This is more for me to record this, but maybe some of the stuff I run into along with way will help others, so here we go.
So I’m scrolling Facebook Marketplace, like ya do, definitely not shopping for a bike, and this 1993 StumpJumper M2 frame pops up for $60. The colourway is what caught my eye.
It’s got a rad paint job, and these 90s MTBs are cool. Tubes look nice and thick, and it’s aluminum which I’ve never tried.
Typically I’d just be like “Cool frame…” and continue on, but the price seemed pretty low for it, so I thought about flipping it, then thought about how I’ve been wanting to build something with gears … why not build this up? Make it a 5 or 6 speed and put some fatty tires on it and swept back bar, make it look like something on r/xbiking, easy!
So I arrange to get it from this guy, and I see that he has tons of other bike stuff for sale. He is clearly “a bike guy” so I throw out the idea of trading him a Flite Titanium + cash for the frame. He didn’t give me an enthusiastic yes on that right off the bat, but asked me to bring it along. I got that saddle a while back at an estate sale attached to a LeMond pantographed Campagnolo Aero post (which I sold for $200) for $8 total, so I guess you could say I got the saddle for $4.
The guy ended up taking the saddle & $40 for the frame. Nice. Call it a $40 frame. (The proceeds from the seatpost were already absorbed so I can’t say the frame was free according to bike math.)
Cleaned up well! (Still more to go though.)
Now I have to get parts. My initial plan was to do it low and slow to get deals on used high-end modern stuff mixed with some high-end period-correct stuff, but quickly found that even on the used market, I don’t have Paul/Phil/King money.
This is going to be a budget build with some splurges here and there, and of course it will be forever changing, like over time I might buy some higher end things.
More Facebook searching. Was going to just get another bike and swap parts over, but there was nothing great for cheap.
Then a RockHopper Expert likely of the same year pops up in Houston, TX (I’m in Dallas - 4 hours away) with a ruined frame for $40.
That would get me a wheelset, brakes, derailer, shifter, headeset, bottom bracket, and most importantly, a fork … or so I thought.
Anyway, I asked @Lucky_if_thats_possible (m4bandit for the OGs) if he could go get it, and he said he could, but my brother was also gonna be down there, so I sent him instead since I could easily get it from him.
Here’s a picture of that pile along with the M2 at golden hour:
The thing I was stoked about the most was the fork because those seem fairly hard to come by. I drove 2 hours to Waco to get the RockHopper from my bro and can immediately tell that the steerer is going to be too short. F. Take it out, and yep, it’s like 25mm too short. Not gonna work no matter what sketchy stuff I try to do. I was considering cutting & lengthening it or trying to do some janky threadless conversion…
At least I get a wheelset and some other stuff, right!? Sort of. The bottom bracket has some weird splines that neither me nor the LBS had the tool for, and they said they have no idea what it is. (This is the big well-established shop in the area and they know their stuff.) BBs are pretty cheap anyway so I’m just gonna get a modern sealed Shimano or Tange one.
This is the OEM wheelset that was used on both the RH and SJ of that year, which is cool to me. I like when things are correct. Decals are all faded, but I might have those reproduced. We’ll see.
Only problem is the rear is missing the freehub body. No big deal I thought, I’ll just get another one.
Oh wait, it’s a Suntour 8-speed Microdrive hub (says MD8 on it).
Research sez its own thing, not compatible with anything else, only around for a short time, hen’s teeth, but excellent when working well. Great. I’ll get that figured out somehow I guess.
The RockHopper had all the original Suntour XC Expert stuff on it, just missing the front derailer which I wouldn’t have used anyway since it’s gonna be a 1 x 8 if I can find a cassette that’s not $100…
Since the frame is toast and I can’t use the fork, I put the fork on eBay by itself and pretty much instantly sell it at $55 + shipping. I also sold the Panaracer Darts off the wheels it since they were in good shape and I want different tires. Net $70 for that stuff, so I’m ahead $30 on the RH buy and effectively have only $10 in the build now.
Back to the fork search, I find this vintage Specialized Facebook group which has some pretty sweet builds and stuff for sale, so I ask if anyone has a fork, not expecting anything. I get two dudes offering to sell! Picked one up in the correct color for $80 from a guy in Colorado.
Definitely enough steerer tube now!
$90 all in at this point. Not bad for a 1993 StumpJumper M2 frameset? I mean, people are selling other versions of these for way more, but that’s eBay prices.
That’s where I’m at as of today.
