common man

my intent is not controversy. i'm just a newbie who's seen this several times and would like to understand.

reasons i've heard

(1) distrust + dislike of lance armstrong, trek's sponsor. he's done more for the sport than bad and i give him the benefit of the doubt. besides, surely it can't hurt to have a top racer use your product?
(2) trek is too corporate? what companies are not? specialized?
(3) trek gives cheap components for price ranges. i only see this in comparison to companies that are not as popular and so they give better components to compete. an equally popular and successful company like specialized gives comparable components as trek iirc.
(4) everyone and their grandmom rides trek. i don't see anything wrong with this.
(5) trek has in house parts (bontrager) rather than 3rd party so they can skimp. this does worry me, it is a possibility, but it's still somewhat subjecive.

???

i'd like to know because in the future i'm eying a trek 6000. i want trek because i think they are the gold standard for bicycles i.e. geometry, have a good reputation, are tested by many customers, are reliable, and i'm in good company. what should i watch out for? surely trek is as popular as it is because of *some* merit and not all lance?

Buzzbait

I ride a Trek 4300 every day. It's an awesome bike. A huge improvement over my old Diamondbacks. No durability issues so far. No component problems. Just a near maintenance free ride. You won't catch me complaining about their entry/mid level bikes. I'm thoroughly satisfied.

|3iker

You should visit the Hybrid section. It seems Trek FX is the Honda Civic of bikes there! Everybody loves 'em.

itsthewoo

3 and 5 would be my primary reasons for avoiding Trek bicycles.

Not to mention the snobbery typically associated with them.

calamarichris

Trek & Armstrong have the same PR problem that Jesus has: their fans are insufferable.

tsl

Trek is the Microsoft of the bicycle world--the 400 pound gorilla. They throw their weight around, and they're a big, easy target.

I use Windows at work because I have to. At home I use Linux. I can't afford Apple.

I own two Treks, simply because they were the right bike at the right time and the right price. I wasn't shopping for Treks, in fact I was hoping for something else.

I also own a Schwinn and a Litespeed.

caloso

Nobody rides Treks anymore, they're too popular.





(With apologies to L.P. Berra)

xtrajack

I personally have no experience with Trek. I found that Trek was very well represented at the Maine bike rally last year. For every bike that I saw that wasn't a Trek there were three that were . I also noticed a lot of them this year involved with the Trek across Maine. The Trek across Maine to the best of my knowledge is not connected to Trek in any way, however, I could be wrong, wouldn't be the first time.

cachehiker

If unique is what you seek, Trek, Specialized, Giant, and to a lesser degree Cannondale are not likely on your shopping list.

khanom

Snobbery? Huh?

mcgreivey

!!

Nermal

For myself, it's the marketing. If you find a Trek product you like, you buy it at a Trek dealer. We have two bike shops in town. I don't like the Trek dealer. I don't want the shop I do deal with to see me loaded down with trek branded merchandise. I like having an internet buying option, and have no quibble with the quality of the merchandise.

thirdgenbird

here are the main reasons i am not a big fan of trek:
-they are commonplace
-they "watered down" gary fisher

and the number one reason:
-they "watered down" then killed klein

(i do have a fair amount of trek/bontrager accessories as they are local, i just dont desire one of their bikes)

i know specialized, giant, and cannondale are common to so this is how i roll:

Bikewer

We use Trek "police service" bikes exclusively at the department; we've got about 25 of 'em. They are good, solid bikes and mostly trouble free. Components are good enough to easily maintain when something does need adjustment/replacement.
In addition to maintaining this fleet, I've rebuilt and sold half-a-dozen other Treks over the last 10 years or so...All decent bikes with good resale value.

Sure, they're kind of everywhere... But decent machinery all the same.

thirdgenbird

couldnt have said it better bikewer.

resale is something they are VERY good at

spock

Trek bikes are good bikes and I don't have a problem with Lance. It's just that Trek just don't feel right to me. My first commuter was Trek 7000 and the only reason I got it is because of Star Trek. Then it turned out that Trek just wasn't worth it for me even with a cool name like that. It was like wearing a Nike and eating at McDonnalds. Just not me.

trek2.3bike

I have 3 Trek bikes. Love 'em all. Only Trek makes a frame I can ride.

They are like Chevrolet. A good solid product in every product line.

Bontrager parts and accessories are comparable to any other mass manufacturer.

The negativity you hear is based on jealousy.

cmherrmann

I have a 1997 Trek 2300, I just like the way it fits me and it has been a great bike. My son has a 2005 Trek 1500 that also fits him well and been a good bike. Trek riders being snobs seems like a very broad statement. I think that it might be more of an area or level of rider thing rather than what someone owns. A snob on a Trek would be just as big a snob on another brand. Blame the person not the bike.

referee54

Bingo! If you do not know the secret handshake that you get when you buy the Trek, you cannot post in the Hybrid Section of this forum...

common man

maybe he means that some dealers are firm when it comes to trek prices...you pay full msrp. luckily in my area that is not the case and i pay $50 or less than the msrp for new models. last year one of my dealers did try to bs me, claim that trek reduced its production, that only 28 models were left nationwide according to his "database", and so he'd charge 550 for a trek 7.2 fx that i had paid 380 for the year before. that's snobbery but i won't blame trek for it. usually lbs folks are nice & helpful but this guy was trying to be a snob with the trek name.

referee54

I don't know about that. I am not jealous of people that ride Treks. I love my Giant...in terms of cars, some people swear by a Ford; some people swear at them. Ride whatever fits you and whatever you like.

mcgreivey

Most bikes now come out a few factories in China and Taiwan, whatever the name on the bike is. Trek or Specialized (or whoever) will spec the components, and some details of the frame build, and perhaps the QC level, but to say "Treks are better than Specialized" (or whatever) has mostly become meaningless in the context of how bikes are actually built now. It comes down to the individual model itself, and whether you like it and it works for you. But don't be surprised if a couple months after you buy (say) a Giant, you come across (say, maybe) a Fuji or a Bikesdirect bike that's 95% the same, including tell-tale frame details. That's not necessarily a bad thing, if the bike you bought is a good bike.

The comparison to the auto industry isn't totally right on. Car makers tend to have their own factories still --though some models are indeed made in joint venture plants with other companies, and some companies do sell rebranded versions others' cars, and a more and more cars are built from off-the-shelf components used by various companies.

Anyway, there's no reason to dislike Treks more than any other "branding" companies that have things made for them in the Far East (which, these days, means most American "manufacturers", from clothing to bikes to appliances to whatever). If you seek purity of some kind, go buy a made-in-USA frame, if you're willing to spend the extra cash. Most of the components will still end up coming from China and Taiwan (and thereabouts), though.

thirdgenbird

i completely agree with you except the bold part. getting parts from italy is still VERY easy

referee54

I am not sure is that was directed at what I wrote, but what I was actually attempting to point out is that people feel a certain way about a car---ro example, a person will only drive is a Honda because he feels that they make the best cars. Another person will only drive a Ford for basically the same reason. I tend to look at bikes the same way. I started out with a Diamondback 20 years ago (well, actually,no, the Schwinn Typhoon that was madeout of recycled Sherman tanks was actually my first, but you get the point...), and then went to a Raleigh C-2000and then to a Giant. I looked at other Raleighs, Treks, etc., but ended up with a Giant. Ride what you like, and ride what fits you---what is important, in the end, is that you ride and enjoy ti.

TSC

dynodonn 

Call me a Trek bicycle enthusiast, with the exception of a Dawes and a Schwinn, I have a whole fleet of them.