Neo-Retro MTB, Bontrager Race Lite

[bontyboy]

Hi everyone!

I´ve got an old Mtb classic which has been given a slight modern touch
It has been a labour of love for me, taking about two years getting it right.
I´m not really finished with it but this is as far as I´ve gotten til now.

My thought was having a nicely specced bike using more or less period parts with a racey touch.
As I get the inclination I´ll try finding lighter parts for it.
Thanks for watching
/J

Frame: Bontrager Race Lite 1997 Large

Fork: Marzocchi Z2 Atom 80 (70 mm travel)

Headset: Chris King Nothreadset 1 inch
Stem: Bontrager Race A-headset
Handlebar: Bontrager Crowbar Race
Grips: Salsa, Juegos de Fuego

Brakes: Avid Single Digit 20
Brake Pads: Kool Stop Ceramic
Brake Cables: Shimano XTR
Brake Levers: Avid 1.9

Shifters: XTR SL-M952
Front Derailleur: XTR FD-M950
Rear Derailleur: XTR RD-M952
Derailleur Cables: Shimano XTR
Cassette: XTR CS-M953
Chain: XTR CN-7701
Cranks: XTR FC-M952
Bottom Bracket: XTR BB-M952
Pedals: Time Atac Titan Carbon

Hub Skewers: USE Ti
Rims: Bontrager Valiant ceramic
Hubs: Bontrager by Chris King
Tyres: Schwalbe Racing Ralph
Tubes: n/a

Saddle: Bontrager Selle San Marco Ti
Seatpost: XTR M900
Seatpost Binder: Salsa Flip-Lock 28,6 mm

Weight: 10708 g w/o pedals

[spOOn1965]

Hi bontyboy.
Good Work, to keep the Classic MTB's running.
If You will stick to 1997 parts, it will be hard to reduce weight.
If You need inspiration, take a look at My two Ducati posts, in this forum.
Looking forward to seeing Your upgrades.

[bontyboy]

Thanks Spoon,

It took two years and a couple of builds getting here, so not too many upgrades in the pipeline.
I´ve got a special Bontrager crown that I´ll build up in the future because the Marz is only 20 grams lighter than the frame...
I´ll check out your thread.
/J

[bontyboy]

As I like pictures I thought I might as well put out some of the stuff that´s on the bike.
These wheels were hard to come by as most have ended up in the US and not many wanted to ship abroad.
So it took me a year or so to get them. They don´t come up very often so I was lucky I guess

These are first generation Bontrager Race Lites with Chris King hubs.
These hubs were specially made for Bontrager and these wheels.
They have ceramic Bontrager Valiant rims.

Front wheel: 628 g
Rear wheel: 848 g

[bontyboy]

These also took a while finding.
My absolute favorite clip less pedal, Time Atac.

These are probably the lightest of this generation Atac´s as it´s Carbon AND Ti
They weigh 366 g.

Hope I´m not boring you?

/J

[jekyll man]

Are these the ones that required time soles as the cleat drillings were different to everything else?
Up until recently I've run atacs since the time they used a standard cleat fitment.

Still reckon they're one of the best pedals out there, even if there's £200 and 20g difference between the standard atac and the carbon ti's....

[bontyboy]

jekyll man:

They use standard cleats. I´m not sure of the vintage but I think they are `97-ish.
Is there someone with catalogs that can determine different years?

I have a couple of the normal composite ones and the difference is about 40 g, so not a lot.
But it is nice knowing I can´t get lighter ones

That is the story about this bike, trying to find nice, period components that are as light as I can find them, but still durable.
Much like Bontragers motto in keeping things light, but still passing the torture mill

/J

[bontyboy]

I have to show one of my favorite parts of the bike.

The seat post

It´s a XTR M900 CroMo post that is pretty light considering it´s steel.
I´ve taken pics of my reserve post, which is in VGC+, while the one on the bike is more used

Here is a picture showing the wall thickness, and how thin it is.



It´s also pretty cool that Shimano went so far as to drill through the screw in search of lightening as much as they could.



So my dream post would be a M910 made of alu. They seem to be pretty damn light, if I don´t go the carbon road...

Weight?
This post, 265 g.



The one that´s on the Bonty is 262 g.

Thanks for watching.

/J

[spOOn1965]

This is one fine seatpost ! True metal-art ! -And the finish, -wow.
You mention carbon-way ? from 1997 ? I would choose the rare XTR. (old glued carb seatpost can be tired, after years of maturing the resins and glue(alu-clamp head).
It is also Your favorite, -right ?

[bontyboy]

Yeah, it is.
The black is glossy and the XTR logo is a silvery chrome.
Almost impossible to get right in a photograph.

Thanks for liking it

/J

[bontyboy]

This will be the last update in a while.

A project that I´m planning doing in the future is making a nice and light fork.
The Marz is nice but heavy as you know what! 1760 g!!!

I got the chance in getting a very cool Bontrager specific crown with the steerer made of titanium.
Supposedly it is one of seventeen or so prototypes made.



What I´m going to do is find a clean example of a Sid 80 mm fork, the older type, with legs that are 28 mm in diameter.
Then I dremel the crown off and use the legs that are left and presto! A smooth, light fork with a 1" steerer
That would be somethin´...

/J