'94/7 Bontager Race Lite

[br0qn]

This has been a long term project getting all the right bits. I've a deep affinity for Bontrager frames for various reasons.



These frames are notoriously tricky to date as the serials mean nothing and you have to read the details. I'm calling it a 94/7 because it's a '94 Race Lite that went back to Santa Cruz for a factory repair and got a new rear triangle and fresh powder/decals in '97.

I can go on and on about why I love Bontragers and how to read the details if anyone is interested.

[br0qn]

Mostly I was waiting on the right fork. I actually bought this as a frame only and on the same day I bought a second, earlier, ~1990, Bontrager OR that was meant to be a donor for the fork but once I started riding that earlier one a bit I couldn't separate the fork from the frame and it got rebuilt a bit restomod into a commuter/ single track ripper.

So then I got ahold of a Rockshox Mag 21 with the Bontrager specific crown



and I kept collecting other components













when another Bontrager turned up this time a '94 Race and it was built into a 700c cross thing with adapted v brakes on the rear and a road caliper on a bad 26 fork. With a Race and a Race Lite on hand, I decided the Race Lite ought to be built up conscious of weight and rigid and the Race could then have the heavy suspension fork...

[br0qn]

so the Race Lite was in need of a fork again and I was waiting on one to be made when I lost patience and just threw my Igleheart fork in there (it was destined for another project, an '88 Merlin) and I couldn't possibly unsee it, it's perfect.











And so this project is nearing completion as I wait for some Kool Stop ceramic pads.

[jmh]

I've looked at this post in a couple of different browsers and I don't see any pictures. Am I the only one?

[charliedid]

No pics

[br0qn]

Originally Posted by jmh

I've looked at this post in a couple of different browsers and I don't see any pictures. Am I the only one?

Originally Posted by charliedid

No pics

sorry, fixed?

[jmh]

Fixed!

Damn that is nice!!

[Matt92037]

That looks amazing. I have thought many, many times about doing exactly what you are doing here.

Great job!

[d_douglas]

Thats amazing! I also love bontragers...

[jtbadge]

Very cool!!

Did this come from GSC? There was one with this paint scheme, half built up, kicking around the shed for quite a while.

[nspace]

This looks so good. Always loved the look of these frames! Looks like the build is going to be too notch!

[charliedid]

Such great bikes. Is that a Bontrager ti handlebar at the bottom? I may have broken one of those many moons ago.

Have a great time.

[br0qn]

Originally Posted by jmh

Fixed!

Damn that is nice!!

cheers!

Originally Posted by Matt92037

That looks amazing. I have thought many, many times about doing exactly what you are doing here.

Great job!

do it ! what are you considering to build up?

Originally Posted by d_douglas

Thats amazing! I also love bontragers...

<3 I had dreams of buying a Ti Lite at some point but more than that I want so bad to find a Road Lite sz small. I'd post a want ad if I could (post count not enough?) They're all sick but I'm really partial to the slightly earlier ones with the skinny wishbone, really pretty, especially in white.

Originally Posted by jtbadge

Very cool!!

Did this come from GSC? There was one with this paint scheme, half built up, kicking around the shed for quite a while.

Thanks. Not from GSC, didn't know they had one! This one came from up north, East Bay area.

Originally Posted by nspace

This looks so good. Always loved the look of these frames! Looks like the build is going to be too notch!

Right on! These frames have so much cool stuff going on, but the earlier `90 OR that I have is even more special. I'll get a thread going for that one too since you guys are digging this. **edit** ok thread started for the '90

Originally Posted by charliedid

Such great bikes. Is that a Bontrager ti handlebar at the bottom? I may have broken one of those many moons ago.

Have a great time.

Thank you! I have a set of the Bontrager Titec bars that I had planned to use originally




but then I found these later Titec Hellion bars (pictured above in mockups) which are wider with really subtle rise and sweep... they're killer. Can't believe you managed to break one of the Ti bars! They did make them in a light and a super light weight, you must have broken the super light ones?

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by br0qn

cheers!



do it ! what are you considering to build up?



<3 I had dreams of buying a Ti Lite at some point but more than that I want so bad to find a Road Lite sz small. I'd post a want ad if I could (post count not enough?) They're all sick but I'm really partial to the slightly earlier ones with the skinny wishbone, really pretty, especially in

Thanks. Not from GSC, didn't know they had one! This one came from up north, East Bay area.



Right on! These frames have so much cool stuff going on, but the earlier `90 OR that I have is even more special. I'll get a thread going for that one too since you guys are digging this.



Thank you! I have a set of the Bontrager Titec bars that I had planned to use originally




but then I found these later Titec Hellion bars (pictured above in mockups) which are wider with really subtle rise and sweep... they're killer. Can't believe you managed to break one of the Ti bars! They did make them in a light and a super light weight, you must have broken the super light ones?

Yep I believe they were super light and straight no sweep. I crashed them and they cracked at one end. I ended up with a Salsa bar with 10 degree sweep which at the time seemed radical.

[the bottle ride]

This is a later Race Lite- probably one of the last batch made before the frame shop was closed in Santa Cruz.
It does not have the segmented seat stay- which they could not afford to do until Trek made an investment into Keith’s shop.
The segmented seat stay was a way to get around the cost of butting. It was a little lighter.
I had both- will look for a picture of both of them together.
In the meantime here is me on one of my race lites: Paul Brakes (need to find the arch supreme set up pictures) with Syncros Ti post, syncros crank, hugi wheels (I think) and grip shift ESP.

These were the coolest MTB’s in my humble opinion- other than the 1 inch head tube