I've been in several bike shops lately that used to sell multiple brands, including Trek. Now, they all seem to only be stocking Trek (Trek, Gary Fisher, Bontrager, etc). This isn't an isolated case, I've seen it three times lately. Today, I went in a shop that used to be about 40% Specialized, 50% Trek and 10% Haro. Today it was 99% Trek.

Is Trek driving their dealer network to drop other brands, either directly (telling them to, or lose Trek) or indirectly (bumping up their sales minimums such that they can't afford to sell anything else)? Has anyone else noticed this trend lately, or is it just me?

I've known this for years.

I've taken the liberty of wrapping the local shop owner's heads in aluminum foil.

I encourage you to do the same.

Resistance Is Futile!

It's not unlike the main truck brands. Everyone drives, a Ford, Chevy, or a Dodge. If you want something with a little better quality, like a Tundra, or even the new Titan, you have to go elsewhere, and pay a little more for the same options.

Trek is an American brand, and everyone seems to like them. Most people outside the cycling community who are just getting into cycling, have a tendency to veer towards Trek, Specialized, and Giant. This is not uncommon.

You can thank Lance.

I America!

Just buy the Trek... (5.X and above or you're a commie loving ba5tard).

If you really loved "America", you would be buying a Crumpton, Ruegamer or Parlee.

Last I checked, cannondale was american too (as is specialized???).

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.

Everything Specialized has comes from Taiwan.

Cannondale's racing carbon fiber stuff is assembled in the US. Where the tubes are actually made? I don't know. The Synapse is made in Taiwan.

I think, um, BananaTugger, um... I think you love, um, a bit too much of, um, you know, your banana tugging, um, yea... Too... much... mental... ************.... Must... hold... out....

Look out guys, it's the bike know-it-all brigade sent in to keep us from being taken over by the evil Trek bikes . Save us all!!!

My beef with Trek is what happened to Klein. I have an Adroit Race that is just beautiful. Good luck finding one now.

Shill.

The horror! The horror!

And, of course, the Trek Madone is made in Asia too. Oh wait... Wisconson you say? Sounds "American" to me. But what do I know. I'm taken by the evil Trek company. They are controlling my mind!!!!! Ahhhhh!!!!!!

**********??

Please refer to the post where I said that the Madone isn't assembled in the US.

Good luck with that, sir.

LoLz

...

....

Mine's bigger.

Please put it back in your pants. Nobody wants to see that.

I just noticed a few of the Trek only stores are starting to carry Cervelo.

You would be surprised at the number of people who would pay to one.

Ah. A counter example.

Cervelos are starting to become popular. Bike shops are cashing in.

This doesn't even make sense. Try again.

Trek dominance of floor space at Independent distributors is due to the distribution agreements and programs they create. It's still up to the owner to determine to be a part of the program or not.

From what I have heard some of the moves seem a little heavy handed in nature, but the owner still has a right to say no and walk away.

Personally I don't have much against Trek. My hobby when traveling is to visit every LBS in whatever town I am in. I find that now I tend to avoid the Trek dealers becuase they end up looking like a McDonalds with all of the same Point Of Sale signage, etc. I am looking for the unique place with the hard to get ahold of item that no one carries or is seldom seen.

Those guys are usually the ones going out of business for the same reasons though so from a business standpoint I have nothing against Trek or their Distribution moves.

....it just makes for a boring LBS visit sometimes.

That = singular.

One = singular.

Whatever it is, people like it.