Frame: Klein Rascal
Fork: Pace RC30 with carbon fibre wrap from a car parts shop 25 years ago
Headset: Mavic 315
Stem: unknown
Handlebar: FSA XC28 660mm
Grips: Yes
Brakes: Shimano Deore
Brake Pads: Shimano Deore
Brake Cables: Yes
Brake Levers: Shinmano Deore
Shifters: Shimano Deore Thumbies
Front Derailleur: Shimano SIS
Rear Derailleur: Mountain LX
Derailleur Cables: 2
Cassette: Mountain LX?
Chain: Yes
Cranks: Middleburn RS2
Chainrings: Raceface middle and outer, unknown blue inner
Chainring bolts: Raceface Steel
Bottom Bracket: Most Likely
Pedals: Cheap beartraps designed for toeclips but I don’t have any
Hub Skewers: Mountain LX
Rims:
Hubs: Mountain LX
Nipples: blue/green anodised brass
Spokes: Galvanised, see below
Tyres: Vredestein Expedition rear, Cheng Shin front
Tubes: black
Saddle: WTB testicle smasher
Seatpost: Not sure, it’s a logo
Seatpost Binder: Tranz X brown anodised
This is my Klein that I bought as a result of an insurance claim for another bike.
When I was 12/13 I went on holiday with my parents, on the way we stopped at the motorway services. While queing for food there was a leaflet for a competition to win an ‘Orangina’ Mountain Bike, so we all entered, because I was bored I also entered out pet cat.
Several months later we received a phone call from someone asking to speak to ‘Tina’, who was the cat. The situation was explained and they changed me to be the winner.
A while later the bike turned up and a photographer came out to take a picture of me with it to put in the local paper.
The bike was low end but fun, the tyres were borderline dangerous, loads of grip then nothing.
Several months or maybe years later it got stolen from outside a leisure centre. The ‘new for old’ insurance policy got me enough money to buy a second hand alpinestars Al-Mega. This was good, but again it got stolen. This time the insurance paid out £500. After months of looking for a second hand bike to buy, I eventually saw a Klein Rascal in a second hand shop. It was turquoise with a mix of middle range parts, only the frame and BB were original. Not knowing much about Klein I looked them up when I got home and found the frameset was £970 new.
15 years later I resprayed it white and changed some parts. I then gave it to my dad who has had it for the last 10 years, but as he has moved into a flat and given it back to me.
It’s still a right mix of parts, worse than when I gave it to him! The Pace RC30 that was on it when I bought it are still there, 25 years ago I put on carbon fibre wrap from a car parts shop and it still looks ok today! The Middleburn RS2 cranks I swopped with a friend for some cheap cranks and a front mech. The current wheels are from a MBK, the galvanised steel spokes have the advantage of rusting and therefore are reducing in weight as I get older, so the bike is actually getting easier to ride. The brass nipples have anodised themselves a green/blue colour.
The Deore V-brakes are very unusual for a Klein, they actually work very well unlike the lightweight anodised stuff you see on most Kleins.
As a nod to the creator of this frame, Gary Klein, I have fitted the front tyre from the same country as his favourite takeaway - China.
Fork: Pace RC30 with carbon fibre wrap from a car parts shop 25 years ago
Headset: Mavic 315
Stem: unknown
Handlebar: FSA XC28 660mm
Grips: Yes
Brakes: Shimano Deore
Brake Pads: Shimano Deore
Brake Cables: Yes
Brake Levers: Shinmano Deore
Shifters: Shimano Deore Thumbies
Front Derailleur: Shimano SIS
Rear Derailleur: Mountain LX
Derailleur Cables: 2
Cassette: Mountain LX?
Chain: Yes
Cranks: Middleburn RS2
Chainrings: Raceface middle and outer, unknown blue inner
Chainring bolts: Raceface Steel
Bottom Bracket: Most Likely
Pedals: Cheap beartraps designed for toeclips but I don’t have any
Hub Skewers: Mountain LX
Rims:
Hubs: Mountain LX
Nipples: blue/green anodised brass
Spokes: Galvanised, see below
Tyres: Vredestein Expedition rear, Cheng Shin front
Tubes: black
Saddle: WTB testicle smasher
Seatpost: Not sure, it’s a logo
Seatpost Binder: Tranz X brown anodised
This is my Klein that I bought as a result of an insurance claim for another bike.
When I was 12/13 I went on holiday with my parents, on the way we stopped at the motorway services. While queing for food there was a leaflet for a competition to win an ‘Orangina’ Mountain Bike, so we all entered, because I was bored I also entered out pet cat.
Several months later we received a phone call from someone asking to speak to ‘Tina’, who was the cat. The situation was explained and they changed me to be the winner.
A while later the bike turned up and a photographer came out to take a picture of me with it to put in the local paper.
The bike was low end but fun, the tyres were borderline dangerous, loads of grip then nothing.
Several months or maybe years later it got stolen from outside a leisure centre. The ‘new for old’ insurance policy got me enough money to buy a second hand alpinestars Al-Mega. This was good, but again it got stolen. This time the insurance paid out £500. After months of looking for a second hand bike to buy, I eventually saw a Klein Rascal in a second hand shop. It was turquoise with a mix of middle range parts, only the frame and BB were original. Not knowing much about Klein I looked them up when I got home and found the frameset was £970 new.
15 years later I resprayed it white and changed some parts. I then gave it to my dad who has had it for the last 10 years, but as he has moved into a flat and given it back to me.
It’s still a right mix of parts, worse than when I gave it to him! The Pace RC30 that was on it when I bought it are still there, 25 years ago I put on carbon fibre wrap from a car parts shop and it still looks ok today! The Middleburn RS2 cranks I swopped with a friend for some cheap cranks and a front mech. The current wheels are from a MBK, the galvanised steel spokes have the advantage of rusting and therefore are reducing in weight as I get older, so the bike is actually getting easier to ride. The brass nipples have anodised themselves a green/blue colour.
The Deore V-brakes are very unusual for a Klein, they actually work very well unlike the lightweight anodised stuff you see on most Kleins.
As a nod to the creator of this frame, Gary Klein, I have fitted the front tyre from the same country as his favourite takeaway - China.
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