Nitto Stem for Specialized Stump Jumper 1985 team 6800yen
Here is the latest in our Nitto deadstock series.
A stem for the 1985 Specialized Stump Jumper team model.
On a complete bike from that era, (this one is likely a custom setup by the owner)
it looks like a Surly Long Haul Trucker.
The Stump Jumper was the world's first mass-produced mountain bike, released by Specialized in 1982, and was produced by ARAYA in Japan at that time.
While ARAYA no longer builds frames today (they still produce rims, such as the classic RC540 and their Gold rims for Keirin), Japan was a hub for mountain bike OEM production for various brands back then.
For more on that story, check out this DVD, available for purchase here. If you're interested, take a look at the Muckenheim Museum (private collection), which is also the source of the photo above. It covers everything from Ritchey and Breezer to Alex Singer and IF (so cool!).
By the way, 1985 was the year this Stump Jumper was released.
And today is October 26th.
It is said that October 26th, 1985, was the day Dr. Emmett Brown finished his DeLorean time machine.
(If you have some free time, take a look—it's a serious DeLorean.)
1985 was also the year of the Tsukuba Science Expo. As a kid who wanted to be a manga artist and belonged to a rather eccentric "Invention Club," I used to draw pictures of cities of the future all the time.
I later discovered cyberpunk novels and eventually ended up with bicycles, but I wonder what kind of future kids today are drawing.
Anyway, we are only four years away from the future depicted in Back to the Future Part II.
Will we have hoverboards? Who knows.
I’ve strayed quite far from the topic. There is one more thing.
This model features the Specialized engraving.
Both models have a cable stop hole for the brake housing.
While rarely seen nowadays as cantilever brakes have fallen out of mainstream use, having this allows for much smoother braking.
It’s a natural choice for those riding old 1-inch threaded MTBs or cyclocross bikes, but it might even be interesting to try putting a cyclocross fork on a fixed-gear or road frame.
I’m not sure if it’s worth going through all that trouble, but this Specialized x Nitto stem has a charm that makes you want to find a way to use it.
★For inquiries regarding this product, please contact shop@circles-jp.com