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Submitted by
David Cohen
a Racer
from Damascus, MD, USA
Date Reviewed: February 9, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Little Bennett Regional Park | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$800.00 | | Purchased At: | The Bicycle Shop | | Strengths: | Accelerates like a rocket, extraordinary climber, durable and reliable componentry. Nimble and responsive. | | Weaknesses: | Susceptability to chain suck on the smallest sprocket, paint gets chipped easily | | Similar Products Used: | Mongoose Switchback, Mongoose Maneuver, Gary Fisher Hoo-Koo E Kii | | Bike Setup: | Stock with two modifications: Ritchey clipless pedals and a suspension seat post. | | Bottom Line: | If you're looking for a barcalounger type ride, look elsewhere. The Klein's stiff aluminum frame makes sure you feel every bump. If you are into that kind of responsiveness, then for you the Klein is an excellent ATB platform. Combine the great geometry with tried-and-true Shimano compomentry and you have a winner. When you get in the saddle, you feel like you are strapping yourself to a rocket. It will do anything you ask of it. Chances are you will run out of guts before you run out of bike. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
whit brooks
a Cross Country Rider
from Richmond, VA
Date Reviewed: October 27, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$850.00 | | Strengths: | Light, stiff frame ready for any upgrades | | Weaknesses: | none! | | Bike Setup: | Comp frame with XT/XTR components and SID XC fork. race face XY seat post and Mavic Sup 517 rims. | | Bottom Line: | This is the best bike for you money. and if your tall(im 6 foot 5. the geometry is perfect. i would reccommend this bike for any one thinking about getting serious into biking. the frame is wicked stiff. and will beat a novice to pieces. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Blake Williams
a Weekend Warrior
from Chicago, IL
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Potto Michigan | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Strong, Lite, Reasonable Price with Usable Components (Mostly Deore LX), Beautiful Paint, Welds, and Tubes. Stiff Rear End Flys. | | Weaknesses: | Very Stiff Rear End. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 950. | | Bike Setup: | Stock Except for Specialized Nut Saver Saddle, SPD's, Controltech Ti Skewers, and Icon Bar Ends. | | Bottom Line: | I have a Trek 950 that is truly beat to death, I even replaced the frame(duh) Heavy and fairly stiff. Good bike, Tons of Miles with routine tuning. I rode a friends Klein in college, went into LBS to get Trek 7000, came out with this Beautiful Green Metalic finish. The rear rim just got killed on a curb. Otherwise, this is a superlight(Under 25lbs with my new seat and Ancient SPDs) fast cheap ride that is built to last. Everything else posted here is true, Stiff Punishing Back End. They do come in many variations, two friends have pulses with different configs. I believe that my frame was made in the Trek factory in Wisconsin. For the money you still can't beat this if you want a good bike for A wide Variety of uses. 5 chilli's. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
SlipKid
a Cross-Country Rider
from C-ville,VA
Date Reviewed: November 24, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Sherando Lake | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
stiff (you know exactly where it's going to be)
light
climbs like a beast
$ value
looks gorgeous | | Weaknesses: |
stiff (it'll beat on you if you are careless)
it's a little short coupled for me | | Similar Products Used: |
Trek
Specialized
Cannondale
GT | | Bike Setup: |
Manitou Spyder
Avid 1.0
Bontrager Asymm
different Shim. derailleurs | | Bottom Line: | I'm 6'2-210 with a fair amount of shoulder to hip length. I sometimes feel like the cockpit on the large frame I have is a little short (there are seatpost solution possibilities I have not really felt like trying). Otherwise I just *love* this bike. I got it on sale for $650 during winter last year and nothing else was even close. I liked it better than the $1100 Cannondales and Treks. You can always go up with components but this frame just hauls ass. Things that I could barely climb at all with my old CroMoly Giant hardly make this bike break a sweat. The power transfer through the stays is incredible. I think it's very nimble on tight single track to. The back end of the bike is always where you want it to be. It's a little rough bouncing through rock gardens, but that's a price I'm willing to pay. If you come across this frame.... Snap it up. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter
a Cross-Country Rider
from East Coast
Date Reviewed: June 3, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
The closest | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Light
Strong
Stable
Fast
Great climber
Great acceleration
Stiff but not harsh | | Weaknesses: |
Make no mistake: It is a HARDtail | | Similar Products Used: |
Trek 7000
Fisher CroMo | | Bike Setup: |
Spyder fork
STX-RC -- XT
Sugino
Bontrager ASYM/Jones Kevlar
Icon clipless | | Bottom Line: | I created this page because the other Klein pages are reviewing several different Pulse models from different years and with different characteristics. I thought potential buyers could use a shortcut to info on the 1998 Pulse Comp, which as of summer 1999 is still available and affordable at local bike shops. The info here would also largely apply to the 1998 Pulse, Pulse Race and Pulse Pro. They all have the same frame, just diff. parts. I paid $750 for mine and others are finding them for $700 or so. It retails for $900. This is clearly the best hardtail frame I have ever ridden and I'm sure that anyone who likes aluminum would be hard pressed to find anything as good -- let alone better -- accept another Klein. The workmanship is excellent. The Gradient chainstays are phenomenal. There's a box section at the downtube-headtube juncture, etc. The tubes are tapered -- some both inside and out -- not just butted like others. Power transfer and climbing are astonishing. Why it goes so blazing fast downhill I don't know, but it does pick up speed like crazy. I once referred to the frame as being like a slab of marble. It's that solid, stiff and stable. It is NOT harsh (my Fisher CroMo was harsher) but there's no compliance at the rear either. No flex but no vibration is one way of looking at it. This means it's a bucking bronco on the rough stuff. Bottom line? If you want a high end aluminum frame and decent parts on a budget price, this can't be beat. If you've got more cash, get a new 1999 Klein Attitude ($1,100 retail). It's frame welds and paint are nicer because they're done by the Klein guys in Washington, not the Trek guys in Wisconsin, and it's 3.1 pounds instead of 3.4. If you're wary of aluminum's ride characteristics, forget the Klein and go get Ti or a really good, compliant CroMo frame. -- Then again, there's always suspension seatposts! | | Overall Rating: |
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