Supply Chain Issues

[Honeyman]

Great choice TT. Trek makes a great bike, and all are made here in the good ol' U S of A. I've had about 5 during my lifetime, soon to be 6.

His bike is an Electra not a Trek

Trek is the parent company of Electra.

https://electra.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/electra-history

[kager]

Details, details.

A self-appointed authority on all matters large and small cannot be bothered with them...

[Turkeytop]

I have a Walmart bike here now. Bought it a year ago. It's garbage. Wasted my money buying it.

The top Canadian, high quality brand is Norco. I don't believe it's available in the US. So I chose Trek because it enjoys a similar reputation. Lighter in weight. Smooth, precise shifting. Sure braking. And, importantly, durable. It will probably be the last bike I ever have to buy.

I bought it at the Trek, Corporate store, here in Seminole. They sell only Trek brands.

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/reta ... OjEALw_wcB

[kager]

I have a Walmart bike here now. Bought it a year ago. It's garbage. Wasted my money buying it.

The top Canadian, high quality brand is Norco. I don't believe it's available in the US. So I chose Trek because it enjoys a similar reputation. Lighter in weight. Smooth, precise shifting. Sure braking. And, importantly, durable. It will probably be the last bike I ever have to buy.

I bought it at the Trek, Corporate store, here in Seminole. They sell only Trek brands.

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/reta ... OjEALw_wcB

So, brand name has nothing to do with class categorization? More to do with perceived value and quality, which many here have been trying to get into a certain person's noggin for way too long...

[TC Talks]

Details, details.

A self-appointed authority on all matters large and small cannot be bothered with them...

Electra is not Trek. And... Suck a bag of dicks.

My lady rides an Electra, they are good bikes. Trek does not sell communters for less than about $2,500.

[Turkeytop]

So, brand name has nothing to do with class categorization? More to do with perceived value and quality, which many here have been trying to get into a certain person's noggin for way too long...

Of course, brand matters when the brand is known for it's quality and not for the trendiness of it's logo.

A Rolex watch is better than a Timex. A Canon EOS R3 is better than a Pixie Pix. But is Tommy Hilfinger better than Columbia or Acme?

When quality matters, I always buy the best I can afford. I'll never have a Rolex in my lifetime, but I have some very good radios by Palstar, Grundig and Sangean. I bought them for their quality, not to impress the neighbours.

The new bike doesn't have the Trek logo displayed anywhere. Indeed the Electra brand is displayed so discretely, it's hardly visible.

It's the middle class who are obsessed with brands regardless of the merits of the product. The middle class in Canada were refusing to accept the Moderna vaccine for covid, not because it was an inferior product, but because Pfizer was the more trendy brand. If Moderna had changed the name of their vaccine to Starbucks, it might have been more acceptable to the middle class,

They like to wear clothing with the brand displayed for all to see on the outside of the garment. In reality, their Hilfinger, Columbia and Old Navy are probably made in the same offshore sweat shops as the unbranded products

[TC Talks]

It is for that reason that I have no guilt buying from Amazon. Amazon basics are good quality and who needs the brand name. They just manage supply chain better than traditional retail. They also pay better than retail.

The last bike I bought was at a bike swap garage sale. Used can be a great option too...

[Turkeytop]

I have sort of an unreasonable bias against buying used. Growing up, our family was dirt poor. Just about evrything I ever got was second hand. Second hand clothes. Second hand skates. Second hand comic books. Second hand bike.

When I got to the point in my life could buy new, I refused to ever buy used again.

My first several cars were used. All junkers. After I bought my first new car in 1976, I never bought used again. For what I paid for my plain new cars I could have got something more luxurious, three of four years older. Nothing beats the smell of a new car.

[Honeyman]

Details, details.

A self-appointed authority on all matters large and small cannot be bothered with them...

Electra is not Trek. And... Suck a bag of dicks.

My lady rides an Electra, they are good bikes. Trek does not sell communters for less than about $2,500.

Trek acquired Electra in 2014:

https://bikerumor.com/didnt-see-that-co ... e-company/

Here is the link to the entire Electra line on the Trek website:

https://electra.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/electra-bikes/

And if you switch the filter on the link below to search price from low to high you'll see Trek has commuter bikes that start under $600:

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bike ... es/c/B440/#

[TC Talks]

I guess Trek has bowed to the lower priced manufactures these days. Everything I have ever seen from them have comes from the Netherlands or Germany. I suppose the $600 communter was built on the same line as the Electra. I have moved on to Salsa these days, but my Stump Jumper (circa 1990) is in the barn. I am looking for a hybrid commuter to supplement my 1971 Fuji Cambridge IV (I also have a Cambridge II). My partners Electra Townie is the Fuji.

Electra bikes are manufactured at factories in Taiwan.

Most Trek bicycles are manufactured outside the United States, in countries including the Netherlands, Germany, Taiwan, and China.

[tigerwings]

Trek is not a bad bike.

I brought a 7.2 fx in 2015 in Colordo. $450 new. Made in China. Lightweight 24 speed hybrid. Replaced my 25 year old Huffy mountain bike I brought at Kmart for $49. Worked well on the hills in the Denver and Sacramento suburbs. Now used on the flat trails of NW ohio.

Replaced the pedals with BMX type and seat. Only complaint would be the thin spokes. After replaced spokes several times, upgraded to a better rear wheel.

[Round Six]

Well I may be an Outlier.
I don't drive junkers, but never have bought a new car.
A lot of my clothes, especially silk screen T-shirts, are from yard sales or second hand shops. My bike was bought at a yard sale. And I can't pass up a $3 rod and reel even though I have way too many already. None of my radios or antennas or gear was bought new. Like fishing gear, can't pass up a good deal at a ham swap.

[TC Talks]

Well I may be an Outlier.
I don't drive junkers, but never have bought a new car.
A lot of my clothes, especially silk screen T-shirts, are from yard sales or second hand shops. My bike was bought at a yard sale. And I can't pass up a $3 rod and reel even though I have way too many already. None of my radios or antennas or gear was bought new. Like fishing gear, can't pass up a good deal at a ham swap.

I didn't buy the Fuji new... Sometimes, it's to a benefit (depreciation) to buy things new.

Would you buy a used:
-Mattress
-Washing Machine
-Toilet

[Round Six]

Would you buy a used:
-Mattress
-Washing Machine
-Toilet

Mattress no way. Seems gross no matter how new it may be. Same with a toilet. Mainly because they're really not that much. I'm trying to think if I've ever bought a new toilet. Have always just used the one that came with the house.

Have you ever had someone swap out a perfectly good toilet when they bought a house?

Washer? Yeah I've bought used washers and dryers when I was starting out.

[HD74]

If you bought a house, likely you bought someone else’s toilet.