# 80's Klein Quantum Info needed



## Evan Evans (Sep 14, 2004)

I just purchased this Klein over the net. I have not received it yet but i have posted a .jpg. Can anyone give me info about this bike. I think it's from the late 80's. The front derailler is a Superbe pro. The shifters are friction and seem to be uniquely mounted on top of the down tube. Thanks!


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## handsomerob (Oct 5, 2005)

Evan Evans said:


> I just purchased this Klein over the net. I have not received it yet but i have posted a .jpg. Can anyone give me info about this bike. I think it's from the late 80's. The front derailler is a Superbe pro. The shifters are friction and seem to be uniquely mounted on top of the down tube. Thanks!


I got a Klein Quantum for my brother-in-law on eBay a few weeks ago. The typestyle on the word "Quantum" as well as the positioning (front to back) on the top bar seems to change by the year and yours looks very similar. His has a full Shimano 600 gruppo and I believe it is a 1997 or possibly a 1998. I would appreciate someone in the know to chime in.


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## handsomerob (Oct 5, 2005)

handsomerob said:


> I got a Klein Quantum for my brother-in-law on eBay a few weeks ago. The typestyle on the word "Quantum" as well as the positioning (front to back) on the top bar seems to change by the year and yours looks very similar. His has a full Shimano 600 gruppo and I believe it is a 1997 or possibly a 1998. I would appreciate someone in the know to chime in.


I did some looking and it appears that shimano dropped the 600 designation in 1998. My b-i-l's bike does have the internally designated 600 ultegra gruppo as identified by the gray painted color. So, it appears that it would have to be 1997 or older but as a seven speed 600 "ultegra" it would not be older than the early 1990's. Can anyone narrow the possible year down any better?

Many thanks.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

*Not direct knowledge, but . . .*

A team mate of mine rode a Klein in the late 80s and I remember him talking about the unusual bottom bracket on his bike. If I remember this right, the sealed bearings were glued directly into the _unthreaded_ frame bottom bracket shell with Loctite to save weight. I can't say if that was a good solution or not. But I do know that buyers of used Kleins tend to avoid the "glued" ones.

I believe Klein bikes now have the standard threaded bottom bracket shell, but I don't know when they changed their design from glued to threaded.


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## Evan Evans (Sep 14, 2004)

Thanks for the replies everyone. The seat post size is 27.4 & according to Sheldon Brown's figures that makes it an 89 or 90. I am sure it does have the pressed in b.b. but im not sure how big a problem that will be. I was hoping to find someome who has seen shifters mounted on top of the down tube. I have seen Kliens with a brazed on tab for shifters but not one that seems to be a separate bolted on piece. I'm hoping it's factory
:<
This is just a winter project for me. I just have a thing for old bicycles & im itching to build this one with 80's "aero styled " parts: suntour superbe pro drive train , sugino aero crank ,araya aero rims , dia-comp AGC brakes & Concor Profil saddle.


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## Chrono (Oct 14, 2005)

*Pressed in Bottom Braket*

I own a 1996 Quantum II and just recently converted it over to a fixed gear after many years of happy riding.

As for the press fit bottom bracket - I had mine replaced after about 15k miles. It took a bit of wrangling with the LBS since they did not get it right the first time. After the initial problems and a new set of sealed bearings I've been good to go for the last 4 or 5 years.

Enjoy the Klein


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## Steve B. (Jun 26, 2004)

Evan Evans said:


> Thanks for the replies everyone. The seat post size is 27.4 & according to Sheldon Brown's figures that makes it an 89 or 90. I am sure it does have the pressed in b.b. but im not sure how big a problem that will be. I was hoping to find someome who has seen shifters mounted on top of the down tube. I have seen Kliens with a brazed on tab for shifters but not one that seems to be a separate bolted on piece. I'm hoping it's factory
> .


I've had 2 Quantums, 1 an '89 ish, the other a '95.

The model with the unusual shifter mounts are late 80's and is a factory design. It also has internal cable routing- which in this design, is a RPITA. Klein went to a standard DT side mount for the shifter stops about the time STI was introduced. The reason, and one you will discover, is that you cannot mount cable stops on the bracket. Thus you cannot use STI/Ergo, or even bar-cons. The reason for this, as I discovered, is the shifter cable will not route thru the bracket correctly.

The bracket allowed a double shift with one hand, of the DT shifters.

The story I got for the pressed-in b-bracket was the problem of reliability of the threads on the aluminum b-bracket shell, a problem C-Dale had. In reality, this was a very reliable design, involving a special press tool supplied by Klein to LBS's. Now-a-day's its an issue as you may not be able to find a square taper b-bracket that is a press fit,.

Note also that the '89 model is 126mm R spacing, which will not take a modern wheel and cannot be spread. 

SB


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## Evan Evans (Sep 14, 2004)

Thanks for the info. I purchaced the 89 klein to use on my trainer. It is working out quite nicely with the friction shifters & 6 speed freewheel. I just turned 40 & have been riding road bikes off & on for 25 years. With the exception of my 2003 klein all of my road bikes are friction with 126 rear spacing. How many do i have? 6 ridable & maybe another 2 in parts :>









Steve B. said:


> I've had 2 Quantums, 1 an '89 ish, the other a '95.
> 
> The model with the unusual shifter mounts are late 80's and is a factory design. It also has internal cable routing- which in this design, is a RPITA. Klein went to a standard DT side mount for the shifter stops about the time STI was introduced. The reason, and one you will discover, is that you cannot mount cable stops on the bracket. Thus you cannot use STI/Ergo, or even bar-cons. The reason for this, as I discovered, is the shifter cable will not route thru the bracket correctly.
> 
> ...


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