Gary Klein

This article is about the bicycle designer. For other people of the same name, see Gary Klein (disambiguation).

Gary Klein is an inventor, bicycle designer and innovator of the oversized tube aluminum bicycle, now a fixture in the cycling market. He first developed the concept in 1973 as part of the Independent Activities Period aluminum bicycle project at MIT, where he was an engineering student and bicycle racer, then took the concept commercial after graduation.

Their 1994 road racing aluminium frame "Quantum Pro" was the first high reputation mass production frame to bear an integrated headset fork with threadless aluminium steering shaft for a headset type stem^{[citation needed]}. Additionally, the frame had brake and shifting cables inside the tubes making the design clean and mud resistant. Some off-road models featured one-piece welded stem-bar combinations, marketed as Mission Control, eliminating clamping bolts and excess parent material. Each of these features became trends in bicycle frame manufacturing.^{[citation needed]} adhesive lugged frames in the early '90s and Bianchi before them, they were lesser known items. Gary Klein frames were the official supplier of German cycling Team Gerolsteiner before 2003. They also made personal sponsorship in the professional road bicycle racing eg. some riders of Team ONCE normally riding LOOK frames at the mid '90s period.

Klein's company, Klein Bikes, was purchased by Trek in 1995; production was moved from Chehalis, Washington to Trek's Wisconsin manufacturing facility in 2002. The mainstay of the Klein mountain bike product line continued to be the hardtail Attitude model. Attempts were made to design and market a full suspension bicycle, such as the Mantra model, with efforts culminating in the Palomino model. The Palomino, based on a Maverick rear suspension design, was discontinued after the 2005 model year. In recent years, Gary Klein has shifted his focus to manufacturing telescopes.

Klein models

1994 Klein Attitude with Mission Control

1996 Klein Adroit with Mission Control

Mountain Bikes

• Mountain Klein (1 inch head tube, rectangular chain stays, from 1985 to 1989)
• Klein Pinnacle (1 inch head tube, 1988 to 1995)
• Klein Fervor (1 inch head tube, 1994, 1995)
• Klein Rascal (1 inch head tube, 1989 (Top Gun), 1990-1993), replaced by the Fervor
• Klein Pulse (similar to Attitude MC2, but with 1 1/8" head tube)
• Klein Attitude (MC1 and MC2 to the acquisition of Trek, from 1990)
• Klein Adroit (MC1 and MC2 to the acquisition of Trek, from 1991)
• Klein Mantra (full suspension)
• Klein Palomino (full suspension)
• Klein Adept (full suspension)

Trekking bikes

• Klein Adept

Road Bikes

• Klein Performance (touring bike with a slightly longer wheelbase)
• Klein Advantage (custom Performance)
• Klein Stage (custom Performance with boron fiber on seat and chain stays and fork blades)
• Klein Competition (?)
• Klein Kirsten & Panache(small frame size)
• Klein Quantum
• Klein Criterium (custom Quantum)
• Klein Team Super (custom Quantum with boron fiber on seat and chain stays and fork blades)
• Klein Quantum Race
• Klein Quantum Pro
• Klein Aeolus (triathlon frame for 26-inch wheels, 28" wheels 58cm and larger frames)
• Klein Reve (road bike with polymer rear suspension )
• Klein Q Carbon

External links

• Old Klein Bikes
• German Klein Fanpage