Mike Jacoubowsky writes:
>> I got a lot out of it:
http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/features/bikebiz.html
> An older article (2002), and yet every person mentioned in the
> section about Trek is still at the company, and the descriptions of
> how things work there are spot-on. Thanks for the link!
Scanning through the article I found it vague and glossy. For instance
the item about TREK and Rolf:
# I'll not get into the particulars of that, nor take sides. I write
# this just to show you how things can end up, and it happens with
# every company, big and small, at one point or another. Things went
# sour with Cervelo (several years ago) and a frame vendor. It
# happened with Trek and Rolf Diettrich. There are many examples I
# could cite. Sometimes relationships don't work out. Sometimes
# things end up in court. Generally when they do, both sides lose.
Rolf Dietrich, whose wheels TREK distributed, had patented paired
spoking with the same claims as Mr. R. S. Lovelace's 1890 patent. See
"King of the Road" by Andrew Ritchey. TREK discovered the sham and
canceled their royalties to Rolf, who then initiated legal action that
fell apart, as it should have, before it got to trial.
I think sweeping these cases under the same rug, leaves me with some
doubt about the article. I don't know the details of the other
clashes mentioned, but this one I know.
Jobst Brandt
