Bontrager cycle parts.

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The store which is my only local option for parts for my Specialized Allez carries a lot of Bontrager replacement parts for the common stuff... such as tubes, brake pads, etc.

I would assume that these are the parts that they're using in their own service department, since they carry a lot of Bontrager parts.

Are the parts that Bontrager produces and sell... are they OE quality?

Granted, I don't need a $40 tube or $30 brake pads... but I don't want to waste my time with inferior quality stuff, or have some sort of an otherwise avoidable failure miles from home.

I know I could source this stuff in other places, but it is nice to be able to get new brake pads, like I did this morning, on a moments' notice.
 
Bontrager is owned by Trek. You'll find Bontrager parts on Trek bikes and possibly others.

I don't know if Trek actually produces the parts themselves or if they're all relabeled.

Just like anything else, they probably have different price points and different quality levels.
http://www.bontrager.com/
Quote:
Copyright © 2014 Trek Bicycle Corporation
 
Their tubes are fine, and I've heard that quite a few like their XXX lite tubes.

Personally, I like tubes without threading on the stem, so I bought a few Michelin tubes last time I saw them on sale. I feel like that about a lot of things, same reason that I have a pair of Kool Stop Blacks for when my pads go kaput. Tires? I've got a set of GP4000S on right now, and a pair of Gators in the closet. I'm set on consumables.
 
Cool... and this makes sense since this is one of the oldest Trek bicycle dealers in the country.

I ended up with two pair of the Bontrager cartridge pads (for my 105's), for $16 out the door. And I didn't have to wait 3-4 days to get them.

I'm also using a pair of Bontrager tubes that I bought there earlier this spring.
 
As above Bontrage is OE for trek bike group. In the past they had a really good product line up from low cost value to high end performance, but I have been out of the bike shop loop for a while now.
 
for cartridge pads, Kool-stop Salmons are a popular pad, which are not too expensive (which my LBS usually has on hand).

for tubes, my LBS does like the Bontrager tubes more (which I use on my Specialized Secteur)....

tires.... my current set is Continental Grand Prix 4-season 700x25
 
"Bontrager" seems to me to be a label that takes advantage of its association with Trek. Trek owns the label and obviously uses a lot of the parts on its bikes, but I suspect that the parts are made by any number of manufacturers, and are probably good moderately-priced parts. For the brake pads in particular, there seem to be very good aftermarket products (such as the Kool-Stops) that likely outperform the Bontrager labeled parts. I suspect the same is true of things like tires and tubes, though I can't know for sure.
 
I see it this way, Bontrager is to Trek like ACDelco is to GM or Motorcraft is to Ford. I'd use most of their stuff in confidence, some things like cranks are actually SRAM, others like brakes are white-box parts, and their wheels/spokes are made by DT Swiss.
 
Yes, they started out by making very strong and light specialty mountain bike rims, and were later bought out by the Trek Corp.

Most of their stuff seems to be of at least decent quality, if not top notch.
 
Thanks everyone.

It sounds like the Bontrager parts should be an easy choice for the parts that shouldn't require a lot of research.

And from what I've seen so far, the prices are reasonable enough that they erase any advantage to buying online, and direct the money to your local bike shop instead.

Great!
 
Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
And from what I've seen so far, the prices are reasonable enough that they erase any advantage to buying online, and direct the money to your local bike shop instead.


That's what I've noticed as well. I like the Bontrager tubes on my Trek. Gone through a couple of them. They're reasonably priced around $8/tube. We have a lot of goat heads here in the southwest but the slime has been sealing the punctures.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
"Bontrager" seems to me to be a label that takes advantage of its association with Trek.


Stupid. Keith Bontrager is a legend in the cycling industry. Yes, he sold out to Trek, it was a pretty sweet deal. But Trek did NOT make Bontrager famous.
 
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