Gary Klein (inventor)

Gary Klein (inventor)

Gary Klein is an inventor, bicycle designer and innovator of the oversized tube aluminum bicycle, now a mainstay in the cycling market. He first developed the concept in 1973 as part of the Independent Activities Period aluminum bicycle project at MIT, where he was an engineering student and bicycle racer, then commercialized the concept after graduation.

Their 1994 road racing aluminum frame "Quantum Pro" was the first high reputation mass production frame to bear an integrated headset fork with threadless aluminum steering shaft for a headset type stem. Additionally, the frame had brake and shifting cables inside the tubes, making the design mud resistant. Some off-road models featured one-piece welded stem-bar combinations, marketed as Mission Control, eliminating clamping bolts and excess parent material. Each of these features became trends in bicycle frame manufacturing. Although French bike manufacturer Vitus had marketed integrated fork designs on their adhesive lugged frames in the early 1990s (and Bianchi before them), they were lesser known items. Gary Klein frames were the official supplier of German cycling Team Gerolsteiner before 2003. They also made personal sponsorship in the professional road bicycle racing e.g. some riders of Team ONCE normally riding LOOK frames at the mid '90s period.