Klein Production Timeline

 

 

1973

Gary Klein became interested in building Aluminum frames.

Independent Activities Project was started to test bicycle frames.

1975

(Feb.) Built and displayed some prototypes at the International cycle show in New York.

They were welded and fully heat treated construction

1976

(July) Batch sizes had grown. Gary Klein and Jim Williams bought out inactive partners,

eventually ending with only Gary Klein carrying the business on.

1980

Custom frames were built and sold for over $2000

1981 line consisted of:

Team Super Light Road

Team Super Heavy Duty Road

Stage Road

Stage Tour Road

These models were custom built per order

1983

Mountain Klein was started, featuring a chain stay mountain U-Brake

or a roller cam brake.

1986

Elite Trail was used to win the 1st place at one of the 1986 NORBA races.

    

1988

Pinnacle took the place of Mountain Klein, making room for more aggressive bikes.

1989

In addition to the Klein Custom frame models Team Super Road, Criterium,

Stage & Advantage Klein offered the following production models:

Performance Road

Quantum Road

Kirsten – new road model with women’s specific design

Pinnacle Mountain Bike

Top Gun – new shorter wheel base XC Mountain Bike design,

symbolized Klein's 'real' first attempt at a racing bike.

Paramount Picture had rights to the names so the name ‘Rascal’ was adopted. 

 

1990

The Rascal MTB, a simpler approach to a race bike was introduced

with thinner tubing, the main difference was the 1" head tube instead

of the Klein oversize headset. 

The Attitude was one of the biggest advances in Klein mountain bikes

since the introduction of oversize Aluminum tubing.

1991

Adroit Mountain Bike makes its’ first appearance.

Klein started using Strata monster oversize Aluminum unicrown fork

instead of a box crown Cro-Moly fork.

1992

Klein started using oversize seat tube with 31.6mm seat post & slightly

larger frame tubes to further reduce weight.

1994

Quantum Pro Criterium introduced, with Gradient 9320 frame tubing,

Aeros composite fork. Weighing in at 3.9 pounds.

Klein also introduced Micro dropouts, Mission Control 2 bar/stem combo,

upgraded fork (no longer fitted to frame), and gradient chain stays.

1995

Trek Bicycles takes over the company.

Models produced:

Quantum Pro Road

Quantum II Road

Quantum Road

Aeolus Tri-athlete Road

Adroit MTB

Attitude MTB

Pulse MTB w/front suspension fork

Fervor MTB

1996

Pulse Comp – New entry level MTB frame

1997

Quantum Race Road – New revision to Quantum Series;

1st year offered as assembled bike

Stage Road – New entry level sport/performance design

Pulse MTB  – Klein designed Waterloo produced frame series

Mantra  – 1st Klein full suspension design.

 

1998

New Karma Pave rear suspension Hybrid developed

1999

New Mantra Carbon full suspension w/Carbon main boom introduced

Mission Control 3 Road & MTB stems introduced

2000

New Attitude designed introduced with disk brake compatibility

Custom Color & Fit program introduced

2001

Adept MTB introduced - new XC race short travel full suspension design

2002

Klein ZR9000 Gradient Aluminum alloy introduced on Q-Pro Road & Adept MTB

Q-Pro Carbon Road introduced – ZR9000 alloy with bond

Carbon fiber wishbone seat stays.

2003

New Q-Carbon Compact ZR9000 with high modulus Carbon Fiber

wishbone seat stays.

 Introduced new Palomino Full suspension XC/All Mountain MTB

using Maverick Suspension“ Mono-Link” rear suspension design.

2004

Mountainbikes - Every model is fully disc brake ready, so upgrading to

all-weather stoppage is simple and easy.

Q Pro - Aeros carbon fork and ZR9000/composite frameset delivers the potential

for complete bike weights as low as international racing law allows.

2005

 The Reve 2005 introduced, the technology is simple, the innovation is imaginative,

exactly what you would expect from Klein.

With the Klein Reve you finally get true comfort in a performance road bike.

The new Reve line of road bikes utilizes Klein's SPA technology

(Suspension Performance Advantage).

2008/2009

Last Klein models produced by Trek, they were sold in Japan until the last.