Founder of Trek Bicycles, R.I.P.

Richard "Dick" Burke, the founder of Waterloo, WI-based bike company, Trek Bicycle Corp., passed away Monday, 10 March 2008. He was 73 years old. In 1976, Richard Burke founded the company in a red barn, about 30 miles east of Madison. Trek is, arguably, most famous for making the bikes that Lance Armstrong rode in his Tour de France victories.

The company — known for brands including Trek, Gary Fisher, Klein and Greg LeMond — has grown to $700 million in sales, in the 32 years it has been making bikes. It still builds many of its bikes in Wisconsin, with only the lower end bikes being made in Asia.