Bontrager Race Lite rebuild, interesting history...
- Thread starter Elfman
- Start date
I have some special rims to marry to the now shiny White hubs. NOS Bontrager Asym Mustang Ceramics in the dark hard anno grey color. 32h. I think they'll look sharp with the other greys and blacks on this build. I inadvertently came across these on fleabay last year and jumped on them....I rarely see these rims ever, let alone NOS!
Ok, well, I'm embroiled in several critical path issues that have to be overcome before I can move forward:
1) The Mag 21 fork legs are going through a little trial and error before I can post any pass or fail progress on the gold lacquered look. But rest assured, work is ongoing this weekend.
2) I have several builds coming up soon, all of which will require wheel building, including this build with the White hubs and the Mustang Asym rims. I'm trying to decide if I will buy/build a truing stand and try my hand at building the wheels myself, or to send each out to the shop over the sequence of many months (to spread out the cost!). Thoughts?
3) Third, I ran into some confusion over trying to use the existing rear brake studs. They're Ti (yay!) but they look like I originally harvested them off of an old SL Ti fork: they have a significant unthreaded portion, so required spacers, which sets them off the frame an uncomfortable distance. This is odd, I thought. I must have made them work on the original single speed build (somehow), but I decided to set this straight and proper for this build. So I sourced some SRP Ti studs which only required a small spacer, barely sitting off the frame. I think this will do just fine.
1) The Mag 21 fork legs are going through a little trial and error before I can post any pass or fail progress on the gold lacquered look. But rest assured, work is ongoing this weekend.
2) I have several builds coming up soon, all of which will require wheel building, including this build with the White hubs and the Mustang Asym rims. I'm trying to decide if I will buy/build a truing stand and try my hand at building the wheels myself, or to send each out to the shop over the sequence of many months (to spread out the cost!). Thoughts?
3) Third, I ran into some confusion over trying to use the existing rear brake studs. They're Ti (yay!) but they look like I originally harvested them off of an old SL Ti fork: they have a significant unthreaded portion, so required spacers, which sets them off the frame an uncomfortable distance. This is odd, I thought. I must have made them work on the original single speed build (somehow), but I decided to set this straight and proper for this build. So I sourced some SRP Ti studs which only required a small spacer, barely sitting off the frame. I think this will do just fine.
pw_pw_la
Senior Retro Guru
Hey, so the reason you’re having the issue with those cantilever studs, and needing a washer/spacer, is because these frames aren’t designed to hold screw-in studs. The Bontrager stud is unthreaded and a single bolt passes through the stud itself, screws directly into the frame, holding it into place.
Which is why it’s such a pain if you lose the original studs!
It’s sort of hard to explain in words actually, but if you search around the forums you’ll find several threads where people have made their own. Off the top of my head it involved drilling out the threads inside a normal stud so a regular bolt could pass through to secure it.
I’ll have a look tomorrow for one of the threads in question, so as to include the link. Unless someone else here gets to it first!
And I definitely feel your pain on the multiple/concurrent build front!
Which is why it’s such a pain if you lose the original studs!
It’s sort of hard to explain in words actually, but if you search around the forums you’ll find several threads where people have made their own. Off the top of my head it involved drilling out the threads inside a normal stud so a regular bolt could pass through to secure it.
I’ll have a look tomorrow for one of the threads in question, so as to include the link. Unless someone else here gets to it first!
And I definitely feel your pain on the multiple/concurrent build front!
This is what the brake sleeve should look like. It sits loose on top of the mount and the brake bolts though. You can probably just hack of the threaded portion of your bosses to get what you need.
www.retrobike.co.uk
www.retrobike.co.uk
Thanks to @danson67 . For the tech drawing
Canti brake bosses missing - what do I need?
I recently removed some TriAligns from my old Bontrager Race frame with the intention of fitting V brakes. Front is no issue, but the seat stays have only a shallow bracket with no boss, and just a single spring hole. What do I need in order to be able to fit V brakes to this frame? Thank you.
www.retrobike.co.uk
Calling all Bontrager OR and Racelite owners - query: spec of rear brake bosses....
I don’t have the frame here and I am trying to establish the spec of the rear brake bosses on a 1991 Cannery frame - Bontrager Race OR. Are they M6 like the Mag21 bosses or just standard M8? It would be really good if anyone knows...
www.retrobike.co.uk
Thanks to @danson67 . For the tech drawing
benjabbi
Bontrager Fan
This is what they look like, they stay in the brake when you remove them, so may be worth checking the old brakes to see if they're still there.
These are off my Race OR, they were slightly too short to work with the XT brake I fitted, it locked up solid when tightened up. I just did as described by @pw_pw_la and @slackboy, cut the threaded portion off of some screw in ones with a hacksaw and drilled them through with a 6mm drill bit, works absolutely fine
These are off my Race OR, they were slightly too short to work with the XT brake I fitted, it locked up solid when tightened up. I just did as described by @pw_pw_la and @slackboy, cut the threaded portion off of some screw in ones with a hacksaw and drilled them through with a 6mm drill bit, works absolutely fine
Thanks, @pw_pw_la , @slackboy , and @benjabbi . All this info is really helpful. I'll have to check my parts bin to see if I have the old sleeves. Given the somewhat unorthodox way this frameset was built and procured, I'm wondering if I ever had Bonty sleeves. It's possible I threw them in a box for the same reasons others were confused in the linked threads you all forwarded.
Even if I don't find the original sleeves, the configuration I have now seems to work. They're M6 Ti studs, so they thread into the frame just fine. I may have to file down the unthreaded portion of the stud which required me using the small spacer (more of a thick washer). This would allow me to fit the stud all the way into the frame; I'm worried if I don't do this the spring on the brakes won't reach the hole on the brake bosses on the frame. Not the traditional arrangement, but I have no strict allegiance to the original sleeves, and I'm not sure I can ascertain any structural or performance advantages of either arrangement. Ultimately, it will depend on availability of parts, brake configuration, and time (do I want to spend a lot of time with a drill and hack saw?).
Even if I don't find the original sleeves, the configuration I have now seems to work. They're M6 Ti studs, so they thread into the frame just fine. I may have to file down the unthreaded portion of the stud which required me using the small spacer (more of a thick washer). This would allow me to fit the stud all the way into the frame; I'm worried if I don't do this the spring on the brakes won't reach the hole on the brake bosses on the frame. Not the traditional arrangement, but I have no strict allegiance to the original sleeves, and I'm not sure I can ascertain any structural or performance advantages of either arrangement. Ultimately, it will depend on availability of parts, brake configuration, and time (do I want to spend a lot of time with a drill and hack saw?).
All preferences aside, the Ti brake studs won't work. You can see in the pic below that the pen tip is pointing at an unthreaded portion of the new Ti brake studs. This section would need to be sanded down to a narrower diameter so the wider "sleeve" can sit against the frame boss; otherwise the brake springs won't reach the hole in the frame boss. I'm not doing any sanding.
But on a positive note, I found my original brake sleeves! I just need to order some long Ti M6 bolts and we're in business.
But on a positive note, I found my original brake sleeves! I just need to order some long Ti M6 bolts and we're in business.
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