[Joe Sausagehead]

A local is selling his '95 Bone-dragger 24" cruiser. It looks to be in excellent shape, but I have no idea if these things are collectible, as he claims, or if his $450 asking price is even ball-park reasonable. Anyone own one or know of their quality/history/etc.?

 

[Veloculture]

Trek was making Bontrager BMX bikes for a while. i'm not sure if any were ever made in Santa Cruz.

 

[logbiter]

I don't recall seeing a bone-dragger model, but wasn't into bmx at that point. trek was definitely making some BMX bikes - diesel, warthog & a couple others named after WWII bombers.

check out the internet archive, here's bontrager.com's bmx page from '97
http://web.archive.org/web/19971210103704/www.bontrager.com/BMX/bmxbikes.htm

a quick perusal of the '97 & '98 archives only comes up with the B1, b29, b52 bikes. I think the B29 was the 24" cruiser

A local is selling his '95 Bone-dragger 24" cruiser. It looks to be in excellent shape, but I have no idea if these things are collectible, as he claims, or if his $450 asking price is even ball-park reasonable. Anyone own one or know of their quality/history/etc.?

 

[Joe Sausagehead]

a quick perusal of the '97 & '98 archives only comes up with the B1, b29, b52 bikes. I think the B29 was the 24" cruiser

Thanks, logbiter. It looks like the B29 is the bike I'm looking at here. The link to the archive is very helpful; I appreciate it.

 

[tvrbob86]

Thanks, logbiter. It looks like the B29 is the bike I'm looking at here. The link to the archive is very helpful; I appreciate it.

I have the B29 Cruiser and the B1 20" bike. The frames have a 1 1/8" head tube and were made by Trek in Wisconsin. My friend had the Warthog jumping frame in orange (like the one on the website; it also came in light blue). The Warthog was made in Santa Cruz and has a 1" headtube. The Diesel race frame was built with True Temper chromoly and has a 1 1/8" head tube. I can't recall whether it was made in Santa Cruz or Wisconsin. The original list price on the Warthog and Diesel frames was about $430.

In my opinion, $450 seems like a lot for a B29, unless it's in showroom condition and has been upgraded with a decent set of three-piece cranks. The stock one-piece cranks are the only thing that's really lacking. Well, the cranks and the gearing. For some strange reason, Bontrager/Trek spec'd the B29 with 44/16 gearing -- typical for a 20" bike but way too hard for a 24".

A couple of years ago, there was a guy on eBay who apparently had a bunch of red Diesel frames. They sold in the $40-$65 range. If I'd had the money, I'd have made him an offer for all of them. Recently, I saw one sell for $169. Still a bargain for a frame of that quality.

I think they all have collectible potential but aren't quite there yet. They're not very well known in BMX circles so I think their collectibility is somewhat limited to Bontrager fans and mountain bikers who know the Bontrager name and value a quality frame over the latest graphics trend and whatever the pros and magazines are currently pitching.

When you find out exactly what you're looking at, post it here ot PM me if you'd like my opinion.

 

[logbiter]

Thanks, logbiter. It looks like the B29 is the bike I'm looking at here. The link to the archive is very helpful; I appreciate it.

no problem. that archive is a great resource!

I forgot to add that $450 seems pretty high to me too (agreeing w/ tvrbob').

I wonder if it's even a bontrager.... unless that a bastardization of the bontrager name... which seems likely.

 

[velocipus]

It's a Wisconsin built "Bontrager" (did someone already say that?)
Not collectible, but a great cruiser. However, $450 is pretty close to the retail price when these things were new.

 

[LS1 Brent]

did u see that bike on the austin texas craigslist?

 

[Joe Sausagehead]

Thanks everybody; yes it was on Austin's Craigslist, and it appears to be in pristine condition with 3-pc cranks, so it's probably worth the asking price. I decided not to pull the trigger since I have a 24" and am saving up for a retro 26" cruiser. Hard to walk away from a semi-rare US-built bike in that kind of shape, though.