klein attitude, but fork etc ...

"higb" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi all, I've been riding a lot of hardtails in the $1200 to $1500 range and the one that felt best
(right away, as soon as it started moving) was the klein attitude. It's at the low end of my range
(about $1000) and heavier than I'd like (at least 26 pounds) so I wonder, should I just ride it as
is (and save some money) or upgrade it before it leaves the shop?

The fork, a Duke XC, seemed like the logical place to start, but it got real confusing reading
MtbREVIEW pages. It seemed like there were people with something bad to say about every 3 pound
(or less) fork. Are the light forks giving up too much, or is there something that will work well
for a 150 pound recreational xc rider?

Maybe the Duke XC is a good trade-off(?).

BTW, if you'd like to look over the attitude's equipment list and comment, it's here. I'm not
really sure if the "extra" weight is centered in a few things, or spread out in all the
components:

kleinbikes.combikes.aspOpen ↗

Thanks.

What extra weight? The duke fork is a good all-round fork and yes sub-3lb forks are good only for
poseurs and sponsored racers.

Steve E.

higb said:

Maybe the Duke XC is a good trade-off(?).

Or a Manitou Skareb Super?

spademan o---\) * said:

Quoted message said:

BTW, if you'd like to look over the attitude's equipment list and comment, it's here. I'm not
really sure if the "extra" weight is centered in a few things, or spread out in all the
components:

kleinbikes.combikes.aspOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

What extra weight? The duke fork is a good all-round fork and yes sub-3lb forks are good only for
poseurs and sponsored racers.

I guess I was thinking that the bike as a whole is a pound and a half, or so, heavier than a
Stumpjumper Comp. Of course, now that I think about it the Stumpjumper has a fork that weighs about
the same (the Fox F8RLT).

If the weight difference is spread out, in all the component choices, it could take a while longer
to sort out (BTW, the shop guy might be right that a lot of it is in the huge 26x2.35 tires).

"higb" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

higb said:

Maybe the Duke XC is a good trade-off(?).

Or a Manitou Skareb Super?

"higb" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

higb said:

Maybe the Duke XC is a good trade-off(?).

Or a Manitou Skareb Super?

That's what I was thinking.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

I picked up a Klein Attitude a couple of weeks ago - managed to find one at a really good price, and the geometry was great for me. The bike has been a great ride so far - I'm finding myself really looking forward to the weekends to take it out again!

First thing I'll be upgrading is the brakes - the Avid brakes just don't feel like they'll be up to the task in the long haul. I'll probably be getting a set of discs sometime in the next few months. Nothing wrong with the fork so far. I'll also change out the tires in the not too distant future too - 2.35s are just a bit wide for the sort of terrain I'll mostly be riding. As a 220lb rider, there's no point in me worrying about a few extra pounds on the bike, so can't offer much advice there.

"higb" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi all, I've been riding a lot of hardtails in the $1200 to $1500 range and the one that felt best
(right away, as soon as it started moving) was the klein attitude. It's at the low end of my range
(about $1000) and heavier than I'd like (at least 26 pounds) so I wonder, should I just ride it as
is (and save some money) or upgrade it before it leaves the shop?

The fork, a Duke XC, seemed like the logical place to start, but it got real confusing reading
MtbREVIEW pages. It seemed like there were people with something bad to say about every 3 pound
(or less) fork. Are the light forks giving up too much, or is there something that will work well
for a 150 pound recreational xc rider?

Maybe the Duke XC is a good trade-off(?).

BTW, if you'd like to look over the attitude's equipment list and comment, it's here. I'm not
really sure if the "extra" weight is centered in a few things, or spread out in all the
components:

kleinbikes.combikes.aspOpen ↗

Thanks.

That bike is spec'd almost exactly the same as my '02 Sugar 3, thanks to the Trek marketing scheme.
To lighten up, I'd get IRC Serac 1.9 tires (which I think are the best XC tire in anything but total
flood conditions), any top level crank/bb (I recommenend anything RaceFace, though for you, the
TruVativ Stylo Team may be a bit better...it's lighter than some of the more affordable RF stuff,
and at 150 lbs. I doubt you'll miss the RF immortality), and high end Avid brakes/levers like SD Ti.
If the shop works with you, or if you shrewdly shop online, you can do all that for probably around
$400. Just for fun, I went to Cambria and put in the cart a Next LP square taper, RaceFace taperlock
bb, Avid SD Ti brakes and SD Mag levers, and a pair of Serac 1.9s. The total was $442, and the tires
and Avid stuff are probably cheaper at PricePoint. Sooooo...if the Klein was on the low end of your
price range, whch had $500 in wiggle room, you're now at the high-end, but the bike has some amazing
parts on it and is probably, give or take, a pound-plus lighter.

Also, weight could be saved and ride bettered in the seatpost/bar/stem areas - after a season on the
stock Sugar 3, I knew I wanted all the Bontrager stuff gone.

Regarding the fork...if you have bad luck, RockShox forks will leak, botom out, crack, and ruin your
ride fairly often. If you have good luck, they'll flex a bit and need a little more maintenance than
Manitou, Fox, or Marzocchi. You're being 150 lbs. helps. So, for pure weight savings, I'd let the
fork go - for now. For the best handling/performing bike, I'd get it the hell off of there.

I'd get rid of the Deore shifters and FD too...

Chris

Chris <[email hidden]> wrote, in part:

Quoted message said:

If the shop works with you, or if you shrewdly shop online, you can do all that for probably
around $400. Just for fun, I went to Cambria and put in the cart a Next LP square taper, RaceFace
taperlock bb, Avid SD Ti brakes and SD Mag levers, and a pair of Serac 1.9s. The total was $442,
and the tires and Avid stuff are probably cheaper at PricePoint.

Thanks for the many details. I'll have to mull that over a bit. If I don't change the fork, I might
just start riding it and then change things over time (and as sales present themselves).

I appreciate the hint on which light tire to look at.

higb says:

Quoted message said:

and the one that felt best (right away, as soon as it started moving) was the klein attitude.

and >so I wonder, should I

Quoted message said:

just ride it as is (and save some money) or upgrade it before it leaves the shop?

If it feels good, really good, as soon as it starts moving, then WTF would you want to change
_anything_ on it.? Buy, ride, enjoy, replace what breaks when it does so. if it doesn't, thne it was
right to begin with.....

Steve

"stubacca" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I picked up a Klein Attitude a couple of weeks ago - managed to find one at a really good price,
and the geometry was great for me. The bike has been a great ride so far - I'm finding myself
really looking forward to the weekends to take it out again!

First thing I'll be upgrading is the brakes - the Avid brakes just don't feel like they'll be up
to the task in the long haul. I'll probably be getting a set of discs sometime in the next few
months. Nothing wrong with the fork so far. I'll also change out the tires in the not too distant
future too - 2.35s are just a bit wide for the sort of terrain I'll mostly be riding. As a 220lb
rider, there's no point in me worrying about a few extra pounds on the bike, so can't offer much
advice there.

--

Quoted message said:

--------------------------<

Posted via cyclingforums.com cyclingforums.comcyclingforums.comOpen ↗

I've put many a mile on Avid linear pull brakes. You'll wear pads and rims (on a much slower rate)
but if you are riding just weekends it seems unlikely that they won't last the "long haul". Now
having said that, I have just converted to discs myself. I needed a new rear hub and rim anyway and
have other reasons why I would like to try out the Avid Discs. They include braking performance on
long downhill decents and in wet or muddy conditions. The "V" brakes worked OK, but I found them
less reliable after 6 miles of downhill. YMMV.

--
Craig Brossman, Durango Colorado (remove .nospam. if replying)

Stephen Baker said:

higb says:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and the one that felt best (right away, as soon as it started moving) was the klein attitude.

Quoted message said:

If it feels good, really good, as soon as it starts moving, then WTF would you want to change
_anything_ on it.?

You know how it is, you walk into a bike store with money in your pocket ... pretty soon you start
smelling smoke.

At this point, I seem to be leaning toward just riding it.

Stephen Baker said:

higb says:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

You know how it is, you walk into a bike store with money in your pocket ... pretty soon you start
smelling smoke.

Quoted message said:

Unfortunately, "yes". ;-(

Quoted message said:

My problem is walking into the LBS, with NO money in pocket, and the smokey smell is still there.

LOL, been there too

[repost after lost connection]

higb said:

Hi all, I've been riding a lot of hardtails in the $1200 to $1500 range and the one that felt best
(right away, as soon as it started moving) was the klein attitude. It's at the low end of my range
(about $1000) and heavier than I'd like (at least 26 pounds) so I wonder, should I just ride it as
is (and save some money) or upgrade it before it leaves the shop?

FWIW guys, I bought it and am riding it in the stock condition. When I got it home I measured the
seat to handlebar distance on my old-old and new bikes. No wonder the new one's comfortable, they're
exactly the same. But that's OK, the old bike was custom and we worked out the best stem
lenght/angle we could. The handlebars on the new bike feel wide (24" versus 22" on the old bike).
I'll ride them a bit and see if I really want to cut them down.

Anyway, the bike feels pretty good. The Duke XC and the big ol' Klein Deathgrip 2.35" tires combine
to make a pretty comfortable ride. Better grip and control than my old bike(s) too. The new Shimano
M515 pedals feel better and have more float than the Ritcheys I had on the now-stolen (1996?)
S-Works hardtail. It's a different motion to get out of them (gotta kick your heel farther?), so I
fell over once, like a bone-head, when my not-too-well-adjusted chain came off in front. A riding
buddy got to see that, in its full glory :-)

I don't like the huge long throw on the bottom shift levers, but maybe that's something that can be
adjusted. (Shimano Deore)