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Submitted by
Ray Kleiner
a Weekend Warrior
from Milano, Italy
Date Reviewed: January 17, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Parco, Ticino, IPavia | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | eBay from a great guy! | | Strengths: | Perfect Single Track machine
Fast Acceleration
Smooth Climber
Quality/Stunning Paint Finish
Amazing Craftsmanship
Joy to ride | | Weaknesses: | Weight | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale Scalpel | | Bike Setup: | XTR,FSA Carbon bar/stem,Mavic Enduro Tubeless, Thomson | | Bottom Line: | This is my 5th Klein! I would compare this bike on 2 levels, one with the Scalpel, the other with Klein hardtails.
There were very few Adept Pro's ever made. The Plum Crazy paint is amazing. There is no better singel trail bike out there, period. It has zest and is a joy to ride.
To compare with the hardtails is a tough call. Its a question of horses for courses. But with this bike you can ride longer and easier, arguably therefore faster but I would debate that. If it came down to it, I would probably choose this for my long distance rides and the hardtail for the shorter disctance but more aggressive ride.
From a design aspect the Scalpel is ceratinly well thought through. I can't help wondering what that design with Klein's ZR9000 Alloy would be like. I chose the Adept everytime over the Scalpel. Its the single trails best kept secret!
The Adept is very responsive. Klein knows a) how to get the max power to the rear wheels b) how to use aerospace materials for a unique ride c) and finishing like no other.
Bottom Line: The moment I got on the bike I wanted to ride all day with a big grin. This is a sweet bike and the fact its not the lightest doesn't really matter. The best fully I've ridden so far. It gets my vote everytime.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Donovan Ross
a Racer
from Winston-Salem, NC
Date Reviewed: May 29, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | tsali | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$2300.00 | | Purchased At: | bike shop out of state | | Strengths: | light, strong, frame; amazing handling, smooth ride | | Weaknesses: | i've had some general component wear and bizarre chainsuck-like problems after about 2000 miles. starting this season, the chain gets trapped up underneath the bottom bracket between the small ring and the pivot flange on the chain stay. i almost think it's a design thing. anyone else have this? it's really bizarre, intermittant and annoying in a race situation. i also wore out the green stock ceramic-compatible brake pads before the season was over last year b/c we had soooo much rain and mud. new ones holding up better. i like the weight and power of the v brake on ceramic rims but the manufacturers appear to be going the way of discs. i've had no problem with ceramic coating wearing off. i did have a rear hub/freewheel problem b/c of a cracked roller bearing--probably a manufacturing defect, but past warranty which cost me way too much after having the bike only a year. rear derailer cable gets stretched due to my hitch mount bike rack passing through the small space b/t rear shock and top tube--but not the bike's fault! | | Similar Products Used: | demo'd specialized and cannondale's top line, but bought the klein! used to ride specialized, khs, and bridgestone hardtails. | | Bike Setup: | still all stock stuff that it came with: fox float rl front fork and stock rear shock (might upgrade to 5th element), all xtr components, triple ti eggbeater pedals, and bontrager racelite ceramic rims, bontrager hubs/bar, i recently changed to michelin 1.9 green tubeless tires because i never even knew the stock set had tubes--weird that klein (or the shop) did that. | | Bottom Line: | i used to race hardtails back in the day for several seasons. this klein is my 5th mountain bike--first full suspension bike and it is AMAZING! it is perfect for super fast xc on any surface, but a dream on technical, bouncy, rooty single track. as an out of the box racer, i couldn't have made a better deal. my racing is so much improved that i'm always placing in top 3 now. i'm sure i'm no more fit than i was ten years ago, but now that i can afford the top end technology, my riding is better. however, although i love this bike and have yet to max it's capacities, if these little quirks don't get ironed out, i'm buying something else and probably getting disc brakes. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul Gray
a Cross Country Rider
from Newark, Delaware, USA
Date Reviewed: January 26, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | All of'em | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$3100.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Very light weight, top end componets (XTR), and quality suspension make for a very fast & comfortable ride | | Weaknesses: | Expensive bike; bottom bracket is slightly low but not a problem; Fox RL rear suspension seems to loose a lot of air in between rides but this is my first full suspension so maybe that's normal; I haven't tried changing the cables yet-looks interesting. | | Similar Products Used: | My old junk hardtails-GF Tassajara and Bianchi steel frames; demoed SC Superlight & Fuel 90 | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | After reading the reviews on this great website I felt pretty confident about purchasing the Adept Pro. I was able to e-mail and ask questions to everyone who had previously posted a review and I received valuable info.. This bike is indeed awesome and I recommend it to anyone who loves to ride fast for long durations. It simply flies over logs and rocks with little effort and I use the rear lockout on the Fox suspension quite often when I climb. You can really feel a difference. If you're thinking about buying this bike-DO IT! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
G Post
a Racer
from Dallas, TX, USA
Date Reviewed: January 19, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Johnson Branch | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1300.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | This is actually my wife's bike. She was state champ in sport catgory last year and has never lost a mtn bike race. She's also taken on trips to Durango, Moab, and New Mexico for full day excurisions and has nothing but praise for the bike under those conditions as well. I've been on the bike for test rides, etc. Like everyone else says, fast, super handling, excellent racing bike. She just loves it and I concur that it's just an outstanding ride! | | Weaknesses: | Watch out though! I maintain our bikes and I'm ready to throw the damn thing on a scrap heap because of the through the top tube cable design. This is a major pain-in-the-a**!!! There's supposed to be a cable guide available to assist with maintenance, but it's hell finding one and the manufacturer has yet to respond to my request to send me one. I received a frame only for build up sans the cable guide. If you accidentally lose your cable pull through, a simple 3 minute procedures turns into a nightmare trying to get a hanger to thread back through the top tube holes. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Fuel, Santa Cruz Light, Specialized M4 | | Bike Setup: | XTR everything, except for Bontrager tubeless wheel set. | | Bottom Line: | If your a racer or you like to ride fast with fast friends AND you don't maintain your own bike, I think you ought to buy one. It's really fast! However, if you maintain your own bike, I'd get something else with a similar ride because of the 'cable through tube' design. It's too much of a maintenance hassle. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Richard Reilly
a Cross Country Rider
from NJ
Date Reviewed: January 15, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Fast, light & durable. Excellent frame and component quality. | | Weaknesses: | Not too many. It's not self-cleaning? | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Fuel, Santa Cruz Superlight & Blur. Cannondale Scalpel & Raven. Used to own a Specialized Stumpjumper | | Bike Setup: | Mostly stock. I mean why not? The components are really good. Currently, riding tubless Hutchinson Scorp's. Air Flite Saddle. | | Bottom Line: | I reveiwed this bike almost a year ago when I first got it. I like it even more now after putting some hard miles on it. It's a great bike, that despite the light weight has been very durable for me. The bike flat out flies - fast, fast, fast. It handles like a dream - climbing, decents, techincal stuff, twisty rooted single track. It just goes where you want it to. I think the Blur and Scalpel are nice bikes, but I think the Adept Pro is better - quality, craftsmanship and ride. It's solid. If you want a fast racing bike or just a great cross-country machine this bike is the best I've riden. It takes a beating as well and stiull looks pretty. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff
a Cross Country Rider
from Sebring, FL, USA
Date Reviewed: January 14, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Alafia River State Park, FL, USA | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$2500.00 | | Purchased At: | D&S Cycling Center | | Strengths: | Lightweight, awesome geometry, perfect suspension, beautiful color. This bike really does well in straight out downhill, but really shines on the technical trails. You can roll over 6in logs like butter. | | Weaknesses: | At first ground clearance was a problem, but the light weight made up for it making it easy to hop most obsticals. | | Similar Products Used: | GT idrive, Trek Fuel various models and an old Cannondale F2 front sus. only. | | Bike Setup: | Upgrades: Crankset(raceface w/carbon insert), Crankbrothers Eggbeater peddles, Bontrager Wheelset. | | Bottom Line: | I upgraded from a GT idrive. I thought the GT was an awesome bike, but never realized what a top end product could do for me. This bike got me re-addicted to hardcore riding. I loved the Klein so much, I've ordered a 03 Palomino to replace it in 9/02 and should have it soon. Waiting on those new XTR shifter pods. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
M Tran
a Cross Country Rider
from Orange County
Date Reviewed: September 9, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | san juan | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$3000.00 | | Purchased At: | custom built | | Strengths: | Agile, precise steering, perfect for single track, hardtail-like climbing, | | Weaknesses: | small paint chips after 3 rides. another inch of travel would be nice | | Similar Products Used: | giant ac-more for downhill, specialized fsr, klein hardtails, gt hardtails. | | Bike Setup: | xtr drivetrain, hayes hmx1 brakes, raceface next lp, crossroc tubeless wheels, | | Bottom Line: | I've own a klein rascal a few years, and that was one of the best frame ever built in my opinion. unfortunately, it was stolen, so i had to ride my old gt pantera until i have enough to build the adept. Although I've spent a fortune on it, I must say it's worth every penny. The bike is ultra responsive, light, quick and very agile. The 2.75in of travel is enough for most crosscountry single tracks and drops less than 2-3 feet. Although i would consider building another if Klein ever produce a 3-4in travel bike with the same handling characteristics. I was able to climb faster, descend faster and still have some left after every ride. My roomate owns a specialized fsr and giant ac air and after riding my adept once he was offering to buy it off me. One thing for sure, I'll not go back to a hardtail, nor v-brakes. The adept maybe pricey, but you'll definitely get what you pay for. You may have heard of people talking about the soul of the bike. what ever it is, this bike has it. "nothing else ride like a klein" is not an exageration. You'll be one lucky dude if you get to ride this baby every day. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric
a Racer
from Winter Park, Colorado
Date Reviewed: July 26, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Tipperary Creek | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$3500.00 | | Purchased At: | Beavers Sports Shop Winter Park | | Strengths: | Handles everything well. Very fast! Great specs. Very stiff laterally. | | Weaknesses: | Seat. But everyone has their own preference. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek fuel, Ellsworth, Yeti. | | Bike Setup: | As speced with XTR except Monkey lite SL bars and SDG seat. | | Bottom Line: | THis bike is as good as it gets out of the box. I've ridden lots of other bike (Yeti's feel like a wet noodle in the rear end). Nothing handled as well or came as well spec'd. Single track is effortless and this bike climbs like a goat!
Other review stated problems with cable routing. The routing is clean and protects the cables from dirt. Great design. Easy to change cables, just need to be smarter than the bike. 1000 miles on the new ride and the same set of cables! I would buy this bike again! THe bike rides great for everyone from a racer to weekend warrior! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ed
a Cross Country Rider
from Plano, TX
Date Reviewed: July 18, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Porcupine Rim | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Light weight, well made, cool paint job, quality components. Climbs and handles very well. | | Weaknesses: | Cermaic coating on rims appears to be wearing out. Tubeless rims are hard to change out the tire. | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale F900SL, hardtail | | Bike Setup: | Mostly Factory, XTR / XT / Avid / Tubeless rims. Added Time ATAC and Trail Blaster Tires (w/ tubes) | | Bottom Line: | Very impressive. Much better in every respect than my Cannondale Headshock Hardtail. Handles and climbs very well and does not beat me to death like the C-dale. Mars front fork and Fox Rear shock are great. Shifts and breaks very well. I like the ceramic rims, but the the coating on the rims appears to be wearing out. Stock pads wore out fast. I replaced these with XTR ceramic pads and these look like they will last longer. I can stay in the saddle and rest my legs while blasting over rocky trails. I would never go back to a hardtail after riding the Adept Pro. Rims have stayed perfectly true (500 trail miles). Got it on sale (2001 model) for 2K. 2002 model lists for 3800. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Charlene
a
from Columbia, MD
Date Reviewed: June 27, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1700.00 | | Purchased At: | (frame only) from Mt. Airy | | Strengths: | Geometry, quality construction, ride | | Weaknesses: | Less than 3 inches of rear travel. 4 would be nice! | | Similar Products Used: | Santa Cruz Superlight | | Bike Setup: | Full XTR, Thompson post and stem, King headset, Easton carbon flatbar, Marzocchi Marathon fork (80 mm), Fox Float RC shock, Conti tires, Terry DragonFly saddle | | Bottom Line: | A wonderful bike to ride! Handles tight singletrack and climbs better than my Superlight. Precise steering and handling. Handles similar to my '99 Adroit hardtail, except it provides more control (and comfort) in rough stuff. Beautiful frame and paint. Typical Klein quality and handling.
I have the small frame which is a clean triangle like the hardtail frames. I recommend this bike to anyone looking for a fantastic handling, cross country ride. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Todd
a Weekend Warrior
from Santa Fe, NM, USA
Date Reviewed: May 26, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Bolinas Ridge Rd. | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$4000.00 | | Strengths: | Beautiful ride. Fast as hell, uphill and downhill. Rides like a tank with a cushion. | | Weaknesses: | um... i guess the price, but what can you do. I'd say It's worth every penny, esp. if you ride a lot of technical stuff. | | Similar Products Used: | 1990 Klein Pinnacle | | Bike Setup: | Mostly stock- all XTR, Fox fork, etc. Swapped out the default pedals for SPD's | | Bottom Line: | Unbelievable. I've been riding the same Klein hard tail for 12 years now, and I was pretty well convinced I would never need to upgrade. Then I turned 30 and my body started asking me if I'd please break down and buy a full-suspension. ;)
No regrets here. My hard tail is certainly a beauty to behold- stiff as hell, rides like a f@#$%n tank. Great on climbs and incredibly easy to throw around on fast, technical downhills. The adept pro has >all< of these characteristics-- times about five.
This bike rides smooth as silk, uphill and down. Feels more like sailing or flying than it does riding over rocks. It's the kind of bike you can ride all day and not feel like you've been riding all day, ya know?
I actualyl bought this bike partially based on reviews I read here, and I am in no way disappointed. It's truly a sight to behold (and ride). I give it my highest recomendation to anyone who has the inclination (and cash) to lay down this much bread for something they will treausure for a long, long time. Your body and soul will thank you, I promise. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
matt gersib
a Racer
from lincoln, nebraska
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | 001 and judd's trail | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | direct from klein | | Strengths: | -amazing, almost telepathic steering
-way more comfortable than my hardtail
-very good climber
-very stiff laterally
-durable
-easy to care for
-easy to set up
-almost perfect xc racer
-amazing paint | | Weaknesses: | -heavier than my hardtail
-recommended loctite on pivots makes small pivot-tightness adjustments a hassle (and the loctite is necessary)
-very narrow rear tire clearance (can't race the bike in muddy races)
| | Similar Products Used: | intense tracer, s-works fsr-xc (2001), trek fuel 100 (2002), klein attitude hardtail | | Bike Setup: | pre-production 2002 custom adept. built from a frame with a 2001 manitou x-vert super fork (at 100mm travel), bontrager racelite wheels (custom '99 king-hub models), xtr drivetrain (save for prototype 2002 bontrager isis crank), xtr v-brakes, hutchinson python airlite front tire (set up tubeless via stan's), bontrager revolt super x rear tire (fits in stays better), thomson post and stem (130x5deg), answer protaper 1" rise bar, flite saddle | | Bottom Line: | i've been racing mountain bikes for 12 seasons now, and this is the finest racing mountain bike i've ever ridden. the comments people have made (below) about the amazing handling are definitely true. even versus my hardtail klein attitude, my adept feels like i can go into corners harder and more aggressively, yet can turn tighter. it's freaking amazing.
the poor rear tire clearance is sort of a bummer, but i like to race my hardtail in mud anyway, so it's not a super huge problem.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stewart Stoute
a Cross Country Rider
from BARBADOS
Date Reviewed: March 25, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Miami | | Strengths: | Very positive, Insane fro climbing hills | | Weaknesses: | Had a rear swing arm play, taken care of immediately! | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | full XTR | | Bottom Line: | There is only one word to say about this bike, coming from a hard tailer that thought i was riding the trails and downhills hard.
"SICK"
I am impressed, seeing that i just bought the bike, did not have the chance to try other bikes. But I am extreemly satisfied. Would recommend it to anyone that likes hard tails but needs the rear to stay on the ground. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Odi Tsagaris
a Cross Country Rider
from Athens, Greece
Date Reviewed: March 20, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | Rigid, agile, light | | Weaknesses: | Low ground clearance, price | | Similar Products Used: | Klein Mantra carbon (my bike) Ideal safari hardtail | | Bike Setup: | Pace fork, Mavic wheels, Middleburn cranks, Icon stem, XT, Magura HS33 | | Bottom Line: | Yesterday we switched bikes with a friend who used to have a KLEIN Mantra and recently got the Adept.
This bike is so nice that getting back to my mantra was really difficult. He had to surgically remove me from his bike.
It is stiff when you accelerate giving you a real advantage on uphills.
It rides through ripples with minimum fuss and good absorption.
It goes through gullies without a hint of stress. It just gets you to the other side.
Just watch the ground clearance, I have never hit the ground with a pedal in my Mantra but the Adept is a low rider.
Downhill you hang on and it goes. It needs some getting used to because it is ultraresponsive.
This is a no sleeping on the wheel bike.
If you are into taking control and showing the thing a trick or two this is the bike for you.
Im selling my Mantra!
But hey Mr Klein, why not lower your prices a little? | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from New Rochelle,NY USA
Date Reviewed: March 7, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$4000.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Great handling,cool USPS Masters paint,light weight,climbs very well | | Weaknesses: | Stupid through frame cable routing,a real pain in the a$$ to change cables,the absolute worst customer service in the bicycle industry. | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale Raven,Cannondale Super V,Foes LTS | | Bike Setup: | XTR gears,Next LP cranks,Avid Ti brakes,King hubs,Mavic D521 rims,Marzocchi X Fly 100,Titec bars and stemKing headset. | | Bottom Line: | Excellent handling bike.I purchased the frame only so I could build it as I wanted.Aside from the above weakness I have not had any other problems.If it were not for these problems it would have gotten a perfect score. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rich
a Cross Country Rider
from Navesink, NJ, USA
Date Reviewed: March 3, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Grand Tour, Hartshorne Woods | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2500.00 | | Purchased At: | Mtbr Classifieds | | Strengths: | Quick and smooth, carves like a good slalom ski. It's light and quiet. Very well crafted - feels super solid. The Fox Float Fork is sweet - easy to tune, lots of options. Of course the fact that's it's all XTR is nice. Climbs better than my Trek Fuel, which I thought was an excellent climber. This bike fits me really well so that even in technical stuff it seems automatic - just great a feel for whatever terrain I'm riding, epecially with speed. | | Weaknesses: | I'm not loving the stock Bontrager saddle. It's a bit of an ass buster, which I will probably replace. And while the Bonty Race Lite wheel set is very nice (it's set up for tubless, but they give you tubed tires), the stock tires, which are Bonty Race Revolt, are not knobby enough for some of the occassionaly soft and sandy local terrain. I may replace them with something more beefy and tubless. I welcome any suggestions. | | Similar Products Used: | I also have a 2001Trek Fuel 90 (fully upgraded to XT), Used to own a Specialized Stumpjumper, Demo'ed a Cannondale Raven | | Bike Setup: | Out-of-the-box stock. Full XTR, Fox Float RL front and back | | Bottom Line: | I wanted this bike ever since I demo'ed an Adpet Race. I thought I would settle for the Race - which probably would have been fine for me - until I found a Pro for a such a decent price (If you can ever call spending $2,500 on a bike decent). It just feels like it was made for me. I really liked my upgraded Fuel and thought I would ride it into the ground - it's such a beast. But, this bike is in another league. I feel like I'm flying on this bike and it's so damn pretty to boot. People just look at it when I ride up to the trailhead with their mouths slightly agape. I like the fact that they might mistakenly assume that the riders skill matches the beauty and technical excellence of this bike, even if that's not entirely true. This is a bike that makes an average rider good and a good rider great. So, if you're someone who appreciates a finely-crafted, kick-ass bike and you ride often and hard enough to justify the price, get this bike, because you won't be dissapointed. This is probably a great racer, but you don't have to be a pro to ride like one with this machine. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Justin
a Racer
from Gainesville, FL
Date Reviewed: January 20, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | climbing, handling, technical prowess | | Similar Products Used: | last fs bike: Titus RacerX | | Bike Setup: | Crossmax UST (currently w/ Pythons), 02 Sid SL (currently @ 63mm ... probably will change to 80mm), Thomson post, S-works headset, SLR saddle, Times, Monkey Lite low rise bar. Later upgrades: Eggbeaters, Specialized Roll Model UST tires and/or Stans w/ Michelin semi-slicks | | Bottom Line: | update: (For sizing concerns, included because this is always my main questions regarding a bike) I am 5'11" with long legs and a short torso. The bike is a medium w/ 12.5 inches from top of seat to top of seat clamp (@ 10+ inches of seatpost). With a 120 mm stem and 22 mm of spacers I've achieved a proper, "racy" fit with roughly 2-3 inches of drop between seat and bars. (note: The bike has loads of standover) While I could ride either a medium or a large (I'm stuck between sizes on most bikes) I chose the medium because a shorter wheelbase is better for tighter, more technical terrain. Also, for those favoring short stems, the Klein has a steepish head angle so a 120 only adds a bit to the stability.
After several more rides under my belt, the Adept is the finest handling bike I've ever ridden. Technical climbing doesn't even require much thought: simply point and shoot. While I attribute this to the short stays (which in turn does not allow for much rear wheel clearance), the UST certainly helped in this matter a significant amount. By slightly backing off the steepness of the head angle (my 97 Adroit had a crazy 71.9 degree head angle and required a lot of attention) the bike gains stability without losing any quickness. I feel (no testing) that I am much faster on this setup than (dare I say...) my previous ride (23.25 lb Titus Racer X)
[Disclaimer: the X is probably a better trail bike or 24-hour racer, due mainly to the fully-active suspension, overall versatility (quick and predicatable handling), and additional inch of travel]
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Justin
a Racer
from Gainesville, FL
Date Reviewed: January 6, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | many... | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Bike Works | | Strengths: | Handling, weight, geometry, components | | Weaknesses: | low bb and semi-active suspension (applies only to non-racer) | | Similar Products Used: | Titus Racer X, S-Works FSR xc, Fuel, Truth, numerous Klein hardtails, Jamis Dragon, etc... | | Bike Setup: | stock (w/o racelites) | | Bottom Line: | My initial impression is that the Adept is an extremely effective race bike: take a Klein hardtail and add some cushion and additional traction. I've owned several Klein hardtails and the quick handling geometry suits me ideally. This bike is no exception. After coming off a Racer X, I notice a stiffer ride (semi-active suspension sans Horst-link) and an inch less travel. On the upside, the bike has more punch and seems to climb better. The handling is superb. It is very quick (71.4 head angle) but a bit more stable than the older Kleins ('97 and earlier with crazy steep head angles).
I probably will not use the Race lite tubeless (Crossmax and Stans), but I've been riding the '99 versions (w/ Kings) for two years with no problems so I would expect the same lightweight performance.
Trade the seat (your choice, but lighter) and the seatpost (Thomson).
While I'll probably throw on my Sid SL (for sake of weight), the Fox fork is probably the finest suspension fork I've ever ridden. I've only begun to play with it, but with infinite adjusment and prom-night stiffness, the fork simply rules.
Overall, the bike should be the hands-down winner when compared to other short-travel, race-specific race bikes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Larry
a Cross Country Rider
from Brownsburg, IN, USA
Date Reviewed: December 3, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Winona Lake, Nebo, Avon, Wapahani | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | Nicely stiff feeling for a dual-suspension bike… Great climber… Carves turns like no bike I’ve ever ridden… Light (again for a dual-suspension rig) | | Weaknesses: | A bit pricey… Klein dealer in Indy employs arrogant punks | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Fuel 98… Fuji Super-Lite | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | I rode this bike (and several other bikes) at a recent Trek/Klein demo ride at Town Run Park. This bike will make an excellent racer, but is also comfortable enough to ride all day. The handling on this bike really must be experienced to be believed. I rode through the tight turns of Town Run on the south side of 465 about two gears higher than I ever had before. It’s simply the fastest cornering mountain bike on the market. The ride is amazing. You’d swear you were on a hardtail the bike climbs and accelerates so well, but when the trail gets rooty or rocky you can stay in the saddle and pedal through where you’d have to get out of the saddle on a hardtail. I ridden a lot of mountain bikes and this is the best rig I’ve ever ridden. I will own one soon once I find a friendly dealer. I won’t mention names, but the dealer that carries Klein in Indy (and Carmel) has no clue on how to treat customers. I am sure I could walk in there and sell more bikes in a week than their salesman could sell in a month. The 2002 model I rode was pearl white, not the plum of the '01. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bob
a Racer
from Melbourne Bch. FL, USA
Date Reviewed: November 17, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | EVERYTHING! THIS BIKE HAS IT ALL, I ORDERED MINE STOCK. KLEIN DID NOT HOLD BACK WHEN THEY CAME OUT WITH THE NEW 2002. I LOVE THE BONTRAGER RACE LIGHT WHEELS THEY ARE VERY QUICK,I HAVE NOT INSTALLED TUBELESS TIRES IN THEM YET. THE NEW FOX FORX IS EVERYTHING AND MORE THAT I WANT OUT OF A FORX! IT HAS A WIDE RANGE OF ADJUSTABILITY AND GREAT LATERAL STIFFNESS!!!!IT DOES EXACTILY WHAT YOU TELL IT TO DO THE FORX HANDLES EVERYTHING. THE KLEIN CRAFTIED A GREAT FRAME AND THE PAINT JOB ON THE STOCK BIKE IS SWEET! | | Weaknesses: | THE STOCK BIKE DID NOT COME WITH TUBELESS TIRES. BUT THATS OK I WILL JUST SWITCH THEM OUT. | | Similar Products Used: | NONE I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A HT RIDER | | Bike Setup: | STOCK | | Bottom Line: | THE BEST BIKE I HAVE EVER RIDEN! I AM VERY LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO RACE AND RIDE THIS BIKE EVERY DAY. IT HANDLES EVERYTHING I COME ACROSS. I FEEL FRESH AND READY FOR MORE AFTER LONG RIDES. I AM MUCH FASTER AND MORE IN CONTROL ON ANY KIND OF TRAIL! I CAN GO ON FOR EVER..............
THIS BIKE ROCKS!!!!!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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