prj71

Using this logic, you probably shouldn't buy 99% of the things you own, because someone, somewhere out there in corporate America is wronging someone!!

Jughed

Yep, that smartphone, smartphone case, smartphone battery (and a bazillion other things the common person owns or uses) contains chemicals that when being produced - polluted the entire valley or river near the plant, causing all sorts of diseases downstream/downwind to the innocent residents...

But Lance took EPO - and a wife got upset - OH the horror!!!

Eric F 

Nonsense. McDonald's doesn't serve anything that can be considered among the highest-quality in the world. McD's thrives on being fast, low-cost, and consistent. In many types of bike racing, Treks can be found at the very highest levels, being ridden by some of the best riders in the world. If Trek was a restaurant, it would serve everything from kid's hamburger meals to Michelin-star dishes, with meatloaf, BBQ, and carne asada also on the menu. The same could be said about Specialized.

phughes

Canadian bacon is a reason to avoid Canadian bacon.

chaadster

Could be, or could be not. It depends on how far you want to take the analogy, I suppose.

bruce19

Then let's just capitulate? When I know that someone is damaging us I don't support them. You can try to do what you can do or you can give up. And, since this is a bicycle forum I addressed this issue here. It's also why I do as much business locally as possible. If you do nothing, nothing will change. I do what I can. If everyone had boycotted TREK when this happened, TREK and others would have gotten a message. You can either try to make things better or you can go along with a bad system. Your choice.

Jughed

But they didn't.

Why? For many people, the same reason they don't boycott corporation X or Y - simply because they need or want the product. Many of these people don't know or care about LA or doping, or the sponsorship, or even the connection between the two - they walk into a local bike store and a nice bike is sitting there at the ready for them to purchase.

For many cyclists, myself included, flat knew that LA and everyone around him was doped to the gills - that cycling from top to bottom was dirty... all the teams, the sponsors, the originations/officials, ex riders, current riders, future riders, doctors, assistants - they all knew flat out that doping in cycling, and all sports for that matter - were and are dirty.

Most of us knew this, those that didn't were burying their heads in the sand.

Knowing this - find me a bike company of the time that wasn't supporting a doper, and wouldn't do the exact same thing if they happened to have the top dog of all the dopers...

Mario Cipollini was doped out to the max and fully backed by Cannondale. Are they off limits? Pantani rode a Bianchi, Ullrich rode a Pinarello, Contador rode for Specialized - all dopers, and the bike companies flat knew it. That list goes on and on and on...

Carbonfiberboy 

I did the exact opposite: I bought my Trek the year LA won his first Tour. I figured if it performed well for him, it would perform well for me, and I was right. It's still my best bike, smooth, stiff, fast, goes where it's pointed with no drama at all. All the components have been changed out several times, but the frame and fork are still perfect. As above, the top riders all doped. All that means is that a stronger rider than any of us will ever be test rode those bikes. I.e. don't bother with bikes ridden by non-dopers. Who knows how they'll hold up? That said there are a few modern pros who are really, really strong.

Eric F 

In what way do you see Trek the same as McDonald's? I spelled out why I don't agree with the comparison.

Eric F 

When the story about Lance blew wide open, and his TdF titles were stripped, he was already past his racing days. By then, there was no longer a relationship between Lance and Trek. A boycott wouldn't have just been hurting Trek, but also the owners and employees of your LBS Trek dealer. Up until Trek's recent push to open corporate-owned shops, they had a reputation as being very supportive of their local dealers, and one of the better brands to sell.

indyfabz

Wonder if he thinks BF is a mom and pop operation.

phughes

How did they damage you? Show us on the doll where Trek hurt you, or show us on the bicycle.

prj71

Great!!! Now Bruce is left with nowhere to buy a bike since everyone doped!!

Those guys (pro cyclists and many other sports figures) are still doping to this day. It's just a matter of getting caught or skirting the line so close as not to be caught.

Bruce,

Here is a nice big list. If you can cross match the bikes they ride, you can add all of them to your banned bike brands list!!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ses_in_cycling

https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/...-still-doping/

https://www.bicycling.com/racing/a46...-one-loophole/

chaadster

Well, what I said was that Trek is to the bike biz as McDonald’s is to fast food, so it wasn’t a comparison of the companies to each other, but rather of their positions in their respective markets. So in that context, they’re both the big dogs, having more dealers or stores than their competitors, and having market leading brand recognition. Despite that recognition, though, neither are at the top in terms of prestige, suffering to the mystique of smaller brands.

Maybe there’s more, but that’s the gist of it. Put another way, if the statement were posed as question, i.e. which bicycle brand is to the bike market as McDonald’s is to the fast food market, and it would be hard to have an honest discussion without mentioning Trek, simply based on real world, market stats.

Eric F 

I see your point. I'm not sure I completely agree, but I understand your intent, and I don't feel compelled to argue minutiae.

chaadster

Thanks. It was a silly, toss-off comment on my part anyway, and besides being unimportant, was really not even relevant to the thread.

bruce19

I will only bother you if right & wrong matter. If you have some integrity..No worries..You're safe.

phughes

Oh, integrity matters to me very much. A personal attack against someone you do not know, and have never met, is really uncalled for.

So I asked you how they damaged you.

I have never bought anything from Trek with the exception of tires once, but I won't boycott them since that only hurts the workers in the end, and they had nothing to do with it.

So again, how did Trek damage you?

prj71

This would not be a true statement regarding Trek.

mstateglfr 

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PromptCritical 

Boycott USPS? If only. Think of all the paper we’d save!

rsbob 

I admire people of principal who stick to their guns.

Full disclosure: I bought a new Trek MTB a few years ago and have it hanging in the bat cave with the other bats (the garage). All of them fly regularly.

PrincipalRider

I mean, it was manufactured pre-Lance, so that justified it.