Honest question - what's so great about Kleins?

[Neil]

take money out of the equation

what if you could have one on the cheap?

Um, how cheap?

But seriously, for me, it's not about the price or cost. retrobike for me is all about nostalgia, and they form no nostalgic memories for me - since beyond the odd, vague memory of ads in magazines, I never rode with, nor saw any.

For some, retrobike might be about the bikes they rode, BITD; for some, it might be a revisionist, bikes they'd have like to have owned / ridden BITD; and for some, maybe special or aspirational bikes from BITD.

I can appreciate many of them from an artistic perspective, but to buy and own one, and then use it? Have to say, not interested at all, regardless of price. I just have no motivation - they evoke no memories from BITD, and whilst they may be very fine, very beautiful bikes, that's not why I personally buy them.

 

[dbmtb]

But it does seem to be the brand that the money-is-no-object group of lawyers, doctors and architects seem to have come to the consensus is the one they want to impress each other with, to go with their Pinarello road bike and their S-works modern MTB.

Ah yes, those 10 Architects who do actually have the money the myth suggests they have...

Oh alright - I'll correct it to the "money-is-no-object group of lawyers, doctors and those architects who are making some money seem to have come to the consensus is...." Oh no! It became unpronounceable.

But you know what I mean

Really was thinking more globally - certainly in the part of the world I now live in, architects have always been very well paid. And the most affluent punters I've dealt with while living here have been from those three fields of business. Oh... and professional footballers. But they don't understand retro.

I have actually ridden a few Kleins over the years in my line of work - one of my best friends even owns one (soap and water) They are good bikes - that's for sure. I just don't think they are so good as to deserve such an extensive following. The oversize tubing does work as a solid foundation for an OTT paintjob but IMHO any paintjob that means you daren't ride the bike is a bad paintjob. That goes for Mountain Goats too!

But all of this is subjective anyway - plenty of people think Paces are crap and I love them.... And all of my bikes are one-colour affairs which many will consider incredibly dull. But OTOH none of mine are (intentional) garage queens though some come out more than others....

 

[Rich34]

Back in the day Kleins were so out of my reach it just wasn't fair... I always thought they looked a bit too fat, mind, and thought Cannondales were better-proportioned. Still do. The bikes I dreamt about (when it was Samantha Fox's night off - not often :roll: ) were the Yeti F.R.O., Rocky Mountains and Team Stumpjumpers.

 

[WayneO]

I've owned one and will admit to not liking it, probably because I'm short, and little frames are v. stiff to start with. But it was fast, well built and went in the right direction, and didn't have as bad a rep as crack-n-fails.

It was a brand I was v familiar with b.i.t.d., and EdEdwards had at least one in that time, but it wasn't what I lusted after. I had a Fat. But I recall on a trip to N Wales circa 1990 a guy I knew called Glyn pulled a snakeskin painted one from his car, and it was very light and sexy. Not sure how long it lasted tho', and he was soon on a Merlin.

 

[rumpfy]

Btw c'dales had fatter tubes back then and was also filet braced.

Neither Cannondales, nor Kleins were 'fillet brazed'.

Well sort of "fillet brazeing", its a two pass weld where the weld is grinded.

So nothing like fillet brazing then. 'Faux fillet' maybe if you want to be picky, but there is no brazing involved.

The end result is the same - a great looking bond

The end result may look similar, but its not the same. Please don't continue to call it fillet brazing.

 

[yeti-man]

Btw c'dales had fatter tubes back then and was also filet braced.

Neither Cannondales, nor Kleins were 'fillet brazed'.

Well sort of "fillet brazeing", its a two pass weld where the weld is grinded.

So nothing like fillet brazing then. 'Faux fillet' maybe if you want to be picky, but there is no brazing involved.

The end result is the same - a great looking bond

The end result may look similar, but its not the same. Please don't continue to call it fillet brazing.

. o O (jesus)

- NO! Cannondales and Kleins "fillet braze" is not fillet brace - just looks like it. It is a two weld pass, meaning two weld that are sanded/grinded down to make a seamless "fillet braze" look. AND it is NOT a fillet braze folks!

 

[kleinrenzo]

Klein

I think Klein started to have the I want to have it factor after Klein introduced the Dolomite Attitude, before that Klein was a good bike but nothing too special.
The Dolomite had such innovative features that no other brand of bike had all together, there were integrated headsets, there was internal cable routing, there was fat alu tubes, but all together with eyecatching paintjob... no brand had all of that.

Quite a few brands were still brazing their lugged steel 3kg frames in the early 90's

And they were expensive and maybe mainly bought by rich snobs or people who had a couple of bucks to spend on their race materials but producing a Klein is more difficult then building a steel lugged or TIG welded frame.
And building in all the special details that makes a Klein is quite time consuming, so the price is/was higher.

So Klein still has the wow factor for many people many many years later and like with all eyecatching things.. you like it or you hate it..

I ride a MC2 with suspension and MC1/MC2 rigid's and the MC2 with suspension is a very very good bike!! The rigid's are riding a racing bike.... off road... not very pleasant but very cool to do so as it gives maximum response and mega stiff !!

 

[futuristicoldman]

Remember though theres more than just attitudes and adroits out there. Look at an 80's mountain klein for example, beautiful build quality, quality paint but nice and plain, super stiff frame but relaxed handling and first and foremost cheap. Look at the one in the for sale section its a lovely bike and far far rarer than an attitude. What im trying to say is that it is possible to own a klein without the city banker accusations, you can ride it down the street without looking like a show off and you dont have to be a moneybags to do it. Of corse if an extra large attitude ever came my way for peanuts I would snap it up and love it forever...

 

[suburbanreuben]

take money out of the equation

what if you could have one on the cheap?

Take money out of the equation; if you could have any bike on the cheap, would it be a Klein?

 

[FluffyChicken]

Why does everyone harp on about internal cable routing. ?
Bike Shaped Objects from Index/Argos had internal cable routing BiTD. I'm sure my granddads old granddad bike had it as well.

I don;t get it.

I do get that some people like the paint schemes, styling and general aura about the brand and styling.
Much like I like other brands and styles.

I have ridden one BiTD, not my own I admit or for more than a brief period of time, I didn't like it. A brief period is enough to know if you like something or not.

Today it may be different if I ride one, I ride differently, I'm not as fit or as light.
I still would not actively seek one out, I would however take one if offered for nowt.
It was never something special to me.