The anti Klein brigade.

I thought we saw them in 95, but they were tagged for the 96 model year, don't get me wrong when compared to the spec of Far east aluminum counterparts, the spec was low end, but they weren't made in the far east, they were genuinely handbuilt in the USA, and back then that really did mean something, and of course it was a First for the Klein Brand. View attachment 803391
That is nice, clean and subtle I like :) rigid for me, happy to try sus but I like the simplicity rigid provides. I like far east stuff, usually very accurate, well made and keenly priced. As you say USA built meant something mid 90s though.
 
That is nice, clean and subtle I like :) rigid for me, happy to try sus but I like the simplicity rigid provides. I like far east stuff, usually very accurate, well made and keenly priced. As you say USA built meant something mid 90s though.
Made in the Uk, made in the USA really did come with some kudos, but then if you bear in mind by this point we were able to buy far east, Easton Varilite tubed frames in bulk at £109, trade, with lower grade alloys starting at £50 trade.

The early Pulse frames had the rear ends made in Chehalis and the Front triangles made in Wisconsin. (I'm unsure when full production was ramped up at Wisconsin) But all made in the U.S. and whilst the early batches of frames did suffer from a paint issue on the lower Pulse range that was covered under warranty, I genuinely never saw a breakage.
 
£109 we should've stocked up 😂 😂
Aluminum played a huge part in the costs obviously and i think this thread shows how we remember things, I fear/love, for the most part we remember with rose tinted glasses.

Sometimes I think we all need to refresh our minds to what was actually going on at this point bitd.

by 96 in our area, there was a serious development of interest in DH, Dual Slalom, Street, and having one bike to do it all, by 98 it was a huge market, Aluminium was cheap to manufacture, in abundance.

Kids/Us were were all pushing the boundaries and limits of the machines we were riding, none of which were being used for its real intended purpose, Cross Country. Frames where changing rapidly, Gear hangers, Wall thickness, Gussets everywhere, all were starting to become common place.

Check out the Sprung video, and watch the Sessions, (a few minutes in), Milan really captured our local Scene, Escalators, Bus Shelters, Drop offs, Jumps the music etc, Look closely at the bikes, Aluminum even Hazel riding his Small Bontrager, i know its a steel frame but again just showing what guys were doing with there bikes.


A great Video even 25 years later....

 
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Aluminum played a huge part in the costs obviously and i think this thread shows how we remember things, I fear/love, for the most part we remember with rose tinted glasses.

Sometimes I think we all need to refresh our minds to what was actually going on at this point bitd.

by 96 in our area, there was a serious development of interest in DH, Dual Slalom, Street, and having one bike to do it all, by 98 it was a huge market, Aluminium was cheap to manufacture, in abundance.

Kids/Us were were all pushing the boundaries and limits of the machines we were riding, none of which were being used for its real intended purpose, Cross Country. Frames where changing rapidly, Gear hangers, Wall thickness, Gussets everywhere, all were starting to become common place.

Check out the Sprung video, and watch the Sessions, (a few minutes in), Milan really captured our local Scene, Escalators, Bus Shelters, Drop offs, Jumps the music etc, Look closely at the bikes, Aluminum even Hazel riding his Small Bontrager, i know its a steel frame but again just showing what guys were doing with there bikes.


A great Video even 25 years later....

All of this is an education for me, in 1988 I had to stop grinding road miles in post m/c accident. I couldn't ride for years (Nearly 7) and sold all my bicycles, a dark time a long time ago which has stayed with me. I missed BMX (Just as well I have no talent) and all the early mtb's and had my first mtb in 1994. I will watch the video.
 
Aluminum played a huge part in the costs obviously and i think this thread shows how we remember things, I fear/love, for the most part we remember with rose tinted glasses.

Sometimes I think we all need to refresh our minds to what was actually going on at this point bitd.

by 96 in our area, there was a serious development of interest in DH, Dual Slalom, Street, and having one bike to do it all, by 98 it was a huge market, Aluminium was cheap to manufacture, in abundance.

Kids/Us were were all pushing the boundaries and limits of the machines we were riding, none of which were being used for its real intended purpose, Cross Country. Frames where changing rapidly, Gear hangers, Wall thickness, Gussets everywhere, all were starting to become common place.

Check out the Sprung video, and watch the Sessions, (a few minutes in), Milan really captured our local Scene, Escalators, Bus Shelters, Drop offs, Jumps the music etc, Look closely at the bikes, Aluminum even Hazel riding his Small Bontrager, i know its a steel frame but again just showing what guys were doing with there bikes.


A great Video even 25 years later....

Oh man, watched a few clips from Sprung and they put a smile on my face.

Youngsters were def the driving force of the industry then.

Now it seems to me that most of them are in the bickepacking scene and they do concentrate more on the looks of the bikes rather what you can do with them. Or so thinks an old retro grouch lad...🙃
 
Interesting point that - Bikepacking is a return to the Go-Anywhere-Do-Anything ethos of MTBs up to the mid 90s.
I agree that too many of the Bikepacking discussions are just another strand of gear festishism rather than getting out and riding. Also calling a bike a 'rig'. :eek:

Don't get me started when I see discussions on how frame bags are more aerodynamic than panniers! :rolleyes:
 
Yeah, made in the US or UK meant something once. I don't see anything like that on the bikes today because most are probably all made in China.

As much as I like Alu bikes, I don't think I would be able to survive on one these days without breaking it lol.
 

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