Think about it. Trek became very popular long before Lance came along. I grew up in Wisconsin when Trek became popular in the 80's. There is a simple reason Trek became very popular. The name.

That's it. The name. TREK is a very simple catchy name that is easy for people to recognize and jive with. Just like Schwinn (before they self-destructed). Throw in some good marketing, and you have a winner. The name says it all for the average person who wants a good qaulity product that they know has built a good reputation over the last decade.

The average Joe doesn't want some off-brand bike that noone can recognize. But if they had a shiny new TREK, they all say, "Hey cool, a TREK. Nice Bike." Because everyone recognizes it. Simple.