Trek Pipedream

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/trek-teases-steel-top-fuel.html

A steel FS from Trek called the Pipedream. Looks very nice but a bit of a cheeky name. Be interested to know what those involved with Pipedream Cycles think about this?

Looks pretty good that, and doesn’t have internal routing or a stupid cubby hole for your sandwich, all a massive bonus. Got a feeling it will be marketed as a bit more special than the normal Top Fuel, so will be ‘premium’ rather than ‘value’ version…though maybe they’ll be cheeky and undercut prices from the likes of Cotic and Starling etc…

That’s the first desirable Trek I’ve seen in a very long time.

Be interested to know what those involved with Pipedream Cycles think about this?

Probably not bothered as there’s zero chance of this bike coming to market with that name.

First Trek I’ve liked since my 29+ Stache hardtail.  Won’t be light tho. Or cheap I’m guessing.

Looks good does that.

Is this a way around new import tarrifs – get some good ol’ boys’ weldin’ some steel?

Also worth pointing out for the people who don’t read the words that it’s just a cromo front triangle built by a Trek employee for fun. Not a press release of an imminent new bike.

I do like the bike and the paint job though. It makes me wish that I could build things.

Take my money!

That’s a great way to shaft a ton of small independent frame builders. I imagine Trek will be able to turn these out much cheaper in far greater number than any man in a shed set up.

It looks cool but isn’t the Top Fuel already hideously overweight compared to the competition? I’d have picked the Fuel EX to turn into a steel bike.

tomhowardFull Member
That’s a great way to shaft a ton of small independent frame builders. I imagine Trek will be able to turn these out much cheaper in far greater number than any man in a shed set up

I’m not convinced that the same people that want a man in a shed frame are the same ones that walk into a Trek dealer

People who walk into Trek dealers get what they’re given.

People who walk into Trek dealers get what they’re given.

Brilliant bikes ?

Yeah sometimes. There’s a suggestion above that Trek customers don’t want steel bikes but it’s never really been an option. If they’re confronted with a range of steel bikes with cool paint jobs we might find that’s exactly what they want.

If they’re confronted with a range of steel bikes with cool paint jobs we might find that’s exactly what they want.

I’d be all over it if they were in retro designs, say mid 90s, with the name Bontrager on the down tube and without any rear suspension…

Won’t be light tho

might be surpising, steel front triangle is fairly simple large round tubing, with a few welded on mounts for the shock etc.

the weight from steel frame bikes I think comes from the fiddly connections (ie the holes for a bearing need to be solid to actually get the bearings in, it doesnt need to be particularly strong but if you are building it from steel it will be heavy) and smaller but thicker sections of the rear triangle (thicker sections needed for impact, and the ability to actually weld the thing together, also being constrained to round tubes when they may not be the best option)

It looks cool but isn’t the Top Fuel already hideously overweight compared to the competition? I’d have picked the Fuel EX to turn into a steel bike.

+1

But as mentioned, smells more like a publicity exercise than a product announcement.

Still cool though, yeah.

It looks cool but isn’t the Top Fuel already hideously overweight compared to the competition? I’d have picked the Fuel EX to turn into a steel bike.

This bike wouldn’t have the same competition as the top fuel.

Is this a way around new import tarrifs – get some good ol’ boys’ weldin’ some steel?

they’d probably still have to import the tubes. There are no bike tube manufacturers in the USA as far as I’m aware

Is it shafting small manufacturers though?  If anything it’s a great nod to steel bikes

People who walk into Trek dealers get what they’re given.

In my case , a broken bike

Very few turn much of a profit. If Trek can churn them out cheaper to the customer than its costs a Dawley, Stanton, Curtis etc to make, it’s hardly going to make their lives easier.

It’s a tricky one to gauge, I think the majority of people that buy a Steel full-suspension are doing so as a conscious choice and often part of that is the image/feeling of having something that’s not mainstream.

I could be completely wrong but I think most people that are currently buying a Cotic/Stanton/Starling steel full-suspension will still do that, and it’ll partly be because it doesn’t have Trek/Specialized etc. written on the downtube.

I’m including myself in this, I have a couple of Cotics and I’m fully aware that part of the reason I have them (as well as looks/ride characteristics & Cotic service which are all great) is also because they don’t have a mainstream manufacturer written on the downtube and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

What jfab said, and trek seem to charge too much for their bikes, so would they be much cheaper than the “mainstream” niche manufacturers?

I was thinking recently that trek aren’t so bad, independent, family owned, etc. when I saw this frame I thought, “groovy” (not the groovy who made steel suspension bikes a couple of decades ago, by the way).

Then I was reminded in a post above about fisher and bontrager, then recalled lemond and klein. Then boost and proprietary shocks. Then i recalled  the the Koch brother also run an independent, family owned business. I now believe trek’s intentions with this frame are nefarious.

There’s a suggestion above that Trek customers don’t want steel bikes

I said “man in a shed” rather than steel. Eg small (possibly boutique) brands rather than something you walk into the high street shop to get

I now believe trek’s intentions with this frame are nefarious.

Proper tin foil hat stuff. They’re in the business to sell bikes, and sold steel in the past.

The combined sales of all gucci steel FS bikes is probably fewer than a single profitable bike from their line up.

Proper tin foil hat stuff. They’re in the business to sell bikes, and sold steel in the past.

i think you are taking me too seriously, just a bit of hyperbole.

It looks great, can’t beat those clean steel lines on any bike! Dawley T16 is still the dream frame though, I’d love to have one.