Coolwall - Klein

mrkawasaki":1tuejvpv said:

but unforgiveable use of elitist marketing was an innovation too far for mountain biking - the infantile divisions they wanted to create linger on, even today.

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If I understand you correctly, are you saying that many, if not all of the Klein enthusiasts you know today are elitist and condescending to enthusiasts of other brands? I have thick skin so if you believe I'm guilty of acting like that, please let me know. Otherwise, for myself, there are many Klein owners that actively participate on this board and "elitism" isn't the first, second, or fiftieth word that would pop into my head if I were to describe them. I think "elitism" is being substituted with the more proper marketing term = "aspirational". The LAST thing any company wants to do is to alienate prospective customers so why would Klein seek to market itself as a "we're too good for you" type of company? To my eyes and understanding of their advertising messages, it was "aspirational". Sort of "you've arrived" type of message that doesn't mean that anyone else can't "arrive" with you and own a Klein. They made bikes at several price points to make sure they had something to offer people who were willing to spend a little or a lot on a bike. If you see otherwise, that's your opinion but I think you're missing their point. Maybe Europe's culture interprets that type of advertising differently than in the U.S.?

And for myself, I'll just say that all these "elitist" comments are really unfounded. "Fan boys"? I guess that's meant to be pejorative but I think it's fair to say that everyone on this board is a "fan boy" of sorts in some regard because it seems everyone has their brand/bike of preference, no?

Wrapping up: Klein bikes = uber cool Klein owners = the worst people on earth. That still makes the bikes cool.

there is a great deal of snobbery coming from fans of bicycles that are made of a material noted to be by far the worst in subjective ride quality of the four "favourite" materials....

one or two people's snobbery shouldn't be ascribed to ALL owners of a particular brand.

any123":vjf11zzo said:

cce":vjf11zzo said:

any123":vjf11zzo said:

Yes you are right there are many bikes that make up retrobike but not many or any i can come to think of define a decade like a Klein.

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to suggest that kleins define the entire 90s is, i think, fundamentally flawed

certainly by 1996 or so when i got into things properly, they were something of an anachronism.

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can you explain where my flaw is please. All i said was bikes today are the same as Kleins were at the start of the 90's light, intergrated, responsive

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you claim klein define a decade. i'd like to know which decade this is. at most, they were the pinnacle of MTB for about 4-5 years. when suspension started to really matter, around 1996, 1997 Gary lost his way big time. The mantra was panned, the palomino was someone else's design

SF Klein":177ugdr1 said:

one or two people's snobbery shouldn't be ascribed to ALL owners of a particular brand.

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this post is IRONIC.

cce":1ul6q4ui said:

SF Klein":1ul6q4ui said:

one or two people's snobbery shouldn't be ascribed to ALL owners of a particular brand.

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this post is IRONIC.

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Seriously, you think I'm a snob just because of the bikes I own? That's too surreal to be true so I can only take it that my posts come across somehow as snobby.

Ladies & gentlemen, it's been real. I wish all of you nothing but the best. The personal attacks are getting a bit much.

SF Klein":zr507y5k said:

cce":zr507y5k said:

SF Klein":zr507y5k said:

one or two people's snobbery shouldn't be ascribed to ALL owners of a particular brand.

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this post is IRONIC.

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Seriously, you think I'm a snob just because of the bikes I own? That's too surreal to be true so I can only take it that my posts come across somehow as snobby.

Ladies & gentlemen, it's been real. I wish all of you nothing but the best.

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no, i think you're a snob because of your schoolgirl-level sarcasm.

I agree. All my friends and EVERYONE else I talk to only talks positively about Diamond Back. Klein is uncool and Diamond Backs rule!

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cce":2ixau8cb said:

SF Klein":2ixau8cb said:

cce":2ixau8cb said:

SF Klein":2ixau8cb said:

one or two people's snobbery shouldn't be ascribed to ALL owners of a particular brand.

Click to expand...

this post is IRONIC.

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Seriously, you think I'm a snob just because of the bikes I own? That's too surreal to be true so I can only take it that my posts come across somehow as snobby.

Ladies & gentlemen, it's been real. I wish all of you nothing but the best.

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no, i think you're a snob because of your schoolgirl-level sarcasm.

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so what your saying is because I ride aluminium and carbon that i'm a snob. Quick i best get me skates on and get to asda/walmart and pick up one of there gaspipe bikes for 50 quid in order to bring me bang down to earth. Oh Pleeeese

If you load yourself up for the fall then sarcasm will arise.

any123":wrbwahj8 said:

cce":wrbwahj8 said:

SF Klein":wrbwahj8 said:

cce":wrbwahj8 said:

SF Klein":wrbwahj8 said:

one or two people's snobbery shouldn't be ascribed to ALL owners of a particular brand.

Click to expand...

this post is IRONIC.

Click to expand...

Seriously, you think I'm a snob just because of the bikes I own? That's too surreal to be true so I can only take it that my posts come across somehow as snobby.

Ladies & gentlemen, it's been real. I wish all of you nothing but the best.

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no, i think you're a snob because of your schoolgirl-level sarcasm.

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so what your saying is because I ride aluminium and carbon that i'm a snob. Quick i best get me skates on and get to asda/walmart and pick up one of there gaspipe bikes for 50 quid in order to bring me bang down to earth. Oh Pleeeese

If you load yourself up for the fall then sarcasm will arise.

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erm, at no point have i said that. Please try and keep up. And also, i'd love it if you found time to answer my point about Klein defining a decade.


FWIW, aluminium is a cracking platform for FS bikes, and carbon has a great many uses. but given the choice, i'll take heat-treated italian steel EVERY time.

cce":1gnmkqh0 said:

no, i think you're a snob because of your schoolgirl-level sarcasm.

I agree. All my friends and EVERYONE else I talk to only talks positively about Diamond Back. Klein is uncool and Diamond Backs rule!

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If you read the whole thread, my sarcasm was directed at Neil for his large generalizations that EVERYONE he talks to had nothing nice to say about Kleins so therefor they must ALL be rubbish. Sorry, but whenever I see such blanket statements, my sarcasm is difficult to control. Must be nice to live in a world where one can form their solid opinions about the rest of the world based on only a few interactions, eh? (note: I'm being sarcastic here too. )