What if Klein started to sell bikes again?

[mkaavin]

.....would you buy one?

In another thread on this forum is a discussion about what happened to Klein Bikes.

What if Trek decided to build Klein bikes again but not crappy Trek ones but the real ones that were made back in 90-96? I'm talking about aluminium frames made just like they were back then. MC1 or MC2....you decide....with all the classic colour schemes like Gator, Sunburst, Sea and Sky and so on......and with the same superior quality that they used to have. Rigid of course!

Would you buy one? Is what makes us covet these bikes today just the fact that they are rare and a part of our lost youth or were these bikes so great that we would still buy them today if they were available from the factory?

 

[brocklanders023]

I wouldn't but I wouldn't spend so much on an old one either.

 

[sylus]

Most modern re-issues lose the original flavour and to be honest if they were stupid money before I can't see them being sold cheaper..so not for me

 

[02gf74]

why would anyone buy rigid? back then we had no choice, now we have. it would be like lighting your house with tapers and pig's fat instead of energy saver lighbulbs.

 

[dablk]

I genuinely dont know the answer to this next questions... have never been near one..but they actually any good as a bike?

or just all about the paint job?

 

[mkaavin]

I genuinely dont know the answer to this next questions... have never been near one..but they actually any good as a bike?

or just all about the paint job?

They used to be excellent bikes back then. It was definitely not just about the paint job.

There is a big history behind Klein bikes and Fat, Merlin, Yeti and many other Bike manufacturers that made some very special bikes back then.

Hand made bikes with genius welders and painters was sort of the trade mark for many of these manufacturers but also great innovations and serious attention to detail.

The sum of all these factors (and many more I guess) made these bikes what they were. Now they don't make them like that any more and lots of people spend huge amounts of time on this forum and other places trying to find a frame that they can build up with super expensive well used (or even NOS) M900 stuff. Myself included.

That made me think. What is it that we are really looking for? Is it our golden memories of a lost time or truly great bikes?

For me it's a little bit of both I think. I would definitely buy one new today if I could. Just because they are hand made and beautiful frames. I like high class stuff like that. For old memories...?....well I already have one for that but it's not the perfect size and if I could choose, it would be another colour.

But thats me.....I really wanted to know what other people thought about this.

 

[Raging_Bulls]

That made me think. What is it that we are really looking for? Is it our golden memories of a lost time or truly great bikes?

The first option, and that ability to finally get that bike you couldn't afford BITD.

If you just want a great bike, get a £1500 modern. Less expensive than getting a Klein and a used M900 set, and a hell of a lot faster, and more user-friendly, and parts are readily available, and ... etc etc.
If it's the paintjob you want : The amount of money you save by getting a modern bike can be used to have the modern airbrushed.

There simply is no reason to stick with the older bikes, except for pure nostalgia.

 

[WayneO]

'why would anyone buy rigid? back then we had no choice, now we have. it would be like lighting your house with tapers and pig's fat instead of energy saver lighbulbs.'
Umm because sometimes a rigid bike is faster and more apprpriate. Anyway they wouldn't stand still, they would change. I suspect Indy Fab, before the recent move did more than just rebuild Yo's....

 

[mkaavin]

Well I have two modern bikes. None of them look nearly as beautiful as the Klein's so for me It's not just about the paint job it's also a great design and fantastic attention to detail.

But the magic is in the design and the manual building of these bikes. I cannot put my finger on what it is but riding old Kleins feels different....in a good way....the response from the frame........no I can't really explain it. I hear many people say the same about Fat bikes.

There is something there I cannot find in my modern bikes.

 

[mkaavin]

'why would anyone buy rigid? back then we had no choice, now we have. it would be like lighting your house with tapers and pig's fat instead of energy saver lighbulbs.'
Umm because sometimes a rigid bike is faster and more apprpriate. Anyway they wouldn't stand still, they would change. I suspect Indy Fab, before the recent move did more than just rebuild Yo's....

I agree with you on that. They would probably evolve if they had continued all the way up until today and Gary Klein would most likely follow trends and use carbon as main material (the Adroit had Carbon reinforcement already from 1991 I think) and suspension all the way.

But the mind experiment that started this tread was about the idea of buying the original set up from back in the days. Would we buy them? I sure would.