Finally rehabbing the 1992 Klein Attitude

[dwmc]

Dragged it out of the basement this weekend where it's been sitting for more than 12 years (I've lost track). Mechanically it seems all good. Tires were dry rotted. No desire to be clipped in on it anymore, so pedals will get replaced. Drivetrain, brakes, shifters, hubs are all Shimano XT.

Picture is before I did anything at all. Covered in dust and the Michelin tires have no air.

View attachment 873018

For the life of me I can't remember what year I bought this bike, it's been too long. I bought it new at a bike shop in Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S. in 1992. Other than the tires, grips, pedals and bar ends, it's all original. I rode it a lot (training bike) at one time, but it was well-maintained. Hoping I can get it back to excellent working condition while retaining as much of the original as I can (despite the fact that I'd prefer a 1x11 drivetrain).

By today's standards, this isn't a trail bike of any kind. Fully rigid, steep head angle, narrow bars, etc. It's closer to a road bike than a modern mountain bike. But around-town on paved surfaces and dirt roads, it still ticks some boxes I appreciate (not the least of which is the weight).

 

[dwmc]

Hmm, attachment failed. Maybe because I'm a new user?

Pre-rehab:



After a day of work. Removed the faded Kreitler stickers from the crank arms. First pass cleaning (multiple passes on the chain, which is in surprisingly good condition). New SE Cub tires and Theory composite pedals (least expensive blue option with sealed bearings at the local BMX shop). Bar ends removed, Velo lock-on grips from the spare parts bin installed (will later be replaced with RevGrips). Before someone makes fun of the SE Cub tires... the horizon linear fade paint on the bike screams very loudly. Might as well go all in, esp. since I won't be taking this bike on any trails that need a real dirt tire.

 

[JCS]

Looking good. How does it feel to ride after all these years?

 

[highlandsflyer]

Is it for sale?

 

[dwmc]

Looking good. How does it feel to ride after all these years?

Painful. I was 25 and in great physical condition when I bought the Klein in 1992.

Factors...
1) 175mm cranks. I've grown accustomed to the 155mm on my eMTBs, and spinning.
2) Riding position. I haven't been on a road bike in a really long time. I'd be better off with the 90mm Mission Control now, but my bike has the 135mm.
3) Fully rigid, and narrow bars (580mm).

My BMX bike had 180mm cranks. My existing 24" BMX bike (SE Quadangle) has 175mm but I only toy around on it and I'm never pedaling from the saddle. Not sure my knees are up to a lot of 175mm pedaling from the saddle. There are benefits, but I'll likely have to keep it in moderation.

The narrow bars just feel awkward these days. It's not a deal breaker, but combined with the long reach and an old repaired hand and wrist injury (the main reason I stopped riding it long ago), it doesn't give me a lot of options for absorbing bumps while seated. Front end has a lot of leverage against my arms, and I'm basically straight-armed unless crouched a bit.

I'll put some RevGrips on it (to keep the right wrist pain at bay) and reassess. This bike isn't going to become one of my main riders. But I'd like to be able to survive once a week 8 to 10 mile rides on the dirt roads near my home (only 500 feet of elevation on my typical 9 mile loop). I'll work my way up slowly and decide whether or not I'm going to make changes or keep the bike nearly original other than consumables. If I change it, it's likely the first thing will be a quill adapter and ditching the Mission Control bar/stem for a good quality stem with a much shorter reach, and wider bars. I don't need 760+mm on this bike, but 700 would be nice and I think it'd be workable with a short reach stem.

Today's ride judgement probably isn't fair. I had already done 15 miles on the full suspension fat-tire eMTB that I use for leisure rides, which is downright comfy harshness-wise (and ludicrously heavy). Kind of the opposite extreme. And given where we are in the season here in Michigan, and that I try to get 13 to 16 miles in per day, I'm not sure how many rides I'll get on the Attitude before slush/snow arrives and I am down to the fat tire bike with studded tires for any outdoor activities. I do have a ride planned for the Attitude next weekend, but it's a leisurely city ride with friends (Detroit River Walk and Dequindre Cut). Which is sort of perfect for not overdoing it on a bike that might have some mechanical gremlins after sitting for so long (I'm not going to have time to fully tear it down this season, and I don't think I still have the tool kit for the press-fit bearings). However, at one time this bike was my winter trainer, so I suspect I'm going to spend a decent amount of time this winter on it atop the Kreitler rollers. If my knees hold up, I'll leave the 175mm crank arms on it.

It's still a very quick bike, of course. Super efficient power delivery, super quick steering, light (I weighed it at 24.5 pounds with the old tires and clipless pedals and before I removed the bar ends and old bike computer remnants). I still like it, a lot, it's just a matter of how much my 57 year old body can put up with it. I could always hang it on the wall and call myself Jerry.

 

[dwmc]

Is it for sale?

Not this year. If it turns out I just can't enjoy riding it anymore, it could be up for sale next year.

 

[vtwinvince]

Now that is one spectacular looking ride.

 

[dwmc]

An update... I think someone at Rockbros is a Klein fan. I couldn't resist buying this water bottle cage, despite it being polycarbonate. I'll me damned if it's not pretty much an exact match to horizon linear fade.

https://rockbrosbike.us/products/ro...older-with-screws-tool?variant=44552201764916

 

[riskllama]

well, whatever you end up doing to it…WATCH THE PAINT!!!

 

[riskllama]

and yeah, there’s absolutely no shame in hanging it up - nothing wrong with enjoying beauty, for beauty’s sake…