The Specialized StumpJumper – Innovation For 2011
No not a lot of you may know this but the first production mountain bike was produced in Japan by Mike Sinyard’s Specialized Bicycle Components (USA). The first one rolled of the production line in 1981 and was aptly named the Stumpjumer which is still in production today 30 years on!
The specialized Stumpjumper was based on a custom built design originally marketed by Tom Ritchey, Gary Fisher and Charles Kelly. Mike took this concept and marketed the Specialized version as a mass product with a custom built look. The first Stumpy’s were hand welded steel frames, it had a modified BMX stem and handlebars, came equipped with a 15 speed Suntour ARX GT gear system which were designed for road bikes and also stole cantilever brakes and chainset that were designed for touring bikes all-in-all a bit of a Frankenbike (these days called a custom!)
The primary difference to todays re-incarnation could be the fact which it came with no suspension and weighed in at 14 kilo’s – doesn’t seem like you’d compete on it but Christopher sauser and Ned Overend absolutely did!
The 1981 version sold for a fairly affordable $750 for a comprehensive bike and 395 for your frame considering today’s versions start out at much more than double this quantity and was marketed as and economical bike “for all reasons”. As you’d expect with any new item retailers had been sceptical from the new sport of mountain biking and branded it a huge kid’s BMX nonetheless they would soon modify their tune when the very first shipment of 125 bikes soldout in 6 days and would be a definite achievement and contributed heavily a great elevated interest in the sport.
The original Specialized Stumpjumper can still be seen in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. and if you were in the market for a mountain bike with history back in 2007 Specialized made a limited edition replica of the original with modern components called the Stumpjumper Classic and sold in the USA for $1300 – that’s inflation for you!
rutland cycling are top of the pile Specializeds best stores. They sell hundreds of road and mountain bikes every month so make sure you check them out for a offer. I’ve found hundreds of offers over the months.