Pre-Meal for Mar 25, 2026This Is Going to Be Fun

Happy Wednesday!

A couple of years ago, I did a talk for the family-owned bike company Trek, and I’ve been obsessed with them ever since. After all, this is a bike company with the words “incredible hospitality” in their mission statement.

So when we moved out of New York and I decided it was time to get a bike again, they were my first call.

When I met Patrick at the showroom, he started off with some questions: What kind of cycling did I like to do? Where did I usually go? Who did I ride with? He used my answers to pick out two bikes for me to try. And by “try,” he didn’t mean an awkward solo spin around the parking lot, but a real test drive, the kind you’d take if you were buying a car.

As we set off down the bike path together, Patrick watched how I rode. Halfway through, we swapped bikes so I could try both. Twenty minutes in, the choice was clear. The first bike was beautiful: light, sleek, fast. But the electric option would mean longer rides, more often—and the ability to keep up with Christina!

“Call if you have questions, and stop by anytime for a tune-up or a tire fill,” Patrick told me as we wrapped up. Then he handed me a folder containing my bike’s manual, embossed with a promise: “This is going to be fun.” Below that was a QR code, directing me to the best bike trails near my home.

The first part of Trek’s mission statement is about making a great product and showing incredible hospitality to their customers; it ends with their intention to change the world by getting more people on bikes. Every bit of my interaction with them was the last part of their mission statement in action. Not only did they put me on the right bike, but they continue to make sure I love where it takes me—the very best way to keep me riding.

My positive outcome, then, is their ultimate measure of success. Which might be the most hospitable metric I know.

Have a good service,

Will