Bontrager Ti-Lite '96 - Build Thread - DEFUNCT

[Carge]

I picked up a rather nice 1996 Bontrager Ti-Lite this week - including some Bontrager-crowned Rockshox Mag21.

The frame and Mag21s have Canti-hangers - but the '96 catalogue lists XT and XTR builds using V-brakes - even though the pics in the catalogue actually show XT Canti brakes.

The frame is a matte silver, rather than brushed, so there's part of me that thinks M950 XTR with the darker grey would go well - but this would mean V-brakes.
The alternative is that the frame has some blue in the decals - which goes well with the blue in M900.

The Bonty Mag21s are getting stripped and serviced in the next few days. The have the gold alu stanchions and silver lowers. The lowers have a few scrapes, so I have some other Mag21s with a pale gold lower - so these may be appropriated

Wheels-wise - Bontrager BCX Red/Blue label rims were the catalogue option - which if I can find - I'll try. In the meantime, I have a Hope Ti-Glide front with a gold tinge to it - that'll be laced into some pale gold FIR rims. Tonally, the forks, hub and rims compliment the Ti frame quite nicely.

Cockpit is beginning to take shape. A black Bontrager Race stem will have a Bontrager Ti bar.
Drivetrain is currently Hope Ti BB - Tune cranks - M900 mechs.
Titec seat post with have a Flite Ti perched on it.

Happy to discus build direction - components etc.

WANTED
Bits I need to help this along are:-
M900 32h rear hub - SORTED
M900 1" headset (threaded) - SORTED
Bontrager 27.0mm seat post in silver.

Further instalments and pics to come......

 

[Prodigal Son]

A mag21 on a 96 frame already threw catalog specs under the bus... which is a good thing: i rather mish mash parts from all over. M950 is machine like perfection: when it´s working nothing beats it. When it breaks it´s machine dominated dystopian landscape: cranksets die w/ no replacement rings, brakes rattle, free wheels braking on rear hubs. It looks soul less.
If it was me and had i a fat wallet i would go w dog bone cook cranks and shimano rings (24 36 46), m900 rear derrailleur, suntour front derrailleur, cheap avid vees (i like some cheap parts mixed w/ handmade bling). Deore xt seatpost in black, ti stem and bar. Paul levers. King hubs built w/ mavic sunset anodized rims.

 

[Carge]

Re:

Spec list looks something like this.....

Frame: Bontrager Ti-Lite 1996 (1665g)

Fork: Mag21 with Bontrager crown

Headset:
Stem: Bontrager Race (277g)
Handlebar: Bontrager Ti
Grips: Bontrager Foam 1995 - (14g x2)
Barends:

Brakes: XTR M900
Brake Pads: KoolStop
Brake Cables:
Cantilever cable hangers: Onza Chill Pills
Brake Levers: XTR M900

Shifters:
Front Derailleur: XTR M900 (122g)
Rear Derailleur: XTR M900 (202g)
Derailleur Cables:
Cassette:
Chain:
Cranks: Tune Fastfoot - or - XTR M900
Crank Bolts: Ti
Chainrings: XTR M900
Chainring bolts:
Bottom Bracket: Hope Ti (157g)
Pedals:

Hub Skewers:
Rims: Bontrager Red/Blue Label - or - FIR Impes
Front Hub: Hope Ti Glide Fatso (164g)
Rear Hub: XTR M900 (373g)
Nipples:
Spokes:
Tyres:
Tubes: AirB (135g x2)

Saddle: Flite Titanium
Seatpost: Titec
Seatpost Binder:

Weight:

 

[Carge]

Guess that's the inner tubes sorted then.....

 

[wadsy]

Re:

 

[Elev12k]

Great score. Cantis are more sexy than V.

 

[dongward]

I remember those inner tubes... light as fook and red too to make you go faster, iirc!

 

[Carge]

Re:

Quick update on this.....
M900 Rear hub arrived today from Germany - very nice.
Bontrager Ti bar should be here on Monday from Hungary.

Rear mech has had the red SRP bolts replaced with blue SRP ones.

I think the build is going to have more of a '95 flavour to it. The '95 catalogue shows a black Titec seatpost - rather than the sliver Bontrager one in '96 - and lists the Mag21 as an option.

Might have the right rims lined up too........

 

[shogun]

Interested to see how this turns out. In 1996 cantis and vees existed on the same model run of quite a few bikes. There is quite literally only a couple of months difference; go with what you feel. Personally I think a Mag and v-brake combo would just look weird, despite the fact that 1996 was the last year for the Mags and the first year for the Vees.

 

[Prodigal Son]

Interested to see how this turns out. In 1996 cantis and vees existed on the same model run of quite a few bikes. There is quite literally only a couple of months difference; go with what you feel. Personally I think a Mag and v-brake combo would just look weird, despite the fact that 1996 was the last year for the Mags and the first year for the Vees.

Some bikes look better according to catalog: Ritchey comes to mind. Ritcheys had a concept going that went from frame to tires, brakes, rims, saddle etc.. Others like Fat Chance are open to all kinds of personal interpretation. Bontrager fall in the middle. KB was concerned w/ designing all kinds of parts but his bikes were totally utilitarian from welds, drop outs to decals and paint. There was no bling on Bontragers. They were mostly built w/ deore xt and not xtr. A deore Lx build on a Bontrager won´t look bad. It was all about function.
I am attracted to bikes built as riders. If it has patina, a v brake up front and canti back, a cheap part mixed w/ bling, mismatched rims and hubs that show things were replaced along the way.. the better it looks. But that´s me.
Ibis made fun of the whole bling craze w/ their exquisite hand jobs and mega expensive titanium stems which worked just as well as a cheap aluminum part.