Trek and Lemond - a question from the diaspora

[tdh]

I am American (50% to be precise) but grew up in Europe and lived only a few years in the US (NYC). One of the things that always struck me as odd on this American dominated forum was that a lot of members still ride, collect and proudly write about their trek bikes and frames. To me Greg Lemond certainly is the greatest American rider and sits right next to Merckx and Coppi. Once I learned about how John Burke treated Greg Lemond, trek became instantly a company I wanted nothing to do with. Despite the recent documentary and the much watched roadman podcast interview I can't really see the love for and solidarity with Greg Lemond. To me the man is not only a cycling marvel but the quintessential American comeback kid and, judging from the interviews I have seen, a true mensch. I am really trying to understand from a cycling culture perspective the ongoing support for trek. Or am I missing something here...

[prototoast]

With the caveat that I don't own any Trek bikes, I wasn't bothered by any of their conduct that I was aware of, and have thought little of it since.

[kiwisimon]

Originally Posted by tdh

Or am I missing something here...

Non-American here. I switch off as soon as LA's name comes up.
Greg Lemond is America's greatest cyclist, and Trek are a ****e company they way they treated him.
Have never owned a Trek but do buy Bontrager branded gear.

[sipmeister]

First mountain bike was a Trek, and I still hardtail on a Trek. LBS is Trek and I like the owner. The bike rides awesome. I tried a Giant hardtail and a Salsa. Giant was okay but the Salsa was terrible. Sluggish, slow, awkward.

I like Trek bikes. All of the ones I tried seemed “right”. I don’t follow the drama so that disconnects me from getting emotional about other people that got screwed by Trek. Family members and friends backstab each other. It’s not just a Trek “thing”.

[purpurite]

I've had animosity for Trek for what they did to smaller builders through the 90s. I never had any taste for mega-companies that got bigger by swallowing up other companies (Fisher, Klein, Bontrager, Lemond) and leaving them for dead. After I learned of how they supported Armstrong through the darkest years in American cycling, and how they treated Lemond, I went from indifference to malevolence for the company and their business practices.

I will never own a Trek product.

[EB]

Trek is a large corporation and what they did at the time makes sense if you consider the threat LeMond’s public statements represented to the revenue streams that Lance’s personal brand supported. Remember at the time that no allegations were proven, so they made a bloodless risk management decision to protect their business.

Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

[Old School]

Myself, not being a road enthusiast, have not heard of this. Are there a few articles, books, or sources? If it it this important to some people, then it must be an interesting story. (I am a fan of interesting stories, above all)

[Tandem Rider]

To the OP's post, Greg Lemond is the real deal, both as a rider and as guy you would go for a ride with and have a beer afterwards. He gave a friend of mine a bike because he was going through some really hard times and Greg knew he was a rider and need a bike to keep himself between the rails of life. Trek has sponsored some friends of mine. Trek has also had and still has some friends of mine on the company payroll and they tell me it is working for a mid size corporation that wants to be a large corporation.

I have owned Treks, own one now, may or may not own another one in the future, no issues with the company. It was business at the time for Burke and Lemond, I'm pretty sure they both have moved on from it, probably exchanging Christmas cards now.

[shinomaster]

Originally Posted by tdh

I am American (50% to be precise) but grew up in Europe and lived only a few years in the US (NYC). One of the things that always struck me as odd on this American dominated forum was that a lot of members still ride, collect and proudly write about their trek bikes and frames. To me Greg Lemond certainly is the greatest American rider and sits right next to Merckx and Coppi. Once I learned about how John Burke treated Greg Lemond, trek became instantly a company I wanted nothing to do with. Despite the recent documentary and the much watched roadman podcast interview I can't really see the love for and solidarity with Greg Lemond. To me the man is not only a cycling marvel but the quintessential American comeback kid and, judging from the interviews I have seen, a true mensch. I am really trying to understand from a cycling culture perspective the ongoing support for trek. Or am I missing something here...

LeMond was my idol as a high school kid and I just listened to the Roadman podcast today, and enjoyed it. I think I Trek is pretty disgusting, and would never buy one.

[kiwisimon]

Originally Posted by EB

Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

Bringing up someone's history of being a sexual assault survivor is breaking the rules of the game IMO. LA was a bullying **** back then, now IDK.

[BdaGhisallo]

Originally Posted by kiwisimon

Bringing up someone's history of being a sexual assault survivor is breaking the rules of the game IMO. LA was a bullying **** back then, now IDK.

Wasn't that Landis and not LA?

[mickey.d]

Originally Posted by BdaGhisallo

Wasn't that Landis and not LA?

Will Geoghan, one of Landis’s friends from mid-atlantic mtb racing. technically.

I visited Waterloo/The Red Barn in 2010 while in Wisconsin for a wedding- Trek had already started taking down their Lance shrines. They knew the truth was coming soon. They also knew the truth all along- I would wager there are still a few people in the race shop that used to be involved with international racketeering and drug smuggling.

[BdaGhisallo]

Originally Posted by mickey.d

Will Geoghan, one of Landis’s friends from mid-atlantic mtb racing. technically.

I couldn't remember his name.

[El Chaba]

I really don’t want anything to do with Trek or any of their satellite companies either. Then again, I don’t think that I fall within the main focus of their marketing.

[buddybikes]

My idol of character (beside Greg) is Davis Phinney. Perhaps because he rode in my backseat from airport once. Total class act.

Lance met in 1992 before the Olympics was an a-hole then too.