I have exhausted the search function, as well as the googles, so as a last resort I've started this thread to try and get some answers.

I recently bought a 2003 Klein q carbon race in plum, which goes from purple to green depending on the light. I am making some cosmetic changes to personalize the bike now and had a question about removing the decals.

Has anybody removed decals from a klein before, in particular, off this paint type? Would the chameleon type paint make any difference when it comes to method of decal removal?
I am in love with this bike and would hate to damage it trying to remove the stickers. Looking closely at the decals, it's hard for me to tell if they are clear coated on or not. They seem to be on there very well, and haven't started peeling anywhere yet.

I'd either remove all of the decals, or just leave the main Klein logo on the down tube.
I just picked up a new white toupe ($78 shipped!), and will be putting on white handlebar tape whe the seat gets here. I'm going for a clean, sleek, yet unique look and think removing the decals would really look great, but I've never seen any pics of any similar bikes with them removed.

Here is a pic of the bike just after I first got it(the pics don't follow BF protocal, but I know better now), since then it's been flipped and the tires are now black bontrager race lite hard case.




Any advice or info would be great. Thanks.

You can start by scrubbing at them with WD40 or rubbing alcohol. This is the method I use for removing normal stickers, but the decals are probably on better than that. Goo Gone might (might!) also help you and won't damage the paint.

I don't think Klein used ordinary stickers. They aren't coming off.

only thing that doesn't flow to me is the decal to the left of klein and the left of Q carbon, but everything else looks great. don't touch it.

should be covered by CC

most bike MFG basecoat the frame, applies decal and seal everything by clearcoat

run your finger on the edge of the decal, if there's CC you would feel a hard edge


high end color shifter paint for car uses a specialized 2k CC, it's removing the CC will
change the way it looks

Did some looking around to jog my memory... Klein used a debossing method for the graphics. They'd paint the frame the color of the graphics then apply masks the shapes of the graphics. Then, they'd apply the top coat and clear over it all. So it's part of the paint job. The graphics on the stays and fork may be decals, but the rest is permanent. There was a website that had lots of info on old Kleins, but I can't find it right now.

Thanks for all the info guys. Looks like I wont be touching it after all!

halfspeed, let me know if you find that website, Id love to check it out.

Those aren't decals, the letters are painted. Maybe if you sand them off carefully?

Call Trek; they have a bunch of unused Lemond or Gary Fisher stickers they'll sell you. You can slap them right over the Klein stickers.

(seriously, nice bike. I don't think the decals are coming off...)

They are "under" the paint. The only thing sanding will do is get down to naked aluminum.

Diablo Scott has a Blog with tons of Klein info.

https://diabloscott.blogspot.com/2000...t_archive.html

Go find another bike to muck up. It's a KLEIN. It had about the best paint job on a bike in the past 30 years, maybe the Celeste Bianchi's were more traditional, but one thing you got with a Klein was a paint job that was top notch. If you don't want the bike due to it's look, sell it and buy a Cannondale.

That was all with complete sarcasm, and I do understand the desire to personalize. But as a former owner of 2 Quantums, two great thing about these bikes were the extraordinary ride quality not matched for 20 years until carbon got good and the paint job. I made the MASSIVE mistake of accepting Treks trade in of a broken Klein for a Lemond titanium. Missed my Kleins for years until I went to carbon. Still miss the cachet. If you don't want it and it's a 55 or 56 TT, PM me. Maybe I'll trade 'ya for a titanium Lemond.

Steve B.

I know you were being sarcastic, but it's actually th opposite. I love the paint and frame so much that's all I wanted to see, sans all the labels.

And thanks but no thanks on the offer, I think I might keep this bike for life. Even if I got w carbon bike in the future, I can't picture parting with this. Especially once it gets it's inevitable upgrades!

The lemond sounds nice though, I almost bought w tourmalet but the Klein guy came through last minute. And for that I am eternally grateful. And it's too small for you anyways, it's a 53.

I loved my Klein. I wouldn't think of messing with it if I still had it.

DUDE!!! those are debossed... they ain't coming off unless you take it down to the metal. painted black, then a stencil applied with the logo, then the top coat painted over that, and the stencil removed, leaving the black lettering and then clearcoated over.

oops...yeah, what Halfspeed said...

+1 good choice. I've got a 1995 anniversary Q2 and the thought of scraping Gary's signature made me physically ill. GL

The Lemond Titanium accelerates about as well as a landscaping truck towing a heavy trailer. Seriously, its a nice riding bike, just Slooooowwww, with a flexy b-bracket that forced me out of Shimano shifters and into Campy, just to eliminate chain rub on the derailer that Shimano shifters could not adjust for. My carbon is so much quicker and reminds me of my Kleins.

SB