Medium Bontrager Race frame NR .99 cents

[GoldenEraMTB]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Bontrager-Race-Lite ... 3a67faab5f

 

[GoldenEraMTB]

and a fork to go with it, perhaps:
http://cgi.ebay.com/BONTRAGER-TANGE-SWI ... 27bc7ff3a7

 

[Mr. Zero]

I'm not making out the machined headtube or 2-piece seat stays of a Race Light in those images. I'm guessing it may be a cleaned-up Privateer.

 

[GoldenEraMTB]

I'm not making out the machined headtube or 2-piece seat stays of a Race Light in those images. I'm guessing it may be a cleaned-up Privateer.

True, that's why I only listed it as a Race despite the seller's claim of it being a race lite. Might be a Privateer as well. Weren't Privateers simply left over races, rebranded by Trek?

 

[Mr. Zero]

Weren't Privateers simply left over races, rebranded by Trek?

A tell of Privateers is the 1-piece seat stays. Races had the same 2-piece seat stay of the Race Light all the way through to the end of their production. It's my understanding, as a former Bontrager dealer, that Privateers were manufactured by Trek in Wisconsin for 2 years after the Bontrager sale to Trek. The Trek-built Privateers also had 1-piece seat stays.

That said it's my opinion that Privateers ride every bit as well as Races and Race Lights.

 

[mfh126]

Weren't Privateers simply left over races, rebranded by Trek?

A tell of Privateers is the 1-piece seat stays. Races had the same 2-piece seat stay of the Race Light all the way through to the end of their production. It's my understanding, as a former Bontrager dealer, that Privateers were manufactured by Trek in Wisconsin for 2 years after the Bontrager sale to Trek. The Trek-built Privateers also had 1-piece seat stays.

That said it's my opinion that Privateers ride every bit as well as Races and Race Lights.

Races also had single piece stays towards the end of production. I recently sold a '95/'96 Race with this configuration. Hollister is the resident expert and can confirm.

 

[Mr. Zero]

Races also had single piece stays towards the end of production. I recently sold a '95/'96 Race with this configuration. Hollister is the resident expert and can confirm.

I don't doubt you, but that is news to me. My experience as a dealer was that Races through the 1998 production year had 2-piece stays. It's also my experience that there are more than a few Privateers floating around out there with Race decals.

Does anyone know if the Paul Sadoff-built "Non-tragers" had 2-piece stays?

 

[GoldenEraMTB]

Weren't Privateers simply left over races, rebranded by Trek?

A tell of Privateers is the 1-piece seat stays. Races had the same 2-piece seat stay of the Race Light all the way through to the end of their production. It's my understanding, as a former Bontrager dealer, that Privateers were manufactured by Trek in Wisconsin for 2 years after the Bontrager sale to Trek. The Trek-built Privateers also had 1-piece seat stays.

That said it's my opinion that Privateers ride every bit as well as Races and Race Lights.

hmmmm, think you are right on this. I've owned a race and a race lite; have to go look through my pics. Never owned a privateer.
Here's a privateer on ebay at the moment:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Bontrager-Privateer ... 3a67dc5f8d

 

[hollister]

Races also had single piece stays towards the end of production. I recently sold a '95/'96 Race with this configuration. Hollister is the resident expert and can confirm.

the switch from segmented stays happened shortly after the cable guides changed. well before the trek buyout

there are plenty of race and RL with single piece stays out there. lots of people claim they ride better

 

[Mr. Zero]

the switch from segmented stays happened shortly after the cable guides changed. well before the trek buyout

there are plenty of race and RL with single piece stays out there. lots of people claim they ride better

The buyout happened in 1995. However, it seems segmented stays continued to be used on Races and Race Lites through the end of their production 1998. This was certainly the case for the dozen or so 1998 model year Race/Race Lite frames we sold in 98-99.

From the 1998 Bontrager catalog: