Bontrager Race Lite

[Stinus]

Of the 25 diffrent builds in the tread this is by far the nicest - just saying

 

[benjabbi]

Of course I've been faffing about with this again. I think it's just a Ti Flat-Tracker away from forever spec* (I have one, it's been on the bike but it lives on the Ti Lite), been using it a fair bit recently and it's just a bloody brilliant thing. 22lbs of comfy, speedy, whippy steel.
* Yeah, I know, not sure I believe that either but it's pretty bloody good as it is at the moment.

 

[benjabbi]

Spec sheet.

Frame: Bontrager Race Lite Medium

Fork: Rockshox Judy FSX, SRP brace, Bontrager short offset crown

Headset: Tange Seiki Technoglide 1" threadless
Stem: Titec T-slot steel, 90mm, 0° rise, Ti bolts
Handlebar: Titec Flat-Tracker aluminium, 640mm, 11° sweep
Grips: ODI Attack
Barends: not on my watch!

Brakes: Avid Tri Align
Brake Pads: Aztec
Brake Cables: Shimano
Cantilever cable hangers: Avid Tri Dangle
Brake Levers: Avid Speed Dial Ultimate

Shifters: Suntour XC Expert thumbies, 8 speed, polished brackets
Front Derailleur: Shimano XTR M900, 28.6mm bottom pull
Rear Derailleur: Shimano XTR M910 GS
Derailleur Cables: Shimano
Cassette: Shimano XTR M900 12-32
Chain: Shimano HG-71
Cranks: Raceface Turbine, 175mm 110/74 bcd
Crank Bolts: Middleburn self-extracting
Chainrings: Shimano XTR M900 46/36/26t
Chainring bolts: ID aluminium
Bottom Bracket: Raceface Taperlock Titanium 107mm
Pedals: Shimano PD-M747

Hub Skewers: Halo Allen bolt
Rims: Weinmann Bontrager BCX Red front BCX Blue rear 32h
Hubs: DT Hugi first generation 32h
Nipples: Sapim Polyax brass
Spokes: DT revolution
Tyres: Ritchey Z-max Evolution 26x2.1"
Tubes: TPU ( 56g! cheap aliexpress jobs my mate gave me cos he bought the wrong size, I was/am sceptical but so far so good)

Saddle: Bontrager Velo Titanium, perforated leather
Seatpost: Titec Titanium, 350 x 26.8mm
Seatpost Binder: Bontrager cnc

Weight: 22lb 2oz or 10.03kg

 

[bikeworkshop]

Very nice...
But surely a man who wears Thumbies on xtr is only a short step away from fitting bar ends

 

[Elfman]

So...what do we all have against bar ends? I thought us retro nerds loved them and it's the new kids today that don't like them. Am I missing something?

 

[benjabbi]

There's nothing wrong with thumbies, especially the Suntour variety and they're a good fit with the brake levers.
I've never liked bar ends, I tend to ride with my hands on the very ends of the bars and they get in the way. Also wider bars give some of the advantages anyway, like opening your chest up for easier breathing and more leverage for climbs. If you like them have at it, I just don't.