Submitted by
bridgestone14
a Cross Country Rider
from fort collins co
Date Reviewed: June 4, 2011
Strengths: Stiffness, climbs like a goat, paint job
Weaknesses: Weight, bushings
Bottom Line:
This bike is crazy fast. I never road it with the original link, Leucadia installed the Maverick link before he sent it to me, so I don't know how bad the original link is. I did just recently repack the bearings in the maverick link after about two seasons of use. The bike weights just over 26 lbs which is a little heavy for a four inch bike, considering my Epiphany weights just about the same. I really only notice the lack of rear travel on really rough downhills otherwise it seems to be the perfect amount for the trails around here. Excellent climber, however I the epic had less bob. It wasn't nearly as stiff though.
The Palomino I have is a 2005, the last year they were made. It has an incredible paint job, that I have scratched, much to my dismay. It took me a little while to get used to the seat post angle and I may still shorten the stem to a 100 over the 110. I am 5'9" and anyone taller should probably go with a large.
All in all an excellent bike, if not just a little heavy for the racer crowd.
A note on value. I spent a little over a grand for just the frame, as Leucadia had a brand new one in a box and I really wanted the blue paint job. I had to spend a pretty penny to get the bike down to around 26lbs and I now have about 5gs into the build. I could run a floppy stem, race only wheels, and treadles tires and get it down another lb or so but then it wouldn't be any fun to ride. My point is, don't expect it to be light without spending some money. However, used Palominos pop up quite often for way less then I spent.
Strengths: What everybody else has said. A great bike with flaws that requires add'l $$ to cure. But once dialed in, oh boy! Plus- not a bike you see everyday, so added coolness factor. Plus it is purty. Minimal decals/ rich lustrious paint. Looks like an italian sports car.
Weaknesses: Off the shelf bike requires shifting fix kit. Stock tires also blow. Inner/ middle chainrings made of steel (upgrade and save a lb). Handlebars 25.5"? For East Coast riding, I cut .5" off both sides.
BTW- I had a cotter pin fall off the front quick release on the Maverick SC32. Renders the bike non-rideable. Mav was lighting fast with replacement cotter pins, so all is good...
Bottom Line:
Like others have said, this may not be the most quick-steering bike. Also - the XV is XT equipted so not the lightest rig going (I think my large is now abut 28 lbs). But for an all-arounder/ one bike fits all, it is hard to beat. Especially once this bike is modified the the Maverick rear shock fix ki; then it's world class..
Bike Setup: Per above, added shift fix kit, alum chainrings, Maxxis tubeless Ignitor
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Donald
a Cross Country Rider
from San Jose, CA
Date Reviewed: April 12, 2006
Strengths: Maverick suspension, good component spec, beautiful paint job, not many out there, Internal cabling.
Weaknesses: Front shifting, bushing wear, steep seatpost angle, crappy stock headset, rear triangle tolerances are off, adaptor for rear disc.
Bottom Line:
I love my bike tho I realize that it's inherintly flawed.
After racing and riding for 2 seasons under a whole bunch of conditions, I've got a good read on what I like and don't like about the bike.
The Maverick suspension is great. I love it. I'm probably buying the Maverick for my next bike since it looks like Trek is going to kill off Klein any minute now. No bob when you're sprinting and flows pretty well on the downhills. 4 bars seem to be a bit more plush on the small bumps tho, but I haven't had extensive time on other suspensions.
Of course, the component spec rocks. Full XT hydros and a Fox RLT 100. Both have been great for me. XTs are showing a bit of wear now, and the middle chainring gets chainsuck pretty damn fast. But that's not the Paly's fault. The Fox has been bulletproof for me, Tho it's intersting since the Fox is a lot plusher than the rear suspension.
Also, it's got a beautiful black/silver fadde paint job, that's under 3 coats of mud now. And it doesn't matter really to me, but it's definitely rare to see a Maverick/Palomino out there. and I love internal cabling - you don't have to worry about where you are mounting your battery packs and sealing your cable lines, or grabbing a bunch of cables.
The bad.
Switched the headset to a CK after 3 rides. The stock headset was not sealed, and pretty much needed to be readjusted after each ride. I got sick of it.
Front shifting with the stock E-type FD never worked very well. Get the Maverick D-mount and a road FD. much better, even with the stiffer FD action.
Steep seatpost angle and I could barely fit a standard Thomson post on it at the correct saddle angle.
The bushings are worn out. I should have bought an extra set, as I have been riding a lot in the rain this year (surprise surprise). I'm desparately waiting for maverick's retro kit to install bearings on the palomino.
Rear dropout spacing is off. It's larger than it should be.
Treks of this age have the crappy rear disc brake adaptor. They've fixed this in '05 i believe.
This applies to any FS, but buy the bike for the suspension. Try to understand the flaws of the suspension system before you buy it. See if they are acceptable to you. This bike is no different.
Bike Setup: Stock except, Chris King headset, Easton carbon bars, Thomson stem and post.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Kenny G
a Cross Country Rider
from Hixson
Date Reviewed: April 10, 2006
Strengths: Klein paintjobs - the coolest in the business. Absolutely no pedal bob. Very stable at speed. Kleins may be collector's items soon.
Weaknesses: Heavier than many XC oriented bikes. Handling feels a little dull and slow - not a fast singletrack carver. Is Klein going away?!?!?! :{
Bottom Line:
The Palomino has totally eliminated rear suspension bob - even during a standing sprint on pavement. It truely climbs like a hardtail (a 28 lb hardtail). My gripe with the bike, aside from the heavyish frame, is more of a preference issue. I ususally like my riding fast and agressive, darting and carving through the woods. In my 6 months on the Palomino, I have found that it just does not have the right feel for this kind of riding. Sorry to say, because I love Klein hardtails. It could be the geometry (long wheelbase combined with a short top tube), or it could be that I went with a large instead of a medium (but I don't think I could have gotten the seatpost high enough on a medium), but something about it just feels sluggish in the tight stuff. I would definately recommend this bike to someone who doesn't prefer a super fast steering bike. It is very stable, and climbs like no other F.S. bike I have tried. I would just caution any fast, aggressive single track riders to try one out to make sure it has the feel they are looking for.
Strengths: Looks amazing, best paintjob in the business. Climbs like nothing else, costs way less than a maverick for the same bike really.
Weaknesses: Bushings need changing every year or so, especially if used on our lovely muddy trails. Monolink bottom magnesium link became ovalised after about 6 months resulting in play in the rear linkage. Trek replaced under warranty and I understand it is a common problem as magnesium is light but quite weak.
Bottom Line:
Probably the best looking bike out there if aesthetics are your thing. Rear suspension is super smooth and the bike is pretty light. Fox forks are the best I've ever used and the whole things works superbly. Front mech takes a bit of fiddling to set up but once sorted seems to stay true.
Plus its got that rareity value that only Turners, Mavericks, Yeti's etc. can match as you hardly ever see them on the trail. Not something that can be said about the milion Specialized's you see every ride!
Weaknesses: Internal cable routing is rattling, original bar not great, Bontrager Revolt tires unsuited for all-mountain riding
Bottom Line:
This is a GREAT all-mountain bike. The Maverick suspension is awesome. The SC-32 fork is a dream. The bike has very little pedal bob, and climbs very well. Dialing down the fork helps with the slack headtube angle on really ugly climbs. All in all, the best overall bike I've ever ridden.
Strengths: Supple ride, great front shock, rare where I am.
Weaknesses: Poor spec for price, front gears a nightmare to setup. Is dual control really any better than rapidfire? Decent Chain stay protecter a must. My local shop went bust after purchase!
Bottom Line:
This bike is my first taste of full sus ownership. Niggly things first. Glad I'm not the only one who finds the gears, front especially, difficult to set up. My rear shock tops out big time on rebound but It keeps its pressure well and its dead easy to dial in the right pressure to suit body weight, style, terrian ect. Its also right in front of the rear whell and is a bit exposed to mud during wet rides (pretty common in Scotland!) even with the shock boot. Same goes for the front gear cable guide on the bb. Ride wise this thing rocks. Small bumps don't even register and big drops into rocky chutes are sollowed up with aplomb. Those xt disks soak up excess speed well but I ditched the stock tyres and put on bigger, more aggressive treads. A shoter stem and riser bar swap sorted out the cockpit making the bike easier to hoist and a bit more stable in the air. Cornering is rock solid and those big tubes mean the whole thing is stiff with hardly any flex. I find the bike responds to inputs pretty well changing direction quicky but relaxed enough not to be nervous at high speeds. Its on the right side of 30lbs but a light set of wheels would give it a bit more zing when climbing and accelerating. Grip when climbing is however impressive and next to no bob makes the bike a good all day proposition. I would'nt buy this as a super light xc race machine but for allday trail riding thats performs when you want it to it makes excellent sense.
Similar Products Used: Specialized stumpy fsr, blur, scott strike, fisher cake
Bike Setup: Swapped stem for 100mm unit plus risers and new tyres.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
T-Willy
a Cross Country Rider
from Tucson, AZ
Date Reviewed: September 18, 2004
Strengths: This bike takes the edge off rocky trails, allows more agressive lines and climbs like a goat. The paint is very good, but not excellent and detailed like the Chehalis WA Kleins. Lots of control while climbing, descending, braking, everywhere... just not on the stock tires.
Weaknesses: Bushings wore out in 6 mos of 3x/week riding... rear triangle broke in the first month at the brake mount on seat stay, replaced happily by LBS and Klein in a couple of weeks. Lots of riding since then and no problems. The maverick airshock needs to be pumped for each ride... works well at bodyweight minus 30. The lg diameter thin tubing that makes this bike so responsive and light comes at the expense of more dents.
Bottom Line:
This is an all-mountain XC bike... a racer for long events, and not a freeride rig. Mine came via a warranty on a cracked Klein Attitude (after many yrs of bliss). Klein service is tops. The Palomino lacks the razor sharp responsiveness of the Attitude, as do all others. The Palomino corners faster with the rear wheel travel angle causing a rebound action that pushes the bike out of corners and over obstacles during climbs. Descending is excellent on this bike but climbing is where it really shines. My skill and endurance "increased" with this bike and it always wants to go faster.
Bike Setup: Large - Flite, LP Ends, King HS, FireXC, XTR RDerr,Time, stem set low. I'm 6'3" and the frame is a perfect size.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Lloyd
a Weekend Warrior
from Charlotte, NC USA
Date Reviewed: May 31, 2004
Strengths: Great climbing ability, cool paint(Bodega Black)
Weaknesses: Constant rear Derailleur adjustments.
Bottom Line:
Great climbing ability with no pedal bob. I find myself climbing hills that were previously impossible to climb. I test drove all of the "Big Shop" brand names...the Klein just felt well balanced, stable and confidence inspiring.
Similar Products Used: Specialized Epic, Santa Cruz Blur
Bike Setup: Stock, added Riser Bar
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Scott
a Weekend Warrior
from Louisville, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2004
Strengths: The ride, the mono-link rear suspension, the paint job, the Fox Float RLT 100 fork, this bike is cush and efficient.
Weaknesses: The new XT integrated shifter set-up, what were they thinking? I'll be swapping those out soon for Grip or good old rapid fire. The tubeless tires are not goat head friendly. I haven't loaded the sealent in yet but I'm sure I'll end up putting on better tires with tubes. Still dialing in the front derailer but I'll get there.
Bottom Line:
Mid-forties and I can ride this bike all day. Next best thing to the Maverick if I rode more and I wasn't so cheap!
Bike Setup: Shimanno XT disc brakes (good so far), ingetrated shifters, Bontrager wheels, seat and post, carbon Monkey lite bar.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
david kuhns
a Cross Country Rider
from corvallis, oregon, usa
Date Reviewed: May 9, 2004
Strengths: the suspension: bob-free fully active rear suspension complimented by the fox fork, which works magic. it has great handling; it climbs and descends nimbly smoothing out and carving any corner. paint on it is outstanding.
Weaknesses: shifting isn't perfect. the rear triangle makes it difficult to adjust. stock seat and tires are crap.
Bottom Line:
the bike is amazing, pedding does not touch the suspension. standing and hamming feels like riding a hardtail. bumps just fade away and trails feel like you are floating. it climbs and handles great. the design moves the rear wheel at a certian angle, and the floating BB keep the peddles in the same place, both of which keep the suspention isolated and active. Complaints, the floating BB place both the derailleurs on the rear triangle which can reduce the accuracy of shifting. BUY THIS BIKE FOR: great cross country riding, awesome suspension, the fox fork is ecstacy.
Trying to get a little info on the stock Bontrager Race Lite stem. I am getting ready to take delivery of a new 05 Palomino XV (large frame size) and am planning on upgrading the s Read More »
