Klein bikes - views/advice please

[seadragon]

Hi All,

I am looking at one of these bikes but before I spend any money, are they as good as people make out they are?

I have seen some owner reviews and some others whereby they are regarded as top-notch etc etc and if they are pretty decent then does that apply to their road bikes as well as their MTB’s?

I have the opportunity to buy a 2006 Reve X frame (brand new) but I am also looking at a couple of MTB’s as well and am just weighing up my options.

Thanks in advance.

[Freakuk]

Didn't they get consumed by someone like giant a few years ago, I loved the MTB's but you don't see that many nowadays

[seadragon]

Freakuk said:

Didn't they get consumed by someone like giant a few years ago, I loved the MTB's but you don't see that many nowadays

Taken over by Trek I believe. I am only interested in a genuine Klein

[offendi]

seadragon said:

Freakuk said:

Didn't they get consumed by someone like giant a few years ago, I loved the MTB's but you don't see that many nowadays

Taken over by Trek I believe. I am only interested in a genuine Klein

They were bought up by trek a long time ago , late 90's iirc . So if its genuine Klein you're after then you wont be buying anything made this century

Edited by offendi on Wednesday 7th November 16:16

[seadragon]

Ok thanks for clarifying.

The frame I am looking at says Klein on the frame, so although I am not ignoring the last comment entirely that if it is a 2006 frame then I am actually buying a Trek (Klein)?

Sorry am not being dim on purpose, I dont know much about Klein's as you know :-)

[anonymous-user]

offendi said:

They were bought up by trek a long time ago , late 90's iirc . So if its genuine Klein you're after then you wont be buying anything made this century

Edited by offendi on Wednesday 7th November 16:16

Had to google it but a few reliable sources indicated that Trek bought teh brand as early as 1995....

There are better bikes from the mid 2000s though. I know of a few people who had Kleins made in that period fail on them.

[ewenm]

In the days I was buying my current mtb, Klein were up there with the best. However, that was the mid-90s. No idea if they are as good now. Not much help, but seeing the name again made me smile with memories of lusting after bikes

[seadragon]

I really like the bikes but I don’t want just something that looks good. I like the Klein MTB’s but am considering a Reve X road bike. I saw a Reve V on ebay a few weeks ago but couldn’t bid on it at the time, it looked amazing

[itsnotarace]

Yes it was 1995 when they sold to Trek, I had a 1999 Klein Attitude for a while - was a great bike but dated compared to the current hardtail offerings

[wilbo83]

Remember them having gorgeous two tone paint jobs and I remember picking one up in the 90s and being shocked at how light it was, although that may be the norm nowadays.

[offendi]

wilbo83 said:

Remember them having gorgeous two tone paint jobs and I remember picking one up in the 90s and being shocked at how light it was, although that may be the norm nowadays.

I always think of the three colour 1990 Attitude in team colours, i still want one

[donfisher]

wilbo83 said:

Remember them having gorgeous two tone paint jobs

Yep, like this. they were generally great looking frames.



There's an ebay seller in the states that seems to have a good flow through of decent stock for old Kleins - very expensive for something that probably aren't much better than a new road bike for less than half the price, but that isn't the point IMHO. They come up through the regular places here but with a mark up - you'd need to be very lucky to pick one up for what they're actually worth before someone else snaps it up.

[h4muf]

Calling Central!!

[darreni]

I love 'em (the pre trek ones)

Here's mine frame & forks/cranks etc bought new in 1991:

[ewenm]

darreni said:

I love 'em (the pre trek ones)

Here's mine frame & forks/cranks etc bought new in 1991:

Looks in far too good condition, you polisher! My Fat Chance Yo Eddy from the same era is certainly "used"

[offendi]

Chapeau darreni !

It even as cook bros dogbones (iirc) that looks gorgeous, i hope it rides as good as it looks

[seadragon]

donfisher said:

Yep, like this. they were generally great looking frames.



There's an ebay seller in the states that seems to have a good flow through of decent stock for old Kleins - very expensive for something that probably aren't much better than a new road bike for less than half the price, but that isn't the point IMHO. They come up through the regular places here but with a mark up - you'd need to be very lucky to pick one up for what they're actually worth before someone else snaps it up.

I have emailed this guy in the US and incl postage to the UK I can get a new 2006 55cm Reve frame for £484, not bad I think.

[Ljm5]

Wow Derreni! That is retro goodness! What is that stem?

I have a Roberts dogs bolx of the same era as my turbo trainer bike

Edited by Ljm5 on Wednesday 7th November 20:19

[darreni]

Ljm5 said:

Wow Derrani! That is retro goodness! What is that stem?

I have a Roberts dogs bolx of the same era as my turbo trainer bike

The Stem is a Manitou one, from the early days when Doug machined them from solid billet(89-90?). Anwser then made a few that were similar - they had CNC machined webs on the underside.

[ewenm]

Ljm5 said:

Wow Derrani! That is retro goodness! What is that stem?

I have a Roberts dogs bolx of the same era as my turbo trainer bike

All the retro boys are here today. So far a Klein, a Roberts and a Fat Chance