In 1983, I lusted over the new Specialized StumpJumper mountain bikes that were out. A friend had one of the awesome Miyata MTB’s that I test rode and fell in love with; I had never before seen or experienced such a bicycle. When I discovered the Specialized, I had to have one. Mowing lawns alone was not enough for the cost of entry to possess one of these amazing machines, and, at the summer’s end, dreadfully short of the necessary cash, my folks came to the rescue, and the StumpJumper was purchased and my life forever changed. The combination of living in one of the worst bicycle theft areas in the country, along with being a clueless teenager, the machine did not last too long; it was stolen within 6 months and that was that.
Since that time, even as an adult, I have secretly wanted that bike back, and have always kept one eye on the lookout for such machinery. One fine day, John Boyer, from Edible Pedal bike shop, brought in a couple of truck loads of frame, wheels, and parts from a bulk purchase he had made, and in said pile lived two 1983 Specialized StumJumper frames, both in various states of build and/or disrepair. They appeared to be a his and hers matching set; one in 20″, the other in 16″. I quickly snatched up the 20″ from John, and began then acquisition process of accumulating the parts for a build. I decided to build this on the cheap and without too much concern for an attempt at building the bike to it’s original state, or, for that matter, with matching parts even. Some might consider this behavior blasphemous, but not I; I simply wanted a solid, functional, and attractive alternative adventure tourer… Which is exactly what I got.
Just Rolling By 
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