New Trek Pricing

Trek is now probably making the most advanced and aero bikes on the market but the prices are staggering. This could end up being the end of them since it sort of indicates that their sales are so low they have to raise the prices to retain enough profits to continue on.

Trek is a large enough firm that they have a real engineering staff that really know what they're doing. It would be a shame to lose them.

On Friday, April 5, 2019 at 1:16:40 PM UTC-5, wrote:
Trek is now probably making the most advanced and aero bikes on the market but the prices are staggering. This could end up being the end of them since it sort of indicates that their sales are so low they have to raise the prices to retain enough profits to continue on.

Trek is a large enough firm that they have a real engineering staff that really know what they're doing. It would be a shame to lose them.


Trek is simply following the long proven retail strategy used by almost all companies. Just like the automobile companies they have a few high end expensive cars. And many lower priced. They sell a few of the expensive ones and promote them extensively because it improves their image. But they make their money on selling tons of the lower priced models. Take Toyota for example. They make Lexus and sell a few of them. Some are probably up near $100k. But they sell far more of the $40-50k models. And they sell ten times as many regular Toyota Camrys and Corollas and Highlanders. Toyota makes its money from Toyota, not Lexus and not the most expensive Lexus models. I'm sure the profit margin is very high on Lexus and the expensive Lexus. After all they are just a Toyota with leather and gold paint. But the vast majority of the overall profit comes from selling middle and lower priced Toyota cars. And the cheaper Lexus models.

As for losing their engineering staff. I'm pretty sure all the big companies, Specialized, Trek, Giant, Cannondale, all have their bikes made by the exact same 3-4 carbon bike makers in China. They all just call the companies and tell them what to build this year.

On Fri, 5 Apr 2019 12:40:08 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Friday, April 5, 2019 at 1:16:40 PM UTC-5, wrote:
Trek is now probably making the most advanced and aero bikes on the market but the prices are staggering. This could end up being the end of them since it sort of indicates that their sales are so low they have to raise the prices to retain enough profits to continue on.

Trek is a large enough firm that they have a real engineering staff that really know what they're doing. It would be a shame to lose them.


Trek is simply following the long proven retail strategy used by almost all companies. Just like the automobile companies they have a few high end expensive cars. And many lower priced. They sell a few of the expensive ones and promote them extensively because it improves their image. But they make their money on selling tons of the lower priced models. Take Toyota for example. They make Lexus and sell a few of them. Some are probably up near $100k. But they sell far more of the $40-50k models. And they sell ten times as many regular Toyota Camrys and Corollas and Highlanders. Toyota makes its money from Toyota, not Lexus and not the most expensive Lexus models. I'm sure the profit margin is very high on Lexus and the expensive Lexus. After all they are just a Toyota with leather and gold paint. But the vast majority of the overall profit comes from selling middle and lower priced Toyota cars. And the cheaper Lexus models.

As for losing their engineering staff. I'm pretty sure all the big companies, Specialized, Trek, Giant, Cannondale, all have their bikes made by the exact same 3-4 carbon bike makers in China. They all just call the companies and tell them what to build this year.


I thought that Trek bragged that their bikes were "built in America"?
--
cheers,

John B.

On Friday, April 5, 2019 at 5:49:55 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Fri, 5 Apr 2019 12:40:08 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Friday, April 5, 2019 at 1:16:40 PM UTC-5, wrote:
Trek is now probably making the most advanced and aero bikes on the market but the prices are staggering. This could end up being the end of them since it sort of indicates that their sales are so low they have to raise the prices to retain enough profits to continue on.

Trek is a large enough firm that they have a real engineering staff that really know what they're doing. It would be a shame to lose them.


Trek is simply following the long proven retail strategy used by almost all companies. Just like the automobile companies they have a few high end expensive cars. And many lower priced. They sell a few of the expensive ones and promote them extensively because it improves their image. But they make their money on selling tons of the lower priced models. Take Toyota for example. They make Lexus and sell a few of them. Some are probably up near $100k. But they sell far more of the $40-50k models. And they sell ten times as many regular Toyota Camrys and Corollas and Highlanders. Toyota makes its money from Toyota, not Lexus and not the most expensive Lexus models. I'm sure the profit margin is very high on Lexus and the expensive Lexus. After all they are just a Toyota with leather and gold paint. But the vast majority of the overall profit comes from selling middle and lower priced Toyota cars. And the cheaper Lexus models.

As for losing their engineering staff. I'm pretty sure all the big companies, Specialized, Trek, Giant, Cannondale, all have their bikes made by the exact same 3-4 carbon bike makers in China. They all just call the companies and tell them what to build this year.


I thought that Trek bragged that their bikes were "built in America"?
--
cheers,

John B.

Not for quite a few years now. It used to be their top of the line Madone was made in Wisconsin. But they stopped that 5 years ago or so. Now I only think the Project One special paint color ones are painted in Wisconsin. Frames all made in China for every model.

On Friday, April 5, 2019 at 5:41:05 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Friday, April 5, 2019 at 5:49:55 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Fri, 5 Apr 2019 12:40:08 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Friday, April 5, 2019 at 1:16:40 PM UTC-5, wrote:
Trek is now probably making the most advanced and aero bikes on the market but the prices are staggering. This could end up being the end of them since it sort of indicates that their sales are so low they have to raise the prices to retain enough profits to continue on.

Trek is a large enough firm that they have a real engineering staff that really know what they're doing. It would be a shame to lose them.


Trek is simply following the long proven retail strategy used by almost all companies. Just like the automobile companies they have a few high end expensive cars. And many lower priced. They sell a few of the expensive ones and promote them extensively because it improves their image. But they make their money on selling tons of the lower priced models. Take Toyota for example. They make Lexus and sell a few of them. Some are probably up near $100k. But they sell far more of the $40-50k models. And they sell ten times as many regular Toyota Camrys and Corollas and Highlanders. Toyota makes its money from Toyota, not Lexus and not the most expensive Lexus models. I'm sure the profit margin is very high on Lexus and the expensive Lexus. After all they are just a Toyota with leather and gold paint. But the vast majority of the overall profit comes from selling middle and lower priced Toyota cars. And the cheaper Lexus models.

As for losing their engineering staff. I'm pretty sure all the big companies, Specialized, Trek, Giant, Cannondale, all have their bikes made by the exact same 3-4 carbon bike makers in China. They all just call the companies and tell them what to build this year.


I thought that Trek bragged that their bikes were "built in America"?
--
cheers,

John B.

Not for quite a few years now. It used to be their top of the line Madone was made in Wisconsin. But they stopped that 5 years ago or so. Now I only think the Project One special paint color ones are painted in Wisconsin.. Frames all made in China for every model.

Actually only a year or so ago. I got one of the first Taiwanese Emonda SLRs for the 2018 product year. It's a great bike. I got it pro deal, so I can't complain about the price, but even full price, it was a reasonably priced Ultegra build.

All flagship bikes are expensive -- go look at a Pinarello F10. $15K on sale! https://www.racycles.com/road/pinare...di2-bike-13746 Trek does have a serious engineering program, and in my opinion, they make great bikes -- not the cheapest bikes, but when you buy an Ultegra bike, you get an Ultegra bike and not a bike with Ultegra derailleurs, FSA cranks, Tektro brakes, etc., etc. My bike even had an Ultegra chain and cassette. What Trek doesn't have is sex appeal and European cachet. I would much rather have a Trek than any European bike because the warranty and dealer network means something to me.

-- Jay Beattie.

On 4/5/2019 7:57 PM, jbeattie wrote:

snip

I would much rather have a Trek than any European bike because the warranty and dealer network means something to me.

Weren't you the person stating that you've gotten Cannondale frame
replacements under warranty multiple times?

This is a good approach--buy a product with a lifetime warranty that
keeps breaking and get free replacements. You won't get that if you buy
a no-name bicycle with a carbon frame, when it breaks you'll have to pay
full price for replacement.

There's a woman in another Usenet group that bought a car battery from
JC Penney back when they offered lifetime warranties with free
replacements (video of the ad at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZrNsRextok. Even though JC Penney
exited the auto repair business decades ago, 45 years later she is still
getting free replacements from the company that took over their auto
repair business (Firestone).

On Friday, April 5, 2019 at 7:57:47 PM UTC-7, jbeattie wrote:
On Friday, April 5, 2019 at 5:41:05 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Friday, April 5, 2019 at 5:49:55 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Fri, 5 Apr 2019 12:40:08 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Friday, April 5, 2019 at 1:16:40 PM UTC-5, wrote:
Trek is now probably making the most advanced and aero bikes on the market but the prices are staggering. This could end up being the end of them since it sort of indicates that their sales are so low they have to raise the prices to retain enough profits to continue on.

Trek is a large enough firm that they have a real engineering staff that really know what they're doing. It would be a shame to lose them.


Trek is simply following the long proven retail strategy used by almost all companies. Just like the automobile companies they have a few high end expensive cars. And many lower priced. They sell a few of the expensive ones and promote them extensively because it improves their image. But they make their money on selling tons of the lower priced models. Take Toyota for example. They make Lexus and sell a few of them. Some are probably up near $100k. But they sell far more of the $40-50k models. And they sell ten times as many regular Toyota Camrys and Corollas and Highlanders. Toyota makes its money from Toyota, not Lexus and not the most expensive Lexus models. I'm sure the profit margin is very high on Lexus and the expensive Lexus. After all they are just a Toyota with leather and gold paint. But the vast majority of the overall profit comes from selling middle and lower priced Toyota cars. And the cheaper Lexus models.

As for losing their engineering staff. I'm pretty sure all the big companies, Specialized, Trek, Giant, Cannondale, all have their bikes made by the exact same 3-4 carbon bike makers in China. They all just call the companies and tell them what to build this year.


I thought that Trek bragged that their bikes were "built in America"?
--
cheers,

John B.

Not for quite a few years now. It used to be their top of the line Madone was made in Wisconsin. But they stopped that 5 years ago or so. Now I only think the Project One special paint color ones are painted in Wisconsin. Frames all made in China for every model.

Actually only a year or so ago. I got one of the first Taiwanese Emonda SLRs for the 2018 product year. It's a great bike. I got it pro deal, so I can't complain about the price, but even full price, it was a reasonably priced Ultegra build.

All flagship bikes are expensive -- go look at a Pinarello F10. $15K on sale! https://www.racycles.com/road/pinare...di2-bike-13746 Trek does have a serious engineering program, and in my opinion, they make great bikes -- not the cheapest bikes, but when you buy an Ultegra bike, you get an Ultegra bike and not a bike with Ultegra derailleurs, FSA cranks, Tektro brakes, etc., etc. My bike even had an Ultegra chain and cassette. What Trek doesn't have is sex appeal and European cachet. I would much rather have a Trek than any European bike because the warranty and dealer network means something to me.

-- Jay Beattie.

I would say that the top line Madone has more sex appeal than ANY other bike in the world.

On Saturday, April 6, 2019 at 3:57:47 AM UTC+1, jbeattie wrote:

What Trek doesn't have is sex appeal and European cachet.

Rubbish. My Smover, with a fully automatic gearbox and electronic active suspension, is a Trek, engineered by Trek's Benelux Division. It is not only technically advanced but very elegant too; the local cafe racers drooled over it. Trek has plenty of European cachet and sex appeal; they just don't bother trying to sell it to Americans because the American market is -- how to put this politely? -- stuck in the Peugeot ten-speed era.

BTW, when I reengineered my Smover to better fit a hedonist's priorities, Trek's European office gave me their enthusiastic support, advice and components; it was a very happy purchase of a bike so rare and wonderful it could easily have become an inoperable waste of money. I conclude that the legendary Trek service applies to Europe no less than to the States.

Andre Jute
Credit where it is due

On Fri, 5 Apr 2019 17:41:03 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Friday, April 5, 2019 at 5:49:55 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Fri, 5 Apr 2019 12:40:08 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Friday, April 5, 2019 at 1:16:40 PM UTC-5, wrote:
Trek is now probably making the most advanced and aero bikes on the market but the prices are staggering. This could end up being the end of them since it sort of indicates that their sales are so low they have to raise the prices to retain enough profits to continue on.

Trek is a large enough firm that they have a real engineering staff that really know what they're doing. It would be a shame to lose them.


Trek is simply following the long proven retail strategy used by almost all companies. Just like the automobile companies they have a few high end expensive cars. And many lower priced. They sell a few of the expensive ones and promote them extensively because it improves their image. But they make their money on selling tons of the lower priced models. Take Toyota for example. They make Lexus and sell a few of them. Some are probably up near $100k. But they sell far more of the $40-50k models. And they sell ten times as many regular Toyota Camrys and Corollas and Highlanders. Toyota makes its money from Toyota, not Lexus and not the most expensive Lexus models. I'm sure the profit margin is very high on Lexus and the expensive Lexus. After all they are just a Toyota with leather and gold paint. But the vast majority of the overall profit comes from selling middle and lower priced Toyota cars. And the cheaper Lexus models.

As for losing their engineering staff. I'm pretty sure all the big companies, Specialized, Trek, Giant, Cannondale, all have their bikes made by the exact same 3-4 carbon bike makers in China. They all just call the companies and tell them what to build this year.


I thought that Trek bragged that their bikes were "built in America"?
--
cheers,

John B.

Not for quite a few years now. It used to be their top of the line Madone was
made in Wisconsin. But they stopped that 5 years ago or so. Now I
only think the Project One special paint color ones are painted in
Wisconsin. Frames all made in China for every model.

At amazingly cheaper cost then they could be manufactured in the U.S.
--
cheers,

John B.

On 4/5/2019 5:41 PM, wrote:
On Friday, April 5, 2019 at 5:49:55 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Fri, 5 Apr 2019 12:40:08 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Friday, April 5, 2019 at 1:16:40 PM UTC-5, wrote:
Trek is now probably making the most advanced and aero bikes on the market but the prices are staggering. This could end up being the end of them since it sort of indicates that their sales are so low they have to raise the prices to retain enough profits to continue on.

Trek is a large enough firm that they have a real engineering staff that really know what they're doing. It would be a shame to lose them.


Trek is simply following the long proven retail strategy used by almost all companies. Just like the automobile companies they have a few high end expensive cars. And many lower priced. They sell a few of the expensive ones and promote them extensively because it improves their image. But they make their money on selling tons of the lower priced models. Take Toyota for example. They make Lexus and sell a few of them. Some are probably up near $100k. But they sell far more of the $40-50k models. And they sell ten times as many regular Toyota Camrys and Corollas and Highlanders. Toyota makes its money from Toyota, not Lexus and not the most expensive Lexus models. I'm sure the profit margin is very high on Lexus and the expensive Lexus. After all they are just a Toyota with leather and gold paint. But the vast majority of the overall profit comes from selling middle and lower priced Toyota cars. And the cheaper Lexus models.

As for losing their engineering staff. I'm pretty sure all the big companies, Specialized, Trek, Giant, Cannondale, all have their bikes made by the exact same 3-4 carbon bike makers in China. They all just call the companies and tell them what to build this year.


I thought that Trek bragged that their bikes were "built in America"?
--
cheers,

John B.

Not for quite a few years now. It used to be their top of the line Madone was made in Wisconsin. But they stopped that 5 years ago or so. Now I only think the Project One special paint color ones are painted in Wisconsin. Frames all made in China for every model.

As a data point, my 2013 CF Trek Domane says "Designed in Waterloo,
Wisconsin" on the seat stays. Pretty sure that tells us it wasn't made
there (or they'd be motivated to say so).

If there was a "made in" sticker, I either missed it or removed it
previously.

Mark J.