DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
I agree, Trek makes fine production bikes, but of course the Fisher and Bontragers are not the same as the ones they made by hand. It's also not fair to compare them in that way, either. Judge a Trek-made Gary Fisher against similar ones from Specialized or what-not, not handmade custom, and they compare fine. They are also cheaper than custom, so the value is key. If you think back to Gary Fisher's early days he was always about selling bikes more than the craft of it, so it really should not surprise anyone that he would want to get his designs under more riders than to be some boutique-y garage operation with hipster street cred.
Thought of another, Schwinn-Paramount morphed into Waterford/Gunnar, which retained a lot of that soul. I remember the cool 1980s and 1990s MTBs, Diamond Back, GT, Mongoose, Iron Horse that are now shells of their original glory. GT still has some interesting bikes but the Gray Turner Pro Performer funkiness isn't there. My 1994 Zaskar came with a sticker that said 'Troy Built' on it because a guy named Troy welded it in SoCal. Shrug, times change, people change.
You are right, there is nothing that compares to a custom bike. But you could also custom build a car and when you start thinking about price the mass produced bike that takes a bit more to fit starts to become a better value. Not everyone is willing to spend $1,500 or $2,000 on a frame set like us and there is nothing wrong with getting a thought out and well made $2,000 Trek/Fisher if it gets you on the trail, you know?
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