Why does every one hate TREK Madone
Comments
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simbil1 wrote:
[snip]
There is also the suspicion of the buyer haven fallen for dubious marketing along the lines of 'as ridden by Lance'.
Personally, I wouldn't worry about it unless I was hopelessly slow in which case I would worry about looking like all gear and no idea.
Hi there.
That sounds like more snobery I'm afraid...
Rewind back to 1999, I was fairly new to the sport, I'd done some triathlons, but never started a bike race. Having watched that year's tour de france I was inspired to buy a trek oclv. My company paid me a millennium bonus at the end of the year, and I spend £1000 (a lot of money for me then) on a second hand 5500, along with some new wheels and a Daytona groupset.
Was I conned into buying an inferior bike? I doubt it. Was I inspired by LA's first tour victory? Yup. Were thousands of others? Yup.
So LA inspires thousands of novice riders on both sides of the Atlantic - more people get into the sport, bike shop turnover goes up. Sounds like a win-win situation to me.
Eight years later that Trek is still going strong - despite the fact that it's 10 years old. And it's won a few races down the line. I've also picked up a Cervelo TT bike in the intervening years - will we be looking down our noses at Cervelos in a couple of years when Trek have fallen off the radar with the demise of Astana...
My Trek is finally about to be replaced by a Ridley - as riden by Cadel Evans - should I be embarrased about that one too? Or my cross bike that Robb Jebb used to ride. I'd better check if Reg Harris ever rode a Carlton on the track while I'm at it too!
As for the all gear and no idea line of thought - is this not just reverse snobery? If a rider can afford to walk into a shop a buy a top of the line bke, why shouldn't they? What do you want them bike shop owner to do, check the category on their racing licence?
Cheers, Andy0 -
Andy,
The point about Lance is that he won the race not the bike. To be inspired by races and go out and buy a bike, any bike, is of course wonderful. To think Lance would not have won on any of the other pro bikes in the peloton is the falling for marketing mistake. To think Trek offer a competitive advantage is a mistake. Do some less savvy buyers believe they are buying something that is better than other brands - probably.
I can't honestly see how that is snobbery? I ride a humble PlanetX!
Regarding all the gear and no idea, it is something I would worry about. I would feel foolish if the easy ride on a Sunday dropped me on my £5k bike.
I don't mind people buying really expensive bikes though - whatever rocks their boat (so long as it genuinely makes them happy - it would definitely not make me happy).0 -
Perhaps the years of having to endure Trek's marketing drivel over the year might also have something to do with it?Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..0
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I believe Trek were first with high density (they call it OCLV) techniques with carbon fibre -which at the time was a declassified military process and patented by Trek - and there's little evidence from anyone else in the business that they have caught up or even understand what's going on. As for marketing drivel, it's apparent that everyone else has caught up, particularly the Italians.
There's only one bit of unique drivel, and that's the bikesnob prejudice in the post above. Trek still make the Madone in the US (i.e. a developed country) and we're now being enticed by no less an authority on stupid shaped frames and tacky graphics than Pinarello to part with upwards of 2000 quid for a frame made in Taiwan, or some such low cost country.
As it's always been said; cyclists are gullible.0 -
pliptrot wrote:There's only one bit of unique drivel, and that's the bikesnob prejudice in the post above. Trek still make the Madone in the US (i.e. a developed country) and we're now being enticed by no less an authority on stupid shaped frames and tacky graphics than Pinarello to part with upwards of 2000 quid for a frame made in Taiwan, or some such low cost country.
I urge you to reconsider your assessment of Taiwan. It is not even close to being a "low cost country", nor is it, as you allude to, not a developed country.
It is, in fact, a highly modernised democratic country. It's GDP per capita is equal to the EU average. It's real growth in GDP is about 8% per annum. It ranks quite high in most world freedom rankings, in many instances higher than most places that people would normally describe as "developed".0 -
all the gear no idea....logically then we should only use a bike corresponding to our erm palmares? I've not come across many newbies with mega bucks bikes that don't improve over time to become quite good, thus (if you felt the need to have to) justify said purchase. You might even argue that if you are the type of person that worries about such things means you aint really got the mental strength to do achieve much anway...
See it maybe more a statement of intent, than simply showing off. 0 -
Not really Steve - a newbie on a 1k bike has everything he needs right up to competition level. A newbie on a 5k bike? That's what all the gear and no idea means to me.
Still, if it genuinely makes them happy there's no problem.
It shows mental strength to buy an expensive bike :?:
I'd say it takes more mental strength to resist the marketing and conventional wisdom and ride a 'sub standard' bike and instead be confident in your own ability.0 -
I say .... what the heck has it got to do with anyone what bike someone else chooses to ride.
Cheap, mid-priced, expensive .... Trek or Pinarello ... vive la difference!
For those that 'get off' on thrashing someone on a much more expensive bike ... good luck ... you need it!
For those that get thrashed by others on a way cheaper bike ... don't worry (I'm sure you didn't buy the bike expecting it to make you the best in the group after 2 weeks of cycling!)
Buy what the heck you like and at the budget you can afford ... and enjoy
Personally I find it a little 'sad' that folks should be so concerned at what others might think (and even buy a 'lesser' bike cos they don't want to get labelled 'all the gear and no idea". That doesn't strike me as mental toughness'?)
It's great to be .....0 -
simbil1 wrote:Andy,
The point about Lance is that he won the race not the bike.
I would feel foolish if the easy ride on a Sunday dropped me on my £5k bike.
Why? Its you getting dropped - not the bike. 0 -
pjh, I've said repeatedly if it makes the buyer happy, no probs.
If you think it makes you 'mentally tough' to not care about being passed on lesser equipment, I'd say you are actually 'thick skinned' or simply just don't care - neither are mental toughness of the kind that will see you pushing through the pain barrier - that kind of toughness is about self discipline and has nothing to do with what you are riding and your attitude to equipment.
a_n_t, "Its you getting dropped - not the bike", yes that is exactly the point - despite the advantages of the best equipment you got dropped. I doubt the bike cares either way 0 -
maybe on a £300 bike they would've been dropped earlier?
if you can afford a £5k bike then go for it, so what if it takes you an hour to ride 10 miles.0
