Klein Performance - From VRB Community Member, Jim

Below you'll find Jim's fine-looking Klein Performance and his story. Thanks Jim!

If any of you have a story and pics to share - send them on in to me - VintageRacingBicycles [at] gmail dot com

Here are a few interesting features: Huret Jubilee Racing Final Type Rear Derailluer with SunTour Superbe Pro front derailleur and SunTour PowerShift Stem Shifter; Red Modolo Pro front and rear side pull calipers, Campagnolo Italy headset, Campagnolo 175 Strada Crank 53/42.  60 cm frame and frame # S556 stamped on left rear dropout.

Here's Jim's story - 

As a married man for 29 years with a wonderful wife and three great kids, we have always believed in enjoying the outdoors.  Over the years, I have purchased 5 mountain bikes for my family from a local bike shop in Overland Park, Ks.  Only in the past two years have I become interested in vintage road bikes.  At a bike swap meet in the fall of 2010, I purchased a 1987 Raleigh Technium 440 Aluminum road bike.  Over that winter I cleaned, polished, and replaced cables and housing.  Nothing major, but it was a lot of fun.  Last winter I talked to the owner of my   "lbs" to let him know that I was interested in another winter bike project.  This time, I told him, I was looking for something a bit more rare.  I happened into the shop on February 18, 2012, and the owner approached me with excitement that he found a perfect project for me.  He pointed to a bike frame leaning next to a couple of wheels next to the "back room".  It was set up with aero bars and looked to have been most recently used on a bike trainer.  I was not familiar with Klein bikes either as a MTB or road.  He gave me some brief history of Klein prior to the merger with Trek in 1995.  Although the bike was a bit rough and dirty, the uniqueness of the Huret rear derailleur and Campagnolo components certainly piqued my interest.  I was also very anxious to begin my research on Klein.  To my surprise I learned quickly that Gary Klein was a MIT graduate just like my great grandfather.

Over the next two months I devoted myself to research and reconditioning.  Red Modolo Pro calipers,  ultra-light Huret Jubilee Racing derailleur, Cinelli stem and bars, Campagnolo 175 Strada crank (53/42) and headset, and SunTour PowerShift Stem Shifter.  My knowledge of bicycle components of the '70s grew immensely.  By spring my reconditioning efforts were complete and it was time to ride!

What a pleasant surprise when I learned that my oldest daughter had decided to begin training for a triathlon.  This was a perfect opportunity for me to put the Klein Performance to the test.  My 6 foot frame fit on this 60 cm aluminum frame like a glove.  As I have not yet moved up to clipless pedals, I retained the SunTour Superbe Pedals.  We had some great training rides at Shawnee Mission Park where the triathlon is hosted.  As this bike is set up as a 10-speed, it was not to bad to deal with the stem shifters.  Since my Raleigh Technium is also aluminum, I really cannot compare the ride to a steel frame.  With these older Schwinn wheels, the bike still weighs in a 25 lbs.  I felt very comfortable riding fast down the hills, but fast for me is 37-39 mph.

Although I have done quite a bit of research, I have not been able to definitively determine the age of this bike.  Because of the use of stem shifters and no bracket for downtube shifters that are visible on Klein Performance versions from the late '80s, I think this frame could actually be from the early '80s.  The frame downtube has markings for "Patent Pending" and the red Modolo calipers were first introduced in 1978.  The last big piece of evidence that I have is the serial number of S556.  I have not been able to find any reference tables to link this to any specific year or year range.

I hope you enjoyed my story and I look forward to putting many more miles on this very special ride.

Mystery Klein - Update

Thanks to DiabloScott for chiming in on my Mystery Klein post. His information provided insight into the origin of this frame. 


His comment: "If you checked the underside of the dropout and there's no serial number there, then you definitely have one of the earliest custom bikes. I don't think I've ever seen another Klein with an over the BB FD cable guide... interesting."

Here's the cable guide Scott mentioned above.

Custom Klein Super ? Still up for debate, but this is as close
 as I've come in identifying this. Stay tuned.

Scott also provided a link to some great, old Klein ordering information and pics of another very old Klein bicycle. Go HERE for this info. 

If anyone else has information on vintage Klein bicycles, please let me know. I'd be especially interested in corresponding with someone who worked at Klein during the early years - but I'll take any information I can get.


Thanks!

Ride - For Whatever Reason

Photo from BetterPhotoJim

I just got back from a ride through Long Beach, California. It wasn't meant to be a pleasurable ride, in fact, it was only motivated by the fact that I had to get home from dropping my car off at the mechanic without having to ask my wife to follow me out there at 7:45 AM on a Saturday. Turns out that it was an unexpectedly wonderful little 14 mile jaunt.


I'm so glad I was able to do this ride because it reaffirmed my belief that cycling, for whatever reason, is a great pastime. I'll be honest, the past couple of years have been filled with many activities, but riding hasn't been one of them. For exercise I concentrate on resistance training using weights and push-ups and then cardio using kettlebells. (You can read more about my exercise and eating routines HERE.) Cycling hasn't been part of my routine for a few years now. I've always loved cycling gear and bicycles, so collecting them is great fun for me, but riding has been restricted to just around the neighborhood and short errands. Getting my butt on a saddle this morning was the first step in bringing cycling back into my life. 


In my next post I'll talk about the bike I chose for this ride and why I chose it.


What about you? Do you ride as often as you'd like to? If so, HOW do you find the time?

Mystery Klein

Here's the Klein that I mentioned in a previous post. It came last night and I was able to snap a few lousy pics in my garage. I'll need your help identifying this frame. I know a little about Kleins, and have learned quite a bit from Diablo Scott's bicycle blog.

No serial number anywhere to be found on this frame, and I've looked in all the usual and unusual places that Klein hid those numbers. No rack eyelets, so it's not a Stage as the eBay auction noted. If the model is wrong, then the "1976" year that the seller quoted is also wrong. It's probably from the 1980s, but what model? I'd love it to be a Team Super Light, so extra points to the person who can prove that! :)

That half inch fracture is from the previous owner losing the seat post binding bolt and using tape around the seat post to keep it from slipping into the seat tube. That extra stress of trying to stuff a wider tube into the opening stressed the aluminum and fractured it. Shame. But... I don't think it is a deal-killer. With a long seat post and perhaps a metal hose clamp around the collar, that crack probably won't grow any.

Came with a really minty Campagnolo Super Record derailleur and a nice set of Araya sew up rims (Shimano hubs), Sugino Super Mighty crankset and some cheesy Dia Comp brakes and levers. The stem had an unusual 5mm allen bolt that was stripped, so I removed the bars (cheap, narrow and heavy) and stem and will recycle those.

So... It will be interesting to watch the comments on this frame over the months and years this blog is around to see what people think this Klein model is.


Any ideas? It's a Klein Team Super Light, right??  :)

Klein Team Super - The Klein Obsession Continues

If this isn't obvious by now, I love Klein bicycles. Just nabbed my third Klein tonight - this one off an eBay auction. Went cheap too - mainly because there is a 1/2 inch crack in the top of the seat tube neck. Aluminum can be welded, so perhaps I'll have that done some day. Thinking this crack can be kept in check with some steel aircraft ties, but won't know until I get the bike. 

Comes with a Campagnolo Super Record read derailleur in very good condition, so, with the price of the bike at only $85, and shipping at about half that price, I'll get a great collector frame and a nice wheel set along with a Campy derailleur for less than $150. Can't complain :)

I'll keep y'all up to date on this project bike and post more photos when the bike arrives in a week or so.

Ever ride a first generation Klein Stage or Team Super? Chime on in.

1984* Klein Performance

And now for the updated photos showing the new fenders (3/2013)

I bought this Klein Performance bicycle from eBay in September of 2010.

I'm looking for other people with early 1980's Klein bikes to send in their serial numbers, so please chime in, either by leaving a comment here or by sending me an email. Thanks.

The components are a hodgepodge of an old red-anodized Galli crankset, an NOS pair of Suntour Superb brakes I found at a flea market (score!), a really nice long-cage Campagnolo Nuovo Record rear derailleur, and another NR for the front. The relaxed angles of the frame, coupled with the high bottom bracket and easy fork rake give this bicycle a wonderfully-stable and smooth ride. Don't believe everything you hear about aluminum frames being harsh. Klein made some of the most comfortable, high-performance bicycles you could find. 

There are a couple of good Web sites to explore if you are into vintage Klein bicycles. Old Klein Bikes focuses mainly on Klein mountain bicycles, but Diablo Scott's site is loaded with Klein road bicycle information, including an ever-growing Klein serial number database. I've communicated with Scott a few times as I was trying to determine the model of my Klein, and he's a good guy - very knowledgeable and ready to help.

Have you ever ridden or owned a Klein road bicycle? What model? What did you like/not like about it? Chime in below in the comments, or send some pics so I can post them here on this blog: vintageracingbicycles [at] gmail.com.

* Year is approximate If you can help determine the year - please chime in.