Coolwall - Klein

On my understanding of the word cool, I think there are arguments on both sides, but more arguments for not. They certainly look great, and they certainly had an ethos and great racing success, but there's this lingering thing about the style being better than the substance, and that is rarely cool.

I see plenty of Kleins around Brighton and Hove, and they look cool as asphalt bikes, but I never seem to see one off road. I wonder why not?

Anthony":17fsmxaj said:

On my understanding of the word cool, I think there are arguments on both sides, but more arguments for not. They certainly look great, and they certainly had an ethos and great racing success, but there's this lingering thing about the style being better than the substance, and that is rarely cool.

I see plenty of Kleins around Brighton and Hove, and they look cool as asphalt bikes, but I never seem to see one off road. I wonder why not?

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Their was one at the the last Wu meet. Gator with rockshock. I missed thanks to the trains.
I rode my Sunburst off road too BITD

any123":3foh0ris said:

1) Klein was there in 1987 playing with aluminim and continued to do so till 1997 with great success.

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With all respect, but aluminum and success is of course relative. It is an contradictio in terminis almost. Steel is real.

2) no other bike from that era can lay claim to what we have on bikes today they had then. bb30, bar/stem combo, 2 inch downtube, stiff, light, responsive, I won't even start down the road of paint.

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With all respect, but does it matter? I do know a lot things on yesterdays bikes that I unfortunately do not see on nowadays bikes. Take Grease Guard for example. That is also part of the reason why I am involved in Retrobikes so much and browsing Retrobike

GearlessinSeattle":3txn44x3 said:

Once again the "high failure rate" comes into play.
I sold Kleins for 2 years, 90-92, and never had one come back.
I have owned 5 Attitudes and 2 Rascals and never had one fail.
I have had countless friends that have owned them and theirs never failed/crack.
I know that some cracked, but all, and I mean all, bikes from the 90's had their faults/failures at some point.

Coming from a guy that has more GT's than the average wholesaler I would think your opinion is somewhat bias.

BTW, I have seen a Zaskar that was cracked.

You know I kid, right?

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I sold GT's from 86-92 and never had one come back,
I have 14 Zaskar's, 4 Psyclones, 4 Bravados, 9 Avalanches, a Xizang and a couple dozen more and never had one fail.
I have countless friends that have owned them and theirs have never failed or cracked. I've owned one Klein and it cracked :shock:

Coming from a guy that's owned more Klein's than the average Klein owner I would think your opinion is somewhat biased

All in good fun! It's a damn good think we all have choices. It would be a drag if we all rode the same machines.

At the last count there where 38 people saying uncool.

Although very few of these are making themselves known!!! Is this a conspiricy by the Trek Mega-bland Company to shut the right minded people of the world up?

You will never take my soul and passion for non fat ugly alloy pap!!

I will be expecting a small gas canister of mind altering drugs in the post next week then!

ps.
Long live the little people with a need for a beautiful, compliant, repairable, lightweight, smooth, stiffish, Cro-Mo, hand made, soulfull, magestic, steeds!!

al. Somewhere in South America,Probably!! :?

i have not read through the previous 7 pages so apologies if i'm repeating anything here.

i dont particularly like kleins. i think the name is cool with the e before the i and i think their marketing strategy was fabulous darling but i dont really "get" them.

tintin40":1ag7e5bu said:

Their was one at the the last Wu meet. Gator with rockshock. I missed thanks to the trains.
I rode my Sunburst off road too BITD

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This 1 maybe?

Wow, some serious SALT going down on this vote/thread regarding Klein!

I vote cool because they have pretty damn cool paint schemes nobody can deny this
I never liked the look of their sus frame,It somehow looks flimsy :?
the one piece bar stem is nice but it again looks like it may snap.

But wow ,such a lovely use of paint


Who cares ,im superficial

I voted uncool.
I love the green white red team attitude it was fab. Would have loved one. The gator fade is nice but not as nice.

Lots of the fancy paint jobs are too much in my opinion.

Yes Klein gave us some innovations. Possibly only Pace gave us more.(No doubt a queue of indignant 'my Klein is betterer than your Pace' owners forming as I type). Heck they are bikes I don't, on reflection think they are cool, some of you clearly do. Feel free to slag off Pace/Orange/Colnago/insert brand of your choice here. I'll still sleep soundly knoing my bikes are right for me.

Far too much handbagging go on here ladies, calm down and have a sweet sherry.