Klein Bicycle Corporation Q Pro Carbon

Price Paid:  $0.00 at Clarence St. Cyclery

Favorite Ride:
Akuna Bay

Bike Setup:
2002 Quantum Pro frame, 56cm, Ultegra and Bontrager Race Lite wheelset. Bontrager Race lite bar and stem, Thompson seatpost.

Summary:
I brought the 2002 Q Pro frame but had the groupset changed to Ultegra and the wheelset changed to Bontrager Race Lites. Seatpost, bars, seat etc. are all standard.

Despite this it is without doubt the finest bicycle I've ever ridden. I couldn't find any faults in the build quality despite what other people say. I really don't think Trek's ownership of Klein has impacted build quality at all. Dramatically better than the 'other' American road bike brands.....

The bike is amazingly comfortable thanks to the Klein carbon fork and carbon seat stays, but still super stiff.

A lot of money to pay but I wouldn't have been satisfied with anything else.

Strengths:
Weight, comfort, build quality is superb and of course looks. After sales service through Clarence St. Cyclery and Trek Australia is second to none.

It's the Ferrari of the bike world...

Weaknesses:
It's so beautiful that you feel ashamed if you get it dirty. No other faults at all.

Similar Products Used:
Trek 5200, Lemond Alp D'Huez, Look Carbon.

Price Paid:  $4000.00 at Rosso Sport, Düsseld

Bike Setup:
DuraAce, Ksyrium SL with Conti Latex tubes and GP3000, Bontrager oversized stem and bars, Thomson post, Aliante Ti and Time ATAC Carbon mountain pedals.

Summary:
Don't get me wrong: What you get is a very good bike (for a lot of money). Nevertheless, it seems to me that Trek's philosophy of mediocrity rubbed off on Klein in some way. So neither regrets nor enthusiastic praises.

I bought a complete bike (but without seat and wheels) only because the frameset already was sold out in April 2002 and I would have chosen most of the parts anyway.

Purchase price is stated in EUR, equipped as described below.

Strengths:
I love the silver cloud paintscheme (most beautiful paintscheme I've ever seen) and I like the internal cable routing - to be honest, primarily it was the look that made me buy this bike.

Assembler @ Trek used grease - almost a strengh nowadays.

Of course, it is lightwheight and stiff (it has to be for the money you spend).

Weaknesses:
Paint workmanship is not perfect at some edges.

Poor assembly: front derailleur cable has been rubbing the frame due to a unsuitable BB cable guide (fortunately I noticed it early enough). Metal chips inside seat tube left some nice scratches on the seat post.

Integrated headset runs a bit less smooth than conventional Chris King headsets in my MTBs.

Thomson post tends to creak (quiet since application of copper paste).

Similar Products Used:
None.

Price Paid:  $0.00 at SUPERGO

Favorite Ride:
ANY RIDE

Bike Setup:
ULTEGRA GROUP, 3TT FORGIE XL STEM AND HANDLEBAR, THOMPSON SEAT POST,AND BONTRAGER WHEELS.

Summary:
FANTASTIC BIKE. IT DOES EVERYTHING ANY RIDER WOULD WANT IN A BIKE. IT'S FAST, STABLE, DAMPENS ROAD VIBRATIONS, CLIMBS GREAT, CORNERS, LIGHT WEIGHT, BULLET PROOF CONSTRUCTION, AND UNREAL FINISH AND PAINT. I HAVE RIDDEN KLEIN QUANTUM AND QUANTUM II, AND EACH WAS BETTER THAT LAST, BUT I DON'T SEE HOW KLEIN CAN IMPROVE ON THE Q-PRO. IT IS A QUANTUM LEAP FROM THEIR PREVIOUS MODELS.

Strengths:
EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Weaknesses:
IT IS SUCH A SHAME THAT TREK IS THE PARENT COMPANY. TREK'S COMPANY POLICY TOWARD THEIR NON-TREK LINES IS A DISGRACE AND THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS VERY MEDIOCRE AT BEST. JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE LARGE, THEY IMPOSE THEIR WAY ON THE CONSUMBER TO PATRONIZE ONLY "THEIR" BIKE SHOPS, EVEN THOUGH THEY WILL ACCEPT AN ORDER FROM AN INDEPENDENT BIKE SHOP WITH A MUCH BETTER REPUTATION AND SERVICE.

Similar Products Used:
KLEIN QUANTUM, QUANTUM II, SPECIALIZED

Price Paid:  $0.00

Favorite Ride:
If I'm riding, it's good

Bike Setup:
Dura-Ace, SLR saddle, '02 Dura-Ace wheels, old school Dura-Ace Look pedals, Tacx Tao cages (they're

Summary:
Unreal bike--handles like a dream, smooths out the road, and accelerates like a demon! Once you get to this level of bike, you're talking degrees of this or shades of that, but this bike stands out among the top-end American offerings.

W/out pedals, my bike weighs in (58cm) at just under 17 lbs...wow! And this is with Dura-Ace wheels, not the stock Bontragers that weigh less! I know Cannondale's touting their Optimo tubing and wishbone seatstays as being lighter than competitor's carbon-stay bikes...but I'll take the weight "penalty" if I'm under 17 lbs for a bike in my size!

Strengths:
Stiffness, light weight, vibration damping, acceleration, climbing, cornering, handling, and it's just so amazingly purty!

Weaknesses:
Not really any that I can think of...I'd say the rear-facing droupouts, 'cuz they're a pain to get used to (still working on it), but they're sure nice for holding the wheel in place...I don't worry about the wheel popping out like's happened to some of my teammates on their non-Kleins.

Similar Products Used:
Cannondale 2001 & 2002 R4000, LeMond Titanium, Trek OCLV

Price Paid:  $0.00 at CHAMPION CYCLING

Bike Setup:
ULTEGRA GROUP, KSYRIUM WHEELS, THOMSON STEM, EASTON EC90 CARBON BARS, EASTON CT2 CARBON POST, AND PR

Summary:
PREVIOUS BIKE WAS A 2000 QUANTUM RACE. THIS BIKE HAS A SHORTER WHEELBASE AND TURNS VERY QUICKLY. THE CARBON STAYS ARE A HUGE IMPROVEMENT IN COMFORT. THE STAYS DO NOT AFFECT SPRINTING, AS THIS BIKE EXCELERATES LIKE A ROCKET.

Strengths:
THIS BIKE IS A GREAT BIKE FOR GOING FAST, AND THE LOOKS OF THE KLEIN FRAME CAN'T BE BEAT.

Weaknesses:
NONE

Similar Products Used:
QUANTUM RACE 2000