sales associate

store manager

service manager

service technician

production technician

Trek Bicycle

No effort to team build, only an effort to scapegoat as an outlet for the insecurities of half-baked management who is not a great fit on any way for this caliber of retail. The selfisness of this corporate culture of self-preservation does not foster a "team," it is a joke.

You are expendable to the point of a gas station employee when the job there is comission-less specialty retail that is extremely nuanced. As if you can just take a Joe off the street and throw them into the place because you like their haircut, they like the same sports teams as you, and you both chew gum. Sounds like a plan to Trek.

We were told to be more like Panera, and not take too long with customers at all. Then we are told we are being too short. Always saying one thing and doing another does not inspire confidence in a team.

Actually, it shows clearly that Trek is not really interested in customer service due to under-staffing which got extremely bad making the pandemic even worse when applications were rolling in and payroll absolutely endless. Incompetent managers are put in place who have never even been in the bike industry and exacerbate the problems they failed to address before the COVID for instance. New stores are left hanging for months on end without leadership, but if a screen says sales are up today, and no matter what the reason for that is, like lets say, the season, nothing else matters. No goals, no plans, only manger reputation and fear. 

Under-staffing and failure to properly equip the store with working computers and thier supplies for gratuitus amounts of time further shows lack of planning and incompetant leadership that sits just fine with Trek.
Under-staffing and inhospitable working conditions could be weponized to get rid of you and single you out if you happen to want to discuss understaffing, sort of like facism...to ware you down so you might decide to leave at your own volition so they don't have to do the extra work of coming up with a fictional reason to fire you they can't even back up themselves. When issues with store equipment essential to working (like the computers malfunctioning on a regular basis or entirely not working on a holiday weekend, or the air conditioning unit on a super hot day come up) all the staff was so unconvinced that the manager could solve the problem, and so scared to complain about something, that until a manger was physically there himself they were not even considered; Staff chose to suffer rather than put themselves out there and complain about basic equipment related problems. But don't worry, when you break store records under conditions like these, Trek will be throwing you a pizza party with 2 liter soda and some nasty pizza from around the corner. We hope you've been riding to get that hungry sauce, that's better than a bonus for everyone, so employees can buy a bike for themselves, right?

There's a lack of transparency with reviews: so all it takes is one bad comment-less review that only the manager can know about (they are kept from the whole team). That means you can be, lets say, scapegoated super unprofessionaly, even with Zero prior negative performance reviews, and a manger who cant even provide copes of the reviews to you so you can learn, does not let you try to take care of the issue yourself since the reviews come to them first. The will give some people the option of correcting mistakes and highlight the mistakes of others to try to break down ones self-esteem little by little. If they want to find a reason to get rid of you they can overblow anything that comes in via reviews to do it.

Their manager was inserted into a historically successful store and location for bicycle sales; the entire time he has flown by the seat of his pants, unable to take a firm leadership stance and support staff and customers, always compensating for something percived as a problem by using the power of giving someone a extreme discount, or firing someone to elevate himself as an authority but actually the gains are minuscule if not creating more issues- all for one moment of glory and to ensure future reassurance so desperately saught-after by hiring a Joe who wont challenge anything done, ever. 

Almost all the management moves have been inefficant and never dealing with actual problems with the store; empty words and empty action. This strategy for always giving a discount devalues the time and energy of the entire place but it is a sign of incompetent leadership in general.

Super unprofessional in ways that were very suprising to me. Human resources, if you may have an issue, here are quick to respond with meaningless redundant emails, always trying to make sure they don't get sued which is the true purpose and priority at the end of the day for HR.














What can I say? Most people who find themselves working in bike shops do it for the love of bikes and helping people. In that manner, this job is fun and rewarding, as is working with fellow enthusiasts and cycling nut jobs. But the fun ends there. 

Pay is below market rate. 

Raises are non-existent. 

Bonuses are eliminated from all but upper management. 

Stores that are not successful (a vast majority) find themselves understaffed and unable to course correct. This means no budget for hours even in the busiest season, let alone during the winter if you’re unfortunate enough to work for Trek in a region with actual seasons. 

Trek spread itself too thin opening hundreds of stores this fast. There will be a reckoning. There’s no way they bleed this much money forever. 

Expectations and focus metrics change like a leaf blowing in the wind. 

You will grow tired of the metaphors and pseudo mission statements of the day. 

Store managers are potentially the only people in any given trek bike shop who possibly make a living wage. 

Almost every role is becoming part time on call. 

New employment contracts for even bottom of the totem poll part time on call nearly minimum wage workers NOW INCLUDE A NON-COMPETE CLAUSE AND AN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CLAUSE. THEY ARE LAYING CLAIM TO YOUR ABILITY TO WORK IN THIS INDUSTRY AND ANY FUTURE IDEAS YOU DEVELOP INTO CYCLING PRODUCTS OR SERVICES. 

Corporate takes great care to ensure that everyone fills out their Great Places to Work survey, but they’ve engineered it so you’re only reviewing your direct superior and the store you’re in. Anything outside of that scope is unwelcome feedback, and employees have been scooted out quickly for voicing actual concerns in what is supposed to be an anonymous survey. 

Upper management, or rather district managers (middle of retail division, not store level) are tone deaf corporate lackeys that give lip service at the store level. 

Some of these problems are symptoms of the larger issues in the cycling industry now, and can’t be laid at Treks feet, but some of them are typical retail solutions that are inexcusable and shouldn’t be practiced by a company that works so hard to convince the world that they’re different and better. 

If you read deeper, you will find that the factory positions for the little work that’s actually done in this country are garbage pay, basically minimum wage, which isn’t livable anywhere. 

I want to work for a company wherein it’s not required for most people to suffer garbage pay so the crusty folks at the top can pilfer the profits. I realize I’m describing a problem with our economic system, not Trek specifically. But Trek should be embarrassed for how it conducts itself, and people should know these things before considering employment there. Frankly I think customers should know about this so they can make informed decisions as to how they spend their money. But I imagine Trek spends a lot of money on reputation management. 

Management is your adversary. If you're not wiling to "Drink the Kool-Aid", a term they use often, you're not good enough. They will brow beat you with sales pitches and tell you to "Run the Play". If you object or voice concerns, they will do everything in their power to give you hefty consequences. They may even construct false occurrences to out you, if you get under their skin enough.

The bikes and products themselves aren't bad at all. The majority of Trek/Bontrager products are really good. As an employee you will get great discounts on all of them. The training they will give you as an employee is quite good as well. 

However, upward mobility is based on how much of the Kool-Aid you're willing to drink. If you're not on board with something, you might be put out the pasture for it. Additionally, the company severely lacks any diversity. 

Pay is fair for the most part. The bonus structure is based on how good your metrics are. So, it's mediocre at best. There are paid holidays, which is nice. No paid lunch break though.

The average workday is pretty stressful due to how Trek runs things. They want you to meet your budget and sell relentlessly, regardless of whether it's even feasible or not that day. Corporate will tell you time and time again that, "Weather is just an excuse." Which is quite the opposite in the bike industry. It's fast paced, and you're expected to be on top of your game.

My time spent there was a good growing experience and I enjoyed my relationships with my co-workers. I really loved the brand discounts. However, the leadership at our specific location was horrible. I would stay away from working for Trek if you have issues following the flock without a good reason given. Trek won't give you one. 

Working at Trek Bikes Florida (DL Cycles) revealed serious issues with leadership and workplace culture.

A typical day involved trying to keep the store operating while understaffed and stretched thin. Employees are expected to carry heavy workloads with very little support from upper management. Over time this creates burnout and exhaustion among staff.

The owner appears largely disconnected from what actually happens inside the stores. Decisions are made at the top without understanding the impact on employees who are already struggling to manage the workload.

District managers also seem to lack an understanding of the difference between leadership and management. There is heavy emphasis on metrics and directives, but very little focus on supporting the people who actually keep the business running.

The culture reflects this disconnect. Employees are often expected to push through sickness, fatigue, and stress in order to meet expectations. Instead of addressing staffing or workload problems, the pressure is simply pushed onto the employees.

The hardest part of the job was the physical, mental, and emotional toll that builds over time when employees are consistently pushed beyond reasonable limits.

The most enjoyable part of the job was helping customers and being part of the cycling community. The coworkers at the store level were also hardworking and dedicated people.

Unfortunately, those positive experiences are overshadowed by leadership that feels disconnected and focused more on managing numbers than actually leading and supporting people.

Training is done online and many of the training hours occur on your own time. You have to complete levels of training to get employee discounts. 
When onboarding, they give new employees a ton of swag, clothing and hardcover books that have to cost Trek a fortune. I thought it was great, until I realized it's nothing more than free advertising for Trek and building a cult beholden to the brand. 
There's very little hands on training, so you'd better already have a good skillset.
Trek is metric happy, so employees need to check in when starting and finishing repairs or assemblies.
Part time employees are treated poorly. Trek doesn't pay well enough to work there full time (unless you have a working partner or live with your parents, which was the case with the store's non-management full-timers). When a Trek store doesn't reach quotas, part-timers get the axe. It's really hard to stay motivated when you keep expecting to be let go. It's infuriating when you see how much money is spent on swag and employee lunches, yet they lay off employees during the slow seasons. The Catch 22 is the less hours you get, the worse your production. Nothing makes a productive employee like familiarity and repetition, things part-timers do not receive.
If you are already a Trek fan, the discounts on Trek bikes and gear are pretty substantial. One part time employee I worked with probably saved more than he made by buying Trek bikes (before he was let go for a "lack of work").


Overall for working in the bicycle industry, I think Trek offers a pretty great work culture and benefits. Health/vision/dental insurance, 401k match, paid time off, and an unbeatable employee discount to name a few. The company cares about their employees and their satisfaction, but your experience is most likely to be influenced by your direct supervisors or the district you’re in. I’ve worked under some fantastic people and some people that I can’t believe were allowed to stay in the company. As a retail employee, prepare to have a huge focus on the numbers—Trek says they care about the customer and the process, but way more emphasis from the higher ups is on the numbers of the business.  Biggest downside to working for Trek is that a significant portion of pay is often related to bonuses/incentives, and the bonus structure has changed every year. Each year I’ve worked for the company I’ve earned fewer and fewer bonuses because of the changes in the bonus structure. And oftentimes even when I have hit the bonus target, a reporting error occurs or it falls through the cracks, and I have to contact multiple people to have the issue resolved (and I always have to wait til the next pay period.) Overall I’d prefer they just offered higher wages for high performing employees rather than feeling like I’m chasing a carrot that’s always ripped away because of something in the fine print. Outside of this, it’s a great company to work for if you care about bikes. 

Really disappointing place to work. Has a ton of potential but being run into the ground by management who spend most of their time looking out for their own backs and making themselves look busy and important. Relentless positivity is required and if you point out that things aren't going well or could be done better that'll be a problem for you in the future. Leadership is obsessed with junk MBA-style learning and they will required you to read the most poorly written books imaginable. Pay has been a consistent issue for years and despite regular feedback through GPTW survey they will never do anything about it. Raises are maybe every 2-3 years and bonuses do not exist for those below senior level. Employees stay because they are committed to the mission and bikes and the company takes advantage of that. Even a presidential award doesn't come with any monetary compensation and many employees who've won one were laid off. They will lay off everyone and anyone when asked by leadership. They made millions during the bike boom, gave no raises and laid off hundreds of staff at the first signs of the squeeze. You're Trek family till they need you off the 'awesome bus' 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Co-workers keep each other going and laugh throughout the day.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Low pay, cutting of work hours during the winter, odd requests from customers, pulling benefits.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It’s great when you have great co-workers.  On paper the corporate culture is great but not in reality.  Executives treatment of retail employees is horrid.  They expect the world from the employees to treat the customers with white gloves but employees get yanked around like a yo-yo with hours and pay that is unpredictable.  They pay fast food wages but expect problem solving skills and mechanical ingenuity.  

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Customer service, sales, in depth product knowledge to answer all kinds of questions and request.  Usually not enough employees on hand to meet the numerous customers.  It feels like juggling with fifty balls at the same time and many balls being dropped.  We also fix every bike on the market.  Flats fixed on demand. Phones ringing and unanswered because not enough staff. Mixed with sometimes no customers for hours.  Lunch is hit or miss.  Many days we miss lunch because it gets busy during that time.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part of my job, is when the power goes out. Which is more frequently than you would expect. The AI software really does a number on your anxiety.  If you do not reach 100% efficiency within two months you’re terminated and if you make four mistakes your fifth is automatic termination. You have to go 30 days no errors from the most recent one to have one error fall off. Therefore when the power goes out, I can go to the bathroom (using my phones light), and not worry about being yelled at for costing the company money. I then can be paid to sit in a non-air conditioner room. I’m not allowed to leave due to orders need to be filled so we will wait sometimes over an hour for the power to go on. This is the best part of the company. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part of my job is balancing working additional jobs like AmazonFlex, Uber Eats or OF. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Toxic. 
The CEO will take out a stuffed bear and say “the bear is out” and chew out the executives. 
No one answers emails. 
I find it eerie and concerning that people who survived long term like over 15 years act like they are afraid and been beaten from an abusive step parents.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Figuring out how to get JDE back online.

Working for Trek Bicycle was an incredible opportunity that has helped me grow from College Intern to Capable Manager. My position was an oddity as I was working remote for Ray's Indoor Bike Parks and handling several varying jobs each day-- but I wouldn't change those years for anything. I found myself most comfortable developing client relationships that were mutually beneficial and enjoyable to manage. The hardest area was alternating between the proper state of mind to handle the tasks of Sales, Creative, Accounting, Events, Marketing, Social Media, or whatever else found it's way to my desk. But that's what I signed up for with this position and while challenging as it may have been I believe I'm a more rounded person because of it. 

My one criticism would be that as a large corporation with such a vast oversight in operations the Ray's business unit went largely unmanaged on a number of occasions. The Ray's business was largely autonomous however as a part of a larger operation having management check-in and give oversight from a top-down vantage point could have immensely helped focus and streamline our unit. 

The most enjoyable part of this job was the ability to spread positivity and joy while making an honest dollar-- that's what I saw every day at Trek and Ray's.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Sales associate 145 salaries reported	$18.47 per hour
Store manager 62 salaries reported	$70,742 per year
Service manager 84 salaries reported	$23.78 per hour
Service technician 109 salaries reported	$20.51 per hour
Production technician 63 salaries reported	$22.37 per hour

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