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Specialized Bicycle Components is a major American manufacturer of bicycles based in Morgan Hill, California. It was founded in 1974 by Mike Sinyard.
[edit] History
Specialized was founded in 1974 by Mike Sinyard, a cycling enthusiast who sold his VW van for the $1500 startup capital. Sinyard started out importing hard-to-find bike components, but the company began to produce its own bike parts by 1976. Specialized introduced the first major production mountain bike in the world, the Stumpjumper, in 1980. In 2001 49% of shares were bought by Merida Bikes of Taiwan for a reported sum of 30 million US$. However Mike Sinyard remained majority owner and CEO of the company[3].
Specialized created the first professional mountain bike racing team, a dedicated BMX program, and an elite road racing program.
[edit] Products
The company produces a variety of gear, including clothing, helmets, and parts, in addition to over 25 lines of bikes. Specialized is distinctively known for placing many of their own parts on their bikes as stock, which is not a common practice among mountain bike companies. They range from less expensive models such as the Hardrock, P series, and the children's Hotrock, up to the expensive S-Works models for road and cross-country riding, and the Demo for freeride and downhill mountain biking. Specialized's current line-up of bicycles are as follows:
Specialized S-Works Enduro
- Mountain
- Epic: competitive full-suspension cross country
- Stumpjumper FSR: full-suspension cross country
- Era FSR: women's full-suspension cross country
- Safire FSR: women's full-suspension cross country
- Myka FSR: women's full-suspension recreational
- FSRxc: light full-suspension cross country
- Enduro SL: full-suspension all mountain
- Pitch: full-suspension all mountain
- SX Trail: full-suspension freeride
- Demo: full-suspension downhill
- BigHit: full-suspension freeride
- P.Bikes: progressive hardtail
- Stumpjumper HT: competitive hardtail cross country
- Era HT: women's hardtail cross country
- Rockhopper: recreational hardtail cross country
- Hardrock: all-terrain hardtail
- HRXC: all-terrain hard tail
- Hotrock: kids mountain bike
- All-road & Freeroad
- Road
- Langster: single speed
- Transition: triathlon racing
- Tarmac: competitive road
- Allez: competitive road
- Roubaix: performance endurance road
- Ruby: women's performance road
- Dolce: women's performance road
- Sequoia: recreational performance road
- Multi Street
- Sirrus: ergonomic fitness and commute
- Vita: women's recreational fitness
- Globe: performance urban/utility
- Globe Centrum: performance urban/utility
- GlobeCity: performance urban/utility
- Crossroads: comfort street
- Expedition: comfort all-terrain
- BMX
- Fuse: performance dirt/street/vertical
Many riders in recent years have used Specialized bicycles in the North American and European professional cycling circuits. Road racing teams such as Saxo Bank and Quick Step are riding on Specialized road bikes. Until 2008 the disbanded Team Gerolsteiner was using Specialized.
Specialized bikes also sponsors the University of Georgia Collegiate Cycling Team.
[edit] Teams and athletes sponsored by Specialized Bicycles
[edit] Notes and references
[edit] External links
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Mountain biking in the United States |
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Morgan Hill, California, USA
Darren Berrecloth (CAN)
Lene Byberg (NOR)
Tom Boonen (BEL)
Sam Hill (AUS)
Brendan Fairclough (GBR)
Dan Hugo (RSA)
Graeme Obree (SCO)
Christoph Sauser (SUI)
Gavin Noble (IRL)
