Submitted by
Betzel
a Weekend Warrior
from Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Date Reviewed: September 1, 2009
Strengths: Ride, looks, quality.
Weaknesses: Weight more or less. Rear shock adjustments, rear shock weight.
Bottom Line:
Bought a nos frame last year, this is a 2003 frame though. Build it up as a race bike at the beginning, build it as a trailbike just now.
I think it is a fantastic trailbike with 120mm fork and 100mm rear travel. It can handle lots of terrain and with 11 kilo's that mine weighs it goes uphill very good.
No bobbing while riding, good response of the suspension. I just love how it rides. Rear shock needs way less pressure than is stated for my weight. If i put in the pressure of the booklet i have a hardtail.
Looks are awesome. People turn around to look. Color and finish just superb.
Bike Setup: Fox F120RLC '09 / XTR group / Bontrager RXL wheels / Schwalbe Rocket Ron / Ritchey Superlogic / WCS parts / Tune parts.
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Submitted by
David
a Weekend Warrior
from Wicklow/Dublin - Eire
Date Reviewed: May 16, 2005
Strengths: This '03'frame with rear fox (bought frame only) is light and strong. It's not only able to go on the rough but also climbs like a cat too. Travel adjustment is sweat.
Weaknesses: I'd have to agree with this comment from another rider a little further down: "The graphics are sometimes difficult to see. The Great Barrier Reef blue comes off more purple and green than blue." Anyway, this suits me as i like the colour and it creates some mystery about Klein.
Bottom Line:
With the Travel adjustment Fox on the rear and Terralogic Fox on the front i can climb when and what i want and decend thru most terrain at speed too. It's a comftable frame you can confide with and with the price i paid i am very happy to continue adding more good parts. I'd recommend it to anyone doing Crosscountry/Freeride.
Similar Products Used: Tried the '04'which is possibly even lighter but could've put Travel adjustment on the Mavick rear - very soft so it does not climb aswell as the '03'
Bike Setup: My Palomino Team '03' is built up with '05' Terralogic (brain)Fox X100's, Hope M4's, FSA Carbon Pro's etc
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Submitted by
Adam Stone
a Weekend Warrior
from Port Credit,ON,Canada
Weaknesses: front derailleur design. I have to upgrade all my components to match the frame.
Bottom Line:
I bought the frame only after snapping my last one. So the review is just on the frame. Awesome is all I can say. This is such a sweet bike to ride. It is so light. You can hardly tell when you are riding up hill. The riders seating position is perfect. I have close to 1000 KM on this frame so far. I have had to tighten the bolts on the swing arm twice, regular maint. You have to have enough air pressure dialed in on the rear shock or your front derailleur will not shift right. I do not like the way the cable lines up with the front derailleur,a bit too much stress, but I have had no fraying yet so maybe it's just me. Sweetest graphics and paint. Total class. I would recommend this frame to anyone who cross county/single track or just likes to get out for the weekend. I love to ride more than ever before just because of how nice it is to ride this bike.
Bike Setup: xt front/rear derailleur.XT shifters.Avid single digit 7 brakes.Rock Shox Duke SL.Race Face BB/Cranks.Cane Creek HeadSet.Easton 70 Seat Post/Handle Bars/Stem. Crappy Wheels
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Submitted by
graham davies
a Cross Country Rider
from shakespeare land uk
Date Reviewed: November 5, 2004
Strengths: rides like the rolls royce of bikes,sexy silent freewheel,amazing talas versatility,looks like the bassetts danglers!!(THAT'S A GOOD THING)
Weaknesses: stock parts are dodgy on a 4k bike e.g klein tyres and grips,colourmore purple than sea blue,apart from those v.minor niggles,ther's nothing major
Bottom Line:
coming from a hardtail background i was a bit dubious on the whole full sus thing,i need'nt have worried,this bike is a dream,i can't believe how smooth it is over the rough stuff,it oddly gets even better the faster you go,on the flat with the fox locked out it out performs my zasker,it is a seriously good piece of kit,lance says it's not about the bike,well he's wrong,i'm riding up stuff i would'nt have even considered,get one it will make you look and feel like a pro!
Similar Products Used: none, i'm a zasker veteran.
Bike Setup: full xtr,fox talas,easton carbon carbon sl handlebar yeti hardcore etc
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Submitted by
Jim
a Cross Country Rider
from Newton, NC
Date Reviewed: October 13, 2004
Strengths: Typical for Klein, the fit and finish are pure class. The frame has worked well for me and I'm a TRUE CLYDESDALE! The Maverik suspension does what it says it does. And though the bike looks weird, it rides darn near as well as a hard tail without the jolts.
Weaknesses: This pain scheme may have been a little over the top. The graphics are sometimes difficult to see. The Great Barrier Reef blue comes off more purple and green than blue.
Bottom Line:
It has taken me forever to find a full suspension bike that I like. I've spent the past four years riding a Klein Attitude Comp. After that long on a light, agile and responsive hard tail it is hard to find a double squishy bike that feels right. To add to the problem the Maverick design is downright weird looking. When the frame was offered to me at a nice price, I had to try it. Who knew that a dual could be as sweet as a hardtail and without the sometimes harsh ride. Oh wait, I forgot, this is a Klein! There are hundreds of really great bikes for sale and I wouldn't say a bad thing about most; however, if you ever ride a Klein you will be spoiled for life. It is by far the best non-custom built bike and that is that.
Bike Setup: Bought as frame. Has XT and XTR with an Ultega front derailleur. This was a suggested fix for a front shifting problem that is sometime associated with this bike. IT WORKS!! Mavic 517 w/XTR hubs and XTR v-brakes. Chris King headset, Thomson stem and post, Easton Monkey-lites, Hutchinson Mosquito airlites 2.3. I won't mention the fork because it will be changed as soon as the budget allows.
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Submitted by
David Scheer
a Cross Country Rider
from Williams Lake BC Canada
Date Reviewed: June 15, 2004
Strengths: Quality of construction,climbs over steep rocky terrain like a billy goat,beautiful paint.
Weaknesses: almost every one I meet wants me to stop so they can look at it.
Bottom Line:
This is a very well behaved trail bike that can be riden comfortably on all day epics,but really shines when you pick up the pace.every thing about this beast improves with speed.on steep rocky sections it almost seems to keep itself in motion.Ive been able to easily clear steep hills on this bike that have been impossible on the other bikes Ive owned.and it is just as impressive when pointed down hill.The paint job is a real atention getter.every one wants to have a close look.I purchased the frame only on ebay and am glad I did.
Similar Products Used: rocky mountain element,rocy moubtain hammer race,Gary fisher f1,oryx equipe gold,pipeline,sugar.
Bike Setup: Talas fork fsa carbon cranks time composite pedals,sram 9.0sl drive train,xt front der.mavic 517 with python golds.thompson seatpost slr saddle.avid ultimate v brakes.
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Submitted by
Luke
a Weekend Warrior
from St. Paul, MN US
Date Reviewed: April 20, 2004
Strengths: Amazing ride! No bob in the rear suspension! It makes a great bike for racing or for taking big drop offs!
Weaknesses: one word purple...
Bottom Line:
Klien makes a killer bike. I would recomend buying this bike to anyone of my friends, but try to get a discout. The bike is worth over 4 grand... BUT don't spend that much. Wait till the 2004 models come out and get a 2003 model. AWSOME BIKE BUY ONE.
Bike Setup: Full XTR, Thompson seat post, Ritchy Race Light handle bar and stem
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Submitted by
A N
a Weekend Warrior
from C'ville, VA, USA
Date Reviewed: February 23, 2004
Strengths: Go from any bike you like to this one and you'll feel at home. The frame is solid and gives you good feedback on the trail. The suspension soaks up bumps that would otherwise hurt. Stretch out the 125mm Talas and let the downhill riding being. Reel the Talas into 85 or 100 and climb like you're on a hardtail or run cross country all day in comfort. You can't beat a bike with full XTR, proven geometry and a beautiful paint job.
Weaknesses: The aluminum frame on this bike is very "responsive". I think some steel/titanium riders might even call it harsh. My background is BMX and rigid frames so I love what I consider a "reactive" bike that also smooths out the big bumps. If you are looking for a Cadillac bike this will be a weakness for you. The only other point of stress is the front derailleur, it's floating what more can you say... goodbye to bob hello to the tuning stand, it's worth it in my opinion, maybe not in yours.
Bottom Line:
To go from a rigid to a full suspension frame and be completely at home but riding way faster on all terrain on the first ride has to be a good thing. I just can't explain how comfortable I am on this bike... it just fits! Smooth, fast, attractive, XTR, Fox...
Similar Products Used: Canondale Jekyl, Canondale Scalpel, Trek Fuel 98 (all only for test rides)
Bike Setup: Stock (Fox Talas RLC, I noticed some Teams come with different front forks)
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Submitted by
Boris
a Cross Country Rider
from plainfield
Date Reviewed: October 23, 2003
Strengths: This bike climbs very well. It seema to roll over obstacles easier than my hardtail.
Weaknesses: 4 sets of bushings in 600 miles. 1 new swing arm (never shaped correctly). And just last week trek put on a 2004 new maverick shock and a new mono-link.It seems I had one of the earlier ones that had lots of defects.
Bottom Line:
My last set of bushing loosened up (with a brand new swing arm) after 5 miles. About 50 miles later they were shot. My lbs has been great in trying to remedy the problem and push trek a little. They sent it to trek to be evaluated hoping for a 2004 frame replacement, but it was returned with the 2004 maverick shock which is a different ride all together. It uses higher psi than the m-bits shock(which started leaking).I never got an answer to why a new shock and a new mono-link were put on, but I just went out and did ten miles and it's still tight as can be. This bike is a great ride, it's a goat and it's very plush. Buy the 2004. Klein welded a plate on the bottom of the swing arm for 2004 under the shock body which is supposed to stop it from getting sloppy if it does loosen up. I'll give a good rating because when I got back on it after borrowing a bike for two weeks I realized what a dream it is to ride. If they tested the bike more before putting on the market I would have given it 5 chilis all the way
Submitted by
Justin
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver CO
Date Reviewed: September 30, 2003
Strengths: This bike climbs very well and descends pretty well too. Once adapted to the cockpit it handles very predictively and well. When the suspension is properly adjusted it hooks up better than anything out there. There are only 3 designs I would ride right now; the Maverick or Klein (very similar), the Blur or Spyder and the Specialized with the brain. To me this bike balances all the pluses well at a pretty reasonable price compared to the others especially Maverick. I had an I-Drive for years and I loved it. It was a much better descender than this bike but this bike works better all around and climbs in another ball park.
Weaknesses: The product works well thanks Maverick, but the quality is not great, thanks trek. The suspension is designed poorly with the axel bolt sleeves spining in the frame and the rear end getting so much slop it hits the stays. You have to lock tight the bolt but even then it is either slop or to tight to really work the way it should. The bike shop is right now trying a remedy supplied by Klein. I will try to post when it is worked out. I hear and read that they are taking care of people with bushings if need be. We will see. There does not seem to be an excepted place to start to tune the suspension so you are guessing.
Bottom Line:
Once it is dialed in this bike rides like a dream. It was my favorite bike all around so far until the mechanical issue with the suspension. Getting the supension going took allot of trial and error but it is right where is should be now. I have heard people running anywhere from 35-90 in this shock which seems very strange. Aside from that I stilll love the bike. 3 Chillis for value because they are not cheap even if good in comparison. 4 Chillis for Overall though it is splitting hairs depending on the mechanical issues. I shoudl probably be harsher since it pissed me off all weekend tightening the bolts every 5 miles.
Bike Setup: I have a Race Fram built up with all XTR, A Fox Talus and the Shimano XTR tubeless wheels in size large.
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Submitted by
Dan Becraft
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle, WA, USA
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2003
Strengths: What a nice ride! I was flying down a hill on Mt. Si and it handles soo much better than my Klein Mantra Pro did for over 1000 dollars more than this bike. Great handling on technical single track. I rode this bike on the MS 150 charity ride on Mt. Si and it was just enough suspension to hit the big stuff but not to much for the tight technical stuff.
Weaknesses: There isn't much to talk about regarding the weaknesses. The only thing that I am getting use to is the 100mm of front fork travel which is more than my old fork at 70mm. But, that is more my weakness than the bikes.
Bottom Line:
You can not help but be noticed on this beautiful blue/green paint job! Funny thing is that if your going to drop 4 grand on a bike, please make it nice to look at. Because, most of the bikes in this price range are generally really good. The sad part is some of them look like crap! When your coming back from a ride in the mountains driving down the freeway and other drivers are checking out the look of your bike, then you know you have a great product that you can be proud to display on the back of your vehicle! I love it!
Similar Products Used: 1997 Specialized S-Works 2000 Klein Mantra Pro
Bike Setup: Full XTR (new XTR), Thompson seat post, Easton bar and Profile bar ends, Time ATAC Carbon Petals, Italia seat (blue), XTR Wheels and Python tires.
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Submitted by
Jerry
a Cross Country Rider
from Ft Walton Beach
Date Reviewed: June 5, 2003
Strengths: -Paint. 'nuff said -Fork. The new Fox TALAS RLC is an amazing ride. Adjustability, stiffness and small bump compliance are unbeatable. -'03 XTR......takes a bit of getting used to and set up.....and I was a bit apprehensive.....but they're sweet! -Great fit for me. I was looking for this exact bike....a xc race-able bike that had plenty of travel for some hard riding. You can't beat 25.5 lbs for a large. -The most significat strenght is the ride. Maverick never should have let this cat out of the bag! -IT COST ME NOTHING! why do you think I bought a bike shop?
Weaknesses: Wheels are a bit flexy...comparable to 517's. If you're at or over 200 lbs, you'll notice it. (I'm used to Ryno Lites) That's it.....no other weakness in my eyes.
Bottom Line:
I've always excelled at climbing. I love it. I find trails with as much elevation change as i can find. And this bike could be no more perfect for me. My riding is fluid, smooth and fast......but this bike won't keep me from 2-4 foot drops or any of my normal jumps. Set-up is the key. The rear end cannot be under-sprung...it will insult the way this bike is supposed to ride. I can't wait to race this bike. I can't wait till my 6-mile lunch ride. I can't wait till my lights charge for my next night-ride. I can't wait till my girlfriend goes on her first ride. I can't wait till my next ride..........
Similar Products Used: Stumpjumper, Fuel 100, Sugar 2.
Bike Setup: Stock, except I switched out the narrow rear tire to the 2.3 to match the front.......might switch to a King headset. Cane Creek needs to re-evaluate their products.
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Submitted by
calvin
a Weekend Warrior
from singapore
Date Reviewed: May 28, 2003
Strengths: excellent climber, of course, smashing paintwork (as any1 would expect of a klein) & a really sexy geometry...
love the way the bike handles & responses, it ain't fluffy light but it's easy going on most of the terrains i've been thru' & on the road, it flys... :)
Weaknesses: it's a lil pricy, but then again, it's a klein... paint work? sounds contradictary but it's heartwrenching to see the paint peel off... *sigh* my right crank arm can't seem to stay clear of the swingarm, they must be in love... ;p
Purchased At: frame from LBS A & components from LBS B... ;p
Similar Products Used: 1) specialised rockhopper 2) my gf's superlight 3) demoed the mantra & adept pro along the years...
Bike Setup: full xtr'03, except for the front D (just couldn't fit in & mine's an L frame!) & shifters ('02) chris king headset(what else???) thomson seat post & selle italia filte tt race face stem (on loan, thomson's coming) & easton's ea70 eggbeaters avid ti brakes with koolstop pads mavic 3.1 ust with hutchinson pythons fox rlc 100
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Submitted by
Marty Leamon
a Cross Country Rider
from West Bend , WI USA
Date Reviewed: April 20, 2003
Strengths: Build quality,fox suspension,Maverick design, XTR,great paint(hey its a Klein)race x-lite wheels. The other Bontrager stuff is good too.
Weaknesses: Came with too short seat post,Klein death grip tires,some trouble getting new XTR shifting set up.
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike to ride the endurance mountain series here in Wi. I am 6'5" and 220, and thought this bike would hold up better than a fuel or sugar.(my lbs is a trek,fisher,klein,lemond dealer) Since it has been wet I have only been in the woods once so far,but the handling is really there. The fox fork and rear suspension work great together. I am still not dialed in yet but so far the bike seems very promising. Getting rid of the tires is a really big thing. XTR discs should have been an option. The Avid ultimates are very good rim brakes but discs go along with the character of the bike. I am afraid to scratch it the first time because the paint is so cool,but I know it will happen sometime. Overall I am thrilled with the Klein and know it will be around for a long time. Anyone who is a larger rider and who does more than 2 hour races should consider it as both a race bike and a great trail bike.
Similar Products Used: I had a Fuel 90. Looked at sugar team and Fuel 100.
Bike Setup: Stock except for 959 pedals,410 Thompson seat post, and Bontrager super-x tires.
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Submitted by
Kirk R.
a Racer
from Philadelphia, PA USA
Date Reviewed: April 19, 2003
Strengths: -High quality throughout -Proven design (no bob) -Ride -Price (have you priced Mavericks/Sevens lately?) -High-end lightweight components (XTR,Bontrager,Fox) contrary to what soem people think - Bontrager makes excellent, very light weight components!
Weaknesses: -Cabel routing. -Water bottles? Forget it (it has two mounts top and bottom but there almost useless on a small frame)
Bottom Line:
In my 15 years of riding and racing mountain bikes this is one of the best full suspension bikes I have owned. When I got the $$$ together to buy a bike I asked my best bike shop buddy what I should get. I had my heart set on a S.C. Superlight or Blur but he convinced me to get the Klein due to its better design and lighter weight (24lbs).
I am getting a little older now and I have made the move to full suspension and I don’t regret it. Today I just got back from a race where I placed 2nd in the expert Vet class. This race consisted of 4 grueling climbs – the kind that make your brain tell you “get off and walk idiot” – on a 24 mile course - but this bike just climbed beyond my expectations. On the down hills it performed like a champ – the Fox shocks soaked up these huge man made water ruts with no problem. The bike also handles single-track with no problems due to the incredible tracking of the Fox shock and the well balanced weight ratio from front to rear.
Speaking of Fox - they have one hell of an adjustable fork. Everything is on top except for the blow-off valve. It's stiff - it tracks - it leaves me feeling fresh after a ride. 80-125mm travel, lockout, two levels of damping control – did I mention blow-off? Yes, the fork will blow-off when locked out if you hit something big.
If there was anything I would have to pick on it would be the cable routing. On one had Klein takes the time and effort to internal route two of the derailleur cables but leaves the brake cable to be zip tied to little posts (I HATE zip ties). The reason they did this was for a disk brake setup – but I’m sure they could have thought up a cleaner way to do this considering the price.
I would recommend this bike to anyone looking for a well performing design which can take the up hills as well as the down hills. It is FUN to ride and even more fun to race on – especially when you make it to the podium and still have the strength to drive home and deal with the (wife,girfriend,kids,etc.).
Similar Products Used: GT RTS-1 (yes - I'm that old!) Santa Cruz Superlight
Bike Setup: -Full new XTR (stock - crank is amazingly stiff) -Fox TALIS fork (wow! someone got it right) -Bontrager Race Light tubeless wheels (or you can put a tube in a non-tubless tire) -Easton Monkeylight riser bars (I swaped these in) -TME ATAC carbon pedals
