Founded in 1976 in a Wisconsin barn, Trek began by crafting hand-brazed touring frames designed to rival Europe’s best. Over five decades, that commitment to craftsmanship has evolved into a broader mission focused on expanding access to cycling, advancing sustainability, supporting youth riding, and designing products that help more people choose two wheels over four. A timeline of the brand’s first 50 years is available at trekbikes.com/timeline.
The 50th Anniversary Collection is headlined by three limited-edition bikes available through an eight-week pre-order window: The First 50 Project One ICON, The First 50 Replica, and No. 76 Project One ICON.
The story of Trek — and 50 years of change — on a frame
The First 50 ICON and The First 50 Replica take Trek’s history — its innovations, values, people, and defining moments — and turn them into a visual timeline across the frame. Every graphic marks a specific, meaningful chapter in Trek’s journey from barn-born startup to global brand determined to change the world through bikes.
The iconography on the bike — the original barn, Trek’s founders, NICA, Y-bike, sustainability, and many more — build a layered picture of a company that grew by innovating, evolving, and standing for something bigger than itself. It represents a 50-year journey of change, one that every Trek rider has been part of.
“There are surprises everywhere on the frame,” said Micah Moran, Trek Art Director and lead designer on the project. “Each graphic element represents something real that shaped Trek and shaped cycling. It’s a bike you can ride, and a story you can explore.”
The First 50 schemes are made to reward curiosity, with layers of meaning riders will discover at their own pace. A deep-dive editorial feature at trekbikes.com/the-first-50 guides riders through the art, with explanations for every illustration, and a 50th anniversary coffee table book releasing in June 2026 expands each graphic into a story — a companion that decodes the bike and Trek’s first half-century.
Lidl-Trek’s WorldTour teams will race the limited-edition The First 50 ICON in the 2026 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes, putting the anniversary art and Trek’s story on the sport’s biggest stage.
Available exclusively on Madone SLR 9 AXS, The First 50 ICON comes with a suite of special-edition details and additions. Each frame is numbered on the chainstay and includes a limited-edition white-and-red saddle with red rails and Aeolus RSL wheels with limited-edition graphics. These finishing details make it a collector’s piece as much as an ultimate performance bike.
The First 50 Replica brings the same storytelling — the graphic icons, the shared moments, the celebration of Trek’s first half-century — onto Madone SL 7. It offers riders another way to experience the artwork and the story, pairing the visual narrative with a build that’s crafted for a wider audience of riders.
No. 76 ICON
While The First 50 tells Trek’s story through iconography, No. 76 is a Project One ICON that pays tribute to where that story began.
Available exclusively on Madone SLR 9 AXS, No. 76 ICON blends the original visual language of Trek’s earliest frames with the engineering of Trek’s fastest road platform, creating a bike that stands firmly in the present while honoring the heritage that shaped it.
The scheme features Trek’s original 1976 logo, a graphic of Trek’s early brass-plate headbadge, and the brand’s heritage blue, a color inspired by Trek’s earliest handmade touring bikes. The design is intentionally restrained — a minimal, elegant nod to the era when five employees in a red Wisconsin barn set out to build something better.
No. 76 ICON includes Aeolus RSL wheels with golden anniversary decals and a special-edition white and red saddle with red rails, tying it into the full collection and giving riders another premium option to celebrate this milestone year.
A collection beyond the bike
The anniversary celebration will extend beyond Madone with a curated range of 50th anniversary accessories, each designed to complement the The First 50 graphics and bring the story into everyday rides. This will include a limited-edition jersey, water bottles, t-shirt, and more launching throughout the year.
2026 will also include a special 50th anniversary edition of the Trek 100 on June 20, hosted at Trek’s global headquarters in Waterloo, Wisconsin. Registration will open soon, with more details to come.
Limited order window
Bikes in the 50th Anniversary Collection are available for pre-order now through April 13 at trekbikes.com and Trek retailers around the world, with delivery beginning June 2026. After April 13, the order window for these models will close and these bikes will no longer be available — even as The First 50 ICON is raced by the WorldTour team at the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes.
For more information about Trek’s 50th Anniversary Collection and the story of Trek’s first 50 years, visit trekbikes.com.
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SOURCE Trek Bicycle
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