Specialized is a big bully now

[fatcat]

Sorry if this was posted earlier.

Bicycle Retailer and Industry News

I mean what's up with those guys? I actually like Specialized bikes
but with this memo from Mike "Snob-yard" it really is a turn off now.
Hard to be at Inter-Bike if I were one of their corporate clowns, all other
bike manufacturers would hate you.

[Brewtality]

Hard to be at Inter-Bike if I were one of their corporate clowns, all other bike manufacturers would hate you.

Do you actually think that sentiment is something new? I think that has been going on long before this memo came out.
Long thread about this in the Norcal Forum.http://forums.mtbr.com/california-no...st9558059.html

[Ericmopar]

I wonder if something like that could lead to Gov intervention.
That smacks of Robber Baron tactics, like the Railroads in the 1800's.
I usually defend Specialized's right to protect their patents, but this...

[b-kul]

now? as in they wernt before?

[NateHawk]

par for the course. Trek does the same crap, and the article mentions that Specialized isn't the only mfr to do it. It's just that bagging on Specialized is too popular.

It looks to me like they DO NOT believe in the IBD (along with Trek, who continues to open concept stores). They want retailers to sell only their stuff, to become their exclusive dealers. If they want to have exclusive dealers, that's fine. But don't push the IBD to change by changing the terms in your agreements.

Why my next bike(s) will not come from any mfr who engages in such tactics.

[danielsilva]

Never liked Spesh and its patent trolling, this doesn't help ...

[Ailuropoda]

I love Specialized, have or have owned six of their bikes and loved every one of them.

Who cares about their legal business practices? It's not like they can monopolize the industry. There are thousands of companies, retailers, and bike manufactuerers out there that will sell you anything you want at a reasonable price.

[Nubster]

I won't stop buying/riding Specialized. If they want dealers to drop other brands, I could care less because I'm going to the Specialized dealer to look at/buy Specialized anyways. If my local Specialized dealer stopped carrying Giant or whatever brand not allowed by Spec., no hair off my arse.

[car bone]

I won't stop buying/riding Specialized. If they want dealers to drop other brands, I could care less because I'm going to the Specialized dealer to look at/buy Specialized anyways. If my local Specialized dealer stopped carrying Giant or whatever brand not allowed by Spec., no hair off my arse.

hahahahaha I think I have laughed myself totally retarded for a while.
You like specialized right?

Personally I couldn't care less about the big, hmm 3 no, the big 10. Because all they offer is mass produced taiwan **** anyway. Is it merida or is it giant? Or maybe martec, or topkey? Its all the same ****. And its all ****.

WHO wants this? would it be better if there were only one bike brand instead? Like "the bike brand", the "volksrad" and they had 29er man, 29er woman, 26er man, 26er woman and 26er fs man and 26er fs woman models?? You can have whatever color you want as long as its deathstar black. Seems familiar?

Welcome to communist russia! I can't believe I'm reading this **** on this site. You should be ashamed people!!

I hope the retailers just drop spesh, terk and giant, because then the customers could maybe get hold of quality stuff instead, brands that are not driven by how the stock value fluctuates every quarter, brands that has a vision of building the best **** there is. Not brands that into the money making business and have chosen bikes as their weapon. Big difference. I see more and more of the "small innovative guys", and I like it, I ****ing love it, its so much good stuff out there now, and none of it comes from the big 3 or even the big 10.

I have a hard time seeing Giant being the competitor, I see the competitor as internet and boutique brands, which are gaining momentum every day. I have been looking a cx frame/bike now for a week or so and not one single time had any of the big 10 or so had anything whatsoever to offer that interests me. Wow crap run off the mill alu frames and carbon that I can buy just as well and 10 times as cheap on the bay directly from the factory? But hey I don't get the deathstar black color scheme then right? I must be missing out on so much...

Let the garbagemen take out the garbage! Thats my opinion.

You can put lipstick on a pig but at the end of the day its still just a pig, with lipstick. Move along people. And steer clear.

[can't get right]

hahahahaha I think I have laughed myself totally retarded for a while.
You like specialized right?

Personally I couldn't care less about the big, hmm 3 no, the big 10. Because all they offer is mass produced taiwan **** anyway. Is it merida or is it giant? Or maybe martec, or topkey? Its all the same ****. And its all ****.

WHO wants this? would it be better if there were only one bike brand instead? Like "the bike brand", the "volksrad" and they had 29er man, 29er woman, 26er man, 26er woman and 26er fs man and 26er fs woman models?? You can have whatever color you want as long as its deathstar black. Seems familiar?

Welcome to communist russia! I can't believe I'm reading this **** on this site. You should be ashamed people!!

I hope the retailers just drop spesh, terk and giant, because then the customers could maybe get hold of quality stuff instead, brands that are not driven by how the stock value fluctuates every quarter, brands that has a vision of building the best **** there is. Not brands that into the money making business and have chosen bikes as their weapon. Big difference. I see more and more of the "small innovative guys", and I like it, I ****ing love it, its so much good stuff out there now, and none of it comes from the big 3 or even the big 10.

I have a hard time seeing Giant being the competitor, I see the competitor as internet and boutique brands, which are gaining momentum every day. I have been looking a cx frame/bike now for a week or so and not one single time had any of the big 10 or so had anything whatsoever to offer that interests me. Wow crap run off the mill alu frames and carbon that I can buy just as well and 10 times as cheap on the bay directly from the factory? But hey I don't get the deathstar black color scheme then right? I must be missing out on so much...

Let the garbagemen take out the garbage! Thats my opinion.

You can put lipstick on a pig but at the end of the day its still just a pig, with lipstick. Move along people. And steer clear.

This post would mean so much more if it was well written and coherent.

[bee]

Specialized is telling bike shops that they won't be Specialized dealers if they don't drop Giant. That is unfair and actually illegal. It is against the anti-trust laws in the USA. Specialized will get in huge trouble over this.

[Fix the Spade]

Begs a serious question.
What will Specialized do if Giant takes a look at this and decides to add some 'friendly competition,' by ceasing to manufacture Spesh frames? Six month delays on everything?

I doubt Giant would be so petty, but it would make me laugh regardless.

[MendonCycleSmith]

Apparently the Big S forgot what the I in IBD stands for when they said " We believe in the IBD ".

Giantrekalized can keep their garish, 44 logos per frame, overseas made, double droop down tube, carbon cause it's the coolest, 80 million pivots cause 70 million wasn't enough to make it ride ride bikes.

There's plenty of brands out there who are happy and proud to be in your local IBD as part of an eclectic mix of products hand picked by the staff to be the best mix of characteristics for your local riding. How about we start supporting them and drop this blind rush to whoever is biggest, must be best.....

[SuperSlow35th]

I dont think Ive ever seen a LBS that carried both Specialized and Giant. We have one local dealer that carries Giant and Trek, thats about it. All the Specialized dealers only carry Specialized.

[Guerdonian]

I am surprised this was not already the case. I do not see what is so shocking here?

This is like a new car dealer selling both Honda and Toyota under the same roof. What is most shocking to me is that the "Big 3" (Specialized Giant Trek) don't already require their dealers to not sell the others.

Yea specialized can be bullish, but they make good products that i will continue to buy.

[bee]

I am surprised this was not already the case. I do not see what is so shocking here?

This is like a new car dealer selling both Honda and Toyota under the same roof. What is most shocking to me is that the "Big 3" (Specialized Giant Trek) don't already require their dealers to not sell the others.

Yea specialized can be bullish, but they make good products that i will continue to buy.

Every bike shop sells new bikes, and all of them there are multiple choices of brands of bikes to buy. This is similar to sporting goods store. New car dealers only sell their own brand. Buying a new bike is nothing like buying a new car.

[Guerdonian]

Every bike shop sells new bikes, and all of them there are multiple choices of brands of bikes to buy. This is similar to sporting goods store. New car dealers only sell their own brand. Buying a new bike is nothing like buying a new car.

When was the last time you went to a shop?
Yes its nothing like buying a new car because its a bike. At the same time its exactly like buying a new car because you can haggle for price, it comes with a warranty, you can take it to the shop or do maintenance yourself, some places even do loans.

Also, when was the last time you bought a car? What about all the Ford, Lincoln, Kia, Fiat etc... combo dealers that are selling multiple brands. Right down the street from me there is a Toyota-Volvo-Scion, and a Dodge-Christler-Jeep, and a Chevy-Subaru. The analogy is two brands of directly competing markets with very similar product lines selling under the same roof. Ford and Chevy, Toyota and Honda, BMW and Audi, It for the most part is unheard of, just like in the bike industry.

Also, the article states: "its heavy handedness with retailers over the years, pushing them to stop selling other top-tier brands like Scott, Cannondale and Trek." Nothing about pushing out ALL brands except for specialized. So small boutique companies are not the victim here.

[Dirty $anchez]

When was the last time you went to a shop?
Yes its nothing like buying a new car because its a bike. At the same time its exactly like buying a new car because you can haggle for price, it comes with a warranty, you can take it to the shop or do maintenance yourself, some places even do loans.

Also, when was the last time you bought a car? What about all the Ford, Lincoln, Kia, Fiat etc... combo dealers that are selling multiple brands. Right down the street from me there is a Toyota-Volvo-Scion, and a Dodge-Christler-Jeep, and a Chevy-Subaru. The analogy is two brands of directly competing markets with very similar product lines selling under the same roof. Ford and Chevy, Toyota and Honda, BMW and Audi, It for the most part is unheard of, just like in the bike industry.

Also, the article states: "its heavy handedness with retailers over the years, pushing them to stop selling other top-tier brands like Scott, Cannondale and Trek." Nothing about pushing out ALL brands except for specialized. So small boutique companies are not the victim here.

Please refrain from confusing the issue with factual content. TIA.

[Guerdonian]

Please refrain from confusing the issue with factual content. TIA.

Whoops sorry.

Edited response: NO YOUR WRONG, Specialized sucks because S stands for Satan. And the color red means HELLLLLLLLLLLLL!

That better?

[danielsilva]

Well might as well chip in, i don't know how things are in the US but there are a lot of dealers in this side of the pond that sell multiple brands of cars, even from competing groups ( i bought mine on one of those ).

The problem here is not wether there are shops or dealers who only carry or are specialized - no pun intended - in one brand, there are also a lot of those around here, but the fact that they're "forcing" a shop to not carry other brands.

If shop A decides to only carry brand B = OK
If shop C wants to carry multiple brands = OK
If shop D wants to carry multiple brands and brand A tells them "NO OR ELSE" = NOT OK

Don't see what's so difficult to understand here ...

[mykel]

What do you expect for a guy who grew his components only company with a stolen frame?

[bee]

When was the last time you went to a shop?
Yes its nothing like buying a new car because its a bike. At the same time its exactly like buying a new car because you can haggle for price, it comes with a warranty, you can take it to the shop or do maintenance yourself, some places even do loans.

Also, when was the last time you bought a car? What about all the Ford, Lincoln, Kia, Fiat etc... combo dealers that are selling multiple brands. Right down the street from me there is a Toyota-Volvo-Scion, and a Dodge-Christler-Jeep, and a Chevy-Subaru. The analogy is two brands of directly competing markets with very similar product lines selling under the same roof. Ford and Chevy, Toyota and Honda, BMW and Audi, It for the most part is unheard of, just like in the bike industry.

Also, the article states: "its heavy handedness with retailers over the years, pushing them to stop selling other top-tier brands like Scott, Cannondale and Trek." Nothing about pushing out ALL brands except for specialized. So small boutique companies are not the victim here.

Small LBS are the victims here. Buying a new bike is nothing like buying a new car. Over 95% of car dealers only carry their own brand. Bike shops generally carry many more brands than your average car dealer.

Its the small bike shops that are being screwed by these heavy handed tactics.

[irishpitbull]

Car companies do the same thing. My uncle owed a Mazda, VW, and Hyundai dealer. Mazda came in and told him he either had drop the other two or lose the Mazda franchise.

Is Mazda a bully?

[danielsilva]

Car companies do the same thing. My uncle owed a Mazda, VW, and Hyundai dealer. Mazda came in and told him he either had drop the other two or lose the Mazda franchise.

Is Mazda a bully?

Depending on where you live, yes. A bully and someone with a potential anti-competition lawsuit on their hands

PS:
The only Mazda dealer around my house is actually a multiple brand dealer

[bee]

Depending on where you live, yes. A bully and someone with a potential anti-competition lawsuit on their hands

PS:
The only Mazda dealer around my house is actually a multiple brand dealer

Exactly! What Specialized is doing is not just unethical. It is also illegal. There are laws in the US that prohibits this sort of activity. For Specialized to threaten these small bike shops that they will no longer be Specialized dealers unless they drop Giant, is just plain illegal.