Should I buy a Trek (ethical reasons)

[FlashUNC]

Originally Posted by Wayne77

I really don’t get why this is causing so much hand-wringing. None of us can legitimately claim that none of the other companies, large and small, that we concioisly decide to buy product from haven’t also screwed persons or entities over at some point in the past...or engaged in actions that are as bad or worse as what’s being talked about here.

Precisely because of that lack of information and transparency we all selectively chose the companies, charities, persons, causes to support, and which to stay away from. These are personal decisions and to suggest that there is some universal morally reprehensible reason no one should support Trek is a bit hypocritical.

I respect those that choose not to support Trek...I have to assume there’s some personal thing that strikes a nerve or rubs that person the wrong way. Great. I don’t buy products from companies that bug me either. But that doesnt mean someone who does support Trek is somehow looking the other way or choosing some lower standard in doing so.

Well, it is if the standard is "I have ethical objections to the company, but their frame has the rim brake mounts, so I think I'll get the frame."

Your ethical objections ring more than just a tad hollow if how they mount brakes takes priority in your calculus. At that point you don't really have ethical objections, you just like saying you do.

[josephr]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

Well, it is if the standard is "I have ethical objections to the company, but their frame has the rim brake mounts, so I think I'll get the frame."

Your ethical objections ring more than just a tad hollow if how they mount brakes takes priority in your calculus. At that point you don't really have ethical objections, you just like saying you do.

+1 --- while its great to be able to say 'I vote with my $'...the internet's highest level of ethical consumership is contradicted by everyone who uses an iPhone, eaten a sammich at Chick-Fil-A, wears Nike or New Balance (depending on who's side your on), etc....the list goes on forever. I'm tired, I ride/wear/eat what works for me.

[Wayne77]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

Well, it is if the standard is "I have ethical objections to the company, but their frame has the rim brake mounts, so I think I'll get the frame."

Your ethical objections ring more than just a tad hollow if how they mount brakes takes priority in your calculus. At that point you don't really have ethical objections, you just like saying you do.

I think you’re making this far too complex, with all due respects sir. If we are taking this to that level where we are now adding all these intermediate scenarios, there’s no way to have the discussion. Why? Because that ethical inconsistency is not observable behavior (unless you have someone following you around) and happens within the mind. If someone has an outwardly stated value system and for whatever reason decides to make a compromise one day amd not the next, well...that’s a discussion about consistency of character, cognitive dissonance, etc etc. Let’s keep this at a higher level and at least assume for sake of discussion that we will be consistent in our ethical decisions based on the information we have at the time.

It’s a very simple question if we keep it at that level...what an entity does either bugs me or it doesn’t. If today my ‘support or not support’ decision is different from how I would have made the same decision 10 years ago does not necessarily make me an ethically compromised person. It would if all factors remained the same, but they don’t. People change, companies change, philosophies change, the battles I chose to fight change, the causes I am passionate about change...we mature and grow. Again, these are personal decisions and to have some universal standard implies universal transparency and a static, unchanging landscape.

Maybe new information comes out tomorrow about the Trek/Lance/Lemond thing that back in 2006 Armstrong drove by Greg’s house at night and threw eggs at his house and broke the windows of his car, and the CEO of Trek was with him, laughing all the way home...well yeah, I’d probably shift my stance a bit ;-)

[Wayne77]

Originally Posted by josephr

+1 --- while its great to be able to say 'I vote with my $'...the internet's highest level of ethical consumership is contradicted by everyone who uses an iPhone, eaten a sammich at Chick-Fil-A, wears Nike or New Balance (depending on who's side your on), etc....the list goes on forever. I'm tired, I ride/wear/eat what works for me.

This I agree with...to be honest, I’m not sure if my thoughts agree or disagree with FlashUNC...it seems like we are talking about very different things. But your consisely stated analysis above is definitely in line with my own thoughts - ie, it’s likely that we have all consumed from companies knowingly or unknowingly with varying ethical track records. We don’t know for sure, there is only so much time in the day, life is short, we can’t fight every battle, and thus we manage to get by and still sleep well at night. :-)

[Tabl10s]

Originally Posted by echappist

So here's the deal. My current race bike is about 5 years, and its components are falling apart. Left shifter is near the end of its service life, front derailleur doesn't really work that well (the braze-on is flexy), and the pinch bolt on the front brake broke from erosion. All could be fixed, but it feels more like that any more I spent on it is less I can spend on a Di2 bike. It still has a bit of life left, but I'm beginning to think that I should get a new bike and go Di2.

I've never liked Trek since I begin to bike seriously. Their sleight of hand on Lemond was rather underhanded, and I don't like how obsequious it was to LA. Personally, I thought i'd never buy a Trek, but never say never right?

The thing is, there's just not a lot of company making decent aero road bikes these days, and most of them either don't test well or are disc-only, not to mention that many are prohibitively expensive. The Aeroad would be an option, but they aren't bringing in the rim brake option anytime soon (not to mention that the bike is less aero than it looks), and the Foil is also not as aero as one'd like. This pretty much leaves just the Madone. $4000 for a full bike (and $5000 by the time I get all the parts I want).

But there's that thought lingering that I shouldn't bring my business to people who aided and abetted. THoughts?

Here's some food for thought: since most bikes are Asian built, do they pay their workers a living wage?

Canadians talk funny and the Spanish are macho.
Both have populations that want to cecede. Italians are snobbish thinking they're the best lovers.

If you look at my signature, I didn't care.

[54ny77]

This thread is a top contender for the 2018 First World Problems Navel Gazing award.