Classic & Vintage - Classic Klein Rascal

I have a 1991 Klein Rascal in excellent condition that I was thinking about selling in favor of a newer road machine. I havent ridden off-road in years. I understand that vintage Kleins with all of the period components can be worth a lot on e-bay, but have no idea how to begin to price it.

It was a custom build in the ultraviolet/magenta fade paint scheme. Components include:


Original chrome Klein bar/stem combo (not cut down)
First generation Rock Shox (still working well --- I even have 2 working inflation syringes)
Cooks Brothers Cranks
Shimano Deore XT hubs, derrailers & pedals
Diacomp 986 brakes


I just had the thing tuned up and re-cabled so it is ready to rock, but I had to change out the old xt rapid fires with some current (cheaper quality) shifter since everything these days is 9 speed.

Can anyone point me to any resources for pricing?

More than you think on eBay. I'd guess 3-400 dollars at least. You would do well to find some XT cranks, swap out the cooks, and, ah, send 'em to me because I'm such a good guy.

No, really, sell them separately. If they are in good shape they'll bring $150 all by themselves.

Be interesting to see how much it fetches, my brother still has his Top Gun, before they had to rename it.

I bought a stripped 91 rascal frame and fork last fall for $140 to build patti's commuter. Already had the mission control bar, left over from patti's first Rascal.

I always liked the Gary Klein story, where he made a bike for his MIT thesis, patented the idea, collected lots in patents, then lost when his idea was NOT really new at all.

I got to test ride one of his bikes in 1975. I was convinced right then that was the future of Criterium and Sprint bikes. When out of the saddle, it DID NOT MOVE fronm side to side at all. A bike I would NOT want to ride the cobbles on though.

I'm a huge fan. They helped me out when I was racing and running a team. We ran Rascals at the time because they were the Kleins that could be adapted for suspension forks. And they were great! I still have mine from 1991, and it still rocks (but I keep it at my mother-in-law's house in Arizona).

I found a really nice 1987 Chorus last year, same color (ultraviolet) as my mountain bike, and found out what I was missing. You are right, if I were to lose my mind and race another criterium, that'd be the bike that I would pull down. Like riding a scalpel, but certainly not as comfortable as the SL Pinarello.

Thare is such a demand for Kleins that fake ones are being sold on eBay;

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7241670449&sspagename=ADME:L:RTQ:US:1

'ja checkout the feedback? This guy has just recently been busted for selling another fake Klein!

Caveat Emptor