price: $2,310
weight: 19 lbs.
frame material: TIG welded Klein Gradient aluminum alloy
sizes available: 51-61 cm in 2-cm increments; 63 cm available as frameset (59 cm tested)
fork: Icon AirRail carbon fiber
component highlights: Shimano Ultrega 18-speed group, Icon Sterling handlebar and Graphite stem and seatpost, Selle Italia Flite Gel saddle, Rolf Vector Comp wheels, Michelin Axial Pro K 700x23c tires website: www.kleinbikes.com
Seven words about the bike:
Stiff especially on long rides. Crisp handling.
Buy it if:
Youre a big rider who needs a strong frame, or you want a fast, lightweight bike.
Forget it if:
Youre a resident of Pothole City, USA.
Profile:
High-zoot road racer.
Best thing about this bike:
Exceptional frame stiffness, which keeps sprinters and big-gear hill-climbers smiling.
Love it or leave it:
Kleins Micro dropouts, which face backward. Theyre ultra-small and super light, and theyre touted to be extra-strong where the derailleur hanger is concerned. But they complicate rear-wheel removal.
Road manners:
The extremely stiff structure makes this bike a wickedly quick beast around corners, provided the road surface is smooth. On rough corners, that stiffness can cause the wheels to skip. Rigid Rolf wheels are great in sprints but transmit road vibration through the oversize tubes.
Interesting history:
Gary Klein started the trend toward oversize, lightweight aluminum frames 25 years ago.
What its best at:
Brutally efficient where power is concerned.
Interesting options:
For $200 extra get your Quantum Race in your choice of eight colors, with your name inscribed on the top tube right next to Gary Kleins. Get the same bike with a triple chainring for $50 more.
-Garrett Lai