Bubblicious
$1250

An homage to the best bubblegum of the 1980s

INQUIRE ABOUT THIS BIKE

Bubblicious bubblegum was first released 1977. In the 1980s, it was on top of the bubble gum world. This bike imagines what a promo bike for Bubblicious would have looked like in 1989.

Build

The one picture with the black handlebars is the bike as-is when we bought it via a Craigslist ad, so that is the one “before” picture.

Frame:

  • Serial number: GP906326
  • Seat tube (center-to-center): 21.5"
  • Top tube (c2c): 23.25"

New:

  • All cables and cable housing
  • Raceface Chester pedals
  • Tektro Oryx canti brakes
  • Saddle
  • Kool Stop brake pads
  • Tires, cheap but right colors to match the frame colorway
  • The Bubblicious stickers were ordered off of Ebay

Misc:

  • Original wheels with that very period unique, cut cross section with outer ridges (strenthening the rim?)

Drivetrain:

  • 3x6 original cogs
  • An all metal Shimano rear derailleur RD-AL11
  • Gratuitous Campagnolo front derailleur
  • Thumbies
  • Some used cranks that look pretty

These tires were obviously chosen for color, not for tech. They’re fine for looking cute on an urban “ride out” but these tires are leaden footed and would be out of place off asphault. Face it: fashion has a long history of uncomfortable shoes yet folks wore them.

Hardrock Comp from 1989, probably

Serial number: GP906326. The bubblegum two tone colorway seems to have been a 1989 only thing. It is what brought me to this bike.

Internet search pics of this colorway keep coming up 1989, Eg1 , Eg2. Dunno.

Claude concluded 1989 model

This is a really satisfying puzzle to dig into. Here’s what the evidence points to:

Your serial number GP906326 is almost certainly a 1989 model — specifically a Specialized Hardrock Comp.

Here’s the reasoning:

The “GP” prefix is the key.
Many Specialized frames in the 1980s were manufactured by Giant of Taiwan, with the “G” indicating that manufacturer. The second letter likely encodes the year or production line. Critically, a confirmed 1989 Specialized Hardrock Comp in the pink/white/purple bubblegum colorway carries the serial number GP915352 — a “GP9” prefix, just like your GP906326. The digits following are in the same range, which strongly suggests these came off the same production run. Bike ForumsPinterest

So “GP9” almost certainly = Giant/Taiwan, year 1989, sequential batch.

The colorway clinches it
The bubblegum pink/purple two-tone fade was very specifically a 1989 Specialized thing. It appeared on the Hardrock Comp and Rockhopper that year and wasn’t carried forward into 1990 in the same way.

Outfit

As seen in the pics, there’s a matching outfit that goes with the bike. BYOB, Bring Your Own Bubblegum.

Sure some of the also rans are acceptable substitutes: Bubble Yum, Hubba Bubba, Bazooka, even Big League Chew. But Bubblicious is considered to be good for big bubbles. And then the pack of gum is a prop in that photoshoot you’re dressed up for all bubble gummy.