good point, but depends on your geographic location. when i was living in madison, wi (not too far from waterloo, where trek is based) i got a sweet deal on my 4500. if my memory serves me right, treks were cheaper and a lot easier to find than giant or specialized. here in jackson hole, giant and jamis are a better deal.

if you want a company to rip on, try schwinn and gt. they (pacific cycle) are now based or at least have some operations in madison. at least you can't find treks at wal-mart.

a little off topic, but did schwinn kill paramount? i haven't seen one in years