Almost exactly ten years ago, the American frame builder Gary Klein presented his "Quantum Pro" racing bike frame. With this light and stiff aluminium frame, he was at the forefront of technical development and contributed more than any other manufacturer to making racing bikes look the way they do today. But the Klein brand has gone quiet. It gathered dust, largely unnoticed, in the treasure chest of the US company Trek - and others took over the lead in technical development. Now Klein is trying to set the tone again: with the "Rève xx", which it claims is the "lightest damped racing bike frame in the world".
Comfort is provided by an elastomer shock absorber available in three hardnesses with 10 millimetres of travel in the monostay rear triangle of the aluminium frame, which works without joints: instead, the chainstays deform elastically. This technology is not new, but it has advantages: it saves weight - and joints that do not exist cannot wear out. The fear that permanent vibrations will weaken the rear frame is largely unfounded: Conscientiously welded and heat-treated, the chain stays can withstand the bending load for the life of the frame. If strong riders pedal hard in a sprint, the chainstays of almost every road bike deflect to the side to a similar extent.
The effect of this simple technology is clearly noticeable. The damping noticeably smoothes out the rumble over tar patches and small potholes, it responds finely and works unobtrusively. Only when pedalling at speed on flat terrain do you notice a slight bobbing that takes some getting used to when the shock is regularly released during the pedalling cycle. Extreme bumps and cobblestones, however, show the system its limits. The damping has no further influence on the riding behaviour, the frame appears stiff and can be safely controlled even in difficult riding situations.
In the lab test, the "Rève" (French for "dream") left a slightly cloudy impression - unusual for bikes from Klein. The frame, including the damping unit, weighs just under 200 grams more than a Quantum Pro, namely 1.6 kilos. This is an acceptable value, but the weight of the carbon fork with aluminium steerer tube of 536 grams doesn't match it; ten years ago, the highly praised Quantum Pro fork weighed 380 grams. Even then, the bike with Shimano's Dura-Ace cost a proud 5,500 marks, today the "Rève" is listed with a mix of Shimano Dura-Ace and Bontrager parts for 4,000 euros - everyone has to make up their own mind about that. Annoyingly, the lower headset cone didn't fit properly - the aluminium fork steerer was oversized. The quality of the paintwork, once one of the US brand's highlights, also bears no comparison. The orange-coloured coating flaked off even under light impacts. The spring characteristic curve of the elastomer determined in the laboratory confirms the good tuning of the system. It responds gently and works effectively over the entire length of the suspension travel, increasing the damping of the overall bike system by around 40 per cent.
The geometry of the frame indicates that Klein's new contribution to the road bike segment is aimed at a different target group: The riding position is much more upright, threaded eyelets on the frame and fork as well as brakes with extended brake levers allow mudguards and pannier racks to be fitted - turning the road bike into a sports tourer. The compact crank with the 50/36 chainring combination and the cassette with sprockets from 12 to 27 teeth are a perfect match.
ConclusionThe "Rève" is not the big hit that fans of the brand may have been waiting for. The suspension idea is not new, but it is well implemented. The concept of the versatile, comfortable sports tourer is coherent, although the weaknesses in workmanship and finish, which are not typical of Klein, spoil the overall impression.
