"Special Women's Section"

[Zen]

When I bought my second FX I wanted a high end model.
I need a WSD.

The top of the line for WSD is the 7.6 w/ Tiagra 9 speed.

The actual top of the line (meaning the reach would be too long for me) is 7.9 Ultegra 10 speed.

That chaps my arse.

[ZenSojourner]

That chaps my arse.

They got Bike Short Cream, for men or for women, for that . . . .

[Cataboo]

They got Bike Short Cream, for men or for women, for that . . . .

I heard just a day or so or a page or so ago, that that stuff can't touch mucous membranes.

[lph]

Hopping into the discussion way late, of course. In most cases I applaud manufacturers of sports gear for making stuff for both genders. Even though wsd stuff may not fit me, it's nice that someone made the effort. We all know that the alternative is unisex, which means "for men, lucky you if it fits".

But the point of wsd is catering to both genders, not treating women as a small special subgroup. It's not like women just now are starting to discover bikes, we've been here for a long time. You wouldn't find a "special men's section" in a magazine or bike store, why for women?

[ny biker]

When I bought my second FX I wanted a high end model.
I need a WSD.

The top of the line for WSD is the 7.6 w/ Tiagra 9 speed.

The actual top of the line (meaning the reach would be too long for me) is 7.9 Ultegra 10 speed.

That chaps my arse.

Now that is ridiculous. I would write to Trek about that. I would also talk to the owner of my LBS about it. They should be able to build up a WSD with the same components as the men's.

[ZenSojourner]

Trek isn't made in the US anymore. I think my doesn't-quite-fit Trek of many moons ago was one of the last that was made here.

I don't think they're all that responsive on these issues. I know they weren't for me when I finally figured out what was wrong with my Trek, which had been "fitted" to me. (Basically I found out later that meant whatever we have in the store that's sorta close-ish)

And btw, since they've gone to China for manufacturing, the bikes cost a LOT more.

Figure that one out.

[SpeedDreamin]

Trek isn't made in the US anymore.

You might wanna check your facts. Trek makes all their OCLV carbon bikes in Wisconsin and also a handful of other models, like some of the aluminum full-suspensions.

Yeah, most of their bikes are made overseas, but they still make quite a few here.

[ZenSojourner]

Hey, all I can tell you is what Trek told me, oh, about 6 or 7 years ago.

Terry was making all their bikes overseas, they've switched back to US manufacture.

I suspect that a lot of manufacturing is gradually coming back stateside because of quality issues. Unfortunately we've dismantled so much of our manufacturing infrastructure that I'm not sure it isn't too little, too late.

[Skierchickie]

I think it was 2 years ago that the Trek WSD rep was explaining the difference between the 5000 and the Madone line. She said the 5000 was the TCT carbon, and made overseas because they wanted to be able to offer a carbon bike for $2000. That the Madones were still made in Wisconsin. I think the lower-end ones have been made elsewhere for quite a while, and my '07 520 has a sticker that says "Made in the USA of foreign and domestic parts".

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

It can be confusing these days, just like with "American made cars". For example, Rivendell makes their custom lugged steel bikes here in CA, using steel tubing made in Japan, i believe. Their lugged stock frames are now mostly completely made in Taiwan, then the frames are shipped to CA where Riv completes assembling the bikes. "Some" of Riv's frames are still being made in Japan, some still being made by Waterford in the US (not sure where the tubing is made on those though- Reynolds?). Brain hurting!

[VeloVT]

I think it was 2 years ago that the Trek WSD rep was explaining the difference between the 5000 and the Madone line. She said the 5000 was the TCT carbon, and made overseas because they wanted to be able to offer a carbon bike for $2000. That the Madones were still made in Wisconsin. I think the lower-end ones have been made elsewhere for quite a while, and my '07 520 has a sticker that says "Made in the USA of foreign and domestic parts".

BF has a 2007 OCLV Madone that has a huge "Made In the USA" decal the entire length of the drive-side chainstay. (He hates the decal actually). Now that the Madone range is enormous and includes some of their "lower end" carbon models (I think it subsumed the 5000/5200s), I wouldn't be surprised if some of the Madones are made in Asia, but certainly some of them are still made in WI.