For years, I’ve been thinking about building a bike with a retro vibe. But I’ve always been thinking “will I use it?”. I’m short on space so creating a bike museum is not an option and TBH not that interesting. Earlier this spring a -98 Klein in a terrible state surfaced on a local market and I bought it!
My goal was to build a “rideable bike, with a retro feeling”. I’m very happy with the result. Apart from the frame, I kept the Ritchey cranks and breaks. I had the saddle, pedals and cassete. I bought a used SRAM eTAP RED group. New wheels, handlebars, stem and seatpost from Ritchey. Continental 28mm GP5000 tires and bar tape from JRC-components.
This thing feels like a rocket! It’s fast, corners quickly and is a joy to ride on any club ride. I’m super happy how it came out and a joy to look at!
FixFix75 on
Klein, the stuff of dreams some 35 years ago. By the time I had the funds to purchase one many years later it had been taken over by Trek and my LBS couldn’t get me a Klein frame anymore… awesome frames! And still 28mm clearance. Wish I had that much on my old Eddy Merckx I got instead.
nothing_but_thyme on
Been riding a Klein Quantum Pro for over 20 years now (got mine around 2001 I think). Absolutely love it. Regularly get tempted to *upgrade* and have tried out a few of the latest options. Lucky enough to be in a position where I could afford them today but still doesn’t feel like it’s worth it compared to my Klein. Performs like a champ in every aspect that matters to me. And the risk of it getting stolen is at least nominally better than a brand new BMC.
What wheels did you end up going with? I’ve been looking for some alternates.
tracksloth on
Aw yeah this is so nice, esp wireless. I had a Quantum for a minute but it was 2cm too small. Super nice old frames, though, most with awesome paint jobs – perfectly tuned for all the benefits of Aluminum without the harshness or fatiguing stiffness sometimes associated with the material. This is a win.
4 Comments
For years, I’ve been thinking about building a bike with a retro vibe. But I’ve always been thinking “will I use it?”. I’m short on space so creating a bike museum is not an option and TBH not that interesting. Earlier this spring a -98 Klein in a terrible state surfaced on a local market and I bought it!
My goal was to build a “rideable bike, with a retro feeling”. I’m very happy with the result. Apart from the frame, I kept the Ritchey cranks and breaks. I had the saddle, pedals and cassete. I bought a used SRAM eTAP RED group. New wheels, handlebars, stem and seatpost from Ritchey. Continental 28mm GP5000 tires and bar tape from JRC-components.
This thing feels like a rocket! It’s fast, corners quickly and is a joy to ride on any club ride. I’m super happy how it came out and a joy to look at!
Klein, the stuff of dreams some 35 years ago. By the time I had the funds to purchase one many years later it had been taken over by Trek and my LBS couldn’t get me a Klein frame anymore… awesome frames! And still 28mm clearance. Wish I had that much on my old Eddy Merckx I got instead.
Been riding a Klein Quantum Pro for over 20 years now (got mine around 2001 I think). Absolutely love it. Regularly get tempted to *upgrade* and have tried out a few of the latest options. Lucky enough to be in a position where I could afford them today but still doesn’t feel like it’s worth it compared to my Klein. Performs like a champ in every aspect that matters to me. And the risk of it getting stolen is at least nominally better than a brand new BMC.
What wheels did you end up going with? I’ve been looking for some alternates.
Aw yeah this is so nice, esp wireless. I had a Quantum for a minute but it was 2cm too small. Super nice old frames, though, most with awesome paint jobs – perfectly tuned for all the benefits of Aluminum without the harshness or fatiguing stiffness sometimes associated with the material. This is a win.