In the case of the Gary Fisher brand being bought by Trek, I think it was timing as much as anything that contributed to the success of the buyout. Fisher was of course one of the true mountain bike pioneers in the earliest days of mountain bikes, and during the '80's produced some very nice bikes. But by the very early nineties, the company was nearly bankrupt, the brand was sold (I don't know who bought it), and for a year or two, maybe '91-'92, the bikes were produced exclusively overseas and Gary Fisher had nothing to do with the Gary Fisher brand of bicycles, he had sold the company and was gone. I believe it was '93 that Trek bought the brand, and just as importantly hired Gary Fisher. The mountain bike boom hit about the same time, and with the Gary Fisher brand recognition already in place, Trek's production capacity, and Gary Fisher himself playing a key role with ideas and design, it was a recipe for success-