Klein Bicycle Corporation: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox company |
{{Infobox company |
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'''Klein Bikes''' was a [[bicycle]] company set up by Gary Klein using concepts he had worked on while studying engineering at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT). It pioneered the use of large diameter [[aluminium alloy]] tubes for greater stiffness and lower weight. |
'''Klein Bikes''' was a [[bicycle]] company set up by Gary Klein using concepts he had worked on while studying engineering at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT). It pioneered the use of large diameter [[aluminium alloy]] tubes for greater stiffness and lower weight. |
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Klein produced his first aluminium frame as an experiment in 1973 |
Klein produced his first aluminium frame as an experiment in 1973, and in 1975 he built a larger run of improved frames. Full production runs of frames began in the 1980s. In 1995 the company was purchased by the [[Trek Bicycle Corporation]], and the original Klein factory closed in 2002 as production moved to the main Trek factory. Widespread distribution in the United States stopped in 2007, and distribution stopped altogether in 2009. |
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==History== |
==History== |
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Gary Klein, born {{birth date and age|1959|06|09}}, attended the [[University of California, Davis|University of California at Davis]] before transferring to the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT).<ref name=faqs/><ref name=2002m/> During the [[Traditions and student activities at MIT#Independent Activities Period (IAP)|Independent Activities Period]] in 1973, a group of students including Gary Klein worked together under Professor Buckley to produce an aluminium framed bicycle.<ref name=spee>{{cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061103174315/http://www.kleinjapan.com/at_klein/garys_speech.pdf |title=The Art of Bicycles |publisher=kleinjapan.com |accessdate=25 May 2014}}</ref> After analysing a number of contemporary steel frames, and examining ones that had broken in use, they were able to determine the stresses placed on a bicycle frame during the course of use.<ref name=spee/> Faced with limited availability of aluminum alloy tubing, the students chose to construct frames from [[6061 aluminium alloy]] seamless drawn tube.<ref name=spee/> |
Gary Klein, born {{birth date and age|1959|06|09}}, attended the [[University of California, Davis|University of California at Davis]] before transferring to the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT).<ref name=faqs/><ref name=2002m/> During the [[Traditions and student activities at MIT#Independent Activities Period (IAP)|Independent Activities Period]] in 1973, a group of students including Gary Klein worked together under Professor Buckley to produce an aluminium framed bicycle.<ref name=spee>{{cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061103174315/http://www.kleinjapan.com/at_klein/garys_speech.pdf |title=The Art of Bicycles |publisher=kleinjapan.com |accessdate=25 May 2014}}</ref> After analysing a number of contemporary steel frames, and examining ones that had broken in use, they were able to determine the stresses placed on a bicycle frame during the course of use.<ref name=spee/> Faced with limited availability of aluminum alloy tubing, the students chose to construct frames from [[6061 aluminium alloy]] seamless drawn tube.<ref name=spee/> |
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After graduating from MIT in 1974 with a degree in [[engineering]], Klein then took a business course for entrepreneurs.<ref name=bp>{{cite journal |url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=998DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA53 |title=Mountain Man |journal=Backpacker |date=March 1987 |author=Bob Woodward}}</ref> As a keen cyclist and [[USA Cycling#Road|Category II road racer]], in 1975, he built a limited run of [[aluminium alloy]] framed bikes at the Innovation Center, using space and money provided by MIT after the |
After graduating from MIT in 1974 with a degree in [[engineering]], Klein then took a business course for entrepreneurs.<ref name=bp>{{cite journal |url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=998DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA53 |title=Mountain Man |journal=Backpacker |date=March 1987 |author=Bob Woodward}}</ref> As a keen cyclist and [[USA Cycling#Road|Category II road racer]], in 1975, he built a limited run of [[aluminium alloy]] framed bikes at the Innovation Center, using space and money provided by MIT after the submission of a business plan written up by Gary along with two other students and a professor.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20021126041136/http://www.kleinbikes.com/at_klein/features/gary_story.asp |title=Klein Bicycles: Gary Klein |publisher=kleinbikes.com |accessdate=28 May 2014}}</ref><ref name=bp/><ref name=faqs>{{cite web |url=http://www.faqs.org/sports-science/Je-Mo/Klein-Gary-Gordon.html |title=Gary Gordon Klein |publisher=Advameg Inc. |accessdate=23 March 2013}}</ref> The prototypes, with larger diameter tubes and thinner walls than those produced the previous year, were displayed at the International cycle show in [[New York City|New York]] in the February of 1975.<ref name=spee/> |
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[[File:Klein_Adroit_Burgundy_Blue%2C_06.JPG|thumb|left|A Klein Adroit in Burgundy Blue]] |
[[File:Klein_Adroit_Burgundy_Blue%2C_06.JPG|thumb|left|A Klein Adroit in Burgundy Blue]] |
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Revision as of 19:52, 28 May 2014
 | |
| Founded | 1985 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Gary Klein |
| Defunct | 2009 |
| Headquarters | |
| Products | Bicycles |
| Parent | Trek Bicycle Corporation |
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This article was last edited by Jamesx12345 (talk | contribs) 9 years ago. (Update timer) |
Klein Bikes was a bicycle company set up by Gary Klein using concepts he had worked on while studying engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It pioneered the use of large diameter aluminium alloy tubes for greater stiffness and lower weight.
Klein produced his first aluminium frame as an experiment in 1973, and in 1975 he built a larger run of improved frames. Full production runs of frames began in the 1980s. In 1995 the company was purchased by the Trek Bicycle Corporation, and the original Klein factory closed in 2002 as production moved to the main Trek factory. Widespread distribution in the United States stopped in 2007, and distribution stopped altogether in 2009.
History
Gary Klein, born June 9, 1959, attended the University of California at Davis before transferring to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).[1][2] During the Independent Activities Period in 1973, a group of students including Gary Klein worked together under Professor Buckley to produce an aluminium framed bicycle.[3] After analysing a number of contemporary steel frames, and examining ones that had broken in use, they were able to determine the stresses placed on a bicycle frame during the course of use.[3] Faced with limited availability of aluminum alloy tubing, the students chose to construct frames from 6061 aluminium alloy seamless drawn tube.[3]
After graduating from MIT in 1974 with a degree in engineering, Klein then took a business course for entrepreneurs.[4] As a keen cyclist and Category II road racer, in 1975, he built a limited run of aluminium alloy framed bikes at the Innovation Center, using space and money provided by MIT after the submission of a business plan written up by Gary along with two other students and a professor.[5][4][1] The prototypes, with larger diameter tubes and thinner walls than those produced the previous year, were displayed at the International cycle show in New York in the February of 1975.[3]
The next year, he relocated to some disused buildings on his parents' farm in San Martin, California that had previously been used for dehydrating prunes.[3][4] In 1977, he patented use of large diameter tubes to increase stiffness.[6] the In 1980, he moved from San Jose, California, to Chehalis, Washington.[7][4] He started production runs of road bicycles in the early 1980's and mountain bikes in the mid 1980's.[3]
Whilst Klein's aluminium frames were not the first to be produced, his use of large diameter tubes was novel, and he determined that a tube with a 1.5 inches (38 mm) diameter was around five times stiffer than one of 1 inch (25 mm).[1][4] Aluminium alloys have a Young's modulus around a third that of steel, but Klein pioneered the use of thicker tubes and novel welding methods to make a bicycle that weighed around 15% less than a conventional model.[1][8]
In 1995, Trek bought Klein bikes, after Klein found it hard to compete without a sales network in place.[7][9][10]
At its peak, around 250 people worked at the Chehalis plant, but operation gradually moved to the main Trek factory in Wisconsin.[9] In 2001, a workforce of around 70 people produced 15,000 to 20,000 frames a year.[7] In 2002, all production moved to the Trek headquarters at Waterloo, Wisconsin.[11] Bikes were still sold under the Klein name until around 2009 in Japan, but widespread distribution ceased in around 2007 in the United States.[12][9]
Innovations
Some off-road models featured one-piece welded stem-bar combinations, marketed as "Mission Control" (MC), eliminating clamping bolts and excess material.[13] The original version, MC1, used a quill stem and required a 1 inch (25 mm) threaded steerer.[14] MC2 used a locknut tightening against a collet that sat between the fork steerer and the stem, and a special eight pointed wrench was required to remove it.[15][13] The steerer had to be cut to the correct length in order to adjust the height of the stem.[13] MC3, produced 1996-97, did not have the handlebar attached.[16][13]
Klein held a patent (US 5433465) for an improved method of routing cables through the frame of a bicycle, that reduced aerodynamic drag and stress on the frame.[2][note 1] The front and rear derailleur cables were routed through the down tube, and the rear brake cable through the top tube, although some models changed in 2002 to top tube cable routing.[2][13]
In the 2002 model year, Klein replaced 6061 aluminium alloy with a new alloy called ZR 9000, that used zirconium in place of chromium.[17][18][note 2] Advertised improvements included a 190 grams (6.7 oz) decrease in weight per frame and a fatigue life five times longer than the 2001 frames.[2]
Techniques
Klein bicycles were famous for their paintwork, and offered a large number of custom colours and patterns.[19][13] The paint used was a Durethane enamel non-metallic paint that cost up to US$1,800 per gallon.[13] The Klein logo was debossed into the frame by painting the frame in the colour of the logo, then applying a mask and painting the pattern.[13][20]
Beginning with the MC2 frames, Klein used "Gradient tubing", where the wall thickness varied along the length and diameter of the tube.<reef name=atthist/>[2] Highly manipulated chainstays on mountain bikes allowed a tighter rear triangle to accommodate large off-road tyres, and facilitated efficient transfer of power.[21]
Welded aluminium require to be heat treated in order to restore strength lost in welding.[2] After heat treatment, frames were required to be aligned to within 0.004 inches (0.10 mm) on all alignment surfaces, and were then machined to within 0.0002 inches (0.0051 mm).[2]
Models
Klein produced both mountain bikes and road bikes.[22]
Sponsored Teams
Gary Klein frames were the official supplier of German cycling team Gerolsteiner before 2003.[23][24]
Notes
- ^ Earlier patents for internal cables, such as US 4585246, also exist, and the Klein patent specifically covers the entry and exit points of the cable.
- ^ 9000 series alloys are those that have not been assigned numbers.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d "Gary Gordon Klein". Advameg Inc. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h http://www.vintage-trek.com/Trek-Fisher-Klein-Lemond/2002specmanualKlein.pdf
- ^ a b c d e f "The Art of Bicycles" (PDF). kleinjapan.com. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
- ^ a b c d e Bob Woodward (March 1987). "Mountain Man". Backpacker.
- ^ "Klein Bicycles: Gary Klein". kleinbikes.com. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ US patent 4500103, "High efficiency bicycle frame"
- ^ a b c "Washington Bicycle Makers Are in High Gear". Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. 15 July 2001. Retrieved 19 May 2014. – via HighBeam (subscription required)
- ^ "Modulus of Elasticity - Young Modulus for some common Materials". The Engineering ToolBox. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
- ^ a b c Roy Wallack; John Maynard. "Gary Klein". Switchback.
- ^ "Press Release to Trek Organization Dealers" (Press release). bikepro.com. 16 June 1995. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
- ^ "Klein Bicycles Moves to Waterloo". Totalbike. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ^ "SPOTLIGHT ON KLEIN". Chain Reaction. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Klein Attitude evolution". oldklein.com. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
- ^ "Archival Review of Klein Mission Control Bar / Stem Combo". .bikepro.com. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
- ^ "Partially disassembled MC2 clamping mechanism". archive.org. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
- ^ "Klein Mission Control 3 Threadless Stem: Black MC3 85mm". bikerecyclery.com. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
- ^ "A material designed for bicycle frames by Gary Klein". kleinbikes.com. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
{{cite web}}: line feed character in|title=at position 39 (help) - ^ "Trek Bicycle". totalbike.com. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ AdamsMorioka (2008). Color Design Workbook: A Real World Guide to Using Color in Graphic Design. Rockport Publishers. pp. 110–111. ISBN 9781616736514.
- ^ "Handcrafted Science Makes Klein Bicycles Superior". kleinbikes.com. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
- ^ Tom Walz (November 1985). "The Mountain Klein". Bicycle Guide.
- ^ "Klein Models". oldklein.com. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
- ^ "2002 pro team bike review". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ^ "Davide Rebellin's Gerolsteiner Klein Q-Pro Carbon". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
External links
- Official website at the Internet Archive
- Fresh out the spray booth (gallery of repsrayed bicycles and parts)
- Chronological list of Gary Klein's patents at Google Patents