Originally Posted by benzene
<i>He gave a sarcastic response which I full endorse.</i>
No offense, but he gave an authoritative response working on the assumption that he was the only one in the room qualified to make a qualified opinion.
<i>we know he has raced and we know he has worked in a bike shop for many many many years</i>
And so what? I purchased my Trek from a friend’s shop, who races, who's worked at a LBS for over a decade. Marginal experience is not definitive. I took this into account when taking my friend's advice regarding Trek.
<i>If he has some serious thoughts about why trek sucks, which he does, he should be able to voice them.</i>
It would be nice to hear these critiques in an articulate manner. "Trek sucks" and "their welds are shoddy" are vague and anecdotal.
Now, I'm not a Trek ***** (I've owned a specialized and a GT), though I am amazed that I was able to buy a FS with an XT/LX drive, Splice comp fork, rebound adjustable rear and hydraulic discs for under $1200. Specialized, Cannondale, Santa Cruz, and yes, KONA failed miserably in this department.
If there were even the slightest evidence of consensus regarding Treks supposed shoddy quality, then Trek's detractors would have ground to stand on. But look at the reviews both online and in the MTB print media. Trek is always rated well above average. It is the consensus that Trek makes a quality frame. If you disagree, then fine. But you are in the minority.
Trek rarely upgrades the Fuel geometry. Which is a godsend if you plan to ride your bike for many years. It means the design was right the first time. They own Bontrager, so quality over cost is high for these "in house" components. My frame was welded in America, KONAs, and now even Santa Cruz's are not (though, I'm saying that this is a quality issue).
I strongly encourage someone to critique a bicycles companies’ frame design, component quality and selection, and even their business practices. This is information. I have yet to see this quality of banter regarding Trek. In its place is the tired "don’t drink the Starbucks" mentality, which offers no insight whatsoever