Last night I watched this really interesting GCN piece about Trek’s manufacturing facilities in Waterloo, Wisconsin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH4M_iFU2k0 It had amazing video of dutiful Wisconsinites hand crafting carbon fiber frames and carefully installing groupsets. I think it mentioned something like less than 20 frames being made in any given day. I was really impressed. But after a little research I discovered that 99% of all Trek bikes are made overseas: http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2014/jul/28/scott-walker/scott-walker-says-trek-makes-99-its-bicycles-overs/. So when I buy from Trek am I’m getting the hand crafted bike from Waterloo or something off a Chinese assembly line?
The higher price point bikes are made in the US. The lower priced ones are made overseas.
Last night I watched this really interesting GCN piece about Trek’s manufacturing facilities in Waterloo, Wisconsin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH4M_iFU2k0 It had amazing video of dutiful Wisconsinites hand crafting carbon fiber frames and carefully installing groupsets. I think it mentioned something like less than 20 frames being made in any given day. I was really impressed. But after a little research I discovered that 99% of all Trek bikes are made overseas: http://www.politifact.com/…-its-bicycles-overs/. So when I buy from Trek am I’m getting the hand crafted bike from Waterloo or something off a Chinese assembly line?
I could be wrong, but I believe the ones that are built in Wisconsin are somehow indicated so.
Last night I watched this really interesting GCN piece about Trek’s manufacturing facilities in Waterloo, Wisconsin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH4M_iFU2k0 It had amazing video of dutiful Wisconsinites hand crafting carbon fiber frames and carefully installing groupsets. I think it mentioned something like less than 20 frames being made in any given day. I was really impressed. But after a little research I discovered that 99% of all Trek bikes are made overseas: http://www.politifact.com/…-its-bicycles-overs/. So when I buy from Trek am I’m getting the hand crafted bike from Waterloo or something off a Chinese assembly line?
I could be wrong, but I believe the ones that are built in Wisconsin are somehow indicated so.
The chainstay on my 2011 SC 9 series has a decal which reads “handcrafted in the USA” (or similar wording)
The 700 Series Carbon Fiber bikes are made in Waterloo, the rest overseas.
I could be wrong but I believe I was told that only Progect-1 bikes are made in the US.
I believe:
- Custom colored project one Madone H1, Emonda H1, trek fuel 9.9 are made in Waterloo
- All race shop limited edition bikes are made in Waterloo
- Stock colored SC bikes (whether Project One or not) are built in Taiwan and assembled in Waterloo
- Most stock colored H2 Project One bikes would be built in Taiwan and assembled in Waterloo
To guarantee a USA made bike, you might have to call Trek to confirm that a specific model / configuration will be made in Waterloo.
I won’t go by any sticker. I found out “Made in X Country” sticker didn’t match my opinion of what it should mean. The law mandates 60% (roughly, don’t quote me on this) of the final retail value of a product has to come from a specific country for a bike to say “Made in X country”. In the case of bikes, it can be argued that most of the value comes from painting / applying the logo. Therefore, a fully fabricated carbon frame sent to the US for painting and final assembly might qualify for a sticker that says “Made in USA”.
The 700 Series Carbon Fiber bikes are made in Waterloo, the rest overseas.
Correct. If you want a made in the US frame it will be one of the 700 series frames like the Emonda SLR or Madone RSL.
All Project One bikes are painted and assembled in the US but depending on the model the frame may not be manufactured in the US.
If Trek’s U.S. manufacturing is limited to the 700 Series, and the only Speed Concept frames I see are the 600 Series, that means Trek does not make its TT bikes in the U.S.
If Trek’s U.S. manufacturing is limited to the 700 Series, and the only Speed Concept frames I see are the 600 Series, that means Trek does not make its TT bikes in the U.S.
I’m seeing that as well. The 7 SC is 500 series carbon while the 9 SC is 600 series carbon.