Klein help needed..
 

I picked this up today and need help on the model and year. I'm 99% sure it's a Klein due to the pressed in BB but I'm not sure of the model or year. The seat post is probably a 27.2 which dates it pre-'92. It's stamped '93' under the chainstay near the dropout.

http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/r...7/IMG_0175.jpg
http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/r...7/IMG_0176.jpg
http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/r...7/IMG_0177.jpg
http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/r...7/IMG_0179.jpg
http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/r...7/IMG_0180.jpg
http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/r...7/IMG_0181.jpg
http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/r...7/IMG_0178.jpg

What's the patent date on the rear derailleur?

RD's an '84 but the FD is a Suntour 'endless band' type without the band.

Bump?

Is the fork original?

Why does this frame not look aluminum to me? The areas exposed by scratches, things broken off or where the rear wheel was clamped appear steel.

Its surely aluminum, it does look to be a klein, but im not well versed on the road bikes as i am with the MTBs. the dropouts and seat tube extension look right to me though

maybe it's a Schwinn 564 LOL

any possibility its a cannondale of the same era?

I don't have any doubt this is a Klein. All the details are right. Schwinn aluminum used a monostay above the rear brake, Cannondale has the "dented" stay to clear the chanrings. Klein used that front derailleur a lot, kind of one of the signature features of a Klein in the mid 80's. I'm not sure when Klein went to the top of the down tube arrangement, but 1984 ads for Klein showed the side of the down tube shifters also. I think 1984 is accurate.

The FD date code is 'AD' or April '84. Due to the serial number my best guess is that it's an '83 frame built up as a bike in '84. From what I've read the early Kleins dont have serial numbers so it's possible this frame #83. I've also come across a few pictures with fork that appear to be Vitus so i'm going to say the forks original.

All of the components, with the excpetion of the FD and headset are Super Record and the crank and RD are coded '84. Here's a frame I found on Ebay with similar features:

http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/r...rKhjN60_57.jpg
http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/r...95j1w60_57.jpg
http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/r...J53kg60_57.jpg
http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/r...r4Q8Q60_57.jpg

It's an early Klein. Just sold this one.

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...ps1d84b38b.jpg

That is not a Klein.....welds do not appear to look correct nor the drops outs.

The black one is a Klein....

The two example Kleins are touring frames, hence the dropouts - not to mention the long chainstays that are reminiscent of the Trek 720.

That said, aren't the early-mid 1980's frames known for the through-the-chainstay RD cable routing? Jim's frame reminds me of a later-production version of the Team Super shown on DiabloScott's blog, with exception to said routing:

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5...am%20Super.jpg
http://diabloscott.blogspot.com/2000_05_01_archive.html

-Kurt

I think it is funny that Klien went with simply drilling a hole to mount the FD. I would think it would have been a better option to ask Suntour (or even a third party company) to make a band to fit the tubing I wanted to use. The single hole thing seems to limit options on cranks (not that compact cranks were common then.