What happened to Gary Klein?
12-31-23, 09:23 AM
#51
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Gary is retired and chooses to not interface with the web about bicycles. I tried to stop by to visit him a few years ago, on my way home from Seattle but the timing didn't work out unfortunately.
Gary's parents had a farm/ranch in San Martin California until they moved to Chehalis Washington around 1980. Gary was building the first Klein frames in San Martin. Funny coincidence, they were only about 5 miles from Morgan Hill where Specialized Bicycle ended up! Gary also moved to Chehalis and set up his bike company there. In those days he only made road bike frames. Klein's painter was Gregory Merrick, a friend of mine who lived in Portland Oregon. So Gary would show up in Portland from time to time and I met him. My frame building shop was in Portland and Gary would stop by to visit me. I made some of the early MTB bikes, which Gary saw and was interested in trying. So, he ordered one of my frames and I got one of his road frames as an even swap. Here is the build sheet for his first MTB. He still has the Merz I built for him. Gary created a nice little bike factory, with a bunch of local workers who became quite good. I visited him from time to time, and saw him at bike shows. I guess he came up against the lack of capital, and had the wolf at the door one too many times, so decided to sell the company to Trek. Trek kept the Chehalis factory going, and increased the production. Eventually it didn't make sense to have this small factory halfway across the country, so they closed it down. At the same time, I was hired to put together a frame factory in Portland, Kinesis USA. We ended up hiring several production people from Klein, as we were making aluminum bike frames also.
There may be minor errors in my recollections above, my memory is getting rusty. Jim Merz
Gary's parents had a farm/ranch in San Martin California until they moved to Chehalis Washington around 1980. Gary was building the first Klein frames in San Martin. Funny coincidence, they were only about 5 miles from Morgan Hill where Specialized Bicycle ended up! Gary also moved to Chehalis and set up his bike company there. In those days he only made road bike frames. Klein's painter was Gregory Merrick, a friend of mine who lived in Portland Oregon. So Gary would show up in Portland from time to time and I met him. My frame building shop was in Portland and Gary would stop by to visit me. I made some of the early MTB bikes, which Gary saw and was interested in trying. So, he ordered one of my frames and I got one of his road frames as an even swap. Here is the build sheet for his first MTB. He still has the Merz I built for him. Gary created a nice little bike factory, with a bunch of local workers who became quite good. I visited him from time to time, and saw him at bike shows. I guess he came up against the lack of capital, and had the wolf at the door one too many times, so decided to sell the company to Trek. Trek kept the Chehalis factory going, and increased the production. Eventually it didn't make sense to have this small factory halfway across the country, so they closed it down. At the same time, I was hired to put together a frame factory in Portland, Kinesis USA. We ended up hiring several production people from Klein, as we were making aluminum bike frames also.
There may be minor errors in my recollections above, my memory is getting rusty. Jim Merz
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12-31-23, 12:28 PM
#52
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I've got you beat by two years. Last Friday, I visited Harriet Fell, who made a heat-treated, welded aluminum bike at MIT in 1974! It has wrap-over seatstays and beautiful welds. What a thing. I held it in my hands! I asked her if I could pick it up and she said ok. It is very lightweight!!
You can read the whole aluminum bike lawsuit story here.
You can read the whole aluminum bike lawsuit story here.
https://cyclingindependent.com/outspoken-cyclist-561/
The part about the frame begins around the 8:30 minute mark.
NB: Some in this group might enjoy the podcast. There’s a lot of cycling advocacy talk (not always my cup of tea) but also some great interviews with C&V/KOF builders & industry insiders.
Last edited by gaucho777; 12-31-23 at 12:51 PM.
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12-31-23, 03:25 PM
#53
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There is no question that Gary made the finest aluminum at the time. It is unfortunate that Trek chose to close that shop and I assume a legal issue that he is no longer making bikes, they were just great bikes and as good as anything being made currently. I could certainly see a market for him to be selling aluminum hard tails as well as full suspension mt bikes. I would have gladly purchased a Klein over my Specialized Chisel aluminum HT. I owned 2 Quantum road bikes in the late 80's and 90's, the best bikes I've ever owned.
Last edited by Steve B.; 12-31-23 at 03:46 PM.
12-31-23, 03:45 PM
#54
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12-31-23, 03:47 PM
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Most of my friends and I had Cannondales in the late '80s. But when one guy decided his Cannondale was too large (it was), he sold it for a Klein frame in a gorgeous dark violet. A beautiful bike. But, in terms of road bikes, the Cannondales really exceeded Klein design wise with the 3.0 and later. But they never looked as good as even a mid-'80s Klein.
Of course, this was the MTB boom, and Klein's designs like the Adroit were radical.
Of course, this was the MTB boom, and Klein's designs like the Adroit were radical.
12-31-23, 07:48 PM
#56
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Never rode a Klein but always admired the one hanging in Jerry's apartment on Seinfeld!
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12-31-23, 08:30 PM
#57
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I still have a Klein road bike - a Quantum Race with all Shimano DA - fairly light, responsive and a beautiful paint job that none of my other bicycles come even close to.
[I had promised my wife recently that I will get rid of some of my bicycles so we can park one more car in the garage, which is very useful in the winter time. But I like all of my bicycles. I can part with 3 recumbents - they are used the least. My wife’s recumbent/comfort bike is barely used and she isn’t going to use it; she is interested in an e-bike so those 3 bikes can go the next spring.]
[I had promised my wife recently that I will get rid of some of my bicycles so we can park one more car in the garage, which is very useful in the winter time. But I like all of my bicycles. I can part with 3 recumbents - they are used the least. My wife’s recumbent/comfort bike is barely used and she isn’t going to use it; she is interested in an e-bike so those 3 bikes can go the next spring.]
