I’m with you on the Trek/Bontrager issue. I hate how that’s true with the whole Trek line, meaning Klein and LeMond as well. It used to be Icon components and Rolf wheels, now it’s all Bontrager. Now that doesn’t mean that Bontrager is crap. They make some nice stuff. I guess that in a perfect world, I’d like companies to spec stuff b/c it’s the best of part for the specified price, not that it has the correct label. (Hell, even the tires are Bontragers!!) Obviously bike manufacturers will only be able to spec bikes using a subset of all the component companies out there, but limiting themselves to Shimano, and Bontrager is BS IMO.
actually, I love it when manufacturers spec house brand parts (within reason), as it means that you get a bike that works just as well for a more reasonable price. IMHO, Trek/Klein/Lemond strikes a pretty good balance on the use of Bontrager, using Keith’s stuff for the bar, stem, seatpost and wheels. The Bontrager wheels are very good, and I’ve never heard anyone claim that they went slower because they used a CODA stem instead of a 3T. I think that the bontrager road tires are made by the Continental factory, and they’ve been in the mountain bike tire business for a long time.
Proprietary parts do worry me a little bit, but not too much. Actually, my biggest beef with the Cannondale integrated crank system is that I cannot use them on my Trek OCLV!! Wouldn’t it be sweet if cannondale came out with an ISIS spline version of their cranks.
I dunno. The price may be a bit lower, but the main reason for specing a house brand is to get a bigger chunk of the overall margin generated by the sale of the bike. I don’t think the driver is reduced cost to the consumer. Even if the bike does come in a bit cheaper, your resale on the parts is nothing. Ever try to sell a Icon/Coda/Bontrager (to a lesser extent) seatpost, stem, or handlebars? It’s not that the stuff is crap, much of it is actually quite nice, but you still have a hard time getting good money for them. It shouldn’t matter, but brand name does have a big impact on resale value. Watch bike shops when they swap stems on a fitting. They always try to stick with the house brand, and add an upcharge if you go to a “designer” brand. But, if you buy the house brand new from the shop (if they carry it) they’re very close in price to the designer stuff.
As for Bontrager wheels, yes some of them are nice. I happen to own a pair that really are crap though. (Admittedly, this is their bottom of the line wheel.)
What’s amazing to me is how good companies supposidly run by good people can make such blunders.
For the past 5 - 10 years one of the buzz-words in business has been “focus”. Meaning focus on what you do best. Brand or line extention eg. Cannondale Motorcycles!, can cause you to really loose your focus and ultimatly your business. Few companies can really pull this off.
The other thing is that you never really know what’s going on behinds the scenes: Sales Reps are still saying great things and trying to sell you stuff. The booth at the trade show is huge. The marketing people keep coming up with awsome promotional plans. Your last call to a principal at the company was so positive, you had a huge smile on your face when you got off the phone and then . . . . poooph!! The balloon suddenly burst!
I hope that Cannondale can get it back together. They are key players in the market.
My editorial (always biting, always opinionated) on the Cannondale reorg is at
http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/editorials/0000014.shtml
It may of interest to many of you. I hope you enjoy it and welcome your comments and feedback.
heh heh. as if freaking HONDA is going to let a company founded on a molded plastic backwards facing bike trailer one up them with a four stroke lightweight performance motorcycle. somebody had to be on crack. people, it is H-O-N-D-A !! you think shimano is something?? ha. plus, honda prides itself on its four strokes and performance. the ridiculousness of this concept is beyond words.
next time you are at the check out line, for example, take a quick gander at some motocross mag. observe the four stroke 250 class motocross bikes. now observe a canondale bicycle, and perhaps some baggy shorts from the spring clothing line. hmmmmmm. for that matter go back 10 years and observe the nr 750 from honda, a v-four steet bike with eight valves per cylinder and OVAL PISTONS with a 20,000 rpm redline. oval pistons. ever try to get oval piston rings to seal at 20,000 rpm ??? or, perhaps go back another 30 years and behold the 250 cc 6 cylinder gp bike. yes, 6 cylinders in 250 cc, raging and howling like a banshee from hell itself. made years before c-dale could even melt the plastic for its trailer for the mold. ahhhhhhhh, ya. 