Grasschopper

I know they are the Trek house brand stuff but is it any good? I am inthe market for a compact double and I see they have a Race X Lite Carbon Compact with Giga-Pipe BB. Giga-Pipe is the Turvativ name for the external bearing BB design (Dura-Ace, Mega-EXO etc) which leads me to believe that the crank is in fact a Truvativ Rouler (as does the fact that my Bontrager SS MTB crank is identical to the Truvativ Stylo SS).

Any reason to believe they are anything but identical just with the Bontrager name stamped on them? I can get the Bontrager for $75 less than the Truvativ which seems like the deal if they are in fact the same.

superdex

Can't speak to the cranks, but Keith Bontrager is one of mtn biking's Original Dudes (ala Gary Fisher, Gary Klein), even posted on usenet here and there. His bikes were dreamy (mtn especially) and handmade in the US prior to Trek. I wouldn't call them "house brand" but maybe after ten years of acquisition, they are? (I don't think Keith would ever consider himself a house-brand type (recent interview). I've not had any issues with the Bonty parts on my Trek 2300... The Bonty crank is probably a licensed Truvativ, and it seems you have some brand loyalty already, and for 75 bones less, why not?

telenick

Remember Keith and Ross (Schaeffer) of Salsa Cycles? Days gone by.

Grasschopper

Yea I know about his past but I also know (very well from personel expierence) how acquisition changes a company. I don't see a single bike not under the Trek umbrella that specs Bontrager parts so IMO they are a house brand...could be a great house brand but they are house. I don't have any brand loyalty to Bontrager...I was looking for a SS crank and got a stupid good deal on the Bonty on eBay...the fact is that the resale of the stuff isn't all that good...but I don't care about resale, just interested inthe quality of the product.

Grasschopper

Your not knocking Salsa are you?

telenick

I had a Salsa with chrome straight forks and a jelly bean paint scheme. Alas, it sucked for climbing.

sydney

The Bontrager stuff ranges from ok to very good. And yeah, it's house brand,but better than some others or better than alot of no nane stuff.Doubt that Keith makes any of it. I think you can get good buys cuz the stuff doesn't have the bling value of alot of other names..... You got what you think is a good deal...Why worry about it?

Grasschopper

Well I haven't purchased it yet, I know I don't need a CF crank and I am not about to spend over $300 on one and a new BB. This deal is $263 shipped for the crank with integrated BB and the bearings so it is a smoking deal if it is really just a rebranded Rouler as they run $360-$400 depending on where you look. I wouldn't mind if I could find the normal Rouler compact ($230 at AE Bike) or even the Elita which seems to have gotten good reviews.

shiftinjon

Remember Ross (Shafer) of Salsa Cycles?

telenick

gracias

Serpico

truvativ does make bonty cranks, so yes it is the same product

Chef23

I just picked up a Ritchey WCS compact crank for 115 shipped from Performance. It isn't carbon like the Bonty you are looking at but was a smoking good deal.

jeff williams

"Can't speak to the cranks, but Keith Bontrager is one of mtn biking's Original Dudes (ala Gary Fisher, Gary Klein), even posted on usenet here and there."

Tom Ritchey would get more of an 'original dude' from me.
Fisher and Klien -frames\builds.
Ritchey -frames\components\builds.
Kieth Bontrager -components.

Bontrager - Truvativ - Ritchey.....all good.

Ritchey is WAY cooler!

'hem. But I looked, no CF cranks.

mtnmasher

The wrench at my LBS said he has seen several Bontrager Compact Cranks with problems. According to him, the chain gets caught between the chainrings. I was dropping off my 5900 of to have an FSA SL-K installed when the subject came up. He said he had never seen any problems with the FSA.

The LBS in question is one of the largest Trek dealers in the south bay area, and installs a lot of compact cranks.

FWIW, IMO the SL-K 50/34 shifts better than the Dura-Ace 53/39 that came on the bike. (2004, Dura-Ace 10 speed.)

my58vw

I think that many of the bontrager parts are good, I have gotten two sets of bontrager wheels (race x lite aeros and race lite's) and been very happy with them. Bontrager parts seem to be a little more pricy and heavier than many parts. I think they are comparable to many other manufacturers house brand parts.

jfmckenna

If I remember correctly when my girl friend got her Poprad the lbs guy told her that the Bonti cranks were made by Truvative.