Project 1 truck at Sedona, Arizona.
Trek Bicycle added mountain bikes to their popular custom bike program called Project one. This program is similar to the Mini Cooper Configurator or the Nike Custom Shoe programs where the customer can personalize their order with a custom product. Paint and graphics can be selected of course but the options go well beyond that. Over twenty different component options can be selected all the way from grips to chainring sizes.
The beauty of it is Trek has built the back end software so the customer can see their bike unfold before their eyes with all the colors and components they select. And Trek has built in all the rules and options to address all the compatibility issues with components today. Thus, the customer is saved from the aggravation of creating a bike with parts that will not work with each other. As the customer builds the bike, the price is updated and the expected delivery time is kept current as well based on availability of selected parts. At this time, the projected weight of the bike is not calculated during the configuration process.
Online Configurator for Project One
It's not customer direct
Although it seems like Trek can take the order and ship the bike directly to the customer, a user-selected dealer is actually very involved in the process. Once the order is created, a selected dealer is notified and they will go through the order with the customer. Options like stem length and crank length are prescribed by the dealer during the consultation period. And once the bike is complete, it is shipped to the dealer for assembly, tuning and delivery. The customer can then work with the dealer to select and swap some components out based on actual fit.
The available bikes at this time are the Superfly 9.9 SL, the Superfly 100 9.9 SL, and the all-new Fuel EX 9.9 29.
At this time, the Remedy 29er is not available nor are carbon mountain bike wheels. But we expect those to be added to the line-up soon as these are some of the hottest products the custom buyer is seeking in the market today.
Photos: Color possibilities
Project 1 in Blue Orange, Black and Green, and Pink.
"Customization is at the core of what mountain bikes are all about since Gary Fisher and company first created them in the 1970's. Project One is the modern embodiment of that," said Trek Mountain Bike Product Manager John Riley. "Project One mountain bikes are something that our customers have asked about for a long time and to be able to offer riders so many options is awesome."
And it goes well beyond paint as it's about every component that gets selected. For example, Mtbr is thinking of a Fuel 29er with an XX1 drivetrain. But we're thinking of a 30 tooth front chainring for our big hills. And Shimano XT brakes is our preference for pure power and lever ergonomics. And how about a right hand dropper post lever that we'd like installed on the left side. This will alllow us to put a the lever at the bottom of the bar since there's no front shifter.
Project One will allow riders to select from the following features to create a bike that is truly one-of-a-kind:
- Frames
- Colors
- Graphics
- Shifters
- Shocks
- Forks
- Drivetrains
- Bottom Brackets
- Front Rotors
- Rear Rotors
- Wheelsets
- Headsets
- Tires
- Saddles
- Handlebars
- Grips
- Fork Colors
- Cassettes
- Cranks
- Seat posts
- Stems
- Brake set
Try it out: HERE