I hate specialized bikes

Dunno why you hate specialized - maybe because they're a bit generic and soulless? I have seen a few Specialized fixies about, and I think they go against the whole spirit of the cult of fixie for that very reason.
My personal pet hatred is people on those folding bikes, bonthrones is it? Not all of them - just the ones who pedal in an extremely low gear with trousers tucked into socks and push in front of me at lights. I have to say maybe it's a pride thing cos I have been overtaken by a few despite their tiny wheels... They can go at a fair old clip I tell ya...

They make a few good looking mountain bikes though. I owned one once, it was well made.

But yeah I sort of agree with you, i've never really thought about until now, but I'm not all that fussed on them either. Maybe it's the looooong name on the down tube.

but I think it's just personal, the same way we hate some cars or music and others love them.

Maybe it's the "S" logo, very 80s and very dated.

janiejones said:

Maybe it's the "S" logo, very 80s and very dated.

I used specialized tape on my Raleigh road bike. I kind of like the S logo on the bar end.

complience said:

Im not really sure why... ive never owned a specialized bike, don't know anyone who does..

I once test road a specialized allez it was okayish... went with a felt F55 in the end tho..

but for some reason i hate all specialized bikes and all those ride them..

i think it might be inpart due to the fact that specialized bikes tend to be very over priced and to me look ugly..

but its more than just that.. anyone know why i hate specialized so much?

Buy one. You'll hate them even more. I bought an Allez last year (because it seemed a good discount on a new bike). Although at first I thought it was okay, steadily I found that I couldn't put up with it's compact geometry. And it had some kind of stealth nastiness I couldn't nail down to anything. But I could pedal as hard and fast as hell, and still just fall further and further behind my partner on the road.

I had it's components transferred to a traditional steel frame. Bit better, but even the stinking wheels didn't run freely, so they had to go too.

Six months after buying the pig, the only bits left of it are the rear mech, the bars and the shifters. The rest - gone - trashed. You hate Specialized? I can pretty much guarantee that I hate them more.

Wow!! Suddenly I'm not embarassed about liking Raleighs anymore!

kdelong said:

Wow!! Suddenly I'm not embarassed about liking Raleighs anymore!

Nicole Cooke rides a Raleigh!!! What's not to like?

I have not got anything against Specialized in general. Like the other big bike companies, they make a good bike for the price. I just laugh out loud when I see their high end bikes and their prices. I think to myself that my ti bike was made in the U.S. by people paid a decent wage and you want to charge me more money when you farmed out the manufacturing to China. No thank you. I expect premium work for premium prices.

I like Specialized MTBs, butI despise the road-bikes...

I went w/ a Cannondale R700 (05) over the Allez Elite (or sport, whatever). I just don't care for the compact geometry, at all. and the bike just did'nt have much oomph.

My old Rockhopper is a TANK, though... too bad I sold it so I could afford my Cannondale 🙁

I like Specialized BodyGeometry products, though. Well made.

I'm somewhat of a beginer (2 years or so) so my opinion may not matter, but when I was in the market for a new road bike, I test rode several bikes, all within the same price range and specs. I fell in love with a Specialized Allez Elite triple and got it. I've been happy with it ever since.

Maybe it all depends on the person, their body style, their riding style and personal preference? When it comes to something like a bike, the manufacturers logo usually does not have much of an impact on my desicion of whether or not to buy.

complience said:

but its more than just that.. anyone know why i hate specialized so much?

cause human beings can be completely irrational. I have a Specialized. They hold good place in my heart since they are the first company who bothered to make a high end racing bike that a 5 footer could use. My bike (06 Ruby Pro) is georgeous, was an exceptional deal, fits me great and is fast. What's not to love.

complience said:

Im not really sure why... ive never owned a specialized bike, don't know anyone who does..

I once test road a specialized allez it was okayish... went with a felt F55 in the end tho..

but for some reason i hate all specialized bikes and all those ride them..

i think it might be inpart due to the fact that specialized bikes tend to be very over priced and to me look ugly..

but its more than just that.. anyone know why i hate specialized so much?

Don't judge the bike before you own one. I've heard from a source that the allez was actually a good bike. Did you have the allez sized and adjusted for your body?

I've been test-riding a bunch of bikes lately, doing my research and such. Here's my take on Specialized:

I was not impressed because to get an Allez with full 105 costs about $1500, whereas most other manufacturers price that in the $1200 range. The Allez in that $1200 range is specd with Tiagra. The reason for this is because rather than offering a solidly built bike with good components, Specialized sinks money into fripperies like carbon seatstays, extra cushioning on the bars (the bar phat), and those all too visible "zertz inserts" in the stays, seatpost, and fork. My understanding is that those rubber inserts are utilized by a lot of manufacturers, but Speciaized chooses to make them visibile so they can charge more for them.

Anyways, that's mu grudge against Specialized: they're not putting money into the right areas.

if you pay the msrp you're pretty foolish. When I bought my bike I was shown the 3 prices that Specialized gives to the shop 1. is the msrp and only hoighty toighty bike shops ever sell any at that price 2. is the "sale" price that you see in most shops (and on 1001 internet sites) 3. is the lowest price the shop can sell at, the spread for my bike was about $900 from the highest price to the lowest one. OK - this is a bit of a scheme I'll admit, but you don't have to pay the full price and if you don't you end up with a very good deal indeed....

complience said:

Im not really sure why... ive never owned a specialized bike, don't know anyone who does..

I once test road a specialized allez it was okayish... went with a felt F55 in the end tho..

but for some reason i hate all specialized bikes and all those ride them..

i think it might be inpart due to the fact that specialized bikes tend to be very over priced and to me look ugly..

but its more than just that.. anyone know why i hate specialized so much?

We spend a sizable amount of time, talk and money in the area of "effeciency" and "power transfer" as well as "comfort". In the "ride of life" those issues are equally essential. Free floating hate costs us energy better used in effective living.

See where you "against" energy can be redirected in "for" opportunities. You can become known for what you are for rather than what you are against.

But what do I know, I ride a Schwinn and like it.😄

Saddlesoarus has a point. Therefore I am going to go off topic and say that I really like Raleighs, old and new, older Univegas, and nearly everthing Italian. I respect all of the others, they just aren't the ride for me. Oh, and I have a low entry level Mongoose for when I feel the need to go off road.

Eden said:

if you pay the msrp you're pretty foolish. When I bought my bike I was shown the 3 prices that Specialized gives to the shop 1. is the msrp and only hoighty toighty bike shops ever sell any at that price 2. is the "sale" price that you see in most shops (and on 1001 internet sites) 3. is the lowest price the shop can sell at, the spread for my bike was about $900 from the highest price to the lowest one. OK - this is a bit of a scheme I'll admit, but you don't have to pay the full price and if you don't you end up with a very good deal indeed....

Umm, well I suppose. But if someone had given me my Allez, for nothing, the geometry was still utterly horrible. The seat post still didn't fit the frame properly (and slid constantly). The saddle - well really I wouldn't want to say anything except it was the first bit of it to go in the trash (all of it followed though).

I fact it even for nothing, it would have still been the worst bike in the garage.

The Trek 1000 I bought to replace it on 'winter' duties, is better in every single solitary way. Brilliant in fact.

The only good thing that can come from the money I wasted on the Specialized, is that I might be able to make someone else think twice before they waste their's.

I just got a Specialized Allez Comp. and I love it. I don't have much much to compare it to (an old crosscycle), but if ignorance is bliss, I'll stay ignorant and happy. I can't say enough good things about the bike.

As a side note, I spent over 10 years as a competitive powerlifter. On the powerlifting forums, equipment companies would have their employees or sponsored lifters go on the internet and trash their competitors and promote their product. They would have 3 or so fake names and talk trash, and then log on using a different name and say "yeah the same thing happened to me." I'm not trying to accuse anyone of anything, but maybe there's some hidden propaganda here. I just don't see why someone would benefit from starting a thread trashing a bike company.

complience said:

Im not really sure why... ive never owned a specialized bike, don't know anyone who does..

Which, of course makes this thread as worthless as your opinion.🙄