Wow - that stinks. It doesn't sound like the same Trek I've known & loved for 20-some years. I bought a 560 when I was in college. After a while (not sure how long - it may have been as much as a year later) of not understanding why my computer would flake out on uphills (when I was standing), I mentioned it to my LBS. They shipped it to Trek, Trek checked it out and determined it was frame flex, and they shipped back a 660 frame for no charge. This guy's problem is far more serious than mine was. I got an actual upgrade, not just the equivalent frame. Of course, it was a much cheaper frame in the first place, but it still shows a huge change in priorities.