There's a 1990 Klein Quantum for sale locally, apparently with some upgrades and "lightly used" according to the seller. I'm a returning 50+ cyclist on a budget. Would this be worth, say, $400 and still perform well?

That sounds steep considering it's 16 year old?

I'd go for it!

I have a 1987 Klein Quantum and it is by far my favorite bike. Gary Klein has made some spectacular bikes and was a poineer in Aluminum frames. It will be very stiff, and it will track very well. Tell us what the upgrades are so we have a better idea of it's worth. Being that old it is more than likely a 7 speed bike, with a rear end that is too narrow for 9 or 10 speed.

I had a 1987 Quantum Pro in Red, I loved that bike. It would cut a corner like nothing else I have ridden since. Stiff as all heck, but it made up for it in cornering speed, and out of the saddle sprints. It was comprised of Shimano 600 parts, Wolber Rims, Cinelli Bar and stem, Turbo Special Saddle, fluted Dura Ace seat post.

Back in the day I sold the complete bike for about $1100 to buy a Nikon F4, a few years later I tried to buy it back from the person I sold it to, he would not sell it back to me, even after I offered him $200 more than what he paid me.

In 1987 I paid about $600 usd for just the frame.

ViperZ, I think we had this converation before. Mine was a Quantum Elite, only available as a frameset and only available in a color called Sable. Gary was fond of stiff. As I understand some of his history, he satrted out building these stiff frames in Cali and they were so quick steering and stiff, that some of the guys who rode them would actually slide around corners, sort of a bicycle version of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Mine and yours were built after his move to Chehalis WA and about the time he and Cannondale shared some legal issues (Cannondale had stolen Gary's idea of the vertical dropout.) I have seen some of the later Kleins especially the Trek Kleins and the finish work on those are no where near the finish on the early Kleins. I have mine apart right now but I am going to repaint it soon. I already went to a sign shop and had them recreate the Klein decals, now just deciding a color. I got a great deal on mine, it was $450 for frame and fork, then I built it up with Dura-Ace, Matrix Iso rims, American Classic seatpost, and a Selle San Marco Concour saddle. I am going to repaint the Tange fork but will probably replace it with a Profile Design carbon fork if I intend to ride it again.

Back to the OP. It is a great bike. If you like stiff bikes it is like a dream come true. depending on the condition I would probably buy it.

Yup, we have talked about this before Waldo It was going to be a Cannondale R600 or the Klein for me. After seeing the chunky welds on the Cannondale, I said no way... I then talked to Gary Klein himself about his welds, and he told me the unfinished welds of a Quantum Race (lowest cost ~$400), were much smoother and looked nearly fillet brazed. The Quantum Pro on the other hand, had hand finished welds that were sanded smooth to a fillet finish, it was a thing of beauty. That Cherry Red paint was so deep in finish, a person could drown in it if stared at for too long

He was in Chehalis, WA. at the time of my build.

Surely that isn't for the frame only? You can do better on ebay...

I had a '90 Quantum... red, beautiful paint job, very durable. The bike was amazingly durable as well... and very well made. I wouldn't mind having another myself, but $400 is kinda steep for an old Al frame. I paid $500 for mine new in '90.

I have a good friend who practically stole a 2002 Quantum w/full Ultegra and Cosmics for $600. It was listed at $800 on Craigslist for a long time. He took a look at it, and made an offer through email. He meant to type $700, but said $600 through a typo, and the seller took it!

Sheesh.

It's tough to get any good-running high-end road bike for much less than $400. Old used steel Bridgesone RB-1 frames still sell for that much, and they were mass-produced.

If the bearings are all doing ok, and it shifts well, it's certainly worth more than $300, so work your own deal from there. It's a good enough bike that Lance probably would still be able to win the Tour on it

It's on eBay but the seller is local -- I could pick it up if I won the auction. Here's the listing w/components and pix:

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

All the talk about how stiff it is makes me wonder if it might be a bit punishing on our less than ideal roads here in Motown.

You can make all the difference between an over-stiff aluminum bike and a steel noodle by lowering tire pressure by 5 psi.

My Tour de Gruene partner (2-man team TT race) was having a lot of comfort trouble when we trained on this chip-seal section over the last 5 miles of the course. He was riding a new Cannondale, and after 50 minutes of hammering flat-out, the rough road was just pushing him over the edge. I lowered his tire pressure 5 psi, and he said it felt like a whole new bike. Rolling resistance in VERY minimally effected (a few grams of resistance, maybe).

No bike flexes that much vertically. Only the fork blade flex can really be felt. The rear wheel is supported by a pair of thin triangles, and the fork is supported by a thick triangle. No way you're feeling any flex in there anywhere.

I put my official myth stamp on stiff frames and rough rides

ViperZ, Mine also has the smooth finished welds. It was worlds above Cdale at the time. Just to be clear, mine was a 1989 not an 87. In 1989 the only road framesets available from Gary were, in oder of MSRP the Quantum Elite (sable w/matching Silca pump and fork) $595, Performance Elite (blue w/matching fork and pump) $595, Quantum (red or burgundy w/chrome fork) $449, Performance (silver or burgundy w/chrome fork) $449. From what I recall the Quantum and Quantum Elite were more of a crit style bike with 74* seat and 73.5* head tube angles. It was only available in odd cm frame sizes. The Performance and Performance Elite used the same seat tube angle but relaxed the head tube to 72*, and it also had a longer wheelbase. It was only available in even cm frame sizes. The Performance series was also set up for touring with mounts for fenders/racks.

Alas, the question is now moot. I placed a bid but it looks like it'll go for more than $400, and I don't want to spend more than that right now. So it's either find a bargain or wait till I get a job and can buy new...Thanks all.

I'd pay at least that for a cherry 1993 RB-1 frame/fork. I just can't seem to find one in my size.

My brother in law has my red 1993 62cm RB-1. It's not cherry, but not damaged either. I had to straighten the der hanger one time when some movers bonked it. I actually GAVE it to my brother in law. Lucky guy, huh?

PM me if the BIL wants to sell it.

Creak...

Found one on an out of town Craigslist posting I may pick up. $200, 12 years old (so I guess '94?):
"ALU frame made in US (60 cm), Campagnolo & Shimano Ultegra components, STI, 16 spd"






Some rust, may have to replace some gears in the back. But for a cheap roadbike to get me off the mtb and gain some speed what do you think?

Also - can those brakes be upgraded? Tough to tell from the pic...

That bike's just fine. Dunno why you'd upgrade the brakes though -- unless you mean the brifters. Anyway, you can upgrade to fully modern components with no trouble, if you wish. If everything is working fine though, why bother? That bike was a good deal, and is still a genuinely good bike. Plenty good enough for racing or training.

Probably won't last long at that price...

The person is free tomorrow but I can't get there till early evening. Someone's coming in from Jersey to look at it in the afternoon. 99% chance it'll be gone.

Oh well - I'll keep looking around Thanks guys!

Are there bigger pics of that bike available. It doesn't look like a Klein to me but the pictures are so grainy it's hard to tell. Campy and Shimano components?

All I can say is ride the bike first.