frames but older by 2 and 5 years (FSR XC StumpJumper's). I totally disagree with you regarding the stems. Today's frames are long and slender with a natural head tube that is pitched upwards hence the shorter stems can be used. To get the same effect. I use a 110MM with a 35 degree rise to it which gives me length and height that I need. But most importantly, I have dropper that is a game changer for these bikes. Bummer you painted it too... I think you were right about some of these things, but may have missed the mark with others. These bikes are super fast and number and ride great, so much in fact that I think my 29r tires feel to big sometimes and I wish I had went with 27.5's on my new Giant Stance. Anyway, great to see you working on the older bikes, as I completely love them and in many ways perfer them over to other frame designs. I would love to watch rebuild one of these old SID's from scratch - that would be great!
Heck yeah thanks Casey. It was hard for me to even finish the video on it because I already experienced the fail. But there's just something so special with this bike to me, I can't quite explain it. Definitely will be keeping it after all the things I have planned for it!
I was waiting for this video for so long and it is worth it. This Specialized build series is what brought me to your channel and since then I watched almost all of your video. SO happpy for every new you make. Its a bit sad, that the bike doesnt work very well, I hoped it'll be a xc machine. Still super video
I think it's not so much the geometry but more so the older components just not working at their fullest potential. I think this bike as a restonod project would be better. Of course that's more expensive but you'd have more fun during the process and with the final product. 🤘
05:57 You could replace the crank's chainring to a 1x narrow wide chainring, then add a chain retention device for fairly cheap. I did this for my 3x Deore crankset on a GT Avalanche
I really think standard disk brakes vs v brakes are like blue ray vs DVD. Both are way better than before but they're not massively far apart in performance. The higher end disk brakes are another thing altogether.
Im pretty sure those rockox forks were 2007 only. Blackbox i think they were called. They made the rockshox boxxer blackbox 2007 which looks amazing with those triple crown gold stancions
I cant imagine this bike isn't capable of riding modern trails. I have a 94" raleigh titanium and use it to ride everything i ride with modern bikes too besides big jumps ofc. Its a hardtail only. Specs: Manitou Answer 4 coil conversion. Full XTR drivetrain. Mavic crossride rims and hubs. 2.35" magic mary front tyre and a 2.25" nobby nic at the rear.
This is a xc bike, even when it was sold, it wasn’t made for intense DH riding. Use it for xc style trails, I’m sure it’ll be awesome. I rock a 92’ trek rigid, it shreds all modern trails, just takes a little better line choice and some arm pump.
V brakes or cantilevers both work just fine. Been riding them for decades without issue. I just upgraded to discs though and what a pain in the ass keeping those rotors clean. Not to mention the banshee wail they make if they get wet. Are discs really better?
Dude I'm glad someone finally knows what I'm talking about! So many people dogged me saying that they survived that era. But that fork flex was dangerous!
if you want better braking performance without going to discs you should check out magura hs33 hydraulic rim brakes. Heavy touring bikes use them for descending with 35kgs of stuff. trails bikes use them to.
Wait until you put some disc brakes on that fork. It will auto steer you to the left when you brake, it's that bad. Put some narrow tires on (like 1.95") and fix the rear wheel, I could see at least one spoke not straight. XTR V brakes were actually very good, in the dry.
The v-brakes are the best made in it's time. Find a manual and completely disassemble and lube them. Use a high quality Kool Stop pads. Next, ditch that over priced SID fork. They were shit then....and shit now. Definitely replace the rear and front shocks to say a Recon and a Fox float...great videos..
I cringed a bit when I saw you put purple degreaser on those parts. It destroys aluminum parts in the ultrasonic cleaner. Do some searching to see how it reacts with motorcycle cabs (hint: not good). I've had very good luck with Zep green and Simple Green, both mixed 50/50 with water and the heater on. Good luck and nice build!
This is cool I have an old 2009 jamis dakar xc as my first real mtb before its a full sus bought it for only 300$!! Rockshox tora fork upfront And an xfusion spring shock at the back Its still rides real nice today the only bad thing is its a 3by but its really good on trails real nicee
This was a top of the line bike back in the day. I doubt the trails have changed so much that they now render this bike useless (I'm talking XC trails only of course, since that would have been its intended use). Also, you probably could have just gone 1x9.
The trail I took it on is an XC course I'll be racing on, but dang that trail man, no maintenance and totally decayed. Rocky, loose as heck. Definitely made it too challenging for the bike, but I have a major upgrade video coming on the S-Works and it's gonna be a bad ass bike or the death of me haha
hi my friend. If the bicycle gave you a smile 20 years ago , why shouldn't it do the same even today? did your fun changed somehow? I would love to see this bike not renewed but modernised with some contemporary components. It is always interesting, (more interesting in fact) to see how older bikes perform with new components, new forks and wheels.
Just would like to point out. The end of the video was a anticlimax. The bike isn’t exactly designed for steep downhill or jumping. It’s designed for 50km rides through bush land and single track.
Got a 2005 Giant NRSC2 what a bike Got it for 400$ spent 400$ more Replaced tires to Maxxis DHF AND DHR2 ( Made it tubeless ) 26x2.3 Rebuilded fork Fox F80RL Changed bars , Stem greased components Man what a machine you really don’t need the most modern bike The bike is Carbon And it weighs SUB 24LBS and it is extremely zippy
Naaa, that bike is trail worthy... I have the same bike (unfortunately sans S-Works and that sick red paint job). You should swap the front fork to a Reba with 32mm stanchions and with disc brake and you are ready to shred the trails. Huge difference.
so are you going to convert it to 1x, maybe get a better drivetrain, get a different wheelset and hydraulic disk breaks? or no does this bike not feel good on you or not worth upgrading.
@@EvansMTBSaga I did the same thing you're doing with my 2000 era ht Cannondale in 2015 or so. It got a disc brake conversion, tubeless carbon wheels, and an XT 11 drivetrain. I rode it for a while, but that old suspension just wasn't enough and there was no way to improve it.
Looks like a solid build my friend. It was fun seeing you at the Sedona bike festival.
So glad you saw the video! Every episode was inspired by your work!
@@EvansMTBSaga now that I finished watching it I see it’s still not all the way there but it looks like you’ve done it justice.
First time seeing this channel, the thumbnail with the modern Sworks paint job pulled me in. I really wish you had budget to modernise the bike, just to do the paint job justice. Chainstay, downtube, toptube, seat stay - on an alloy frame some protective wrap is a must with a paint job like that 😩
@@neilk22 Hey Neil! I do have the budget and I'll be ripping apart this bike like a maniac within a few weeks!! Thanks for the feedback.
@@EvansMTBSaga really looking forward to that result - i love the look of this bike.
It's funny listening to you at the beginning of this making it sound like this S-Works is completely obsolete. It worked 20 yrs ago, so it would still work now. You're just use to more modern bikes that have improved the experience of riding trails.
I have been riding mtn bikes for 30 yrs and rode my 1998 Barracuda XC up until 3 yrs ago. Yeah, my 2020 plus hardtail is a major upgrade in the handling department, but I still miss the old bike at times. It drew alot of looks and newer riders were keen to ask questions about it.
BTW I have a friend who has a 2001 Stumpjumper FSR w/ full XTR and Fox suspension front and rear. He swapped out the front to a 1x and still shreds on it
yea man! Skill is what matters the most :D
And "today's trails" are the smoothest ever. Flow and features weren't a thing at 90s
@@puntoycoma47 So true. I get irritated at "riders" that try to remove obstacles or smooth out every trail to make them fast and flowy like a BMX track. Oh, and go around obstacles or tech sections because it's too "hard", eventually making the singletrack into an 8' wide dirt track.
@@johnnydoe66 the worst thing to happen to MTB was to become popular. Sports goods companies need to devise a new golf replacement to catch all these middle aged dentists away from us.
Yeah got me a bit pissed
After over 3 years of watching Seth, I just discovered your channel, Both my dad and I love watching your videos and love the old bike restorations. Before my dad got his new bike last year he was riding a trek 1997 carbon hardtail, so this brings back the memories of us upgrading his bike.
I once had the same Trek 8700 hard tail, it was a crazy light trail racer. Had it specc'd under 10kg.
A hack we use at the shop I work at is when a shifter isn’t engaging we blast it out with white lighting degreaser. The pawls usually get stuck in place from the old grease and that will free it up.
"will these rim brakes even stop me?!"
Well, all of us who used to ride rim brakes survived to see them replaced by discs, so I'd say that was a bit sensationalist.
Other than that, really liked the build. Reminds me of my old XC Pro!
Ah yes, that was my same thought! When people ask me why I use canti brakes on my build... Well last time I checked, the mountain has been here for more than the last 15 years, I'm pretty sure people survived riding down it with worse.
ALOT of sensationalism...the premise of this seems to be based on some revolution in bicycle design, in the last 20 years. what 29's? disc brakes? those were available in 2002. yet, this was Specialized top of the line. doubting xtr v brakes?? hHAHAHAHA that is funny right there.!
@@TSoneonetwo The bike frame has mounts for disk brakes. WTF did he not put on disk brakes. I added them to my 2003 Cannondale
yeah same here....top of the range XTR shift incredibly well....but it sounds surprising...leaking tubeless tire is "the end of the world"...just add a tube...i love the build, but too much "old tech is dodgy tech" reference
I started MTB in 1992 with a GT Tequesta that had the shittiest brakes, coming from a GT BMX with no functioning brakes it was ok, up to my 1995 team SX I didn't realise softer compounds existed, little revolution in my head.
V brakes were a bit better
Then the disc came and I realised all the rest was trash.
Tbh all rim brakes were shit.
The people complaining about the bike don't seem to understand the purpose of this build at all. This isn't just for a low budget bike build, this is a test to see how an older but very high end bike of it's time compares to today's modern standards. And currently as it sits, the original setup just doesn't cut it for Evan's riding style.
It's not that it's a bad system, this was the leading edge when it was new. But there have been massive improvements in today's cycling standards since then.
As someone who's loving and building up an older bike myself, I can appreciate the love you obviously have for this bike.
You don't just completely repaint a bike from scratch that you're not planning on going the full distance with.
I for one, am highly excited where you're planning to go from here. I'm seeing atleast a new rear shock, a 1x drivetrain and maybe even a dropper. You change those up and your going to rock that trail!
Can't wait for the next episode!
Haha you nailed it on the head and fully grasped the main point of the whole video. I have a whole slew of parts ready to go for this bike, just need to find a new groupset for the Polygon first and then I'll use that Deore on this bike. Thanks Luther!!
That bike was my wet dream when I was a kid 😍
I actually had the same S-Works frame years ago in a metal flake gold colour. I'd ride that round all day. Love it.
Soooo I have the same bike (except with disc brakes) Sat in a basement for 15+ years. Literally every step you’re having trouble with, I can confirm and been there. Things I found:
1. Even after rebuilding the fork, it was shot. This had to be replaced. 100mm fork made the head angle better too. The original Duke XC flexed a ton too.
2. The rear float shock was a PITA to rebuild and they are very specific in regards to weight and fluid. Anything lower than 80W would get past the seals. Now it’s great.
3. Bite the bullet and purchase a dropper; The bike cannot be ridden without one as the seat post cannot be lowered more than an inch. Biggest flaw of this frame. Use the front derailleurs routing and ditch the front mech.
4. I upgraded to 1x9. Even with a clutched rear mech, the slap is horrendous. Wrap the back linkage with bar tape and use felt tape to quiet the chatter from the chain and cables. Makes it much better.
5. Frame bearings were shot from age; these needed to be replaced for the rear to track right.
6. You can’t fit a tire larger than 2.2, I’ve tried. Skinny for today’s standard, but thats all the frame can except.
After all that and standard maintenance (headset, new BB, brake fluid flush, hub rebuild, tubeless conversion, indexing) it’s solid, I sling rollers and drops and no one even realizes I’m on a 20 year old bike! But a LOT has to go into these older bikes to make them huckable! Also, best to pick up a “lightly used” one as many of these were ridden hard and fatigue strength of the aluminum can be detrimental; the right chain stay is prone to crack over time! Hope this helps anyone wanting to pick one of these up!
Wish you did this video. This guy is a hack.
I restored my old Felt Virtue One last year. I absolutely love the bike, and there is something satisfying about throwing a leg over an old 26er every now and then.
That's actually a quite good looking bike, even by todays standards. Awesome paintjob! Just needs a bit more travel upfront, dropper post and a 1x drivetrain. Sure it's not economically sound, but where's the fun in that ;)
I have that bike and still use it at my parents home from time to time. Your wheel is probably not flexing but slipping in the dropout that's why it touch. You should use a strong QR and crank it a lot. Riding without dropper is defentely not a really fun experience anymore so i use one. You have to find a small travel one because not much is exposed. It's still not meant to be ridden aggressively but it makes for a pleasant casual ride. The orginal main pivot bolt are super fragile and will snap. I use something standard in strong steel and it just work.
With that bike you should go into the next Specialed Concept Store and ask for an appropriate bottle holder. Watch the faces of the sales guys in disbelieve while the new intern frantically checks the computer for that new S-Works model... which he can't find in the database. Pure gold! :D))))
we should call this series Evan's house customs or something like that
The paint is unbelievable! Great build!
I ride a vintage Sid with 28 mm stanchions. They do flex too much! But I'm a very light guy and ride cross country mostly. The ultra light weight makes it super fun and agile on narrow turns It's just about doable in heavier terrain.
Glad you went for v brakes!
Thanks for this video, I got a stumpjumper from that era that im fixing but I've hesitated because I didn't wanted to ride with pads.
I've got a similar bike. 2000 S Works M4. Flat black anodized. Full XTR. I've run it with disc brakes and V brakes. They offered a kinda funky rear disc adapter , it bolted to the brake boss. Also got the carbon fiber e plate derailleur mount. And the Risse long travel rocker linkage. Judy SL fork. It was and still is a fun bike on tight windy single track.
Outdated yes. But still fun. 23 pounds with v brakes and just under 25 with disc brakes.
Contrary to popular belief people could actually still mountain bike back then. Prior to all the ever changing standards of today.
I can't deny that modern bikes are superior in virtually every aspect.
But old bikes are still alot of fun.
I got my first mountain bike back in 1986.
Yay, new video! Man, that thumbnail is so good Evan!
when i saw those wheels I thought we are going backwards with mountain bikes now
Those wheels are the go I have always wanted thick spokes like that for my rear wheel
I am constantly breaking spokes in my rear wheel
and how the spokes screw straight into the rim with no spoke holes make tubeless so much more reliable and easy.
wow.
Don’t give up this bike. It’s not obsolete and it will perform if you get everything tuned correctly. You may need to hang some more modern parts off that frame first. Try taking a few links out of your chain because you shouldn’t be dropping it like that. I can’t wait to see part 2 of this build.
We must see it again. If my 2009 gary fisher v brakes can stop my 260lb frame in southeast tn. I know you can get that beautiful bike back to peak performance.
Yeah the V-Brakes worked great! It was just everything else that was bad haha. I'll be doing another episode on this bike and I'm going for redemption
disk brakes and v-brakes are basically the same thing....pads on a disc. With rim brakes, you're on a '26 inch disk, disk brakes its only 180' or so... but its away from water/mud that can cause braking issues when mountain biking. why road bikes still use rim brakes.. its a lighter, superior system if you take the water and mud out of the equation!
Excellent video. This brings back memories of my first mountain bike. Subscribed. Thank you.
Well that's a shame it doesn't seem to be working. I have a 99 Stumpjumper FSR XC that I revived and it handles the trails well, even the blacks, but at a moderate speed.
I swapped the 3x for a Micro Shift 9 speed, 11-42 with a 32 up front, what a game changer. No slap and smooth shifting with plenty of low to get up everything. I put a 740 bar and 35mm stem, and yes, a dropper. The dropper was the hardest to find, had to get one short enough to clear the suspension. Had her recently at the local bikefest, and boy did she get some attention, lol.
That's pretty much everything I have planned for the FSR and I think it'll be good to go. Can't wait to get to going like yours.
Interesting build! Some funny quotes re the older tech too. 😅
I built up a slightly earlier S Works recently too. XTR, RaceFace, Hope etc. Kept the original width bars and long stem too. No complaints here round my local trail centre.
Preciosa bici y hermoso trabajo de restauración y pintura mis felicitaciones.
A disfrutar con su belleza 😍
Youn should build a budget carbon xc hardtail
Oh that's a good idea. Try to get it under 25lbs!
@@EvansMTBSaga thank you so so much for reapply
For your front xtr shifter open it up and spray some wd40 in it. It worked for me in the past with these Shimano shifters
In regard to the Chris King headset, making bearings is very hard. Chris King is absolutely worth every penny and seem to last twice as long and are easy to service.
You can spray brakecleaner into the front shifter that should make it work again👌
Thats how all those old forks worked for me. Up until last 4 to 5 years, I never got functional full travel from any fork.
Seeing you on the bike, makes me think the bike is much smaller then i originally thought.
I was surprised on that last clip too. Could've gone longer on the stem lol
These old XTR V brakes are the best v brakes I have ever used. I have a set on a race bmx bike and my late 90’s stump jumper. I have a couple of sets of these brakes and am looking to buy more
Haha I know right! I stopped using them for this build, but going to hold onto them tightly for future builds
@@EvansMTBSaga beautiful paint job by the way I want to paint up my 1996 stump jumper in that red color.
I have two of these similar frames but older by 2 and 5 years (FSR XC StumpJumper's). I totally disagree with you regarding the stems. Today's frames are long and slender with a natural head tube that is pitched upwards hence the shorter stems can be used. To get the same effect. I use a 110MM with a 35 degree rise to it which gives me length and height that I need. But most importantly, I have dropper that is a game changer for these bikes. Bummer you painted it too... I think you were right about some of these things, but may have missed the mark with others. These bikes are super fast and number and ride great, so much in fact that I think my 29r tires feel to big sometimes and I wish I had went with 27.5's on my new Giant Stance. Anyway, great to see you working on the older bikes, as I completely love them and in many ways perfer them over to other frame designs. I would love to watch rebuild one of these old SID's from scratch - that would be great!
Oh i love how you aren't done with it. If i got this far with these results, id have given up already
Heck yeah thanks Casey. It was hard for me to even finish the video on it because I already experienced the fail. But there's just something so special with this bike to me, I can't quite explain it. Definitely will be keeping it after all the things I have planned for it!
I was waiting for this video for so long and it is worth it. This Specialized build series is what brought me to your channel and since then I watched almost all of your video. SO happpy for every new you make. Its a bit sad, that the bike doesnt work very well, I hoped it'll be a xc machine. Still super video
Careful with the corrosion on the mavics. I exploded a mavic crossmax slr because a crack started to form at the valve stem area
I love this bike. Cheers from Greece...
A old Bike still works so in many ways tubes are a good thing and V brakes the ones on the Specialized work good Flat pedals also are a good option
I think it's not so much the geometry but more so the older components just not working at their fullest potential. I think this bike as a restonod project would be better. Of course that's more expensive but you'd have more fun during the process and with the final product. 🤘
05:57 You could replace the crank's chainring to a 1x narrow wide chainring, then add a chain retention device for fairly cheap.
I did this for my 3x Deore crankset on a GT Avalanche
Thanks for the advice. Big plans for this bike, it'll be my next video 👍
ohh it turned out not good but i think u can make it trail ready!
Would've loved to see a crazy high end AXS build!
Hahahhah Quinten you're wild! Maybe one day if I can start making a lot of revenue on the channel
It is crazy how much better bikes are now
My day just got better
Maybe try and find some magura Hydrolic rim breaks?
I really think standard disk brakes vs v brakes are like blue ray vs DVD. Both are way better than before but they're not massively far apart in performance. The higher end disk brakes are another thing altogether.
can you do a teardown video of the maxxlite air fork,im planning to buy one but before that i need a inside inspection from my favorite youtuber!!
I still ride my '01 GT iDrive 4.0 (heavily modified) and it works just as well as it did when i bought it new.
Looks amazing dude
Dude the video and editing is awesome and the build is awesome besides some flaws and the paint job is Beautiful
Can’t wait to see you throw a dropper, 1x and some disc brakes on that bad boy!
New fork too!!
Im pretty sure those rockox forks were 2007 only. Blackbox i think they were called. They made the rockshox boxxer blackbox 2007 which looks amazing with those triple crown gold stancions
Ilove restoring old bikes
I cant imagine this bike isn't capable of riding modern trails. I have a 94" raleigh titanium and use it to ride everything i ride with modern bikes too besides big jumps ofc. Its a hardtail only.
Specs: Manitou Answer 4 coil conversion. Full XTR drivetrain. Mavic crossride rims and hubs. 2.35" magic mary front tyre and a 2.25" nobby nic at the rear.
Good stuff man I'm enjoying the cheap bike builds maybe a build under 300 dollars with upgrades would be cool 😁
Sick dude. I am building old down hill bike trying to make it work
That's really cool and I'd kill to do a rebuild on a old bike but I don't know how to fix stuff and can't find any
looks great dude!
beautiful color choice .
This is a xc bike, even when it was sold, it wasn’t made for intense DH riding. Use it for xc style trails, I’m sure it’ll be awesome. I rock a 92’ trek rigid, it shreds all modern trails, just takes a little better line choice and some arm pump.
The bike actually looks great.
V brakes or cantilevers both work just fine. Been riding them for decades without issue. I just upgraded to discs though and what a pain in the ass keeping those rotors clean. Not to mention the banshee wail they make if they get wet. Are discs really better?
V-brakes still work good on mtb's if properly adjusted. They can work and be as powerful as disc brakes.
I had one of these forks with XT disc brakes. Front wheel literally meets rear wheel 🤣
Dude I'm glad someone finally knows what I'm talking about! So many people dogged me saying that they survived that era. But that fork flex was dangerous!
if you want better braking performance without going to discs you should check out magura hs33 hydraulic rim brakes. Heavy touring bikes use them for descending with 35kgs of stuff. trails bikes use them to.
I've heard about those brakes! I think I read once that they're so strong they can crush rims if you're not careful haha
Looks great mate 👌
Phew! That was a close call with the leaking rim... Almost had to scrap the whole build 🤔. Or, just use an inner tube
Unfortunately I can't use inner tubes in my area. Tons of cactus spikes on the trail and 26" presta valve tubes are nearly impossible to find.
Wait until you put some disc brakes on that fork. It will auto steer you to the left when you brake, it's that bad. Put some narrow tires on (like 1.95") and fix the rear wheel, I could see at least one spoke not straight. XTR V brakes were actually very good, in the dry.
Yeah it bums me out that the fork is so flexy! I was fully committed to those XTR brakes. But I got a Fox 32 to replace it, disc brake only :)
V Rim brakes work awesome.... when they're dry.
I run less than 700mm bars on my mtb, I'm very small so any wider is uncomfortable and I think that's an important thing to consider as well.
0:23 I LOVE LEAN 💜💜💜💜💜
Another awesome video 👏
Isn't those chainrings removable? They don't loon riveted in. If so, easy conversion right away
that end was a cliffhanger
Good job man love the video! 👌
you should build up a 2004 rocky mountain etsx 30
The v-brakes are the best made in it's time. Find a manual and completely disassemble and lube them. Use a high quality Kool Stop pads. Next, ditch that over priced SID fork. They were shit then....and shit now. Definitely replace the rear and front shocks to say a Recon and a Fox float...great videos..
I cringed a bit when I saw you put purple degreaser on those parts. It destroys aluminum parts in the ultrasonic cleaner. Do some searching to see how it reacts with motorcycle cabs (hint: not good). I've had very good luck with Zep green and Simple Green, both mixed 50/50 with water and the heater on. Good luck and nice build!
This is cool
I have an old 2009 jamis dakar xc as my first real mtb before its a full sus
bought it for only 300$!!
Rockshox tora fork upfront
And an xfusion spring shock at the back
Its still rides real nice today the only bad thing is its a 3by but its really good on trails real nicee
i would love this kind of bike i now ride fully rigid bike on "todays trails no problem"
I've never clicked on a video so fast
This was a top of the line bike back in the day. I doubt the trails have changed so much that they now render this bike useless (I'm talking XC trails only of course, since that would have been its intended use). Also, you probably could have just gone 1x9.
The trail I took it on is an XC course I'll be racing on, but dang that trail man, no maintenance and totally decayed. Rocky, loose as heck. Definitely made it too challenging for the bike, but I have a major upgrade video coming on the S-Works and it's gonna be a bad ass bike or the death of me haha
hi my friend. If the bicycle gave you a smile 20 years ago , why shouldn't it do the same even today? did your fun changed somehow? I would love to see this bike not renewed but modernised with some contemporary components. It is always interesting, (more interesting in fact) to see how older bikes perform with new components, new forks and wheels.
I will be doing that in a video coming up soon!
Just would like to point out. The end of the video was a anticlimax. The bike isn’t exactly designed for steep downhill or jumping. It’s designed for 50km rides through bush land and single track.
It can do better
Awesome videos
it looks the bomb
I have never seen ultrasonic cleaners used with jars like you showed. Hmmmm??
Hey Evan, you should do a video about the best value dropper posts for about 150$ it would be helpful
Working on that right now. Next video
@@EvansMTBSaga niceeee
It's so beautiful
Got a 2005 Giant NRSC2 what a bike
Got it for 400$ spent 400$ more
Replaced tires to Maxxis DHF AND DHR2 ( Made it tubeless ) 26x2.3
Rebuilded fork Fox F80RL
Changed bars , Stem greased components
Man what a machine you really don’t need the most modern bike
The bike is Carbon And it weighs SUB 24LBS and it is extremely zippy
my 2001 non s works epic had hydrolic brakes, it is interesting that that this model does not
Love the video, but the part where he got on the bike while on the naked rims felt like nails on a blackboard to me
It’s in the restored state so I didn’t really expect it to perform well, but what if you update the parts and make it more like a modernized old bike?
nice berm peak jersey bro!
Naaa, that bike is trail worthy... I have the same bike (unfortunately sans S-Works and that sick red paint job). You should swap the front fork to a Reba with 32mm stanchions and with disc brake and you are ready to shred the trails. Huge difference.
Bro this bike look so spicy
Heck yeah. Episode 4 is getting worked on and the bike is gonna be crazy
so are you going to convert it to 1x, maybe get a better drivetrain, get a different wheelset and hydraulic disk breaks? or no does this bike not feel good on you or not worth upgrading.
I'm going all out.
I realy like your content
I've owned this XTR drivetrain. You'll need to ditch it for a clutch derailleur or it will continue to drop the chain.
Will do! Im working on the bike right now
@@EvansMTBSaga I did the same thing you're doing with my 2000 era ht Cannondale in 2015 or so. It got a disc brake conversion, tubeless carbon wheels, and an XT 11 drivetrain. I rode it for a while, but that old suspension just wasn't enough and there was no way to improve it.
Are you going to put the mt200s and the 175mm dropper of the d7 on this bike since u said you will put those parts on another build.
Not the 170mm dropper. The MT200s will go on the nucleus and be sold