Trek are to move their Klein manufacturing operations across the country from Chehalis, Washington to Trek’s home of Waterloo, Wisconsin next February.

Trek tried Wisconsin-built Kleins with the Pulse range a few years back, but the hardcore afficionado’s didn’t like that one bit. But now Trek have decided to try it again on a much larger scale according to a statment released yesterday.

According to Trek; “The move is part of an overall Klein strategy to make the product line more competitive, reduce lead times to better serve customers and prepare for an exciting 2003 product line manufactured in Waterloo.”

All the Klein employees will be offered similar jobs over in the land of beef and cheese, and Gary will be retained as the chief prototype developer. Presumably Trek will do everything to keep the sky-high build and finishing quality that has companies like Maverick getting their bike construction done in Chehalis. Joe Vadeboncouer of Trek confirmed that Klein will always be a jewellery level bike with the highest possible manufacturing standards.

Hopefully the move will also see more of Klein’s hallmark innovation rather than still lovely but rather conventional product lines of the past two years.

For more details of the Klein range and the Gary Klein story check out Kleinbikes.com. Don’t try Klein.com though as it’s spookily home to a picture of a cat and a picture of a Brian Blessed lookalike as well as publications on female mutilation in African tribes. Not quite what we were expecting at 8 in the morning.