Clark Kent Ti 500 - Bontrager build

I've had this Clark Kent Ti - 500 road frame for a few years now, after buying it off a club mate, believing it was a Serotta.

It's actually an Ivo Vinklarek made Clark Kent from, it's believed, around 1994-6. It's very lovely and I'm very attached to it. I had 'wanted' to sell it as my Rourke is replacing it as my 'A' bike. But I couldn't. So after selling all the bits I would need to build it back up, I'm starting again!

In its previous guises it was built up with Record Ti and carbon bits, but now I've decided to drop some 90's/early 2000/modern Bontrager bits on, for no other reason than it's an American frame and forks and Keith is a bit of a dude, has a lone association with the shop and still pops into BC when he's in London.

As the bikes came with DA originally I'm going to break my Campag habit and have found some 9001 shifters and 9000 mechs for cheaps, I feel like I have sold my soul.

The frame is identical to this one and here is the bike in some of its previous guises in my ownership and in my favourite set up, below.

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Bontrager bits found

• 110 alloy XXX Lite stem
  
• XXX lite bottle cages
  
• DA 9001 shifters
  
• DA 9000 mechs
  
• Bontrger Speed Limit brakes
  
• Grey Race lite Cranks
  
• Paradigm RL Ti Rail saddle
  
  

Bonty Bits to find

• wheels that won't destroy the bank......
  
• 27.2 alloy Bontrager seat post
  
• 40cm alloy bars
  
• stem top cap
  
• bar tapes
  
• R4/R3 tyres
  

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Lovely looking frame. I had to google to see if there is any connection with Kent Eriksen (also ti frames from Denver, Colorado), but the name is purely coincidence. Kent Eriksen and Dean Kent - totally different people!

Yeah, it took ages to ID the frame and all the American Ti builders , inc KE were really very helpful in finding out what it was.

Seems that the company folded as either Pat Clark or Dean Kent allegedly did a flit with the investment cash. I cant remember where I read/heard that though.

Anyone know what typeface this is? Keen to replicate the decals (with a twist) and @ad441 has kindly offered to do the arty stuff.

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Sorted @ad44 has nailed it.

Does anyone have any experience with the Bontrager Aura wheels, or the old Bontrager Classics wheels?

Worries the Aura's will flex (I'm heavy) but the classics will be to heavy.....

Also anyone ridden the R4 tyres at all?

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Just won this little chainset beauty from US EBay.

I now wait to be shafted by customs on it.... :)

And the DA mini group has been posted out.

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sweet crankset!

DA, carbon post and Brakes arrived.

The brakes are mint and incredibly light. DA is in good nick and the jockey wheels have been upgraded to Hopes too, which is nice.

Seat post was a punt and was cheap, and is knackered. so back on the hunt and looking for an alloy job

Meaty, but very light brakes

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look like a banal truvativ

They are from the same design pot I would imagine.

These will just be greyer, lighter and Bontragerery

You have great taste and a fine stable of bikes. Looking forward to seeing this built up.

Aww cheers, you've made me blush now :)

This might be a long one I think, found the easy bits, but the wheels are vexing me

assume you're gonna infill the details on the brakes in a bit of the ol' red gold and green?

Bingo - I'm too predictable

Just need to find some hobby paint and a steady hand

champion.

I got a pair on eBay but the front was knackered, sadly. Ran the rear on the front of my fixed bike for a while and was really impressed with it
(if you need them for spares? etc you'd be welcome to them)

Sorry to break your bank but this needs a set of Aeolus wheels ;) Bontrager parts are not really my piece of cake but I can definitely appreciate the amount of awesomeness and effort!

Wow. Yes that would be great. The brakes I have are mint, but spare bits would be good!

Doesn't it just :(

Unless I can find some dirt cheap though....

My other thought was to pick up some Bonty hubs, some blank carbon rims and then sticker them up. But then they wouldn't actually be Bontrger bits, which would prob make no difference, but I would know.....

Hope is important though, who knows what the Internet will throw up :)

I have some bonty x lites youre welcome to cheap, ex gb spare wheels so hardly used
Aeolus would nail it though!

Sounds interesting, even just to get to rolling.

Can you PM me some pics?

I will try to take some tomorrow, got the kids all weekend so got hands full!

These just appeared. So very light, I know I'm going to break these so quickly.....

Although I need to get the downtube bottle boss drilled and replaced first

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