Road Cycling - Klein??

Well...my search goes on for the right road bike to park my butt on and ride away!!!
I was out this past weekend trying out some bikes and I must say that I was surprised. I tried out the Airborne Valkyrie Ti and liked it. It didn't blow my sox off but it was nice. I then did something I never thought I would... I tried an Aluminum :eek:. It was the new 2004 KLEIN (Quantum Team) with carbon seat stays and forks. WOW what a great bike! Very comfortable and not at all the harsh ride everyone seems to believe comes with an Aluminum. I'm seriously thinking about getting it.

Any comments on the Klein? What do you think?

Glad you tried aluminum. Klein's used to be jackhammers with wheels, but with carbon stays anyone can build a decent riding aluminum bike. They're quick and pretty, but they also used to be a little overpriced. That was also the case with Cannondale, though, and I feel that their pricing has become reasonable. At any rate, if you're now looking at aluminum, keep Cannondale in mind. Different geometry than Klein, and it's important to try bikes that fit differently before you decide. Everybody and their dog makes aluminum bikes anymore, so you sure aren't limiting your search. But that's the fun part.

Glad you tried aluminum. Klein's used to be jackhammers with wheels. . .

Interesting you say this, because I'd heard that their geometry makes for a more comfortable ride than most aluminum frames. I've not ridden one myself, so I have no basis for remark, but again, this is what I have heard from a couple people.

Well, comfort from positioning and comfort from a smooth frame are two different things, in my mind. Hell, everyone has a brand of bike or shoe that fits them well and is comfy as a result. That all depends. But geometry can't trump a rough frame. Like I say, though, my experience with Klein was from about '96. They built bikes that would fly forward with each pedal stroke but would also ram the saddle into your crotch like there was someone beating on it with a baseball bat. I'm sure they're smoother now, though. At least I hope so.

Well...my search goes on for the right road bike to park my butt on and ride away!!!
I was out this past weekend trying out some bikes and I must say that I was surprised. I tried out the Airborne Valkyrie Ti and liked it. It didn't blow my sox off but it was nice. I then did something I never thought I would... I tried an Aluminum :eek:. It was the new 2004 KLEIN (Quantum Team) with carbon seat stays and forks. WOW what a great bike! Very comfortable and not at all the harsh ride everyone seems to believe comes with an Aluminum. I'm seriously thinking about getting it.

Any comments on the Klein? What do you think?
You will find most Aluminium frames with rear carbon stays will provide a good ride. I was a long time steel frame guy as a result of racing many a Aluminium frame that beat me to death. I now am back to a Aluminium frame with a rear seat and chain stay that is carbon as well as a carbon seat post. The ride seems to be equal to steel frame. I don't ride a Klein but they make a fine bike.

I had a klein mountain bike for many years and loved the ride...but I had a big tires.

on century rides, I have spoken with many women that love their klein road bikes and I would always ask about the ride and they always said that it was very smooth. A friend that I ride with went from a trek carbon to a klein.

I think kleins are pretty cool bikes; great looking paint, very light, great handling. ;)

we carry kleins at the shop i part-time at [part-time teacher, part-time student, part-time journalist, part-time bike shop guy... go figger]. i took a klein aura xv out for a short test ride the other day.

i was impressed by the quality and finish of the bike. i don't really have too many problems with alu ride quality, and the bike felt as comfortable as any other quality bike i've ridden. keep in mind that i ride a 51 cm steel bike with a 53.5 cm tt, though. my bike is made for me, and no other road bike comes close in terms of my own comfort. the klein's ride quality felt no worse than most other bikes aside from my marinoni... and much better than some.

it was a nice, climber, with a good stiff bb, and it accelerated very well.

having said all of that, i just couldn't get comfortable on the bike, no matter that the metrics said that it should fit me perfectly.

OooOOoOoh Get this paint job!

http://gallery.consumerreview.com/roadbike/gallery/files/kleinbonesbig.asp

:D

I own a klein Quantum Race (2002) this bike is a great climber and it increased
my speed by 3mph. I'm a small person (160lbs 5'9") so I dont get beat like most by the frame.. I believe Kleins have the best paint job..
I will have to try one with carbon stays.

K

I rode the Klein last year and loved it...Qpro carbon. I would have bought one but I wanted the previous years standard paint job and it wasn't offered as an option. I still look around although I love my new bike and one day I'll get one...or else an old Masi.

I own a 1999 Klein Quantum Pro. It's generally fine but I'm going to get rid of it this year to try a Specialized E5. I like the compact geometry and want to ride such for a season or two. No major complaints about the Klein. It is a jackhammer, but, then again, people say that about Porsches. When you want performance, you often have to feel the road in detail. I'd go for the q-carbon, but find it a bit too pricey.

The Klein Aura X is my first road bike. I like it very well, but I am afraid I spoiled myself by making it my first road bike, so I don't have much frame of reference. It's not that pricey or high-end in the grand scheme of things -- Ultegra where it counts, like F/R deraillerus, and some more modest but capable 105 components to save cost. But I think I would still appreciate it more had I first owned some sub-$1000 bikes. The money I spent was "found money" though, and I was determined to make the most of it.

This bike keeps with my general consumer standards -- I like to own stuff that is not outrageously expensive or exotic, but nice enough to enjoy the state of the art without suffering any serious compromise.

What I like about the Klein is, to paraphrase a friend of mine, Klein is just far enough outside the mainstream to have panache, without being so far out of the mainstream that it suffers inefficiencies of the small manufacturers. As compared to Trek, you start with a frame that has a desirable hidden cable routing and whose logos are part of the paint job (no stickers). As the shop tech pointed out, the tubes are more engineered than the Trek - e.g. square cross sections tapering to round; more internal tapering, etc. I found that $ per $, you get a better frame but less components than on a Trek. To be more specific, I estimate you have to spend about $250-300 more in a Klein to get the same components of a Trek. But you start with a better frame - i.e. a better foundation.

The Aura-X has, like so many 2004 bikes I shopped, an aluminum alloy (specifically, a subjective "15% lighter and stronger" ZR9000) mainframe with carbon seat stays and fork to dampen vibration and maintain stiffness. It has "semi-compact" geometry, which I infer is aimed at deriving some of the benefits of a compact frame without straying too far from classic geometry. You get bladed spokes and "race" wheels, like the Trek 2200. I actually weighed the 2200 vs. the Aura-X and found that, despite, the 2200's slightly lighter sprinkling of components (e.g. "Race Light" in the Trek vs. mere "Race" in the Klein), the overall bike weight of the Klein is at least a few ounces lighter than the Trek.

I have the 58cm frame, and I stand at about 5'10"-5'11.5" tall, depending on footwear and time of day. The bike tech fitted it well to me, which required shortening the stem. I feel the need for occasional relief in the crotch area, which I think has more to do with general road-bike design than fit. Overall it rides pretty smoothly though. The shifting is not yet dead-on, which I think is a matter of adjustment -- e.g., sometimes I have to click twice to get a quiet gear.

The bike is plenty light. When I lift it, it doesn not feel impressively lightweight, but certainly far lighter than my Marin mtn bike. I think I weighed it fully equipped right at about 20 lbs. on a meat scale. When I add pounds in water bottles and a seat pack, I start to wonder if bike weight is so critical. I know rotational moment of inertia ("rolling weight") affects acceleration, and the wheels seem plenty light. The minimal number and aerodynamic design of the spokes help.

That is my impression of Klein. I hope that in another 500 miles I have a more definitive opinion of it. It feels good enough that I don't expect to replace it for at least another few years.

"This bike keeps with my general consumer standards -- I like to own stuff that is not outrageously expensive or exotic, but nice enough to enjoy the state of the art without suffering any serious compromise. What I like about the Klein is, to paraphrase a friend of mine, Klein is just far enough outside the mainstream to have panache, without being so far out of the mainstream that it suffers inefficiencies of the small manufacturers."

*laugh*

I'll take the inefficiencies of small manufacturers any day.

The Klein Aura X is my first road bike. I like it very well, but I am afraid I spoiled myself by making it my first road bike...
Klein is one of the best.. back in 1999-2002. they where in a class all of its own. not sure of them now that trek owns them. but I see the trek line has improved its paint and frame.
K :)

I'll take the inefficiencies of small manufacturers any day.

I'm glad you can afford it. I can't. I'd happily accept for free any small-batch custom made exotic bicycle from any small manufacture.