Trek buys Electra

[bargainguy]

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/north-america/2014/01/06/trek-announces-acquisition-electra

[bcroslin]

Does this mean Trek will yank Electra's accounts out of bike shops and make them a Trek-store only brand? Seems to me like it's only a matter of time.

[Anarchist]

It means Electra will be new Klein or Gary Fisher.

The same frame as the Trek XXYY but labelled Electra, until Electra doesn't sell enough, then the name will be killed off.

[thirdgenbird]

Electra will complement the Klein, Bontrager, and Fisher lines nicely.

Edit: looks like anarchist just beat me :)

[rice rocket]

Interesting, surely they're a much bigger brand than Electra, and the technology in an Electra bike certainly isn't groundbreaking...so the only option left is they're buying it for the brand name alone. But is the brand that big?

Or maybe they want their patents? Patent search shows that they own a patent for low seat tube angles + step through frames. LOL.

https://www.google.com/patents/CA2541418A1?cl=en&dq=electra+bicycle&hl=en&sa=X&ei=tHDLUuj6MsS5qAHt0oDIAg&ved=0CEEQ6AEwAQ

[Jeff N.]

My local Trek Superstore has the full line of Townies now. Electra is out of San Diego (Vista), interestingly.

[josephr]

Interesting, surely they're a much bigger brand than Electra, and the technology in an Electra bike certainly isn't groundbreaking...so the only option left is they're buying it for the brand name alone. But is the brand that big?

Or maybe they want their patents? Patent search shows that they own a patent for low seat tube angles + step through frames. LOL.

https://www.google.com/patents/CA2541418A1?cl=en&dq=electra+bicycle&hl=en&sa=X&ei=tHDLUuj6MsS5qAHt0oDIAg&ved=0CEEQ6AEwAQ

And Trek's army of lawyers will ward off any C&D letter from Sinyard.
Joe

[Louis]

Someone had to say it:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/cf/Mourning_Becomes_Electra.jpg/150px-Mourning_Becomes_Electra.jpg

[JAGI410]

Does this mean Trek will yank Electra's accounts out of bike shops and make them a Trek-store only brand? Seems to me like it's only a matter of time.

I sure hope not! At our shop we used to sell a ton of Giant Suedes. Giant stopped making them for some dumb reason so we picked up Electra and started selling Townies. If Trek pulls them, it'll be hard for us to fill that niche.

[avalonracing]

Electra will complement the Klein, Bontrager, and Fisher lines nicely.

Edit: looks like anarchist just beat me :)

But you said it so well you still get credit.

As and aside and with all due respect to Keith Bontrager I always thought it was a fairly arbitrary thing to do to continue labeling so many products as "Bontrager". The name really doesn't have the cache with so many of the younger riders and to my knowledge Keith isn't designing their bar tape and inner tubes. It's just kinda weird and lazy to continue with this branding. That said, I hope to hell he is still getting paid for it.

[thirdgenbird]

Haha thanks.

I saw an add a year or two ago that Keith still gave his input and helped with some product design. I'm guessing it is fairly limited.

I agree that the name doesn't hold much weight anymore. I'm probably one of the few people in their 20s that relate it to Keith and not just paired spoke wheels with cracked rims.

[sg8357]

Looking forward to seeing the Ticino Domane L'Eroica special with non-aero levers and Stronglight knock off crankset.

[bcroslin]

Giant stopped making them for some dumb reason so we picked up Electra and started selling Townies.

I bet this is the kick-in-the-ass Giant needs to get back into the townie market. Someone is going to have to fill the niche once Trek makes Electra a Trek-store only bike. I'm guessing within 2 years you won't be able to find an Electra being sold in a non-concept store. One more big-blow to LBS's.