Trek ends relationship with Lemond

kennf

This is complete bullshit. They were nice bikes that were never stocked by the Trek dealers. Boycott Trek.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php...2008/news/04-09

You can read Lemond's and Trek's complaints on the Trek website. This could get real ugly.

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Powerful Pete

And I thought that Trek actually owned the Lemond brand...

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fscyclist

I've been boycotting trek because I think their bikes suck. This just makes it easier. I've never seen a LeMond in my LBS that sells Treks. Of course most of their bikes are of the $400-800 variety.

I never rode a LeMond but thought many of their frames looked nice. To be honest, I never considered one because they were built by Trek. If anyone made a mistake here it was LeMond by teaming up with that company. He should've gone to a small builder like Waterford and marketed to upper recreational and racers. He also should've sponsored a prominent US team.

The last quote in the article speaks to the mentality at Trek. They obviously care little about the sport - they just want to sell mass market crap to the consumer.

here's the quote:
"For years, Trek has tried our best to make this relationship work," Burke said. "And for years, Greg LeMond has done and said things that have damaged the LeMond brand and the Trek brand as a whole," said Burke. “His actions are inconsistent with our values—values we believe in and live everyday. And after years of trying to make it work, we are done. It's time to sever this relationship and allow Trek to do what it does best—build the world's greatest bicycles and provide our customers with a great product and exceptional customer service."

Disclaimer: I own an old Trek MTB that was almost given to me. But I don't consider MTB'ing to be a real sport, so I'm in the clear.

huboon

I considered a LeMond Poprad a few years ago but the Bontrager components drove me away (based on my bad experiences with a Gary Fisher). Nowadays I boycott Trek because they sponsor a team I loathe. Plus the Madone looks like a girls bike, even without the powderpuff blue and yellow.

I find it interesting that John Burke is compelled to badmouth Greg LeMond. Usually you don't see that in corporate business dealings.

kennf

The latest Triomphe series carbon frames are REALLY nice. And yes, they're owned and made by Trek in Wisconsin. But I had to special order one from my local Trek dealer. As far as I know, no Trek dealer in town was stocking them. I wonder why. I'm reading through each sides complaint right now, and like I said, this could get real ugly.

I know that at least one U.S. pro domestic team (Kelly Benefits) is riding Lemond Triomphes. I wonder if they'll switch them out for Madones?

__________________
"Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things"

-- Some dude

thoughtforfood

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Eldrack

Don't know about Trek of Giant but Specialized make some pretty good bikes.

Back on topic: Having read the Lemond complaint thing it looks like another round of **** slinging between Armstrong and Lemond. Armstrongs image is used to market Trek bikes, and at the moment I'd guess he's a much more valuable marketing tool in America, so it makes sense business wise for Trek to follow the Armstrong line on this one I guess.

If Lemond doesn't like Trek working with Amstrong he should have bailed years ago. Whole thing makes Lemond look like a bit of a whiner, and Trek aren't exactly acting in the most honest way even if they are making the right business decision.

TheDarkLord

I don't agree with you here. But this is not the place to argue about this.

thoughtforfood

I owned an M2 Stumpjumper and it was a good bike. I am just adding 15% more vitrol to the top because that is how I roll.

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Bro Deal

What is left of Lemond to cut loose? I always assumed that Trek did the same thing to Lemond as they did to Klein. All manufacturing was switched over to Trek's facilities, an employee or two went to work for Trek, and Klein became just another brand name for Trek. That always pissed me off because I bought a Klein back in the day when it was independent and they did not make any frames that were not mucho dinero. A while after Klein was forced to sell out, I walked into a bike ship and a salesman was talking a clueless coed into an cheap, entry level Klein. Previously there was no such thing as an cheap Klein. I scapped my plans to buy another Klein after that.

I don't think Trek has been too diligent about promoting its sub-brands over the last few years. There have been rumors that Klein will disappear completely, and Lemond's have disappeared from a lot of shops with a Trek contract. Those used to stock Treks, Kleins, and Lemonds. Now they only seem to have Treks.

I have noticed that Lemond is not afraid to sue in his business dealings. He has a lot of experience in this area. He's been sucessful in all the suits that I can remember.

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"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates

thoughtforfood

Read this shit: http://www.trekbikes.com/pdf/media/...k_PPT_FINAL.pdf
This is the presentation Trek made to its employees. What a fucking joke.

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kennf

Yeah, that slide show pissed me off. Nice use of "anonymous" e-mails in a published presentation.

__________________
"Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things"

-- Some dude

TheDarkLord

Typical corporate spin to show how they are the good guys. But the presentation shows the mentality of Trek. They clearly don't give a hoot about the doping problem in cycling. They also portray that the Lemond line improved dramatically after he patched up with them - what a load of baloney!

Bro, your story of Klein seems to be quite similar to what happened to Mongoose. Small companies that offer good and reputable products are bought by the big corporations who then go on to ruin the line to cheap dangerous trash. Sad.

Bro Deal

I won't buy a frame from a large company. I don't see a reason to do so at the high end. Most of the companies do their manufacturing in asia, yet they want to charge the same amount as a frame made in the U.S. by a small builder. I look at it as ripping off the customer. Why the fark would anyone buy a top end Specialized when for the same price you can buy a custom Parlee or Moots, made by people you can talk to before its built to your specification and those people make a living wage?

And I don't understand Trek's has naming strategy at all. It seems like nearly every bike they make is some variation of "Madone." Plus they now look like knockoffs of Giant frames.

Come to think of it, Trek has lost some of their desireability over the last few years. They have become so successful that their bikes are too common. I am sure they are making a killing in the low and mid-level markets, but at the high end they are no longer lustworthy. The people who previously would have bought high end Treks are now buying Cervelos and such.

__________________
"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates