“The community reaction was ‘ugly!’” said Klein.

It was a revolutionary design, but not exactly eye catching. Then in 1975, young MIT graduate Gary Klein created a frame built from large diameter aluminum tubing that was 15 percent lighter than the average and much more rigid. Today many consumer-level bikes weigh less than a gallon and a half of milk, and features like multi-link force-differentiating rear suspension, hydraulic disk brakes, and ultra-light carbon fiber have reshaped the industry so rapidly that equipment more than five years old often borders on obsolescence.īefore Kleins came onto the market, bike frames were typically made of heavy aluminum tubing or steel that was very flexible and relatively fragile at the joints. I can’t imagine bikes are any different.”īikes and cars have a lot in common, recent technological breakthroughs have dramatically improved performance and, except for a handful of classic models (such as the 1960s-era Schwinn Stingray), their values hardly maintain and almost never appreciate. “People definitely hang onto anything old that was really good, look at the Camaro, and the similarities to old body styles. “They were really well received,” said Will Trogden, a 25-year industry veteran and four-time Klein owner. A quick look on Craigslist or eBay shows Kleins pushing 20-years-old and selling for between $700 and $3,000.Īlthough new technology has gone far beyond what Klein offered at its peak, many industry insiders aren’t surprised by the popularity and credit Klein as an innovator who reshaped everything. Retired Finnish road and track cyclist Samu Laine built a website entirely dedicated to the models built in Chehalis.

Several social media websites have communities and discussion forums based around Klein bikes. The trend is common for the entire brand, but it’s especially true for the models that were built in Chehalis, before the company was bought by bicycle manufacturing behemoth Trek. However, information of the Kaitai are incorporated in the 95 Complex Guide.By Dameon Pesanti / than five years have passed since a Klein bicycle rolled off the assembly line, but the brand’s ethos maintains a large cult following and with that a hefty price tag. In 95, Whilst gary Fisher offered the Kaitai bike design, but this model is not incorporated in the 95 catalog.

Klein bike catalogo