I can think of Bontrager, Klein and Fisher.

How many more are there?

Lemond?

Bontrager has a bigger presence now in components than it ever did as a bike maker. And I dare say mor people now ride Gary Fisher bikes.

Obviously Klien haven’t survived.

Don’t know about that Fisher comment.

Maybe they lasted longer than they would without Trek? This is the way of the world: Lots of little MTB companies don’t last very long, they go downhill (See what I did there?!) and either fold or get snapped up. Look at the recent buyout of Titus by On One, for starters! 🙂

they go downhill … and either fold or get snapped

No need to bring Commencal into this.

Can’t you still get Klein bikes in Japan in some form or another?

Edit, seems you can – or could until recently, my Japanese isn’t what it was.

Klein Japan

How many boutique brands has Trek bought that are now no longer fashionable, failed to make a profit and so have been closed down/marginalised?

FIFY.

To be fair, how many companies of the same ilk as them are still going? Ibis closed down, so did quite a few others. As I remember it, all those brands were in trouble and it’s probably only Trek buying them that kept them going. I’m not saying Trek were a benevolent benefactor, it obviously benefited them, but that’s how business goes unfortunately.

No need to bring Commencal into this.

LOL! 🙂

Sorry… 😉

schwinn

LeeW – Member

Can’t you still get Klein bikes in Japan in some form or another?

Edit, seems you can – or could until recently, my Japanese isn’t what it was.

Klein Japan

Does anyone know if it is possible to translate that?

Schwinn….Homegrown & Rocket, great bikes.

So, another thought…. in the big world of ‘follow my leader” and the various niche’s around, have Trek developed a long travel hardtail-or do they have one currently in the stable? I can’t think of one…

schwinn was destroyed by Pacific not Trek, at the same time they wrecked GT

Does anyone know if it is possible to translate that?

It costs £2800, I got that much.

Whatever happened to Icon (I think it was) the stem and bar company they bought when they bought Bontrager?

To be fair on the Bontrager thing, Keith reckoned that there probably wouldn’t have been a Bontrager for much longer if they’d not been bought – the difficulty in moving from small bike company to medium size one might have meant the end for Bonty if Trek hadn’t come along.

Of the popular “micro-brands” that have popped up since the early 00s, which will be the first to sell out?

Dialled! 😉

Lemond was a marketing thing, same as nike shoes, bontrager has been clear he doesn’t feel the brand would have survived. The only dead brand is klein. Not sure but I guess the market changed and what did klein offer?

Mike – I think there’s a difference. Basically Trek were buying credibility, roots and experience. I can’t think of a company which is booming without also already having plenty of history/cred behind it.

Maybe the closest comparison is Chain Reaction / Hotlines. They don’t have credibility but they do have money and reach. So maybe Brant was the first.

rolf wheels ?

The only dead brand is klein

Fisher?

Andy

OR sometimes a brand is too involved in dated products and gets the wrong ‘cache’ attached to them hence its decided the ‘brand’ is better off left to die?

I was amazed Saracen was revived. I’ve always seen that brand as {Modded – by Saracen-loving Mods}.

I echo Hora’s comments and add M-trax. Why do raligh keep reviving it?

I wouldn’t buy trek for years because they bought their credibility but in the last few years they have been bringing out some interesting designs

I think absorbed would be a better term than “closed down/marginalised”. Buying a company to include its tech/IP into your products makes good sense. Having multiple brands, each requiring its own promotional materials and some doubling of staff, doesn’t.

Fisher now dead too – rebranded as the Fisher Collection by Trek.
Linky

These have TREK in huge letters on them with a tiny Gary Fisher signature on the top tube. No doubt that will disappear soon.

They still do “Gary Fisher by Trek”, no idea what the difference is to how it was last year?

+1 Brant being the first to sell out. Presumably paying Brant a bigger slaray was cheeper than buying the on-one brand? I don’t think its a great loss, as none of the micro brands are exactly pushing the envelope in bike design. Thats not a bad thing, but none of them have made anything groundbreaking?

Cotic – a gradual evolution of the Soul design every few years, its been arround with the same decals since I firt saw it in MBUK being tested gainst a Dean softail (remember them?)! (new materials asside)

Dialled – ditto (price and new materials asside)

On-one – Inbred, steepen the seat angle, beef it up a little, became the 456 and hasn’t changed since (price and new materials asside)

I like Orange though, mainly because they have more R&D. Plenty of prototype bikes with gearboxes, linkages, wierd angles, and those crazy MOJO one offs from a few years ago with the really foreward (but low) pivot?

But orange has been making the 5 in one shape or another since the beginning of time. Lots of prototypes but nothing comes of them

What about Ritchey or are they still Ritchey. And Kore?

TINAS What is this Orange Mojo bike I dont know or it do you have a link?

Podge All the protos seem to do something for future models and aspects of them make it to new versions of the 5.

It had a crazy S shaped down tube which put the pivot almost mid way between the BB and the front wheel. Would have been just after the 224 was released and was raced at the Fort Bill World Champs IIRC with the imfamous MOJO Gimp suits (which thankfully seemed to be the straw that broke the camels back in getting the UCI to ban them).

Really? The 5 is the most basic full suspension design ever and most of its bigger brothers are no different to the inbred / 456 argument. Plus isn’t the P7 named such because it was the 7th incarnation of their original Prestige frame?

Not exactly ground breaking stuff.

I like orange but you can’t argue they are any better than the small uk companies listed above

Cant find it but I am intrigued.

Fisher was similar to Bontrager in that most likely it wouldn’t have survived had it not been bought by Trek. This is the best kept secret in the industry. Everyone wants to assume that Trek swept in and took these companies over in a juggernaut fashion, without mercy. The reality is that these companies were being led by innovators, not business people. Not to mention the fact that buying technology and reputation happens all of the time across every industry.

The Fisher brand isn’t going anywhere, any time soon. The move was a strategic one to allow Trek to bring 29ers into the European market, where by far most Trek’s are sold. It also answered a lot of demand for Trek to develop a 29er, when in reality they already had. They were just called Fishers. It also allows Gary Fisher himself to be an advocate for the entire company, not just his own brand.

I don’t think Trek just buy “brands”, they incorporate ideas, people and tech from the companies they buy, not just brand names.

I like orange but you can’t argue they are any better than the small uk companies listed above

I think Orange are bloody amazing. Their longevity in the business, the fact the two original founders are still involved heavily, the World Team they sponsored, with Minaar, Giove, sponsoring Peaty… Orange might make frames in a factory off Pellon Lane in Halifax, and they might be simple constructions, but respect due!

oh yes, i forgot about the trek/prada ‘relationship’. 😕

I’m also a huge fan of Orange. I still love my Sub 3 from years ago.

oh yes, i forgot about the trek/prada ‘relationship’

that post now makes no sense since the silly spambot advertiso-post above it was removed.

Cyclenaut – what about Klein? any chance that it will be revived?