- BrandTrek
In a rented red barn in Waterloo, Wisconsin, five friends got together to hand build steel touring bicycles. The year was 1976, and the Trek Bicycle Company was born.
It was an era when the most popular bicycles were being built in Europe and Japan, yet only three years later, Trek had already gained a stellar reputation for passion and quality and gained a loyal following.
As their reputation grew Trek outgrew the old barn, so they built a new facility, this time in an old cornfield. The cycling world would never be the same.
In 1982, Trek dove into the world of racing bicycles with the introduction of their 750/950 series race bike (left). The move signified a commitment to pushing racing technology to new levels and showed their dedication to making fine bicycles for all cyclists.
And, a year later, with the sport still in its infancy and only a handful of companies making off-roaders, Trek joined the mountain-bike revolution with their 820, which was soon a best-seller.