In the mid-70s, chemical engineer Gary Klein joined an MIT-funded project to build a limited run of bikes using large-diameter aluminum tubing rather than steel.
In the 80s, Klein started commercial production in Washington State, with road and MTB frames. These machines were light and stylish, and the company also paid special attention to discreet cable routing. The paint schemes were eye-catching — often using Durethane paint with neatly debossed logos.
The Trek Bicycle Corporation bought Klein Bikes in 1995 and moved production from the original Klein factory to its Wisconsin facility in 2002. Seven years later, global distribution of Klein Bikes ended.
Gary Klein was a cycling visionary who produced his first bicycle frame when he was studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology during the 70s. Known for their oversized aluminum tubes and gregarious paint jobs, Klein Bikes was swallowed up by the Trek Bicycle Corporation in the mid-90s and when an old school specimens become…
Tonight, I attended the 40th anniversary celebrations of Clarence Street Cyclery. While my earliest memories of the shop — one of Sydney’s oldest — was when I was working as a bike messenger and being asked to leave because it was pouring rain outside and I was dripping water all over their floor. While I…
Fans of Seinfeld must remember Jerry’s green Klein MTB hanging on the wall in his apartment; they are one of the most iconic brands of…
You really had to hand it to Gary Klein. He was one of the most innovative entrepreneurs of the modern mountain bike, pioneering aluminum as…
During the late 80s and early 90s, when mountain bikes really started coming of age, GT frames were instantly recognizable by the Triple Triangle, while…
There’s one thing that can be said about a Klein, they’re unmistakable. Whether for their gregarious paint or their fat aluminum tubes, few MTB manufacturers…
One of the more enigmatic marques mountain biking has spawned surely has to be that of Klein. It just goes to show that you can…
