[aka brad]

Ever since I bought my Privatter in 1998 I have wondered about the evolution of the Bontrager bicycle.

http://www.arkansasvalley.net/bontrager/

is a good site to start..

http://www.eandsweb.com/me/bontrager/

has more details but is limited..

http://www.ridesmarter.com/archives/archive_main.htm

from the horses mouth.

Still a lot of un-answered questions-

What is the differance between a OR and a Race? When did they switch from the squared off frame stickers? What about the two part seat stays? What about the front derailleur pulley? Dates and possible reasons why. Rocklobster Nontragers are made from NOS Tange Prestige from the Santa Cruz Bontrager closure. Does that mean Bontrager frames were made from Tange? I thought they were made from True Temper. What about colors? Did Race and Race Lites come in different colors? Were the colors year specific?

I saw these posts earlier

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.ph...ontrager+frame

so I know there is a huge knowledge pool out there.
1G1G, Brad

 

[aka brad]

i.e.

It can be something as simple as. ***THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE*** and not meant to be accurate

1) 1989 Bontrager cycles is born and the OR frame was made.
2) 1992 Bontrager cycles expands from one man shop to production; OR is discontinued and Race is introduced.
a) Frame changes; monostay is capped; horizontal to verticle dropouts; canti hanger from pin to welded stud (functional art).
3) 1994 Frame stickers change from square to pointed; front derailleurs are changed from bottom pull (w/pulley system) to top pull. racelite is introduced.
4) 1995 Trek buys Bontrager
5) 1996 Trek introduces Privateer

Again some of this is just made up. It would be nice if someone would throw down a link that could be edited ala Wiki.

Brad

 

[ssmike]

Paging Doug Lexington to the Bontrager phone

...call for Doug Lexington white courtesy phone.

 

[Fillet-brazed]

...call for Doug Lexington white courtesy phone.

Deep down inside, Doug likes Bontragers I hear. Some guy was asking Rumpfy and I about Doug on the trails last week... We hadn't seen him on the trails that day. Someday we'll probably have a sighting.

I think Keith started up around 84 at the latest as Ive got an 84 cyclocross bike made by him...

Laffeaux can probably answer most of those questions. He and MrOrange...

 

[gotdirt]

argh!

...call for Doug Lexington white courtesy phone.

okay, c'mon folks... clue us in-- just who is DL and why does he get such notoriety 'round here?

google pretty much only comes up w/ posts here at MTBR thanks to all the references in the sig files. :crazy:

what's the word?

 

[MrOrange]

Timeline

Been working on one for awile . . . but still not complete. Am working on it for my website.

 

[jack lantern]

This auction appears to have some decent info, however I've pretty much concluded that not all is black & white when it comes to pre-96 Bontragers. I have what I always thought was a 92 Race as the cable guides and canti hanger were welded on but my frame also has the curve on the back of the chainstays, horizontal dropouts, and the un-capped mono-stay. According to the info on this link those are characteristics of the older OR frame, which should also have bonded cable stops :skep: . Unfortunately there was probably alot of special ordering going on back then, which woulda been great when ordering one but sadly this makes it harder to draw any definite conclusions. I'm starting to think mine is infact an OR that was either special ordered with welded guides or was one of the last OR's made. I'm 99.9% sure the mono-stay was capped with the introduction of the Race....but what do I know. Good luck and please post your findings.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...MEBI:IT&viewitem=&item=230075986144&rd=1&rd=1

 

[Boy named SSue]

okay, c'mon folks... clue us in-- just who is DL and why does he get such notoriety 'round here?

google pretty much only comes up w/ posts here at MTBR thanks to all the references in the sig files. :crazy:

what's the word?

My current guess is he is an inside joke meant to cause speculation, get our goats, and revell in the sillyness.

 

[hollister]

give wit da goods yo!

Been working on one for awile . . . but still not complete. Am working on it for my website.

tell me more.......

 

[gotdirt]

he's a ghost

My current guess is he is an inside joke meant to cause speculation, get our goats, and revell in the sillyness.

i had the same thought last night after i posted above-- the fact that google only refers back to this forum, and FB's remark Someday we'll probably have a sighting...

i ain't buyin' it no more.

 

[Boy named SSue]

i had the same thought last night after i posted above-- the fact that google only refers back to this forum, and FB's remark Someday we'll probably have a sighting...

i ain't buyin' it no more.

I'm totally embarrased by my initial reaction to 'him' and how easily I was fooled. I was had pretty easily.

 

[laffeaux]

I'm totally embarrased by my initial reaction to 'him' and how easily I was fooled. I was had pretty easily.

I'm pretty sure he's just a character from a Johnny Cash song.

 

[scooderdude]

3) 1994 Frame stickers change from square to pointed; front derailleurs are changed from

I had a 94/95? Race with vertical drops, pointy stickers, capped monostay, and a front deraileur cable pulley.

 

[chrisg]

Me too.

I had a 94/95? Race with vertical drops, pointy stickers, capped monostay, and a front deraileur cable pulley.

I took delivery of my 94 Race in March of that year. Vertical drops, capped monostay, cable pulley, and pointy decals, though mine were applied "backwards" on the top tube, so the angle matches the down tube decal and the "OR" is toward the rear.

 

[PSYCLONE]

okay, c'mon folks... clue us in-- just who is DL and why does he get such notoriety 'round here?

google pretty much only comes up w/ posts here at MTBR thanks to all the references in the sig files. :crazy:

what's the word?

The word on the street, is that he will be Hillary Clinton's running mate.

 

[Rumpfy]

Some guy was asking Rumpfy and I about Doug on the trails last week... We hadn't seen him on the trails that day. Someday we'll probably have a sighting.

It was kinda funny that someone asked that question. I wasn't sure how to answer the guy since I've not actually met Doug in person...Doug Lex sounds like an east coast guy given his dislike for the west coast Bontys.

Plus his accent.

I'm hoping he makes K'Ville this year.