Did Trek Make a Mistake? The Bontrager Phase-Out Explained! The State of the Cycling Industry

Is Bontrager GONE? Trek's Shocking Decision Reviewed!
   • Breaking News! That's It For Trek Bikes? O...  

My new motto: "Be patient, do your homework, and try to get everything right." Keith Bontrager

As The Wheel Turns, So Do The Days of Our Rides. This series is my reflection on current industry events and consumer perspectives. With my 30 years in the business, I try to give a better understanding and some added context to today's topics. Let's have a look.

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Motorcycles:

Bontrager started in 1965 by building lawnmower engine-powered mini-bikes.

In 1969, he began racing motocross, funding his racing through motorcycle repair work. Between 1975 and 1981, he designed, built, and tuned motocross, road racing, and drag racing motorcycles. Motorcycles he tuned won national road racing titles in production and 250 GP classes.

Bicycles:

In 1978, Bontrager became attracted to cycling, and in 1979, he built his first road bike. With his motocross background, he was also attracted to mountain bike cycling. In 1980, he built his first mountain bike frame and founded Bontrager Cycles in Sunnyvale, California.

In 1992, Bontrager Cycles expanded from a one-man shop to a limited production facility. In 1993, they started producing handlebar stems. In 1995, Bontrager's business partner, Hans Heim, left to join Santa Cruz Bicycles and put his share of Bontrager Cycles up for sale. Trek acquired Bontrager Cycles and hired Bontrager as president.

Bontrager production split in two. The frame shop in Santa Cruz continued to manufacture high-end mountain bike frames (the Race and Race Lite models), the Road Lite (road race), the cyclo-cross frames, and later, a BMX frame. At this same time, Bontrager stopped using two-piece seat stays on mountain frames in favor of a single tapered tube. The Ti-Lite, a titanium version of the mountain bike frame, was made by tubing manufacturer Sandvik. At the same time, the Privateer, an entry-level frame, was designed using the same True Temper tubing as the Santa Cruz-made frames but made at Trek's plant in Waterloo, Wisconsin, with small design changes.

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My passion for bikes started when my parents opened a shop in the 1980s called Parker Bikes (we were located in Parker, Colorado). My love for cycling has continued since then, in my work and with my hobbies of road cycling and mountain biking. After my parents’ shop closed, I worked for other bike shops (including Lee’s Cyclery in Fort Collins), where I built and sold bikes, fixed and tuned up bikes, and managed inventory.
I love working on bikes and want to share my passion for cycling with others. So, next time you’re talking cycling with someone and wondering how to get started or where to go from here, you can think, “I know a guy!”

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