What is the Toyota/Lexus Bike Equivalent?

[skaredshtles]

Hahaha!

So why no love for Specialized as a brand?

Because of their penchants for doing really shitty things, business-wise.

[El Chupacabra]

Because of their penchants for doing really shitty things, business-wise.

This X10000. Fuck Specialized.

[MrMan]

Because of their penchants for doing really shitty things, business-wise.

Ah I just like their bikes. So I ride them.

[skaredshtles]

Ah I just like their bikes. So I ride them.

And that's fine...

But fuck Specialized.

[MrMan]

And that's fine...

But fuck Specialized.

😎

[jono]

I blame Special Ed for years of bouncy bikes that supposedly offered some improvement over single pivot designs but in fact sucked and made sucking seem normal.

Ever ride up a hill next to an Ellsworth so you could see that pivot action hard at work? Special Ed is not innocent in that travesty of marketing genius.

[jono]

If I was getting my first bike in a decade, I'd sure as shit want a full squish machine. Fuck the hardtail. You get back into biking, you want to experience the wonders of modern technology. If down the road you find that your real love is logging tons of XC miles and spinning your pedals until your taint is hard and calloused, by all means you'll know it's time for a hard tail. But in the beginning, everyone wants to feel like they're skiing powder when riding downhill.

I'd avoid any Yeti. I've literally lost count of the number of people I know who've broken them. One friend has broken 3. I've seen 2 broken ones on trail rides. Carbon AND alloy. And I can't say that all reports were rosy in regards to dealing with their CS.

Agreed on the full squish. If you're not racing your only hard tail should be your road bike, in whatever form it takes. If you are racing that's probably still true. Sure, you should get one that doesn't bounce like somebody turned the double wishbones off the front of a car sideways. But that's pretty easy (to geek out fully check the anti-squat numbers on http://linkagedesign.blogspot.com and seek 100% at sag, or close). Avoiding Hudge chain growth is also a good idea.

As to broken Yetis, the 575 seems to have been quite troublesome for them (see earlier comments about avoiding flex links if seeking longevity--but particularly aluminum ones) and their recent plastic bikes...are they still shattering? My wife fell in love with a Yeti a few years ago and this year she's all about an Evil--I'm kind of hoping she decides to unload the Yeti before trouble shows up. But they're sweet riding bikes, I can't argue with that.

[XXX-er]

I understand specialized also want the dealers who take them as a brand to invest heavily in carrying all their soft goods

[XXX-er]

As to broken Yetis, the 575 seems to have been quite troublesome for them (see earlier comments about avoiding flex links if seeking longevity--but particularly aluminum ones) and their recent plastic bikes...are they still shattering? .

yeah the 575 was a beautiful bike but it looked like a bad idea from the git-go ... would it have killed them to put in a pivot?

[TahoeJ]

Fuck Specialized...

[Ted Striker]

Because of their penchants for doing really shitty things, business-wise.

Ding!

If I were home right now, I'd post a pic of the ICT stickers that are somehow still affixed to my og 5 spot.

ETA:
There's some surprisingly good advice in this thread. Especially considering how long it has gone.

[MrMan]

I understand specialized also want the dealers who take them as a brand to invest heavily in carrying all their soft goods

Yes this is true. Fortunately they offer great apparel and accessories that fit and function very well.

[XXX-er]

Specialized wants to have an independant dealer build and stock a Specialized store for them SO what independent dealer will want to be dictated to by any brand as to what they must carry when they don't think their customers will buy it ?

IME that ^^ policy is not necessarily written in stone, locally the specialized brand was dropped by the well established "A" dealer in town or probably "A" dealer chose not to book any bikes cuz he already had so many brands / so much model overlap

So Specialized could either leave this small BC town period OR walk down the street to that upstart free ridey "B" store

Looking at the local trails "B" store sold a LOT of Specialized trail bikes but zero specialized accessories and

[Ted Striker]

^^^ lol

Specialized still makes good tires.

[GeezerSteve]

Sounds sorta like, although not exactly the same, as Schwinn shops 40 years ago. There were some big shops with buying power that sold Schwinn and other brands, but they were the rare exceptions. Most Schwinn shops were beholden to Schwinn and exclusively stocked "Schwinn Approved" accessories. It was utter bullshit and one reason for Schwinn's demise.

[GeezerSteve]

Specialized still makes good tires.

Does Specialized actually make tires? AFAIK early Specialized tires were made by National (to Specialized specs, which included a different rubber compound than other National tires) and later by Vittoria, Hutchinson, Kenda, Veloflex, Cheng Shin and perhaps others.

[Ted Striker]

^^^ it was just a quip, but yeah, like many(most?) brands, they probably get their tires made by someone else.

Some of their tread designs look like copies of other brands too.

[GeezerSteve]

To be fair, in the early days Specialized did spec some improved road tire designs, as did Schwinn years before. (Schwinn LeTour, made by National, was far and away the best road touring tire in the mid-1970s.) I have no clue what Specialized is doing these days re tires. Based on my experience doing private label deals in other industries, as a general rule I buy stuff branded by the actual manufacturer, e.g., Michelin or Continental for road bike tires. Not sure how that works with MTB tires.

[Ted Striker]

When it comes to tires, I kinda laugh at the idea that when I was a throttle twister, to use the right insult, everyone called Cheng Shins "cheap Chinese tires" (even though they're Taiwanese), yet when named Maxxis they're the best, and totally worth their ridiculous msrp.

[plugboots]

If I walk into a new bike shop and I see Specialized, I immediately know what they carry, and leave.

[skaredshtles]

Sure, but my point was that Ti can be fixed because it is easier to weld...aluminum goes in the recycle bin and plastic goes in the trash when you crack it. OP said he wanted full suspension, so ruled out steel.

Who makes Special Ed's frames now-a-days?

[creaky fossil]

"Type 3 fun"

Maybe even "broken old geezer fun".

Who makes Special Ed's frames now-a-days?

Merida?

[Ted Striker]

...as a general rule I buy stuff branded by the actual manufacturer, e.g., Michelin or Continental for road bike tires. Not sure how that works with MTB tires.

This is probably just because I live in Bellingham, but Maxxis owns the mtb market here.

[jamal]

The specialized tires did get my attention, because you can get a decent tubeless ready tire for like $55 while the nice tires from maxxis, schwalbe, are all like $80 or more. Oh wait, this isn't the rant thread.

[Ted Striker]

Yep. And the specialized on my bike look to be copies of Maxxis. And the casings seem to be holding up.