1997 Klein Quantum Race
1997 Klein Quantum Race
The best example of Gary Klein’s impact on the cycling world is your reaction to this bike. You probably don’t consider this Klein Quantum Race road bike from 1997 all that special.
Now, transport yourself back to the 1980’s and take a look around. What do you see? Steel road bikes constructed in much the same way that they had been for the previous fifty years. New mountain bikes that were still reminiscent of their origins as ‘50’s era baloon-tire cruisers. Control cables and bearing areas attached to a bike’s exterior. No component integration. Everything was fairly heavy and most of the paint colors were fairly dull.
Big aluminum tubes
Shimano “600”
Shimano 600 calipers
As a young engineering graduate from M.I.T., Gary Klein took the bike world of the ‘80’s down a few different paths. Aluminum tubing in larger diameters led the way. Klein aluminum was typically 15% lighter than a similar steel frame tube and quite a bit stiffer. The welded aluminum joints could be positioned around unique frame geometry, not cut to fit into pre-cast steel lugs.
Bottom bracket bearings and headsets were next, housed within the large aluminum tubes, integrating elements that previously had been bike design afterthoughts.
Control cables for the brakes and the shifting were housed within Klein’s aluminum tubing as well, further cleaning up the bike’s appearance and protecting these wires from road grit and moisture.
Rear facing dropouts
Smooth tubing joints
2-tone paint
How about Klein paint? It was always a big feature with these bikes. Deep, rich colors that sparkled, single colors that faded into different ones, paint jobs that were completely different colors depending on your viewing relationship with the bike. It has been widely repeated that some Klein paints cost as much as $1800 per gallon.
All of these design elements were a boon to the bicycle shopper. Tall riders could get a stiff bicycle frame made out of aluminum that weighed significantly less than steel. Cyclists who were merely bored with the status quo found excitement with the latest Klein.
This particular bike is from 1997, a couple of years after Klein merged with Trek (Gary got Trek’s distribution network, Trek got Klein’s design elements). With another 20 years in the rear view mirror it’s startling to see just how normal Klein bicycle design has become.