Klein Track Bike 1975

"Klein track bike at the New York Bike Show, February 1975. 

 This marked the introduction of Gary Klein's welded aluminum frame to the public. I remember speaking to Gary Klein at the show that day. As you can see, the booth was bare-bones; I think he had a flier explaining his design idea. From my basic engineering knowledge, I understood what he was driving at, and realized this could be a real breakthrough. Little did I (and Gary) know that as usual, a Frenchman, Nicholas Barra, had beaten him to it by about 40 years. But I remember talking to Gary Klein and telling him that while the design and craftsmanship were great, I found his bicycle very ugly. He laughed and said "I think it's beautiful". Spoken like a true engineer. Note the steel (!) Cinelli track bars and stem, and the steel fork. Sugino track crankset."

From Chris Protopapas' Flickr.