New Free Bike Build - Specialized Ground Control w/ Mercalli forks

Year - 1997, def not 1996.
Make - Specialized
Model - Ground Control ?AIM A1 or Comp?

Cost in 1997 - $1624 https://knowyourbike.com/specialized/ground-control/a1/aim/pro
Shimano Deore LX components
or $1200 - https://knowyourbike.com/specialized/ground-control/a1/aim/comp w/Rock Shox Indy XC fork has a true suspension.

Fork - Mercalli Downhill suspension fork (Does not look stock) can't find much info on it. https://www.mtbr.com/threads/mercalli-downhill-front-suspension-fork.724238/
https://www.pinkbike.com/u/hell-no/album/mercalli-down-hill-fork/
Might be a Walmart fork - https://www.cyclingforums.com/threads/fs-supercycle-xti-18ds-18-speed-mtb-ezclassifieds.119288/

? - 1997 Specialized Ground Control A1 PRO - https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/1997-specialized-ground-control-a1-pro.159801/ --------- 5th post down

? - 1997 Specialized Ground Control Aim A1 Comp - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtlrzUZRF7w
https://bikeindex.org/bikes/44215

Lots of good info in the search - https://duckduckgo.com/?q=1997+Specialized+Ground+Control++A1&t=ffab&ia=web

Rear yard shed stored it looks like from all the rust, I don't know how long it was in the alley. It did rain yesterday and snow a day a month ago.

Direct Drive just means the aluminum tubing they used. Specialized likes to label things from what a mtbr post says.

Not sure about the Nascar sticker, might have been for a promo bike, or someone put their own sticker on because they just love Nascar so much.... its not really popular in Canada but the prev owner could have come from the USA.

Replaced old RD with newer Tourney RD, didnt bother seeing what the FD was.
Shimano crank arms, rusted chain, crank teeth look well worn, front tire held air good, rear tire is low, tires nobs look good = keepers.

Took about an hour in total to get bike, take home, replace seat and handlebars.
All done for tonight, tomorrow is installing new chain, getting rid of the seat post stop inside the seat tube so my tube can slide down and hopefully it wont hit spring, installing my old shifters, new cables etc etc etc etc. Fixing the hub motor wire insulation problem with some PROVO 105C TEW wires.
I would have half assed if the rear hub would have fit the spread Mercalli Downhill fork, but I gotta do it proper = new wire and a new rigid ebay Sunlite fat fork.

Wanting lean back seat post and a fat fork either rigid or suspension with disk brake mount, but would be good to get both disk and v-brake mounts.

Hope to ride the Specialized Ground Control soon, glad I aint messing up my good Trek Verve 1 hybrid, thats going to be my non electric or low power pedal assist.

Nice find.
Aluminum frame so you have to be careful.
Are you going to put a mid drive on it?

What size frame?

Good score- late 90s like 97-2000 rockhopper fsr i think
Those cranks look like they are older than the bike, like early 90s deore or deore dx or something
pivots could probably use a little bit of refreshing but you can get all the bearings for like 15 bucks

Bikes been scrapped and stripped of all its parts for my stash.
Frame size was probably 18" I kept the fork and everything except brakes and frame. The fork seems real stiff, but it goes on the pile of spare parts.

There are a lot of online classified bicycles for real cheap anywhere between $20 and $80 in search terms like XL or 22" frame, 21" frame, 20" frame.
I need a backup working bicycle, which means I have a fat bike frame, I have the broken orange fat bike, and the Specialized Ground Control. The person who ditched it, had installed mismatched brake calipers, wheels and tires were in good shape. I tried to spread the fork to fit 135mm rear hub, the fork wouldnt budge. I may keep the rear dropout/chain stay for a future trailer project.

In the meantime, I need a fat fork and headset to get what I have laying around rolling. Bending forks is never a smart idea.

markz said:

Bending forks is never a smart idea.

Click to expand...

I thought spreading steel forks to fit a front dd hub was OK?

99t4 said:

markz said:

Bending forks is never a smart idea.

Click to expand...

I thought spreading steel forks to fit a front dd hub was OK?

Click to expand...

I would think it is okay. I've spread the rear dropout to put a wider hub in. Not hard to do but a bit tricky to keep it symmetrical.
Steel is very springy.

In my case I would have been spreading the fork 35mm from 100mm to 135mm.

Telescopic forks don't work like that, gentlemen. The legs are parallel or they aren't. If they're not, say goodbye to your bushings (not to suggest that fork has bushings worth saving).

OK. I was imagining a regular non telescoping fork. And 100 to 135 is a lot