Trek "Transport" $1,320

[KnottedYet]

Here it is: http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...ity/transport/

And here's what I want to know: Why, if Trek went to all the trouble to duplicate the Surly Big Dummy, why oh why did they make it of ALUMINUM?

Sure, aluminum is cheap.

But if you have created a longtail and it is designed to be loaded up to the gills, for goodness sakes, why an aluminum frame?

Trek even made a version of their Faux Dummy with a Faux Stoke Monkey: http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...transportplus/ It's about what a Big Dummy would cost... but it's aluminum.

Surly Big Dummy: http://surlybikes.com/bikes/big_dummy_complete/ (on sale at xtracycle's site for about $500 less right now)
Stoke Monkey: http://clevercycles.com/products/stokemonkey/

[NbyNW]

Ah, value engineering . . .

Aluminum is plenty strong for the task. Don't know if weight is an issue for this style of bike, but if fabricated properly, is lighter than steel.

My aluminum mtb rides very smooth, probably because it's really heavy.

This Trek bike is probably very comfortable when fully loaded.

That said, the Surly Big Dummy is way better-looking.

[Trek420]

Ah, a lecture remembered from art school. There are those who continually stretch the boundaries; the first abstracts, the first impressionists, the first person to figure out "hey! perspective! I can make this flat paper look 3d!" and then there are those who follow behind.

Sometimes the folks who follow are equally good, perfecting aspects of the original genre. Sometimes not

Same in bikes; Surly and extracycle make great cargo bikes, G. Terry made the first bikes just for women, Susan and Title9 early companies that catered to women athletes ... others pile on the bandwagon. And so it goes.

There are always people who innovate and others copy. Sometimes the copy ads value to the idea; prints make art accessible, Trek makes cargo bikes popolar. More bikes more better.

I think it's always an advantage to be "the first" but what do I know about business. I'm just an art major

This makes me think of bsny's article

http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2010...ticino-8d.html

[KnottedYet]

I worry more about the long wheelbase of a longtail, and aluminum's (in)ability to flex.

I worry about metal fatigue.

And with the humungous diameters (and probably wall thickness) of those tubes needed for the strength relative to steel, I doubt it weighs less than a steel Big Dummy frame.

As I was out at the grocery store I came up with the brilliant plan of buying a nekkid Big Dummy frame and a Transport+ (the one with the motor) and transferring parts.

But first I have to get my kid through college...