Dating an early Bontrager frame...

[BikewrenchPDX]

Hello all, 'tis my first post.

I recently acquired a Bontrager Racelite (i believe it's a racelite) frame.

It will one day be built up as a cyclocross bike, and surely be built up as close to original someday after that.

Anywho, after scouring the internet I have come to the conclusion that it is a Racelite, however, I'm not entirely sure of the year. I believe it's a '94.

It has the butted headtube that a Racelite would have, also the smaller gussets at the chainstays and head/downtube junction.

It has the two piece seatstays that a pre-Trek frame would have...

All this leads me to conclude that it is a '94 Bontrager Racelite.

it came with a 1" Ritchey Pro logic threadless fork, though there is no way for me to tell if it is original.

I bought it for a steal from my shop manager.

What do you more knowledgeable bonty heads think? Thanks.

 

[tintin40]

from looking at the archive and looking at your pictures certainly looks like a 94 racelite.

 

[bonty98]

Yep, a 94 seems to be pretty right as it´s a bottom pull front mech. Nice frame
Jan

 

[BikewrenchPDX]

Thanks guys. There is a dent in the non-driveside seatstay, but I'm sending the frame to Paul Sadoff of Rocklobster cycles to have it repaired (paul has a bunch of original Bonty frame parts he bought after Treks acquisition of Bontrager).

I'll update when I get the frame back, thinking about having it powder coated in the Bonty rasta colors.

 

[bonty98]

Yeah, the rasta colors are great!
It´s so nice seeing old bontys coming back to life
Jan