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Amsterdam, Netherlands
Welcome to my BLOG about my pasion for retro mountainbikes and everything around that. I love to read your comments in the GUESTBOOK (on the right side) or email me : basads (at) gmail (dot) com thanks for reading, Bas

Friday 5 June 2009

KLEIN MOUNTAINBIKES


One of the most important brands in mountainbike history is KLEIN
Klein mountain bikes have always been a showcase for innovation, and attention to detail.
Gary Klein's experiments with aluminum frames started in 1973.
I can still remember the first time i was standing at the ferry in Amsterdam, me on my Scott Pro Only and on my left side a pretty girl on the Klein Attitude in the team colors (Green/White/Pink)
I was not only impressed by the girl but also the bike, my god what a pretty machine it was,..from that moment on i knew for sure,..it wanted a KLEIN
The next bike i bought was indeed a KLEIN, and i still have that one.
It's a pinnacle, the "cheap" one, because these Attitudes in the Dolomite team colours were so damn expensive BITD , and still are.. I still want that Attitude
In the meantime i have owned a Rascal, a Attitude 95 TEAM USA, and a ATTITUDE 92 HLF (Horizon linear fade)

1 of the best looking Attitude of the type i want is owned by Samu
Samu is from Finland and a total KLEIN nut, he has several KLEINS and even a dedicated KLEIN fan website


I asked Samu: why KLEIN?

"My passion for Kleins!

All began 1990 when I was 15years old mountain biker and saw beautiful Team Usa -colored Klein Attitude on local bike shops window.
It cost five times more than mountain bike I was riding.... so I could only dream about it.
Two years later that same Attitude came for sale as used and my best friend bought it. He used it for a while, but wanted to have front suspension.
He bought Klein Pinnacle with Rock Shox and I bought that Attitude from him.

That was heaven for me... Attitude was so light and super handling bike. I really loved that bike.
After two years I got selected Diamond Back MTB -team in Finland. I desperetly needed cash for new road bike and training camp so I sold Attitude away.

I have regret that all the time since then.

After that I raced more on road and finally many years on track.
I stopped racing couple years ago and started to search old Klein for me again...I never forgeted how wonderful that first Attitude was.

I found one -94 sea&sky Attitude from Germany and bought it.
Frame was too nice to ride, so I needed to build it as wallhanger, and keep on searching another one.

I finally found 1990 Attitude from Finland and bought it right away.
I use it as daily rider... and it still is as great bike than I remember from when I first had it.

Then my wife said she wants one also.... and I also wanted more... there iwas no stop for this maddness!
We got Adroit for my wife with big help of other Finnish Klein-fan, Archangel. And I got couple others also...


Now we have 1990, 1992, 1994 Attitudes and 1991 and 1992 Adroits.

It´s really hard to say what is my favorite... they are so different all.
My wife has 1992 Gator Linear Fade Adroit and she loves it, she also rides with it many times a week.



1990 Team Usa Attitude is so classic and one I have wanted most. 1994 Sea&Sky Attitude is almost NOS and so shiny!
Adroit is always something else... I have 1991 Backfire Adroit build up with full Campagnolo-group.
Frame and all parts are absolutely perfect condition, I must say this Klein is my crown jewel.

What I still want is Nightstorm -colored Klein. It can be Pulse, Attitude or Adroit.... that is what I´m now looking for, but so many other Klein-fan!"

Cheers, Samu


So you want to know more about KLEIN , pay his site a visit : HTTP://WWW.OLDKLEIN.COM
And also if you own a KLEIN yourself, send him a picture and he will put it up.

thanks Samu for the info and great pictures, you have a great collection!






Similar articles:
-> eastern woods research EWR by james (Utahdog)
-> Barracuda MTB's by Mark

My own KLEIN's
-> Klein Rascal

4 comments:

Dan O said...

Klein made some cool bikes.

They've seem to fallen off the face of the earth since being bought out by Trek years ago.

I wonder what the full story is.

OLD-METAL said...

I put the story on the Blog and it made my blood run again for the Attitude ,..
I guess this will be the next bike ;)

Unknown said...

Awesome collection!!
I am also a huge fan. I am original owner of a 1991 Rascal. My rear derailer has a missing lower cog and screw and I was wondering how to find the part. do you have any ideas?
Dominic

OLD-METAL said...

Hi Dominic,

parts are easy to find.
Check out Retrobike.co.uk.
They have an active forum with a lot of parts available

kind regards

Bas