Newbie with an old Klein Attitude Comp

[Bertiebot]

Hi all
Not been on here before but was trying to learn more about maybe gently upgrading my lovely old MTB. Its a Klein Attitude Comp from 1997 in vibrant orange. Its got a mix of XT and LX bits on it (from new) and I recently put a Thomson Elite stem & titanium bars on it to match the OE Thomson Elite seat post. I hadn't ridden it for ages but got it back out at the start of the summer and have been having a lovely time riding through the peak district on it.

The gears are a little past their best and I am considering upgrading the drivetrain at some point soon-ish. Its easy to spend lots of dose on Wiggle so advice from on here is welcome!

Here is a pic

 

[xxnick1975]

Nice bike, doesnt need upgrading!

Maybe new consumables, but the rest looks cool

 

[Bertiebot]

Thanks, I think it looks pretty nice. It cost me a chuffing fortune when I bought it new ar Evans in Wandsworth. It was a getting divorced present from me to me and I don't regret the divorce or the buying the bike.

I don't want to spoil my Klein, more get it working perfectly. I am struggling to get the gears to change as sweetly as they used to and am running the options of new chain, jockey wheels, maybe cassette. My old SPD pedals were knackered and I was shocked at how much sweeter a new set were to use which did get me thinking about what else might bring the old girl back to her best.

Good 8 speed stuff seems harder to get which is why I was also considering sticking a 10 speed cassette on there and a shifter to match (its 8 speed currently). I realise this is retrobike so do say if such talk is considered heresy on here

 

[xxnick1975]

I think most on here are from the live and let live school of thought.

So if you want to change it go for it

But I'm sure you can get it running nicely as is with little expense

Modern kit ain't always an upgrade!

 

[drcarlos]

Only thing I would change would be swapping out the Indy SL's for something not quite as flexy but still period. Something like a set of SID's or Marzocchi X-Fly's.

Carl.

 

[Baldyz1]

Re:

I would look at the XTR M950 or the later XT M739 group sets.

You will be able to go 9 speed (Not 10 unless you change the whole running gear, levers and wheel) and you can benefit from the nicer gear ranges that an SRAM cassette can give you. You have slicks on so maybe you would prefer an 11-32 cassette for instance for road use. If you cant get M739 then later XT still looks fine.

Cheers

 

[hamster]

Firstly change the cable outers and inners. Clean the rest and run some WD40 through the shifters while you are at it. It's amazing what a refresh of these does to all the shifting.
Even the old 8 speed stuff shifts really well when cleaned up, and will be way less tetchy than 10 speed when slightly dirty.

 

[Spudly]

Firstly change the cable outers and inners. Clean the rest and run some WD40 through the shifters while you are at it. It's amazing what a refresh of these does to all the shifting.
Even the old 8 speed stuff shifts really well when cleaned up, and will be way less tetchy than 10 speed when slightly dirty.

This, before you do anything else, if its not had much use being sat in the garage/shed for a few years then it will be in fantastic condition wear and tear wise, get some degreaser and some decent lube/dry lube and give it a good clean and degrease, fit new cable inners and outers and spend a bit of time setting it all up properly, then go for a ride and see what you think.

I reckon the difference will be as noticeable as when you fitted new pedals, then look at your shop bill and see how much cheaper that was than changing cassettes (which will probably also mean a new 10spd compatible rear wheel, new chain, new mech and probably new crankset and bb so it all matches up) by then you will have changed half the bike and it will have cost a damnsight more than a few cables a bit of lube and a few hours with the allen keys

Either way it is your bike to build and ride as you see fit, but id definitely explore the cheaper option first!

 

[Bertiebot]

Thanks for the advice guys, all very much appreciated and food for thought.

If I can get it shifting sweetly as an 8 speed then that would be great. Much as I like buying toys I don't want to spoil the whole retro thing completely. The Bontrager stem/bars weren't great so the Thomson Elite stem and titanium bars I now have felt like a nice tweak. I can imagine having a little go at old school XTR stuff at some point if I can get it but theres no rush if I can get it changing sweetly as is. I quite fancy period upgrade forks too if/when I can find them. The Judy SLs have not been serviced their whole life so I can imagine they aren't performing quite as their maker intended.

I am mainly using the old girl for roads and cinder/cycle tracks hence the slicks so a longer top gear might help I guess. That would mean new rings on the chain set as I can't go smaller than the 11 tooth rear. I have never played with the internally routed cables before. Any tips on what to do to swap inners etc. as I have a nightmare of pulling stuff out and not being able to rethread it through the frame without stripping it right down?

Also where am I best sourcing cable inners (I assume you guys mean the thin white plastic tubing the actual cables run through in the frame?). Recently I have been something of a Wiggle junkie but I suspect there are better emporiums for older/NOS stuff. Suggestions very welcome once again!

 

[Bertiebot]

Re: Re:

I would look at the XTR M950 or the later XT M739 group sets.

You will be able to go 9 speed (Not 10 unless you change the whole running gear, levers and wheel) and you can benefit from the nicer gear ranges that an SRAM cassette can give you. You have slicks on so maybe you would prefer an 11-32 cassette for instance for road use. If you cant get M739 then later XT still looks fine.

Cheers

I had a play on google/ebay and now realise its a whole world of bike porn. I could spend so much money so easily. Lots of lovely vintage XTR. NOS hubs - oh yes, chain set? certainly sir.....

I think the very wise words to sort what I have and then see how I feel are what i need to do before I get over excited.