David's Specialized Hard Rock Overhaul

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Before

This is David's Specialized Hard Rock from the early to mid 90's.  I have always liked the Specialized form this era.  The bicycle is in really nice shape, just a few scratches on the frame, a lot of old grease and grim, but everything looks pretty good.

The bicycle will receive new street tires, a new saddle and all new cables and housings along with new bar grips.  We are also going with an orange theme that matches the orange highlights around the words Specialized and Hard Rock on the frame.  Matching orange cable housings and a saddle with an orange accent will good great with the silver gray frame.

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Before

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Drive Train Before

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Rear Brake Before

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Crank Before

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Front Wheel Hub

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Front View Before

At this point my really expensive Canon Camera stopped working so the photos are not the best quality.  The camera will be going in for repairs today, I am not happy about that.  I started by tearing the components from the frame.  The frame is in really good shape, the paint and clear are in nice shape and polished nicely, there are some normal wear scratches and chips.

Here is where the poor photos start, such a difference in quality.

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Frame Stripped of
Components & Dirty

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Frame Dirty - BB Area

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Frame Dirty - Rear Brake

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Frame Polished

I can't seem to find the photos of the frame after cleaning and polishing, I will take more.

I started with the bottom bracket, the bottom bracket is in ok shape.  The bearings are good, a lot of hard dried grease and the cups had some peeling paint in the inside.  I used a Dremel tool to remove the rest of the peeling paint and polish the bearing cup.  New grease and the bottom bracket turns smooth.

David's Specialized Hard Rock - BB
 Components Cleaned

David's Specialized Hard Rock - BB Bearings
Packed

I need to take photos of the bottom bracket installed and again sorry for the quality.  Next I started work on the headset.  I thought the headset was just caked in dried grease but it was actually the black paint in poor condition.  Most of the parts are fine except for the top bearing cap, I have to dig through boxes But I might have a replacement for the top bearing cap, for now I am using the original because it will take me some time to look through the box and did not want to loose momentum.

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Headset
Cups Pressed

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Headset &
Handle Bars Installed

Again I am missing photos with this bad camera.  I will take better when my good camera comes back from the shop.

From here I am going to start work on the wheels.  Besides dirty the wheels look in good shape.  I will clean and overhaul the hubs and true the wheel, add the new tires and overhaul the drive train components on the rear. That will be soon.

I got my camera back so the photos should be a lot better from here.

I have been working on Emmett's Raleigh and have been having a heck of a time coming up with a combination of derailleurs and chains to work with the five speed index shift levers.

I did complete the wheels for the Specialized Hard Rock.  The grease was dry and hard and missing in some areas, but cleaned up nice.  I polished all of the bearing surfaces and replaced a few of the bearings.  I also polished the wheel hub and trued the wheels.

I installed new Kenda 1.5 x 26" road tires.  The tires are great tires and I think look good on the rims and will give the bicycle a fast quick ride.

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Wheels Before

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Old Grease

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Rear Wheel Hub Polished

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Bearings Packed

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Rear Wheel Installed

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Front Wheel Polished & Installed

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Rear Wheel Installed

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Wheels Installed

Hoping tomorrow to have Emmett's bike shifting correctly and the Specialized all done.


Not done like I was hoping, to many little slow problems.  I overhauled the brake arms, levers and ran the new housings and cables.  The brakes polished very nice and I had to run the cable housing to see the orange on the bike, it looks great!

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Cantilever Brakes Before 

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Top Polished

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Rear Brake Arm
Installed

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Front Brake Arms Installed

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Orange
Housing Installed

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Brake Housing
Installed - Side View

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Front Brake
Complete

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Rear Brake Complete

The bike is really starting to look nice.  It looks brand new in a lot of ways!  Camera working very well also!

the last couple of days I got a lot done on the specialized.  The derailleurs cleaned up nice, not perfect but nice and after lubricating they function nicely.  The rear derailleur shows some wear in the jockey wheels, but there is still some life left in them.  I replaced the shift cables on the grip twist shift levers, I think I am going to write a separate post on how to do this.  I have talked to a lot of people who find twist grip shift levers intimidating but when you understand how they work they are easy to change.

The crank is a pressed welded type, makes it harder to polish nicely but it cleaned up nicely and looks good.    I also installed the new saddle with orange accents, it looks good with the orange cable housings, seems to be just the right amount of orange.

So what is left to do on the bike?  The change has been cleaned and is soaking in oil, after that a little tuning, a test ride, final photos and the few loose ends.

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Derailleurs Before

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Front
Derailleur Installed

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Rear
Derailleur Installed

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Crank Installed

David's Specialized Hard Rock -
Saddle Installed

David's Specialized Hard Rock -
Orange housings Installed

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Bike to this Point

The Specialized is finished.  The chain has been installed and the shifting tuned.  I gave it a test ride in the cold this morning, it rides very nice.  It shifts nice, but I am thinking the front brakes may need new pads.  I really like the way the bicycle turned out.  I like taking mountain bike and putting street tires on it, it gives it a more quick and refined look.  I also really like the orange accents against the silver gray, its a sharp look.

Specialized Hard Rock - Finished Side View

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Finished Angle View

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Finished
Front View

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Finished
Handlebar View

David's Specialized Hard Rock - Finished
Rear View