Bontrager's

[VeloRyan]

Like a proud new papa I can't resist sharing pictures (poorly lit ones albeit) of my born again Bontrager Road Lite. I will be installing some Sram Red components on her over the next few evenings and will post up more pictures, hopefully ones with improved lighting.

How I ended up picking up this frame, from a fellow VSalon member, is kind of interesting and worth sharing since it also resulted in me becoming a member (as well as slightly addicted to the forum.) Anyhow, I was scrounging the good ol' interweb trying to locate a Bontrager Road Lite frame to purchase and thru multiple Google searches found the Velocipede Salon forum with a posting for a Bonti for sale. I clicked on the link and saw that the posting was about a year old. I figured it wouldn't hurt to see if it was still available as the final posting for the frame gave the impression that the frame never found a home. I contacted the fellow member and scored the new/old frame and here she is and soon to be moved in to the rotation for riding.

Let me know what you think of her and I would LOVE to see some other Bontrager photos posted up.

[Auk]

Always did like these and would love to find one in as good of shape, but a few sizes smaller.

[the bottle ride]

Great Road Lite- a bike that has been on my wish list for some time but never came across one in my size or condition that I liked.

I had two Race Lites- great handling bikes.
Here is one of the later ones I had built up as a singlespeed- wish I had never sold it.

[a-game]

@veloryan ooooooh she looks so good! (much MUCH better than in my garage.) congrats and hope you dig it for a long time. and thank you for kicking off the Bonti gallery.

[VeloRyan]

@veloryan ooooooh she looks so good! (much MUCH better than in my garage.) congrats and hope you dig it for a long time. and thank you for kicking off the Bonti gallery.

Thanks again Andy! The next set of pics I will post up (hopefully soon) will be once I get the seatpost in and am able to finish installing the rest of the parts.

She's a looker for sure

[VeloRyan]

So I have the Bontrager Road Lite almost done and decided I better take pictures with some better lighting while I could.

Here it is in all her glory.

[billrick]

That Bontrager Roadlite is PERFECT. Well done!

Here are the photos of my old Bontrager . . .







My love for the Bontragers led me back to Paul Sadoff in Santa Cruz for my current mountain bike. He used to have a lot of the old Bontrager tubing and made Nontragers. I love them wishbone seatstays.

[the bottle ride]

It is looking good VR- what are the cables you are using? Style.

[VeloRyan]

Billrick-
Love the Orange (Race or Race Lite?...I can't quite see the headtube). I have a Red Race
Lite with the same color schemed panels...I love that bike and will never give her up.

That Bontrager Roadlite is PERFECT. Well done!

Here are the photos of my old Bontrager . . .







My love for the Bontragers led me back to Paul Sadoff in Santa Cruz for my current mountain bike. He used to have a lot of the old Bontrager tubing and made Nontragers. I love them wishbone seatstays.

It is looking good VR- what are the cables you are using? Style.

Thanks! The cabling is "Yokozuna Revolution." The cables come pre-lubed and work great.

[the bottle ride]

Thanks! The cabling is "Yokozuna Revolution." The cables come pre-lubed and work great.

The best around.

[billrick]

Billrick-
Love the Orange (Race or Race Lite?...I can't quite see the headtube). I have a Red Race
Lite with the same color schemed panels...I love that bike and will never give her up.

It was a Race Lite, I sold it years ago when I was living in an apartment and needed room. Arrgh. Someday I will have a bike barn and buy back all my old bikes.

I was in Orange County on business and stopped by the local SuperGo bike store right when they were unloading the last of the Santa Cruz made Bontragers. This orange one spoke to me, but I would have bought more if I could have. I could sense the end of the steel hardtail era.

[acckids]

I'm unsure what year that Bontrager is but appears Mr. Bontrager was ahead of the pack with sloping top tubes. I'd like to see more of the rear stays. Nice setup.

[the bottle ride]

I'm unsure what year that Bontrager is but appears Mr. Bontrager was ahead of the pack with sloping top tubes. I'd like to see more of the rear stays. Nice setup.

The design dates back to the early 90's- way ahead of its time with gussets and sloping TT.
This one is one of the newer Bontragers with out the two piece stays- with some of the money they got from uncle Trek they were able to get a stay re-design as the first Race Lites had the two piece design.
Also what makes this Bontrager interesting is that they sourced their own crown with set back- think Gary Fisher G2 design.
Very clever guy that Keith Bontrager.
One of my favorite MTB"s of all time.

[billrick]

Here are a few more photos. This one did have the special fork crown, I just substitued a RS Sid lower. Yes, this one was a classic. But if I had a time machine, I would go back and pick up a Road Lite and a CX bike. (And I would have never bought stock in RockShox!) That Road Lite of VeloRyan's is a work of art. Would love to hear a ride report.

Keith Bontrager = GENIUS. Strong Light Cheap: Pick Two

[VeloRyan]

if I had a time machine, I would go back and pick up a Road Lite and a CX bike.

I felt the same way.....until I was able to track this one down. When these came out I was in high school working at a shop that sold Bontrager's, another guy that worked there ordered one of the Road Lites (the same size even, as a matter of fact, as this one I just picked up) and when I saw it I was debating about ordering one for myself....with regret I didn't. Luckily I was able to stumble on to this one to cancel out my mistake oh so long ago!

[VeloRyan]

That Road Lite of VeloRyan's is a work of art. Would love to hear a ride report.

Thanks for the kind words....I will gladly report back with a ride report once I get several rides and some miles laid down

[VeloRyan]

I promised a quick ride report once I got a few miles on the Road Lite. So, yesterday I was able to get out and do a 55 mile ride with a little bit of everything to get a good idea how the overall ride was going to be. The ride quality is exactly what I was hoping for...it has all the great ride qualities that the off road version has and I have loved so much (thus driving me to seek out this road model). On the descents it is smooth and stable, in the hills (which I enjoy the most) it climbs every bit as good as a high quality carbon bike does. Overall ride quality is superb and it is living up to my expectations.
Aside from a few minor tweaks (adjusted saddle position slightly back and installed a Thomson road stem that is slightly longer than the Deda stem that is pictured above) the bike is locked in and am loving it!

[axel-f]

The RoadLite looks great - congratulations.

Here's mine - my girlfriend's favourite bike (besides the PissOff #12)
Bontrager RoadLite singlespeed | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[VeloRyan]

Axel,
Sweet SS Road Lite, she's purdy. Who did the re-paint and decal work?

[axel-f]

Axel,
Sweet SS Road Lite, she's purdy. Who did the re-paint and decal work?

Pictured is still the original paint/decals. It has been redone about a year ago by a local powder coater and used without decals. I do have new decals though - simply have been too lazy. The plan is to apply them soon. I got them from the UK but can't recall the seller.
You might get the source via VeloCult, San Diego as I know they ordered there too.