1997 Bontrager Ti Lite build started

With the Kleins and Fats all getting painted it's time to start working on some other bikes. This week it's all Titanium all the time, beginning with this 1997 Bontrager Ti Lite.

It's interesting to see this bike side by side with a steel Bontrager. Everything looks so much beefier on the Ti, perhaps less is hidden due to the lack of paint? Either way somehow the Ti just looks more gnarly, thicker tubes, bigger gussets and massive dropouts. Comparatively the Race Lite looks almost anemic. Even compared to my Merlin this bike seems burly

The build plan is a relatively straightforward Shimano M950 XTR. A little bit of flair courtesy of White Industries hubs, Chris King headset and possibly some Avid Arch Supreme v-Brakes.  Front end is still getting sorted, but a Bontrager/Titec Titanium bar will definitely be a part of the equation.

Hopefully this build will come together rather easily, as long as I can figure out where I hid the front derailleur and bottom bracket, d'OH!!