The Late, Great Bontrager Race Lite

[slackboy]

That is going to look great when it's built up.

I will say that the bontrager Jones tyres are a post Trek thing, so it might look better with smoke/darts which were catalog spec. (Or humptulips if you are flush and going to ride it)

Edit: very jealous of the seatpost

 

[benjabbi]

That's a nice collection of parts, this is going to be a good one

 

[benjabbi]

Bontragers always were shimano bikes... but i appreciate diversity.

I'd argue that pre Trek they were mostly sold as frames so would be assembled with with whatever the owner preferred.
Post Trek the full bikes were Shimano, but by then Suntour, Campag and Mavic were out of the groupset game so not really much of a choice.
Race Lite with XC Pro.

 

[Canuckbiker]

Great way to build up one with XC Pro , on another note, I really miss Bicycle Guide, pretty sure I have this issue somewhere, weird how they just disappeared in the 90s

 

[br0qn]

Bontragers always were shimano bikes... but i appreciate diversity.

It's always more fun coloring outside the lines!

That is going to look great when it's built up.

I will say that the bontrager Jones tyres are a post Trek thing, so it might look better with smoke/darts which were catalog spec. (Or humptulips if you are flush and going to ride it)

Edit: very jealous of the seatpost

Thanks man, few more parts en route ;D and a few more to source but getting closer.

I hadn't made the decision on a tire when these materialized... well there is a long story attached but in involves me combing a local collectors parts stash, but the price was very right and I remembered seeing them in the '98 catalog and so it seemed an easy decision.




So the tires are a post trek buyout item, but then so is the frame.

I briefly rode the 700c equivalent of the humptulips on a friends bike, felt good for sure. I think I'll start with running the jones' but may look at schwalbe/renee/maxxis/ etc eventually. I did think about the early catalog specs where he recommends 2.2" front (dart) and 1.9" rear (smoke / psycho) and this pair is gets close in that they're front/rear specific with a 2" front and 1.95" rear.

re the seatpost - lucky one again from the guys stash. It wasn't in his bin labeled "seatposts" but I mentioned I was after a syncros ti in 26.8 and he said he had one in a frame in the attic. It was hanging out in a cherry '97 voodoo bizango. He also had a cool 26.8 ti dean too that was tempting me too but didn't quite make sense for this bike and I was trying to remain focused.

That's a nice collection of parts, this is going to be a good one

Thanks! dying to get this thing together, hopefully in the next 4 weeks.

That clipping you dropped in prompted my xc pro consideration. Was thinking to mix and match with some xt / xtr but the parts stash guy was stacked with a nice deal on the suntour stuff so I filled my coffers.

Great way to build up one with XC Pro , on another note, I really miss Bicycle Guide, pretty sure I have this issue somewhere, weird how they just disappeared in the 90s

Thanks. I have a plan now and though a few questions are left suntour it will certainly be.


On a magazine related note - I came across a cool article some weeks ago and now I can't for the life of me find it. Not sure what magazine but I think it was UK based as they were highlighting americans (that's how I remember it despite toad being canadian) - bontrager, toad, merlin/vandermark & chris chance. Like they were all hanging out and speaking to the virtues of their frames. If anyone recollects that or can find & link it I'd be grateful, I want to re read it.

 

[Elfman]

This is great, and definitely pulling up a chair as I try to keep up the momentum on my own Bonty build that has stalled out with my obsession to restore a Mag 21SL for it!

Interesting discussion on tires. I have a NOS Jones 2.2 front that I can't for the life of me find a matching rear. So unless I can find one, I may just revert to what I have always ridden: 2.2 Dart and 1.9 Smoke. It's a killer combo!

 

[br0qn]

Thanks @Elfman. Your work on the Mag21 has been both inspired me to and deterred me from wanting to do the same! I really want my fork to be silver paint rather than the deep gold tone but I'm terrified of stripping it and prepping and paining the magnesium. Let me know if you're taking orders once yours are dialed in ;D

If I happen to come across another jones I'll let you know.

thank you @slackboy



**edit** updated photo

 

[Elfman]

Thanks @Elfman. Your work on the Mag21 has been both inspired me to and deterred me from wanting to do the same! I really want my fork to be silver paint rather than the deep gold tone but I'm terrified of stripping it and prepping and paining the magnesium. Let me know if you're taking orders once yours are dialed in ;D

If I happen to come across another jones I'll let you know.

thank you @slackboy

View attachment 655595

Certainly happy to help if you decide to go that route with the fork. The opaque gold on the Mag21 is considerably easier to replicate than the transparent gold on the SL Ti fork, so there's that.


Nice saddle. I'm looking for one, too. Know of any additional leads?

 

[br0qn]

I'd be after the silver finish which is maybe less often seen?



Would better match the silver in the Bontrager decals. Possibly a later project after I get rolling. Would be fun really tune / franken the fork with SL TI bits, silver legs, and a Bontrager crown. My fork must have had the crown swapped at some point, legs say SL but the steerer is steel.

No leads on the saddle presently, but can also keep you posted if one turns up. Or if I find the perforated one I am hunting




then this one is all yours

 

[Elfman]

I'd be after the silver finish which is maybe less often seen?

View attachment 655607

Would better match the silver in the Bontrager decals. Possibly a later project after I get rolling. Would be fun really tune / franken the fork with SL TI bits, silver legs, and a Bontrager crown. My fork must have had the crown swapped at some point, legs say SL but the steerer is steel.

No leads on the saddle presently, but can also keep you posted if one turns up. Or if I find the perforated one I am hunting

View attachment 655608


then this one is all yours

Love that perf Ti saddle! Yeah, keep me posted.

About the fork legs....I have a ton of Mag 21 parts, and if you're serious about the silver ones I might have something. Mag 21s came in 3 main colors: the original dark gold, a lighter champagne gold, and a grey/silver color. Not sure which one you're looking for: the champagne or the grey/silver. The grey/silver legs I have are up for grabs, but they may not be usable. When I disassembled them, the bushings and springs stayed inside the legs, but the stanchions came out. I can't figure out for the life of me how to get the bushings out. They're yours if you want....maybe you can figure out how to get the bushings out. The brace that came with it is black, not silver.

The champagne set I was going to send to Dave Wilkins to repaint for a Klein build I'm doing. But since I'm repainting, I don't really care what fork legs I use. If you want to swap for them I could probably be convinced, especially if it would help you out in your search and build. I would need a comparable set....as long as no structural damage.