It’s that time of the year again, time to get on a plane (or planes) and head to Madison, WI, home of fine wine, er, I mean, beer, fried cheeses, rippin’ thunderstorms (and the occasional tornado), friendly people and, as Agent Cooper of Twin Peaks might have said, damn fine bikes.
Once a year Trek puts on a big dealer show, partly at the Frank Lloyd Wright center in Madison, and partly (and for many of us, the best part) at Trek’s worldwide headquarters and manufacturing facility in Waterloo, WI, about 35 miles northeast. Most of the industry sets up at the annual Interbike trade show in Las Vegas, but some of the largest players, like Trek, Specialized & Giant can’t possibly get enough of their dealer’s attention for their vast lines and varied programs, so they put on their own private shows.
It all starts with Monday evening’s “keynote” speech from John Burke, President of Trek, where we hear about what’s new, what’s changed, the state of the industry, and how Trek and their dealers have a responsibility not just to sell bikes & tires & jerseys & helmets & shoes & every other fine product made by Trek (and they will most assuredly remind us, many times, that we do have that responsibility!), but also to make cycling more accessible in our communities.
