Trek in Trouble?
02-20-26 | 03:25 PM
#26
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2005
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From: In the foothills of Los Angeles County
I don't know but he said he was imposing a 10% tax on everything. If any existing tariffs were not cancelled by the SCOTUS ruling, the 10% would be added on top of those. I got a couple tires from Europe last week and there was $10 added to each tire, so if that tariff was not removed by the ruling, those tires would now be another $6 more per tire.
02-20-26 | 03:31 PM
#27
Clark W. Griswold
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 18,452
Likes: 6,761
From: ,location, location
Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26
Trek needs to get out of owned retail in failing markets find someone to take over those shops and close out at whatever they can get. That will help them greatly. They went in took the soul out of the bike shop and lost money on that venture and are wondering why? If they had just kept selling to all these places they would be fine but they wanted to have their name on them and that absolutely killed them. That is why Specialized slowed down on that, it is terrible for business. The reason people go into bike shops is for the soul for the uniqueness a corporate store is basically a bunch of zombies and the fun and the reason why we all work in them is gone. I don't wish ill on Trek because they provide my POS system but they do need to change things around or they will keep falling.
02-20-26 | 03:41 PM
#28
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Bikes: Colnago, Van Dessel, Factor, Cervelo, Ritchey
Does that mean those poor penguins on the two islands in the Indian Ocean are now tariffed at 20%? How can they afford that?!?!?
02-20-26 | 04:34 PM
#29
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2010
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From: Elevation 666m Edmonton Canada
Bikes: 2013 Custom SA5w / Rohloff Tourster
So they'll have to move to Pittsburg.
02-20-26 | 05:14 PM
#30
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2021
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From: Santa Rosa, CA
Bikes: More than I have room for.
It's tough out there for a penguin these days. If they just stop eating avocado toast and cut out that Starbucks run every morning, then they can afford the latest and greatest Trek has to offer!
02-20-26 | 06:14 PM
#31
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 823
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From: Delaware Sea Shore
Bikes: There is always room for one more.
.
This behemoth of the bike industry is in trouble. It’s no secret within the industry that Trek is crippled by enormous overstock and debt servicing costs on that inventory. But a former Trek employee at the managerial level told Escape Collective that Trek's situation is particularly dire. “It’s been a solid year and a half of just all red on the daily sales reports. Just down versus prior year, things are moving slowly.”
This behemoth of the bike industry is in trouble. It’s no secret within the industry that Trek is crippled by enormous overstock and debt servicing costs on that inventory. But a former Trek employee at the managerial level told Escape Collective that Trek's situation is particularly dire. “It’s been a solid year and a half of just all red on the daily sales reports. Just down versus prior year, things are moving slowly.”
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Don
Don
02-20-26 | 06:29 PM
#32
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From: In the foothills of Los Angeles County
02-20-26 | 09:46 PM
#33
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2012
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From: Orange County, California
Bikes: Yes
I'm not interested in a lot of the bicycle models and model segments these days, nor the new tech that's been added to them, and that's the same with all the brands. Not interested in disc brakes, electronic shifting, carbon fiber frames/forks/wheels/seat tubes/other parts, through-axles, tiny front single chainrings with 11-12 gear cassettes in back. And not interested in something that I cannot fix & maintain by myself at home with a regular tool set and a few simple specialty tools. Nope, I'm not in the market for a new bicycle and don't expect to be for the foreseeable future.
02-20-26 | 11:44 PM
#34
Cop Magnet
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 580
Likes: 655
I'm sure Trek's demise has nothing to do with the fact that their cheapest Madone is $2900 and sports Shimano 105 mechanical shifting and crappy wheels. /s
Trek's ego got really big when Lance Armstrong was "winning" the Grand Tour, and they let the fame go to their heads. The chickens are simply coming home to roost.
Trek's ego got really big when Lance Armstrong was "winning" the Grand Tour, and they let the fame go to their heads. The chickens are simply coming home to roost.
02-21-26 | 12:26 AM
#35
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From: Minneapolis
Bikes: 2022 Salsa Beargrease Carbon Deore 11, 2020 Salsa Warbird GRX 600, 2020 Canyon Ultimate CF SLX disc 9.0 Di2, 2020 Catrike Eola, 2016 Masi cxgr, 2011, Felt F3 Ltd, 2010 Trek 2.1, 2009 KHS Flite 220
Many companies, not just Trek, not just bicycle companies, tend to do this. Everyone from McDonalds, to IBM, to Bed, Bath and Beyond, to Forever 21, etc. etc. There is a surge in demand, and they gear up the business as if that surge will continue indefinitely when, obviously, it won't.
For many years, there was one REI store near me. Then, suddenly, there were four - full-sized stores, not just outlets or annexes. Now, just as suddenly, we're back down to one (not the same as the one that was there for years). I'm sure the inventory from the 3 closed stores didn't get sold, or just evaporate. It's still somewhere, and REI has to pay for it (and, pay to store it until they do so).
There are exceptions, of course. For example, I'm old enough to remember when Coors was not available east of the Mississippi. Then, they (I think) started brewing and bottling further east, and expanded to the east coast That expansion was sustainable because they increased their geographic reach to a new population.
For many years, there was one REI store near me. Then, suddenly, there were four - full-sized stores, not just outlets or annexes. Now, just as suddenly, we're back down to one (not the same as the one that was there for years). I'm sure the inventory from the 3 closed stores didn't get sold, or just evaporate. It's still somewhere, and REI has to pay for it (and, pay to store it until they do so).
There are exceptions, of course. For example, I'm old enough to remember when Coors was not available east of the Mississippi. Then, they (I think) started brewing and bottling further east, and expanded to the east coast That expansion was sustainable because they increased their geographic reach to a new population.
02-21-26 | 12:31 AM
#36
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From: Minneapolis
Bikes: 2022 Salsa Beargrease Carbon Deore 11, 2020 Salsa Warbird GRX 600, 2020 Canyon Ultimate CF SLX disc 9.0 Di2, 2020 Catrike Eola, 2016 Masi cxgr, 2011, Felt F3 Ltd, 2010 Trek 2.1, 2009 KHS Flite 220
I bought a Trek 2.1 about 15 years ago, but since then my idea of a desirable bike has changed a lot. I can't imagine buying any Trek now. More recent purchases have been a Canyon and two Salsas.
Salsa is a QBP product, Canyon of course a direct to consumer brand. And they are all struggling. Canyon had big layoffs last month and QBP has gone through a bunch of rounds of them in the last year.
My point is that it's not because Trek isn't cool and doesn't have products attractive to consumers. They are all struggling.
Salsa is a QBP product, Canyon of course a direct to consumer brand. And they are all struggling. Canyon had big layoffs last month and QBP has gone through a bunch of rounds of them in the last year.
My point is that it's not because Trek isn't cool and doesn't have products attractive to consumers. They are all struggling.
02-21-26 | 05:54 AM
#37
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 870
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From: Eastern PA
Bikes: Trek 4900, Hetchins Italia, Falcon San Remo, Peugeot PX-10LE
New laws requiring insurance, registrations, et...are going to hurt ebikes big time sooner or later.
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“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the former."
― Albert Einstein
02-21-26 | 07:22 AM
#38
Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 9,155
Likes: 1,744
From: Wherever I am
Bikes: Merlin Cyrene, Nashbar steel CX
this
DOMANE SL7
vs
https://www.polygonbikes.com/2026-st...di2-road-bike/
02-21-26 | 07:29 AM
#39
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 2,449
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From: Eastern Shore MD
Bikes: Lemond Zurich/Trek ALR/Giant TCX/Stumpy 15
Tip of the iceberg.
Not just Trek, not just bikes…luxury toys, RV’s, Auto’s - houses -
Absolutely everything is priced accordingly to match 2 full time incomes and mass amounts of credit/debt.
There is no more “up”, there is no more (well very little) to extract from the general population.
Trek, other brands… how do they clear overstock without tanking the prices of new models? How do they pay their vendors/suppliers/manufacturers? And how do all of them react and survive after some of their biggest customers go belly up. And so on and so on down the line…
Multiply that by all the other industries that are in the same boat… pop. The auto industry is a house of cards- once again…
I fully expect a pop coming soon, a big pop.
Not just Trek, not just bikes…luxury toys, RV’s, Auto’s - houses -
Absolutely everything is priced accordingly to match 2 full time incomes and mass amounts of credit/debt.
There is no more “up”, there is no more (well very little) to extract from the general population.
Trek, other brands… how do they clear overstock without tanking the prices of new models? How do they pay their vendors/suppliers/manufacturers? And how do all of them react and survive after some of their biggest customers go belly up. And so on and so on down the line…
Multiply that by all the other industries that are in the same boat… pop. The auto industry is a house of cards- once again…
I fully expect a pop coming soon, a big pop.
02-21-26 | 07:36 AM
#40
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 2,449
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From: Eastern Shore MD
Bikes: Lemond Zurich/Trek ALR/Giant TCX/Stumpy 15
Oh, and prices will come down on the back side of all of this… I dunno.
2007-8 the big pickup truck and boat industry exploded.
A few smaller production boat brand survived, a spattering of the big brands came out the other end… lower prices? Hell no. They took existing models, loaded them up with excess gizmos, luxuries (on fishing boats none the less) - cut production and jacked prices thru the roof. Instead of extracting a little from many, they extracted more from few.
Trucks - unsustainable prices in 2006 right? They failed and then said - hold my beer and watch this. Essentially doubled the prices by putting more gizmos on the trucks and offer longer term financing.
if our sector of bikes pops, and it probably will - I expect the same on the back side.
2007-8 the big pickup truck and boat industry exploded.
A few smaller production boat brand survived, a spattering of the big brands came out the other end… lower prices? Hell no. They took existing models, loaded them up with excess gizmos, luxuries (on fishing boats none the less) - cut production and jacked prices thru the roof. Instead of extracting a little from many, they extracted more from few.
Trucks - unsustainable prices in 2006 right? They failed and then said - hold my beer and watch this. Essentially doubled the prices by putting more gizmos on the trucks and offer longer term financing.
if our sector of bikes pops, and it probably will - I expect the same on the back side.
02-21-26 | 07:38 AM
#41
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 1,261
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From: falfurrias texas
Bikes: wabi classic (stolen & recovered)
Covid
Tariffs boomersinflationsupersize cultureinfrastructure ......... bicycles & bicycle lifestyles in the US are for the few (bikes like motos are considered "recreational" not transportational vehicles in the US) ... big brands like Specialized and Trek aint got no future unless some conglomerate or equity outfit keeps them going for "other than bicycling" reasons .. the future for the US cycling community is probably with small independent bicycle craftsmen who will thrive more as the big brands overprice inferior quality in an effort to satisfy their benefactor$$$ ... bicycles aint going away but a bunch of familiar bicycle brands are gonna be gone or at best be aint what they used to be ............................ BUY FROM THE SMALL GUYS AND RIDE IN STYLE
Tariffs boomersinflationsupersize cultureinfrastructure ......... bicycles & bicycle lifestyles in the US are for the few (bikes like motos are considered "recreational" not transportational vehicles in the US) ... big brands like Specialized and Trek aint got no future unless some conglomerate or equity outfit keeps them going for "other than bicycling" reasons .. the future for the US cycling community is probably with small independent bicycle craftsmen who will thrive more as the big brands overprice inferior quality in an effort to satisfy their benefactor$$$ ... bicycles aint going away but a bunch of familiar bicycle brands are gonna be gone or at best be aint what they used to be ............................ BUY FROM THE SMALL GUYS AND RIDE IN STYLE
02-21-26 | 07:38 AM
#42
Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 9,155
Likes: 1,744
From: Wherever I am
Bikes: Merlin Cyrene, Nashbar steel CX
Maybe this cutting edge new design will help?
02-21-26 | 07:43 AM
#43
In the wind
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,358
Likes: 150
From: Calgary AB
Bikes: Giant TCR Advanced Team, Lemond Buenos Aires, Giant TCX, Miyata 1000LT
I love my old trek - well, it says Lemond on the downtube but whatever.
I just bought a new mountain bike and never even considered trek (or spec) - elbows up yo!
I suspect a lot of non-US buyers feel the same.
I just bought a new mountain bike and never even considered trek (or spec) - elbows up yo!
I suspect a lot of non-US buyers feel the same.
02-21-26 | 08:10 AM
#44
Tariff blowback may affect that, of course. Or may not, depending on how the current situation shakes out.
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You are always the same age inside.---Gertrude Stein
My aluminum bikes: Light, strong, cheap, and comfy.
You are always the same age inside.---Gertrude Stein
My aluminum bikes: Light, strong, cheap, and comfy.
Last edited by Trakhak; 02-21-26 at 08:14 AM.
02-21-26 | 08:15 AM
#45
Covid Tariffs boomersinflationsupersize cultureinfrastructure ......... bicycles & bicycle lifestyles in the US are for the few (bikes like motos are considered "recreational" not transportational vehicles in the US) ... big brands like Specialized and Trek aint got no future unless some conglomerate or equity outfit keeps them going for "other than bicycling" reasons .. the future for the US cycling community is probably with small independent bicycle craftsmen who will thrive more as the big brands overprice inferior quality in an effort to satisfy their benefactor$$$ ... bicycles aint going away but a bunch of familiar bicycle brands are gonna be gone or at best be aint what they used to be ............................ BUY FROM THE SMALL GUYS AND RIDE IN STYLE
Tariffs boomersinflationsupersize cultureinfrastructure ......... bicycles & bicycle lifestyles in the US are for the few (bikes like motos are considered "recreational" not transportational vehicles in the US) ... big brands like Specialized and Trek aint got no future unless some conglomerate or equity outfit keeps them going for "other than bicycling" reasons .. the future for the US cycling community is probably with small independent bicycle craftsmen who will thrive more as the big brands overprice inferior quality in an effort to satisfy their benefactor$$$ ... bicycles aint going away but a bunch of familiar bicycle brands are gonna be gone or at best be aint what they used to be ............................ BUY FROM THE SMALL GUYS AND RIDE IN STYLE
__________________
You are always the same age inside.---Gertrude Stein
My aluminum bikes: Light, strong, cheap, and comfy.
You are always the same age inside.---Gertrude Stein
My aluminum bikes: Light, strong, cheap, and comfy.
02-21-26 | 08:24 AM
#46
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,400
Likes: 744
From: Columbus, Ohio
Bikes: Lynskey R230, Trek 5200, 1975 Raleigh Pro, 1973 Falcon ,Trek T50 Tandem and a 1968 Paramount in progress.
I bought my Trek 5200 probably 25 years ago, 'cause that's what Lance rode. But the shop also sold other brands, not only bikes but other stuff too. Now that all stores are corporate, everything in the darn store is Trek. Bikes, shoes, even socks. Not that I can go to a Chevy dealer and also drive a Kia and a Honda.
I bought my last bike at a small LBS will do the same for my next. Trek stores just feel too much like a car dealer.
I bought my last bike at a small LBS will do the same for my next. Trek stores just feel too much like a car dealer.
02-21-26 | 08:40 AM
#47
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 2,449
Likes: 2,191
From: Eastern Shore MD
Bikes: Lemond Zurich/Trek ALR/Giant TCX/Stumpy 15
My LBS sells both Trek and Specialized. Non corporate store.
in my garage there are 3 Treks and 2 Specialized purchased there, and I used to have a few more which were sold off or donated. Plus a Giant and a Lemond…
I don’t care about brand names - that kind of stuff is almost down personal preference… take any decent brand and put the same rider on any of the bikes and the outcomes will be the same. They are all pretty much good to great bikes, across most brands.
Trek going down, if they do - is a bigger issue than a brand name. Brand preference, or our personal feelings don’t really matter.
In the end we will be left with fewer choices and probably even higher prices.
in my garage there are 3 Treks and 2 Specialized purchased there, and I used to have a few more which were sold off or donated. Plus a Giant and a Lemond…
I don’t care about brand names - that kind of stuff is almost down personal preference… take any decent brand and put the same rider on any of the bikes and the outcomes will be the same. They are all pretty much good to great bikes, across most brands.
Trek going down, if they do - is a bigger issue than a brand name. Brand preference, or our personal feelings don’t really matter.
In the end we will be left with fewer choices and probably even higher prices.
02-21-26 | 10:51 AM
#48
Mad bike riding scientist
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 29,209
Likes: 6,286
From: Denver, CO
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
I have nothing against small builders. I own 4 bikes from small local builders but they aren’t something that is going to get the regular person on a bike nor are they built for transportation purposes.
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Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
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Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
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Stuart Black
Dreamin' of Bemidji Down the Mississippi (in part)
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
02-21-26 | 02:52 PM
#49
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 6,768
Likes: 5,405
From: Minneapolis
Bikes: 2022 Salsa Beargrease Carbon Deore 11, 2020 Salsa Warbird GRX 600, 2020 Canyon Ultimate CF SLX disc 9.0 Di2, 2020 Catrike Eola, 2016 Masi cxgr, 2011, Felt F3 Ltd, 2010 Trek 2.1, 2009 KHS Flite 220
Tip of the iceberg.
Not just Trek, not just bikes…luxury toys, RV’s, Auto’s - houses -
Absolutely everything is priced accordingly to match 2 full time incomes and mass amounts of credit/debt.
There is no more “up”, there is no more (well very little) to extract from the general population.
Trek, other brands… how do they clear overstock without tanking the prices of new models? How do they pay their vendors/suppliers/manufacturers? And how do all of them react and survive after some of their biggest customers go belly up. And so on and so on down the line…
Multiply that by all the other industries that are in the same boat… pop. The auto industry is a house of cards- once again…
I fully expect a pop coming soon, a big pop.
Not just Trek, not just bikes…luxury toys, RV’s, Auto’s - houses -
Absolutely everything is priced accordingly to match 2 full time incomes and mass amounts of credit/debt.
There is no more “up”, there is no more (well very little) to extract from the general population.
Trek, other brands… how do they clear overstock without tanking the prices of new models? How do they pay their vendors/suppliers/manufacturers? And how do all of them react and survive after some of their biggest customers go belly up. And so on and so on down the line…
Multiply that by all the other industries that are in the same boat… pop. The auto industry is a house of cards- once again…
I fully expect a pop coming soon, a big pop.
You could argue that what the bike manufactures need is less income inequality so that more people could afford their bikes, but if consumer spending overall is going up, then some other sector must be prospering.
Probably any further discussion along these lines would need to go to P&R.
02-21-26 | 03:43 PM
#50
Gruppetto Bob
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 11,647
Likes: 11,841
From: Seattle-ish
Bikes: Orbea Orca, Bianchi Infinito & Campione de Mundo