Bontrager OR, 16in, 1990. intro and advice.

Yes it does, sorry not sure what else your trying to say about that ?

its very unusual (unique?) for a bontrager to be fillet brazed, so it may mark it out as an especially rare early frame, or possibly done as part of the respray?

Its lovely and unless the paint is really badly damaged I wouldn't respray again. if you do respray, make sure to retain the original metal of the rivetted brake bosses on the top tube.

New decal panels can be bought from Gil_M at Retrodecals on Facebook who does a lot decals for the retrobike community. The straight edge decals are correct for the period, but some bikes had a third panel on the seat tube too - iI prefer the way yours looks actually.

I'd keep virtually everything on that bike - the only things letting it down are the cockpit and brakes that you've already identified.

and just so you know the original bontrager forks are also very desirable , they go for around £300 at the moment.

I've got some spare bontrager black bars , but they are much later ('97ish) if you are interested. bontrager sterms pop up on ebay from time to time, but as said above a salsa one fits the period better.

Oh, the seat clamp - while ugly as sin, is original and you probably shouldn't ditch it :)
 
You, my friend, are one very, very lucky boy!

You're going to love getting back on that.

And as all the experts in here have already identified, there's not much you'd need to do.

I'd definitely spend some cash on the cockpit (as other's have mentioned, a Salsa roller would be lovely, it won't come cheap, but when everything else you've already got in place is basically perfect, it'd be a sound investment in the long run) and the brakes, but other than fresh cables, chain and tires, you've not got much to do.

That post and those forks... Mmmmmm.
 
its very unusual (unique?) for a bontrager to be fillet brazed, so it may mark it out as an especially rare early frame, or possibly done as part of the respray?

Its lovely and unless the paint is really badly damaged I wouldn't respray again. if you do respray, make sure to retain the original metal of the rivetted brake bosses on the top tube.

New decal panels can be bought from Gil_M at Retrodecals on Facebook who does a lot decals for the retrobike community. The straight edge decals are correct for the period, but some bikes had a third panel on the seat tube too - iI prefer the way yours looks actually.

I'd keep virtually everything on that bike - the only things letting it down are the cockpit and brakes that you've already identified.

and just so you know the original bontrager forks are also very desirable , they go for around £300 at the moment.

I've got some spare bontrager black bars , but they are much later ('97ish) if you are interested. bontrager sterms pop up on ebay from time to time, but as said above a salsa one fits the period better.

Oh, the seat clamp - while ugly as sin, is original and you probably shouldn't ditch it :)
Thanks for the info Slackboy, I understand now. I found a picture of the frame in the shop when I was paying if off weekly !!! and it looks to be fillet brazed and I know 100% it was not messed with when it was re sprayed .
I think I will strip it clean and sort out the parts and leave as it is, its not perfect but it is my history with the bike.
If I do re spray it would have to be the grey.
Love your bike in the black, looks great, what are your welds on yours, mine looks very similar to the grey one on Retrodecals Facebook page..
 

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Holy shit.

That is literally perfect in its original form!

I'm now inclined to suggest you get it back to that grey color with the same decals.

It's amazing like that.

And you don't see them often that way.
 
That's a lovely bike! It's always good to see another, quite a few seem to have popped up recently. I like it!
 
Holy shit.

That is literally perfect in its original form!

I'm now inclined to suggest you get it back to that grey color with the same decals.

It's amazing like that.

And you don't see them often that way.
You know thats what I have been thinking since finding that photo, maybe ride this year and respray next Winter, any good bike painters down south? This made me laugh too..
 

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