In the winter of 1975, two men met at a dimly lit bar, The Pine Knoll, an old fashioned Wisconsin supper club that served as both meeting place and watering hole. Beers were flowing freely as Dick Burke and Bevil Hogg bantered back-and forth about Kestrel versus Trek. Kestrel after Bevil Hogg’s favourite bird or Dick Burke favouriting Trek because it called forth images with travel and adventure.
The conversation is cordial, as supper club conversations typically are, but the stakes are high. The debate comes down to the relative merits of two names: Trek and Kestrel. Kestrel, a swift bird of prey, is an apt name for an active lifestyle company.
But there’s a special power in the name Trek – call it the spirit of adventure, the promise of greatness on the horizon.
Finally, the men agree and stand up to shake hands. And just like that - Trek Bicycle is born!
