Wow, you really are trying hard.

People is driven that is different, thats called publicity (promotion.) People know that lance won using a trek, what if lance have used a leader???? or a rebadged european bike with leader decals??

Trek sucks anyways. Anybody knwos if lemonds bikes are on sale?

OK, a few points. Klein was welcomed into Trek for his technology in aluminum. ZR9000, or Red Aluminum as its called from '08 models and beyond was his technology. Awesome and innovative but Klein didnt have the market power to be successful. Trek offered to buy him out and bring him in. Sounds like a good deal to me. His bikes are still out there, they have a Trek name on em.

[Insider sneek peek: keep your eyes peeled all you Klein Lovers, something tells me a road bike line might be resurrected]

As for all the haters on Trek,.......OH SHUT UP ITS GETTING OLD.

Trek=largest and most successful bike company ever, PERIOD.

As for the dealer's point of view, as a purchaser for a major Trek account I can tell you I wish I could get ALL my product from them. Easy ordering, usually always available, easy Backordering process, free shipping on almost all my major orders (keeps my profits up), oh yea and they make a pretty sweet bike. Not to mention all the OCLV bikes are made in the USA in Waterloo, Wisc. That till never change as long as the Burke family controls the company. That was the late Dick Burke's vision of the company. (He founded the company)

So, go suck a D haters

BTW I LOVE MY MADONE! But I respect the other bikes for what they are. There really isnt a bad bike out there, barring a few glaring exceptions. (big box store bikes anyone?) I have ridden a Specialized and a Cervelo and liked em both, but they didnt fit my needs. Plus the discount I got makes it much easier for this student to ride a nice bike.

Giant is the biggest and most successful company.

You have to be pretty big and pretty good to build everyone else's frames.

Trek just rode Lance and his TdF wins to their sales numbers.

Before the current model year, their frames were pretty much the same stuff they had been making for about 8 years. It was old technology being sold at stupid prices. That, and all of the pre-2008 carbon fibre Treks I rode were crap compared to frames that cost the same, or less. They were stiff, but that's the only thing I liked about them.

That's why I think they suck.

So your basically making your assumptions on outdated assumptions??!?!?!

Oh and your right, Giant makes most of the bikes, but when it comes to sales and distribution Trek is the biggest

They aren't assumptions, they are opinions that I forged based on my experiences with Trek's frames.

As for the technology, look at a 2007 or prior Trek carbon fibre frame.

You will find: One piece aluminum dropouts with a dérailleur hanger that can't be replaced, lugged construction, and a very dead feeling, almost wooden ride quality. Also, it will cost as much as or more than a Cervelo, Specialized or Giant carbon fibre frame that uses improved construction methods, has a better ride quality and uses machined dropouts with a replaceable dérailleur hanger.

Do you really think Trek would have half of what they do now if not for Lance and the advertising they were able to do during and following his Tour wins?

It's been spoken. BananaTugger doesn't like Trek bikes, so they are, by definition, crap.

Well, aren't you cute with your little smiley!

Opinions are like a**holes, they are everywhere.

Deal with it.

I ride a Specialized.

To be different.

Funny. You cannot even get the saying correct. *******s aren't everywhere, but everyone has one. Some people, however, think every time they sit on the can they are laying golden eggs.

So, you think Trek bikes are crap. Way to go you. Why should I care?

It's my saying that I made up in light of the inaccuracies of the other saying.

Not everyone has an opinion, but jerkasses like me are abound.

You care enough to post about it on an internet forum.

I want a Waterford...

Mr. Tugger,

Dude, right now I'm laid up from a crash last Friday and cannot ride. You are fighting in the mud with a pig who's loving it.

And I'm tired of people dishing on Trek. They think they are fighting for the little guy or something. But really, the little guy would love to be the big guy and if given half the chance, would emulate the big guy in every respect. And it's because the big guys exist that companies like Parlee or Calfee can exist. Trek is the company who gets the boutique manufacturers business. Nobody gets a Crumpton, Ruegamer or Parlee as their first bike. Very few people race on these frames. Everyone who owns one of these fine bikes also owns or has owned at some previous time something more mundane.

If Trek were to disappear from the planet, your boutique companies would either 1) die a rapid death from customer starvation or 2) become a Trek and fill the void, not with their boutique bikes, but with the mass produced bikes you hate so much. Didn't Colnago or some other well known boutique bike recently introduce a budget road bike frame that was, gasp, made in Taiwan?

You think Trek bikes are crap because you think that, because they are big, they must be crap. So, you hop on a Trek and immediately find something wrong with it; you notice it on the Trek, but excuse it when you ride a bicycle from a different company. Because it is fashionable to rip on big companies and drool over little nitch companies, you hop on board the hater bandwagon.

In short, Trek fills an important position in the market. If it's not Trek, some other company would gear up and become Trek. That's just how the world works. Deal with it. The smaller companies are small because the realize they cannot and don't want to compete with Trek. They carve out a little nitch that allows them to be profitable while not challenging the big boys.

1) Forged Al dropouts are sturdier than flimsy machined dropouts. Different solution to the same problem.

2) "...very dead feeling, almost wooden ride quality." I read that Bicycling Magazine review too. Almost verbatim. It's almost a religion amongst Trek haters that 1) their bikes have a "very dead..., almost wooden..." feeling, and 2) that this is somehow a bad thing.

Yes, it absorbs road buzz. Some people like that. Some people think that Cervelos are harsh. Hmm... Cervelo must make crap frames too.

3) Making the frame in pieces is a great way to enact very good quality control. If you make a monocoque frame, there's a great temptation to use some parts that wouldn't pass quality control over in Trek's factory. Because, you know, if you mess up a small joint on a monocoque frame, you've gotta either live with it or scrap the whole frame. It's telling that it is only the lower end Treks that are made in Taiwan using your "advanced" monocoque construction.

4) And finally, you have, again, laid the golden egg of your personal opinion of ride quality as gospel. Good on you.

Dance around it all you want. I don't care if Lance rode a frickin' pickle, joe blow buys what he deems is worth the price. And businesses use whatever leverage to make more margin. Did LA boost Trek? Hell yeah, he did. But if Trek is putting price tags on turds, the public isn't going to buy for very long.

Good Point, if it was so bad why is it that the famous Amtrak Century last year while we were unloading the 1200 or so bikes off 18wheelers the call went like this: Red Trek, Cervelo, Blue Trek, Cannondale, Giant, Grey Trek, Seven, Blue Trek, etc.

Seems you are on the wrong side of this argument bannana. Go find a new toy. The big dogs are out and the little puppies need to go run and hide.

Let this topic get back to the original topic about what LBS are carrying

Old news.

Owners keeping $.03 on every dollar? I'd rather mow lawns or sell graves. Way more lucrative.

S.

I have no problem with any company that distributes and sells bicycles and bicycle components and accessories. Especially when they do well at doing it.

It's a "hate the ones that do well" kind of thing for most people. If it was Giant in this position there would be an army of Giant haters out there.

meh....

In general I like some of what Trek has decided to do.

Specifically I think the whole LeMond thing is total crap (on both sides to an extent) and kind of makes me not like "the man".

I think they have turned the perception of Bontrager into a brand that represents mostly low end OEM crap.

I also think that they charge too much for the value they represent to me. Obviously they don't though because they do sell a butt ton of bikes and do so seemingly profitably enough to keep a lot of dealers in business.

I have no problems with what they choose to make, where they choose to make it, or who they choose to be a spokesperson for it.

Trek is the man, but who really gives a fudge? If it wasn't them it would be someone else. Specialized most likely.

As for the poster claiming that Trek stores are only in areas with few bike shops.... I live so close to so many fricking shops it's pathetic. Even so Trek stores are most likely 30%-50% of the shops. Most of them have resorted to only carrying Trek. Yay for me.

Luckily though my Specialized dealers still carry Giant as well.

The Borg "assimilate" all peoples, claiming that "resistance is futile."
I think the OP is insinuating that Trek is assimilating all consumers and competitors.


S.

Nothing new. Business model for LBSs sucks. Period.

"Want to make a million selling bikes? Start with 2 million."

Combine this with the fact that most LBS owners are poor business people to start with and it is easy to see why many shops just don't stick around very long. They don't have much of a cushion to learn with.

Funny, after spending (wasting?) several minutes reading this thread through another "love to hate" corporation came to mind. Anybody? Bueller?
How about Starbucks? Is SB the best coffee out there? Heck no.

Is it decent (most the time) and pretty consistent? Yup.

Did they get American's eager to spend $4+ on a cup of overheated milk - vs previously $ .50/cup gas station coffee? Yup

Did they open the door for lots of smaller indy coffee shops who do brew a superior cup of joe to open up? You betcha.

But now everyone hates Starbucks.... and Trek. Why?

The points made above are: 1. LBS owners are free to choose which line to carry - either out of pride or pocketbook. 2. Trek - while making some very nice highend bikes, makes some great low-end bikes... which lead to people buying higher end bikes.

I bought a Trek for my son. And one for me. Discovered I actually like riding on a good bike that fits properly. Our Trek LBS offers one year free service (not just warranty claims) - all the other LBS (raleigh, giant, fuji, schwinn, etc.) would give just 6 months.

Guess what... the Trek is nice, but I got past the $ it cost to buy it, and went out and spent $$$ on a Specialized road bike. And now I'm setting a goal for a custom fit bike $$$$$ (brand to be determined) when I reach my weight goal.

A year ago... I wouldn't have considered anything other than a big-box bike. Go figure.

Trek doesn't care if half the weenies in the world hate them. As long at the other half buys their bicycles.

And they do.

GREAT TV spots.

Instead of starbucks I was thinking something a little more appropriate like....oh...say....Schwinn.

I can understand the business reasons, but as a consumer, I like choices.

Respectfully,

Captain Obvious