What's In The Box? (Brad Pitt Voice) An Early Bontrager OR! **Finished Photos Page 11**

[Prodigal Son]

Ha! Noted.

I did pick up a nice set of front and rear Salsa QRs, the unlogo'd, US-made kind, in the tri-colour style. And was planning to use those for obvious reasons!

Nah. Those will slip. Go w/ heavy duty shimano skewers.

 

[Prodigal Son]

IMO Bontragers are sensible workhorses. It´s soul is about engineering steel to the best results. Gussets, overlapping tubes. Fork crowns leading to different trail numbers.The frame is built w/ avant garde thinking. Different brake studs, Drop outs that make wheel alignment simple. It´s made to be ridden hard and not lusted over. Simple paint, pannel decals that can be easily replaced.
That´s why Bontragers look good w/ no bling, no purple, no boutique.. Deore XT everywhere because it works and you don´t need xtr. It´s a mechanics bike, a private racer bike... and it´s awesome.

 

[widowmaker]

IMO Bontragers are sensible workhorses. It´s soul is about engineering steel to the best results. Gussets, overlapping tubes. Fork crowns leading to different trail numbers.The frame is built w/ avant garde thinking. Different brake studs, Drop outs that make wheel alignment simple. It´s made to be ridden hard and not lusted over. Simple paint, pannel decals that can be easily replaced.
That´s why Bontragers look good w/ no bling, no purple, no boutique.. Deore XT everywhere because it works and you don´t need xtr. It´s a mechanics bike, a private racer bike... and it´s awesome.

Couldn't have put it better myself !!

 

[benjabbi]

The 'cannery' does indeed refer to where they were built. 104 Bronson Street, Santa Cruz, was originally the Seabright cannery where they canned fruit and vegetables. Was also the home of Santa Cruz bikes for many years.
As far as decals go I think the earlier Race/Racelite frames had all three (top,down and seat tube) straight sided decals, then moved to just top and downtube before finally settling on the slanted style on the top and downtube. This seemed to happen between 92-94ish but the whole thing seemed pretty fluid, like they'd just use whatever was about till they were gone.

 

[2manyoranges]

Well….I know a few things but others will know more. He did a lot of metallurgical work on mx bikes and built some mx frames. He then started thinking about mtbs. Work churning out frames started in his garage in Santa Cruz, as and when people asked for them. Then as it got serious, he and a colleague (name?) set up a fabrication shop in an old cannery warehouse. Trek then sniffed around….

https://mmbhof.org/keith-bontrager/
And

https://www.jarrodbeglinger.com/bontrager-brand-book

 

[Prodigal Son]

The closest to a Bontrager is a Ritchey. Both guys have the same direction: steel, lightweight, no bs design instead of paint and bling, xc racing amd making every single bike part better. They are opposite in spirit though: TR is a traditionalist. KB is a rebel.

 

[pw_pw_la]

IMO Bontragers are sensible workhorses. It´s soul is about engineering steel to the best results. Gussets, overlapping tubes. Fork crowns leading to different trail numbers.The frame is built w/ avant garde thinking. Different brake studs, Drop outs that make wheel alignment simple. It´s made to be ridden hard and not lusted over. Simple paint, pannel decals that can be easily replaced.
That´s why Bontragers look good w/ no bling, no purple, no boutique.. Deore XT everywhere because it works and you don´t need xtr. It´s a mechanics bike, a private racer bike... and it´s awesome.

I definitely agree with everything you've said. And this is exactly what drew me to getting a Bontrager in the first place; the reason it's been on the wishlist. And those characteristics are exactly what I find most appealing in the bikes themselves.

That said, I do want to divert from the norm just slightly.

Obviously the Salsa connection is well-established and nothing new on an OR build, largely due to the infamous/iconic ad with Ross and Keith. So a little S here and there is almost certainly on the cards! But it will be limited to just the aforemented skewers (unless they do prove problematic, or I change my mind) and maybe the stem I picked up last week.

I would be planning on an XT build too, if something else from the MOMBAT archives hadn't also caught my eye while waiting for this bike to arrive...




So yeah, the initial plan is for something inspired by the above. And yes, it's a Race Lite, not a Race, but the use of XC Pro group definitely got my attention as I have a lovely, minty group sitting right here. Again, nothing is set in stone. It's all going on the Team Issue first anyway, for as long as it takes me to source some forks and other bits for the Race, so I'll see how I get on with it.

If it's not a pleasure to ride then it'll be straight back to XT!

Anyway, regardless of exactly where this build ends up, I can promise one thing: there won't be any bling. Well, not really. And it will be built to ride and ride hard.

 

[pw_pw_la]

The 'cannery' does indeed refer to where they were built. 104 Bronson Street, Santa Cruz, was originally the Seabright cannery where they canned fruit and vegetables. Was also the home of Santa Cruz bikes for many years.
As far as decals go I think the earlier Race/Racelite frames had all three (top,down and seat tube) straight sided decals, then moved to just top and downtube before finally settling on the slanted style on the top and downtube. This seemed to happen between 92-94ish but the whole thing seemed pretty fluid, like they'd just use whatever was about till they were gone.

Cheers for that Ben.

All great and useful info for a novice like me.

 

[pw_pw_la]

Oh, and a caveat: if the frame does indeed end up feeling a little small on me, I might be tempted to go all @Radrider and ditch the above plan for a dirt drop build instead!

Because his looks just about perfect if you’re not going to take the traditional workhorse route. : )

 

[benjabbi]

Oh, and a caveat: if the frame does indeed end up feeling a little small on me, I might be tempted to go all @Radrider and ditch the above plan for a dirt drop build instead!

Because his looks just about perfect if you’re not going to take the traditional workhorse route. : )

I actually have everything to try this on my Race on the cheap, On One Midges and RSX 3x7 shifters with a high rise stem, just can't quite bring myself to do it!