On Saturday I was in downtown Los Angeles and while Slowman, Chrissie, Macca and Lieto were negotiating the TT course I was in the Disney Concert Hall for the first time and heard some beautiful music: John Burke, preside of Trek bikes was prioritizing triathlon.
When I do prefits in my studio I’ll ask an athlete if they are attracted to one brand over another before I bring up a company’s website to seek out geometry. I’m always curious to see if a bike manufacturer has a dedicated “triathlon” button on their home page or do I have to hit “road” first and then find my way along. I’m curious to see if they even speak to triathlon or if they name it TT. It’s not an act of snobbery or even entitlement - I just think it’s good business to acknowledge our sport. Some companies show a dedication to triathlon and some don’t. Trek finally does.
Trek pres Burke did a short powerpoint show (that’s for keeping it short by the way), he put up a slide that showed the growth of USAT membership over the past while and another bullet point that spoke directly to IM growth as well. I found myself sitting there thinking…“what took you so long”?
I’ve been thinking about that for a while and it probably has a bit to do with the Lance effect. Trek has been riding the road wave for a while and now that it’s ebbing a bit they might have finally really taken notice of triathlon. We were sitting in their presentation, mere meters from the TT course of the Tour of California, and the presentation was 100% triathlon and the Speed Concept, while it can and is and will be used for TT, has more to do with tri than road. The “speed box” (bento box location, screwed into place), the repair box (also screwed into place), the commitment to modern triathlon based sizing (read: Dan and ST), the super broad range of bike from $9k carbon on down to a low $2k alum - it’s all targeted at the tri market. Burke even spoke of how the triathlete mind set and how they/we need to be individuals and so the “project 1” (custom paint) will be applied to this bike as well.
For me personally, I’m a fitter who is not a Trek dealer. My only complaint is the oem front end. I can’t simply reach into my current stock and pull an appropriate stem. Just like with Specialized and some Felts if the LBS doesn’t git 'em right (and so few do) then when an athlete shows up with a new Trek Speed Concept to be fit I’m going to have be ready with the odd Speed Concept stems that have only one purpose.
Ian
PS. Another slide that Burke put up were some quotes from triathlon forums. I had a chuckle at that for two reason; 1) it’s funny to me to see a company site a review from an anonymous from a forum and 2) a couple of them has the whiff of Slowtwitch.
Great points, Ian. Listening to that presentation, I was thinking the same things. Especially the point you made about how the focus was exclusively tri, despite a massive ROAD TT going on outside.
Regarding the custom parts, I think it’s a good thing. It forces both shops and athletes to THINK … and get fit BEFORE they make their purchase decision. What a concept, right? If you just get a proper fit done on a fit cycle, then it becomes obvious which seatpost and stem combo you need. If shops get the message that each bike has specific proprietary parts that must be ordered in the right size (and Trek is definitely not the only one doing this), then the culture of buying a bike shifts to place more focus on proper fit. Customer comes in for a bike, says that the Speed Concept looks dandy … and the salesperson says, “well, you definitely need to get fit first, so we can order the right stem and post for you.” Buyer gets fit, and is a happier camper for it in the end.
GREAT points about the increase in USAT membership and the correlation to IM participation. i recall back in the “old days” when the only north american IM venue was canada and thinking, “if there’s ever a local IM, i’m in”. that’s really what motivated me to sign up for IMCAL back in '00.
perhaps there’s been a thread about it here but at the pool a few weeks back one of the guys who’s been to kona over ten times was talking about how he thinks IM racing is “the new marathon”. ie people who haven’t participated in the past want to sign up and check it off their bucket list, etc. these are the kind of people that i can imagine would walk into a store with a “spare no expense” attitude and walk out with a top tier tri bike…and then they’d go get a fit only to find out they need 50mm of spacers.
There has been talk of IM being the new marathon and what I’d love to see is a break down of finish times for North American IM times between say 15 and 17 hours over the past 5 years. My guess is that many more “less athletic” persons are toeing the line at IMs lately.
From a purely marketing perspective…Trek seems to have done a good job creating buzz around this bike. Will have to see if that plus their expansive retail presence will result many more bikes out on the road.
Yes you are right about Trek…then again, if I had to make a guess I would presume that the folks at Trek base many things on fact. The fact is (you as a fitter are I presume well aware of this) - MOST folks who are on Tri bikes with aero this and that would probably be better off, and no slower on a “road bike” than they are on a steep Tri bike with a position they can not hold once they let out their gut and look away from the mirror. Even Treks “tri” bikes have a more classic road geometry and do not press into the areas of the P3/4 (where again, it is common knowledge that many folks are better of with the 2/2C). So, does Trek fall into the marketing game of selling a frame that will fit a small “fit” segment of the market, or do they sell to the “Bucket List” person with more money than ability and offer them a comfortable ride that is more proper for their posistions? There are far more “Bucket List” folks than there are Bjorns…and then, when they are done with their 16 hour Iron Distance “Race” they can write up a report that is much akin to the Steven Bachman (King) story “The Long Walk” and profess thier survival despite the suffering and trials of showing up unprepared…I can wear my finishers medal on the flight home…right?
yeah, okay so maybe “toeing the line” is inappropriate to the segment of which we’re speaking - maybe it’s more like “hang back 'til everybody goes and then wade out and swim easy to make the 2:20 cut off”.
To some extent I agree with what you’ve said here… “Even Treks “tri” bikes have a more classic road geometry” but this new bike seems to be one that will allow for that more competitive, triathlon position. And I’m not talking about outliers like Bjorn - I’m talking about the basic potential of a 78+ degree seat angle and Trek seems to have committed to that here for the first time - and then instantly I’m of two minds: 1) great! and 2) what took so long?
Dan used to make reference to a “Trek and mower shop” which spoke to how ubiquitous Trek dealers were/are and how there wasn’t a great deal of deeply dedicated bike knowledge in that type of shop. I pass a bike shop twice a week on a long ride that just has a sign out that says “Trek bike shop” I think that might even be it’s name. I worry there will be many really ill fitted people that leave a retailer with a Speed Concept and then even less hope of them getting correctly positioned down the road since the stem is oem. I’d love to see Trek invest into educating shops on position so that there will be potential for riders to be functional on that bike - what a concept for the Speed Concept
I’d love to see Trek invest into educating shops on position so that there will be potential for riders to be functional on that bike
now THAT would be an example of trek’s commitment to the long-term viability of this bike in the market place. as big as trek is however i’m not sure the accounting department would see the bottom line value in such an education. aren’t the specialized corporate stores doing something similar to that?
Personally I am a Cervelo guy but I have to say the speed concept has really taken it to the next level with some of the add-on features. The ant+ cadence sensor is pretty neat as well as the being the seat post gear holder.
I do feel like they could have made the bento box blend into the stem a bit more seamlessly but that is just a minor gripe.
Generally speaking Trek have done a good job turning around my opinion and I probably rank the SC above the P4 and Shiv
I like hearing that the look of a bike (the Trek) and perhaps some of it’s marketing has reached you beyond what the P4 or Shiv has done. And here’s my issue with so much of the technology that gets offered to triathletes…what matters is the interaction of the athlete with the product.
it doesn’t really matter how springy the lugs are on the bottom of the forefoot of a running shoe if the athlete is a heal strikerit doesn’t really matter if the forearm of a wetsuit can grip the water if the athlete is head up, feet down, over rotating, at 2:30/100 paceit doesn’t really matter if the Trek Speed Concept is the fastest bike at X number of degrees yaw if they are sitting up on the horns at 16mp
I don’t see how a wetsuit manufacturer could sell a wetsuit and say - you must take this class and learn to swim properly before putting this technology to use or how a running shoe store could say - you must learn to run like this before this shoe will even begin to work like it’s supposed to. BUT a bike manufacturer could tell it’s retailers - this is how to position a person on this bike before they leave with their purchase. The infrastructure for that exists, some shops actually do it, all shops could.
I worry there will be many really ill fitted people
That is funny. Right here (well, in Loves Park Il) there is a Trek/Felt dealer who claims to be the “Triathlon Specialist”…I have not once ever seen a bike with a proper fit come out of that shop. You know the best size bike for you? Oddly the one that is built up ready to go on the sales floor…what are the chances?
A year or so ago they sold a 6’3" man a 54cm Felt B2 claiming that all he had to do was get a longer stem…tough nut to crack with a CarbonX bar…but still.
As bad as many (many many many) Trek dealers are who have no idea that they have no idea (ignorance is bliss eh?)…consumers are day after day being sold snake oil and ill fitting carbon “speed” and just cant seem to figure out why it is that they are not only no faster than their “old road bike”…but man their back hurts…