This is not true everywhere. Our local Trek dealer also sells Orbeas. But Trek sells through authorized dealers, similar to the way car dealers work. You by a GM from a GM dealer; a Toyota thorugh a Toyota dealer; a Ford from a Ford dealer. A bike shop signs on to be an authorized dealer and in exchange, gets some benefits for doing this from Trek. It's just a way of selling bikes is all. If you don't like it, take it up with your LBS owner. They were the ones making the decision to sell Treks and nothing else. Trek provides a full line of bikes, so from the shop's perspective, why duplicate your inventory? Because of the dealer arrangement, the LBS takes home a bigger cut of the sale, I'm sure. Trek cannot dictate what dealer can sell, this much I know. That is anti-competitive. If the shop does this, then it's the shop's decision alone, and it's because Trek is a package deal and ends up making the shop more money.

I don't know why everyone dumps on Trek. It seems to be in particular fashion on bikeforums.net - some sort of group think thing going on. Trek bikes are the same or better quality as any other bikes out there. This is not "American car vs. Japanese car". The high end Treks are just as high end (or better) and light and strong and everything else as any other high end bike. The low end is no lower end than other's lower end bikes.

Man. The lengths people will go to criticize a company for trying to make money. Imagine that. A company in business to do business and make a profit. Who would've though.