Trek Bicycles and the many brands they dissolve

[@MossieRidesBikes]

Who should we dive into next? One of the brands mentioned above or something else?

[@bikegoon]

Airborne could be interesting. Once a killer road bike co that went under. Then brought back life by Huffy, then sold to DK. I'm in Dayton, and visit Mr Huffmans grave (Huffy) quite often. And we have the HQ for Huffy here. So I saw alot of the Airbornes here. Or.. Specialized, think you did a story on them though. Vitus? Great videos!!

[@palpatine1975]

Specialized would be a good one to delve my friend.

[@daniellarson3068]

A few weeks back I saw a guy riding a Ribble bike. I had never heard of them. Apparently. they are big in England. Or Maybe you could do Campagnolo.

[@RiordanJohn]

Specialized

[@Nebdog111]

Rock Shox

[@thatrandombikeguy]

Full transparency, I work for Trek. Previously I worked for a small, privately owned chain of local bike stores. Trek acquired the chain right as the “boom” was declining. Trek did some great things for us as staff including pay raise, real PTO & sick pay, better insurance, 401k, better discounts, etc. Say what you will about Trek but most of our staff stayed on and are far happier with being a Trek corporate store then we were before.

[@Big_Island_Boi]

Bike Barn?

[@hippymtnbkr]

One of the reasons Trek acquired Klein, was to be able to use a patent that Klein owned at the time for a certain welding process. Before Klein, Trek use to bond their aluminum frames, which Trek used to say was a good way to do so. And they stood by it, until they took over Klein. After that, you never heard about bonded frames anymore. I had a Klein Rascal, at that time period, it was the best bike I had ever owned.

[@charleslicha2770]

Been riding Klein road bikes since 1990. Best handling bikes I ever rode.

[@Big_Island_Boi]

Kleins have such gorgeous paint jobs. Still... to this day... some of the most beautiful bikes ever made. And they hold their values VERY well because of this. They were also often SUPER light--considering they were mostly just alloy frames... sometimes with carbon forks and tails. I have a early 2000's Klein Quantum XX full Dura Ace that is only around 16 lbs. That was CRAZY light... and is even more so today now that so many bikes have disc brakes. And without fail, every time I ride the Klein anywhere I get comments, questions, etc. That never happens on my newer Trek / Cervelo / Specialized / Fuji bikes. Ever. I think Trek was retarded for killing Klein. I think they just didn't like the fact that some tiny bike company was making way better--and more beloved--bikes than they ever did... so they shut 'em down out of spite. Gary Klein was such a massive innovator.... What kind of moron buys that guy's company and essentially pays him to not work anymore?

[@BestKiteboardingOfficial]

It was threadless steerer and bb patents.

[@505Duke]

It was the hydro tube forming, which was a wild and quite noisy way to form tubing. The welding was already out there.. -former Waterloo employee

[@WS102]

My 1991 Klein Attitude was the best race bike I've ever owned. I raced and rode it for 33 years.

[@JBMADNESS]

Fisher was broke more than once, sold the company to his largest creditor which made his bikes. Keith Bontrager was/is an innovative designer, couldn't keep up with alternative materials in frame building but his components were good. LeMond is infamously tough to get along with. Klein was a big talker and had a "grey area" around his tenure at MIT. Lots of personalities early in the MTB world and cycling grew up from mom and pop manufacturers to mass production.

[@teacherguy5084]

"Grey area"? Be more specific if you can - otherwise your comment is right up there with Trump and Rudy's finest - casual slander.

[@DaveCM]

I'm kind of old and from my perspective is that Armstrong pretty much helped build Trek. Very few serious cyclists seemed to actually want Treks until Armstrong. They were not dream bikes. They were more like first bikes for people getting into cycling. I think he also pushed for development of their bikes. Before Lance, it was kind of rare to see a Trek on a group ride or in a race. Post Lance, now it seems like nearly half the bikes are Treks. I could be very wrong about all of that. That is just my personal observations.

[@yawningchasm33]

nearly on point been in the saddle since the 80s trek is a standerd brand unlike Ellsworth,Kona,Jamis, and my fav Land shark.🦈🦈

[@Bob_Shy_132]

I don't know about that. Trak Y bikes were everywhere at mountain bike races in the 1990's.

[@JC-pt2tw]

Which bike brand did everyone ride back then during group rides? Cervelo?

[@DaveCM]

@JC-pt2tw back then, I rode Cannondale. Actually still do. I had one close buddy that rode Trek. He was the only one at the time. There was a dealer that sold Treks and it is where he got his. But, he was the only one I ever saw on one except for rare occasions. I did buy a Trek about 10 years ago or so. I kept it a year. I didn't really like it. It just never worked for me. The guy who bought it from me, loved it.

[@gen-X-trader]

100% agree with you, then in typical Western fashion, he's discarded after the PED use is made public. At least for a road bikes, he really improved brand awareness

[@apryason]

@3:57 It was Gary Fisher's partner Charles Kelly who is ultimately credited with the term "Mountain Bike." They tried to get the term tradmarked, but the USPTO rejected it, due to Charles picking a really bad trademark lawyer. (I know, I was there, as Fisher's occasional roommate and photographer.)

[@budycelyn]

i've been riding treks for years, its the main brand i use mainly because my local bike shop is a trek shop and the guys there are great, i did not know anything about the companies they absorbed thanks for the history lesson.

[@MossieRidesBikes]

When people ask me what brands they should look into I honestly tell them to find a great local bike shop first and then look at what they carry.

[@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe]

Buy a new bike and educate yourself! Feining ignorance is weak.

[@budycelyn]

@@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe what an odd comment for this particular thread that's nearly 6 months old, what makes you think i was "feigning ignorance" . there's nothing in my comment that would point you towards that? and as it seems most of the companies absorbed are USA companies it's not something we would have really known about here in the UK.

[@davemeise2192]

Trek is simply doing what many companies in a huge variety of industries/enterprises do. The quickest and easiest way to get bigger is to just buy your competition. It doesn't mean they are the best or the most innovative. It just means they are in business to make money. Shut down who you buy and/or absorb their innovations into your own product and carry on. It's very sad but true.

[@Thatguy-gd5it]

Get history review! Thanks! Right now in my garage is a 2007 Klein Attitude V, I just cant part with it.

[@mtb416]

Same with my Fisher. Never had a Klein, but I often look for them.

[@justwhenithought]

This case is much better than Specialized's in your other video because Trek paid for those businesses they acquired. They didn't sneakily steal someone else's design outright.

[@Groaznic]

Hey, not a native english speaker but I believe I read somewhere that "prior art" doesn't mean something was a piece of art, but it's legalese term for something "not invented there", and has occurred before being patended or trademarked.

[@Roboprogs]

Yep As in state of the art, but not advancing it, so no patent.

[@Groaznic]

@@Roboprogs thank you.

[@stinkfeet9976]

Google MIT aluminum bicycle project 1974 Very good article by Sheldon Brown.

[@yoavmiller216]

It's the killing off of private shops nowadays, where Trek and Specialized are the main protagonists, forcing everyone to join a chain under the umbrella of a producer or importer outside the US, that is really a concern. With that said, there are many reasons, such as the power of online brands for this occurence. The result is an ever more growing unified world of the shopping behemoths, or the boutique world of the super rich. The people working in many of these chains are still great, but the advance of the uninterested, unknowing, paid shit employee is coming closer. Yikes!

[@MossieRidesBikes]

I couldn't agree more. It's hard to have a bike shop without either having one of the big 3 brands or being in a major city where you can be a boutique niche shop. That's why we have always stuck with Giant, at least for the time being, Giant US is good to the LBS.

[@lokerola]

Yea, Trek bought out my local shop. I was bummed about it, but the folks working there are great, so I can't complain.

[@monkmchorning]

I've worked for two Trek shops. One even sold Specialized alongside, until Specialized pulled the plug. They're not complaining.

[@billydeewilliams8909]

Counterpoint: my local Trek used to be a beloved local shop (they bought it before I started cycling), and honestly, it's still as good as it was before. Some of the experienced techs remained on staff. They service any and all of my bikes and parts, whether theirs, used, or direct-to-consumer, and take all my stupid newbie ideas seriously. This is unquestionably a huge part of why I've really gotten into MTB, and I'm grateful.

[@RiordanJohn]

Great video! Been cycling my whole life (67 years old) and never knew all that. I will look at my friends’ Klein’s, Gary Fisher and Lemond’s with more insight now. Thank you!

[@767bob]

I own 3 Trek bikes from 1989 to 1992 and I still ride them today. But in my later years my last big bike company I bought from was Litespeed in 2003. After that I went with the smaller companies, like Velo Orange, Handsome and Black Mountain Cycles. The latter three gave me tons of joy on all of my rides, as much pleasure like the older Trek bikes. So with that I did not need to buy Trek bicycles in my later years of riding, there are others that can provide all that I want from my bikes without the drama.

[@dennisspors7530]

very intetesting video. Some of the Lemond frames ate very nice and great ride. I was nevever a big Lance fan but his foundation provided hope for many people with a serious health issue.Thr bikesTrek made for him sre pretty cool. Afterall the bike didn't dope

[@MacThreinfhir]

Agree re LeMond bikes… my main ride is still my 2001 Zurich. Love it.

[@bikenraider99]

My first modern mountain bike was a Gary Fisher. My first road bike was a Lemond. I preferred them over Trek's because they felt less corportate. Fast forward and I have both pre Trek Fisher's and Lemond's in my collection. Appreciate the video.

[@plhrph1]

Really like the hard looks at the bike industry. Interesting to see how we got to where we're at. As far as Trek goes--it's just business. I have a Fisher '08 Cronus and an '09 Hoo Koo E Koo, made some changes to them and I still ride them a lot. Six or seven other bikes have passed thru my garage but those are the two I've held on to, so the loss of Fisher cuts the deepest for me. It will be really interesting watching how all these ebike companies shake out over the next few years and see who's left standing and why and how.

[@paulsnell1274]

My wife rides an old school 1996 Gary Fisher Paragon. Awesome bike. At the time Gary Fisher had not yet been fully “Trek-ed”. It’s a shame that Trek has absorbed so many independent brands only to later dissolve them.

[@stevengagnon4777]

Trek actually disolved the Trek brand name as it's first victim. So this has been the operating model ever since. It's hard to pin point when this happened because it was little bits over time. So Trek ate it self well before then aquired any of these other brands. A sad but true story. I worked full time in a bicycle shop since 1985 but never had owned one and by the time we had actual Trek bicycles I felt that All four of these brands were far superior to the Trek branded bicycles we just picked up. I still have my 853 Lemond Zurich and none of the Trek bicycles handled or road anything like the Zurich. Or the rest of the Lemonds . So if I had a chance to I would send the new costumer out on a Lemond and it was often sold right after the test ride . Geometry was fantastic. I used to describe it as two pots of coffee stable with lightening quick reflex when needed. Gary Fisher Mountain bikes were easy to sell to because they road very nice on the road. Back then the mountain bike was used more as an urban assault bike far more often than an actual mountain bike. Once again far better than a Trek. Still see plenty of old Fishers operating as urban assault bikes . Both of those brands had an intuitive handling nature that they nearly piloted themselves. The Treks just didn't have that . They weren't bad just not remarkable. So I never really thought much of Trek as a brand and thought they were good at marketing and they experts an amazing marketing strategy. Fast forward into the beginning for Trek. Last year my brother purchased a mint condition Trek road bike built in 1977 .I was a made with Ishiwata double butted high carbon steel with matching taper guage stays (oval and) not dented) and fork blades all made in Waterloo Wisconsin. That bike also has high quality investment cast lugs and was Silver Brazed ( no that is not a typo I did alot of research and they actually did that for a few years in the beginning) and forged dropouts and fork tips . There was nothing on the market like that it wasn't even chrome molly and fairly entry-level second up from the bottom. I completely tore that bike down to a bare frame and rebuilt it...what a pleasure the torch work was first rate as good as the best in the world. That BB shell just couldn't ask for better. And the alignment dead on . I was able to rebuild without changing anything other than the original chain and and put the OEM Suntour free wheel back on ( the perk of a huge bicycle shop that doesn't throw much away even the ally Suntour spoke guard) .All new ball bearings too just can not reuse those so they are now grade 25 chrome steel the bike really deserved them anyway. Because this is the best part when I was finished rebuilding I got to finally ride a Real Trek and it was amazing I have never ever riden a carbon steel bike that felt anywhere that good and throw in thousands of of chrome moly mass production bicycles too. I road that bike for a month before I gave it back to my brother it was just to fun to part with. And the geometry for a sport touring bicycle was perfect. What happened?

[@travispowers1704]

Haven't owned a Trek since the mid 1990's with a Mountain Track that I did really enjoy back then more as a hybrid rather than a mountain bike. The past 10 years that I have bought bikes for myself and my kids, I've always noticed that Trek is just overpriced compared to what I now own with Giant and Scott brands. Although, Scott is starting to get up there in price with the current MT bikes that have hidden shocks. Possibly looking at smaller brands as well in the future since I enjoy going to the local shops. I do see a Jamis Renegade in my future. While I understand the reasoning that Trek and Specialized is attempting to keep their business going and to grow by making a larger presence in certain markets, I've always enjoyed the smaller shops. A local shop I go to sells and services Giant amongst many other smaller brands like Jamis. I like how Giant is helping their dealer network, it's the services the smaller shops provide that really retains customers.

[@travispowers1704]

Just an FYI, I live in the DC region, where Trek has essentially bought out all of the shops that sells the brand.

[@johntotten4872]

I think it was the mid to late 90's Trek did a thing with Volkswagen where they made a VW Jetta Trek edition. IIRC it was a sticker package, came with a bike roof rack and 2 Trek bikes. Enjoying your content, thanks for making it.

[@userbosco]

I still have my GF Aquila I bought in 1995. Needs a little TLC, but don't think I'll ever let it go. I wasn't aware that it was a Trek line when I bought it. Interesting video, thanks!

[@kbc163]

Never owned a Trek. Never will. Something about them makes my skin crawl and this video highlights some of the reasons why. I've never seen them as innovative nor interesting, just predatory.

[@emed1977]

Bontrager is on its way out. They have been slowly taking the name off new components

[@thereeder5rs]

Consolidation is always the name of the corp game. Sad to see old names disappear! Being an owner of a Lemon, Gary Fisher, and a Trek.

[@jltrack]

I wish Gary Fisher was still an independent brand because they made some innovative and super well riding bikes at the time.

[@claytoncoffelt3833]

I worked at Lemond and actually answered the phone when John Burke called. I was on unemployment in about a month.

[@TheArrowFist]

It takes a while in life, but when you get to the point when your just a little bit wise, you will come to the realization that a company’s only mission is to make as much money as possible. People always seem to think that a company is supposed to be charitable.

[@MrAzkush]

Had a friend back in late 90s work for Trek. He was getting and selling all kinds of really nice components and frames. Come to find out they were all stolen off the line. He had bontrager race frame, mantra pro and several other nice ones. Those early bontrage race lite rims with bontrager stamped king hubs were amazing.

[@greengonzonz]

Wow, thanks for shedding some light on this. I always thought Trek was simply a manufacturer that produced many popular brands. And then one day started manufacturing their own bikes under their own brand. Boy was I wrong. 🙄

[@bbarber6845]

Miss Klein bikes. They were way to far ahead of the times.

[@jonathanbailey2021]

Best mountain bikes are now made by Santa Cruz, Pivot, Ibis and other boutique brands. Trek can't buy them all

[@gomerpyle7721]

Yes and no. Honestly, the geometry is getting pretty standard and with how suspension is tuned. Just about every brand is pretty great. I do worry that the market will continue to consolidate. I worry about players even like SC and Ibis. They are letting a lot of their racing team go.

[@planesandbikes7353]

loved my 1990 Klein Attitude. It was such an eye opener, and dramatically faster for XC racing when I got it new. My dad still has a nice Lemond road bike. But sure I guess Trek also kind of saved these brands from bankruptcy, gave them a second, if short, life. I still ride a Trek Domane ALR road bike, but it is hella boring to look at.

[@gomerpyle7721]

Had a GF Hoo-Koo-E-Koo. Great butter steel bike. Still ride a Trek FS. It’s reliable. The Toyota of the bike industry. The Trek stores are very innovative. They can turn around a bike repair in 24 hours and are pretty competitive. I am really worried about Specialized right now and a few other manufacturers, but Trek will be around for a long time.

[@waltciii3]

I still have my 1998 Gary Fisher Joshua the yellow and red one. My girlfriend at the time had a hard tail (Paragon?). I wish the brand could have kept progressing. As for other brands, my original love was GT. I guess I loved the Garys. As a kid I got a 1982 GT PRO BMX frame for Xmas and transferred parts off my old Webco. I think we had to go to a bike shop in Orange County to get the frame & forks.

[@danielbolton9904]

I am a treky through and through. Ever since my first trek the 1400 of which was a very limited edition and now considered a unicorn bicycle. As I've only seen two one of which I owned. So I don't really have any love loss for their business practices and seeing things as both half full half empty keeps a healthy balance and doesn't sway me much, I do however disagree with the decision to ruin Lomond when the man was doing what was righteous in his morals and should have been respected for it regardless of how big Armstrong was at the time.. I still stand by the trek line as an institution and a brand I will continue to stand behind till the end.

[@halseyknox]

Trek made some of the best made in the U.S.A lugged steel framed mtbs of the late 80's early 90's.....as far as Bontrager even after selling to to trek in 95 all "Race and Race Lites" were still made in Keiths shop in Santa cruz up until 98....a 96/97 race lite is still every bit a real deal Bontager and, that comes directly from Keith himself.....the same scenario goes for the upper end Kleins as well..... unfortunately mountain bikings popularity at the time was also the nail in the coffin for most home grown brands as technolgy advanced so did the cost of keeping up and manufacturing bikes. This is why the that exciting era of the 90's era of mountain and aftermarket components are becoming collectable. I have a modern era mtb but I have just as much fun finding and restoring the bikes of this era.

[@StanEby1]

I'm for a bicycle company that manufactures a good bicycle in the United States. Time, Allied.... It's also time to ally more component companies in the U.S.😊

[@shannonpriestley3833]

I have four Trek bikes and like the value and quality. I have a trek fuel (their low end full suspension) and 3 trek marlins.

[@mikefougere]

A sad story indeed for Greg Lemond, he truly is an athlete which broke into europ's best and won. I think his brand name can be restored by a talented individual underdog unlike a large corp. Another topic. A side note of American history: The original BMX racing athletes(pre freestyle) which grew into and influenced the boom of mountain biking is an interesting story , but keep in mind, a whole generation of fans were old school BMX ers now in the cycling industry knowing their god was influencing designs.. .. in my opinion, Tinker Juares is at the top for his long term cycling dedication. John Tomac is another to mention among others.

[@squeeler9421]

Always been a fan of Gary Fisher line. Big Sur was one of my 1st mtnbike, and then the Sugar, one of the best full suspension XC of its time. Last I check, it doesn't appear Gary Fisher ever parted ways with Trek like all the other lines, Lemonds/Klein. Gary Fisher, his spirit and innovation just sorta fused itself into the Trek lines, and you can see that in the Supercaliber, Procaliber line. He might've been a Trek spokes person for while as well.

[@Bionic6tothe6]

Great history lesson. In the old days, instead of this video, I would have read this as a headline article in a magazine. Does a brand or name carry the DNA of the it's founder over generations? I would comment that manufacturing towns like Waterloo, and Waterford are just birthplaces for these brands.

[@lostcat9lives322]

Yep. According to what I read lately, the bike industry is going through major (negative) changes. Will the day come when the only semi-domestic bike brands available are Giant/Specialized/Trek?

[@shwndh]

Klein, LeMond, and Gary Fisher were my some of my FAVORITE bike brands and I HATED Trek for absorbing and dissolving all of them. Trek never had a bike I liked until these brands were under their umbrella. And I especially despised them for what they did to Greg LeMond. They are evil like AT&T, the Death Star logo should be on their headquarters. I vowed never to buy anything from them. Then, the came out with the Top Fuel 22. I bought one and I love it. Still mad though. 🤣

[@teacherguy5084]

The parallel world of ski manufacturers (sorry, couldn't resist) is the counterexample to the brand absorption of bike manufacturers. A lot of the different ski brands are owned by the same corporations. Not sure how separate the brands are in design, manufacturing, or philosophy. Binding manufacturers appear to be happy to brand it however you want it. It can be argued that bike companies that put out a bunch of different brands are really misleading the customer into thinking they have something independent, while in fact they may have common designs, manufacturing, etc.

[@vegasvampire66648]

Wow! Very cool history lesson. 👍👍

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

The most surprising thing to me is that they didn't buy Cannondale after the MX bike fiasco...

[@johnhunt737]

I don’t believe that Le Mond logo and phont is the same one that Trek used during their partnership. It looks to me that the Lemond logo you’re using is of his current company and has nothing to do with Trek? Correct me if I’m wrong.

[@downtownbicycle]

There bikes are not bad but they are not much better than other dealer only brands. I just worry that there cooperate stores will hurt most small family shops like ours.

[@stevengagnon4777]

Trek never tried to build a light weight Enduro Moto bike either. That motor cycle is what bankrupt Canndale...just a stupid venture way outside the capability of the entire company.

[@NoahStephens]

One exec failing to pay taxes is not the same as an entire corporation failing to pay their taxes

[@Texmotodad]

Motobecane history please

[@simondavanzo4716]

I love my Klein, but I do get why Trek eventually dropped both them and Gary Fisher. Both brands pioneered new geometries, materials, technology etc which would filter into the mainstream Trek line, but once there wasn't much new to add it became pointless running parallel models. Even without the politics the same would have happened with Lemond eventually too I'm sure. Weirdly enough the one line that would have made sense would have been Bontrager because in a world where all mass market bikes are aluminium or carbon his steel frames would have been something different.

[@davidtomasetti8520]

I loved Gary Fisher bikes back in the day, but was never fond of Klein bikes.

[@ShaikuraJarfaru]

Lemond bikes were great but because of his stand against Lance Armstrong and his influence with Trek, they dumped Lemond.

[@stevenbaxter3521]

Eliminate the competition and control the pricing.

[@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe]

O OK Unkie Joe!

[@davidschaadt3460]

I shun Trek. From the support of L. Armstrong during the Doping Scandal ,and especially the Lemond bikes. And Gary Fisher. F...Trek.

[@michelles2257]

Did Trek name the Emonda model sort of after Lemond??

[@davehanrahan1713]

Emonda, Domane, and Madone are just the same letters rearranged into nonsense words.

[@ISAJ1N]

Why does Gary Fischer have so much swag

[@liquidSpin]

I see Trek as the Honda of bikes. They're just so common place here in the US. I don't like Trek but not because they don't make good bikes but simply because I hate the name haha I just wanna add "Star" in front of every Trek bike LOL Anywho, great video and yeah Lance Armstrong is THE biggest cycling douchebag ever.

[@chrisstrider]

Trek makes sound bikes but the history you describe makes me reluctant to ride one dead or alive 😊

[@kevinadams1049]

I think trek bought company's to own the rights that the said company owned , Similar to Scott who bought bold cycles for the right's to an internal rear shock . Trek and Gary Fisher probably didn't go separate ways , Trek probably bought Gary Fisher , The marlin was Gary Fisher , .. it lives on through Trek and might be the biggest selling bike on the planet , .. So Gary Fisher's legacy lives on . Treks top alloy hardtail is priced nearly identical to specialized's top spec alloy hard tail . Is it over priced ? Ya likely , .. but they're competatively priced .

[@komradekoala5648]

I cant be the only one that sees specialized and trek as severely overrated? The iconic specialized stumpjumper was a copied Ritchey mtb. I'm also really snobby and stay away from big name brands that most common people buy, so that can also be it.

[@marktucker6749]

I would never buy Trek.

[@StuartDodds]

1st road bike Trek 420 1987 afterward never bought a trek again. KONA, fischer, Specialized Pinarello, All City. Trek decent bikes but arrogant and over priced

[@kirkminer4190]

Trek is no longer an bicycle Made in the U.S.A, unless it is one of the ultra expensive bicycles, that the average Joe cannot afford. I'd sooner buy a Fuji bicycle than a Trek.

[@stefanosprokopis6974]

Trek mate

[@keithnewton1966]

I always thought Trek had nice bikes and still do but never owned one. Maybe it’s because I had a bad taste in my mouth every time I saw, heard or said the word.

[@kevinburke1325]

Are you kidding me? Trek is the worst bike company ever. Their bikes break so easily

[@universe-juice]

Trek makes beautiful bikes, well they sell them, anyway treks rear drop outs SUCK!

[@GBPaddling]

Isn't this just Capitalism 101 tho?........Eliminate all the competition and be Top Dog, ultimately having a monopoly and being able to charge what one likes?

[@steviekeith2060]

I was given a late 90’s trek it was ok but id never buy one their to much about their selves and they cheaters sponcer cheaters

[@kevinwalsh9483]

screw all these american brands that are still charging made in U.S.A. prices.

[@phenofinder9145]

LA is great and smashed everyone get over it. LA won 7 tours. Facts

[@Kyleridesbikess]

Trek is over priced, and have been cutting every corner possible

[@TheBigRed.]

I still have my KLEIN Mantra ...👍👊💥💥💥

[@505Duke]

Electra.. if anyone remembers.

[@biggaywizard]

You've barely scratched the surface, not only has Trek purchased all of these companies (and others in Europe), but they also own a bicycle store specific point of sale and inventory system that is used across the bicycle industry which has caused a rift in the industry since Trek can see all of their competitors sales and they also bought some 400 bicycle stores across the U.S. Japan and Canada. They are also fazing out Bontrager right now. I know for a fact that Trek was right on the verge of going out of business and it weren't for the influx of sales that Armstrong drove to Trek, they would no longer exist. Amusingly, Trek won't acknowledge those bikes or that relationship at all anymore. There's so much more it's not even funny.

[@MossieRidesBikes]

That's very good observations. I knew about the POS but I definitely want to investigate this further.

[@biggaywizard]

@@MossieRidesBikes they also lose 90+ % of the employees of the stores they take over, the list of issues is stunningly long.

[@dudeonbike800]

Trek OWNED the road bike market back in the mid 90's. Problem is, it was only the tiniest portion of bicycle sales at the time. They had to either innovate or copy/steal/purchase to somehow gain traction in the mtb market. A company with ZERO heritage in mountain bikes some how comes to own three revered brands and then shuts them down. This is beyond tragic. Trek sucks. Never an original thought or good design, except OCLV, which again was the huge fish in a tiny pond. And yes, now they're in the process of turning the IBD into little Wal Marts. Sad.

[@SuckTheseStandards]

Would never, ever buy a Trek bike in the future and lucky I never bought one in the past! Back in the late 80's and early 90's, they looked great! But nowadays, Trek tries to set new standards for everything and they suck at doing it! It's like mountain bikes had good standards until Trek (and SRAM) decided to make their own standards - starting with axle lengths. Where are we today with those? It's so confusing, along with wheel sizes and plus sizing - it's almost like the overweight Americans going to McD's going for super-size meals and getting bigger everytime. Except, things are getting any cheaper like McD's super-size me deals! It's probably a way Trek and SRAM make their standards to make the mountain bike or biking as a whole a lot more expensive and make their stuff obsolete in a short period of time so that people will think of getting the latest and greatest year after year. Yet, the latest and greatest is a bunch of garbage that breaks down in less than a year! They pretty much took the pages out of Sony's marketing strategy book! It's a sad thing that Trek pretty much bought Klein and Gary Fisher brands. Those companies actually produced super nice aluminum hardtails. I actually own a Klein hardtail and it's one of the lightest aluminum frames ever made! It's a thing of beauty!

[@AndresDuarte00]

I like how long the Gary Fisher legacy lasted under Trek and I still feel his spirit on the current Supercaliber

[@quincywalker4441]

The Lance Armstrong thing with Lemond was just the nail in the coffin, if you’ve ever worked for Trek in any capacity there are lot of rumors about how terrible of a business partner Lemond was, so Trek just needed an excuse.

[@lokerola]

I wonder if Lemond was really a bad business partner, or actually tried to stand up for what he believed in and didn't bow to corporate pressure?

[@monkmchorning]

As much as I like Greg LeMond, I have to say he brought it on himself. You don't diss your partner's franchise in public, even if you are right.

[@BIIIKES]

I didn't know the other brands and bike shops were forced to accept a buyout from Trek. We have a Trek and LBS a couple miles apart who comingle just fine. Both shops are extremely successful.

[@robertbergren8680]

I hate to put it this way, but it is what it is. Lance has millions more than I'll ever have. All his sponsors made a lot too. I worked in bike shops for 15 years and had to leave for a better living. That said, if you want run into any "characters" work with bicycles.

[@MacThreinfhir]

Lance was probably the main contributor to Trek’s growth… and the industry as a whole during that period.

[@3wheelmannc860]

I had a road and MTB Klein...they were amazing with amazing paint schemes.

[@gomerpyle7721]

I liked that you couldn’t see the welds and their paint schemes were really neat. I do have to say, Trek still has some of the best paint designs in the business.

[@Art-h3c]

What I find interesting is they took LeMond, a road cyclist, and made an anagram of last name for their road bikes. Emonda, Domane, and Madone. They just switched the L with an A and golden

[@Cmc7799]

Giant is one boring brand

[@Combat556]

I’ve owned Klein, Trek, Fisher and Lemond. I still ride the Lemond that I bought on sale in 2008 when Trek and Lemond were parting ways. The Lemond still has a lifetime frame warranty through Trek, but no problems after 15 years on the road.

[@andrewbray2924]

Is Lance running a 1x at 7:07 I've never seen something like this from that era

[@nubetre]

I worked at a Trek shop when the LeMond stuff went down. Since there was already a bunch of product in the wings, the bikes that were meant to be LeMonds actually got rebranded as Gary Fisher before those too were folded into Trek. The Gary Fisher Cronus was actually laterally stiffer than the contemporary Madone! Also they did some cool steel cross bikes with sliding dropouts.

[@madtownangler]

I have three Gary Fisher bikes one that a turned into a single speed. I just got them for cheap used I wished I could have had a Klein but they were too expensive at the time.

[@DonaldMays]

klein was way overpriced they were noisy too. trek is not the company it once was. Bontrager wheels are junk and have been since 90's. I have a trek bike 2200 miles wheels are cracking at the spokes same thing happened on last Bontrager wheels I owned. Mavic wheels here i come

[@willcasey6793]

Interesting listen. I live in Wisconsin and have a few road bikes but have never owned a Trek. The bigger brands mentioned, I get for sure. For evidence, it would be worth identifying the many "so and so" companies you mention that got bought out.

[@OerlikonNoerd]

Some further info: Trek is "partially" phasing out the use of the Bontrager brand when it comes to clothing, helmets and accessories. For example, all new clothing products and helmets products carry the Trek brand. I think they are keeping the Bontrager name around just for components

[@chrismathes3647]

Long time Trek fan, Wisconsin native. They suck 💯 Dissolved Klein Screwed LeMond and GF collection is a garbage tribute Gary, but he don't care.

[@nukadog1969]

I STILL lament that I never got a chance to ride one of Greg's real bikes, before getting destroyed by Trek... Don't get me started about several of the others I never got to experience before they were euthanized by Trek

[@garyhoffman1]

I still own 2 Kleins and a Fisher. And a Trek from 1992 before they went on a buying spree.

[@mwsaab9]

Like the content. Interesting to hear some background to the big bike brands.

[@chevyyyyyyy]

Similar example is Bikes Direct buying Mercier, right?

[@silver_c1oud]

I Hate Trek from company down to their overrated Bikes

[@thomasandrews8033]

Very fair analysis, excellent video!