I hate specialized bikes



Why do the latest S bikes have those silicone rubber blocks in the seat stay? Looked way too gimmicky to me.
 
sogood said:
Why do the latest S bikes have those silicone rubber blocks in the seat stay? Looked way too gimmicky to me.
I wouldn't say "latest." My 2005 Roubaix has them. They're called "Zertz Inserts" and are advertised as vibration dampening. Wouldn't be able to tell you for sure if they dampen anything as I've only ever ridden the Roubaix I own.

With some recent struggles accomplishing any support from their customer service on a warranty issue, it's likely that the Roubaix I own now will be the last road bike I purchase from them.
 
sogood said:
Why do the latest S bikes have those silicone rubber blocks in the seat stay? Looked way too gimmicky to me.
It seems to be quite a popular idea (or becoming so). The Roubaix has the zertz inserts in the stays and forks and the Klein range has, similar elastomer inserts just above the seat stays. Obviously designed to soak up some road shock. The Trek's in the Pari Roubaix used the Klein elastomer inserts this year as well.

The only part that leaves me totally cold, is that for the elastomer to function relies on the rest of the frame flexing to provide the amount of movement that the shock absorption is soaking up. So it's ultimately intentionally transferring a fatiguing movement toward where the chainstays join the bottom bracket. It might well make it comfy, but something says it's not going to make the frame last as long as it could. 25, or 28, tyres seems like a MUCH better idea.
 
complience said:
Im not really sure why... ive never owned a specialized bike, don't know anyone who does..

but its more than just that.. anyone know why i hate specialized so much?
My LBS stopped selling all Treks about 4 years ago. Now, they primarily sell Specialized. I don't have anything against them, though. Really, when you look at the broad range of products available from them, they kind of remind me, anyway, of a Nike type company. The Robaix looks a lot like the Orbea, Orca.
Treks new madone looks like both of them.
 
I ride an Allez. Nothing wrong with it at all. I'll probably only get rid of it if Orange ever starts making road bikes.
 
I used to ride an Allez Elite and I loved it. The only reason I'm not still on a Specialized is that I was hit by a car and the bike was totalled. And while I was waiting for the insurance issue to be sorted out, I was very impressed by another bike shop that I'd been visiting from time to time. And on top of that I had been pretty disappointed with the service at the bike shop where I bought my Allez. So I went with the other bike shop, which didn't sell Specialized bikes and got onto an Orbea Vuelta. (MB Cycles in Brisbane, Australia by the way).

About the Zerts inserts: I did notice a difference. I was not a fan of the seat that came with my Vuelta but I loved my Specialized seat. So I swapped it over, but decided to switch the entire seat post over to see if the insert would have any effect. I noticed a difference in vibration immediately.
 
I ride an '06 Allez Triple, which i purchased for $525.00 in October 2006. While im very new to the whole road bike experience, this bike is FAST and very capable, however im out of shape so fast only lasts so long, then its huff n puff :) Im workin on that, slowly. Sure, I would have liked better components, but im not a racer, and the tiagra/sora mix shift pretty smoothly for me.

I consider myself a Specialized guy now. The only real good bike shop around sells them, and when I look at Trek I see nothing that catches my eye...or my wallet...

Ive also invested in Body Geometry gloves for both my girlfriend and myself, and we both notice a VERY considerable increase in riding comfort. Before 10 miles my hands were numb and ready to quit (with gloves even!) Now, with the body geometry gloves, I can ride 2 times as long and not even feel any funny feelings in my hands :)

The compact geometry isnt for everyone...but for me it works pretty good.

And...I LOVE the Specialized 'S' logo... :cool::D
 
Not sure why I'm bothering to reply.

I have an '06 Specalized Sirrus, and I've been happy with it, through the 2,500k i've put on it to date.

My only mechanical issues have been a broken rear spoke, and some rotational play in the suspension seat post. My LBS tells me all suspension seat posts suffer from this problem.

My favourite aspectL: the (so far) bomb-proof tires that came stock (Nimbus Armadillo's?). I despise punctures. I've lost count of how many broken bottles I've drove over on my commute.
 
My new Allez Comp kicks butt. I, on the other hand, do not kick butt but that's another topic altogether.:D
 
saintsfan342000 said:
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.
I had the Specialized Allez Elite with all 105. The bike was destroyed in a car accident(the driver went right through me). I think that the driver gave the bike a good whack. It was not Specialized's fault.

I went to get another Allez Elite. I was very disturbed about paying more money for less. I was not concerned about the carbon.

Apparently another person said that you were crazy to pay MSRP. Wait to he sees you being "forced" to pay MSRP thanks to the latest court ruling. All of the specialized shops must be haughty toighty, because I think that they are all overpriced and they sell Specialized for high prices. One large store in the area has really good prices on Trek bikes. You can get a good bike with trek for a lot LESS money, now.

I bought myself a Fuji with carbon and Ultegra for same ballpark that a specialized tiagra allez elite was running.
 
Your hatred for Specialized riders could be immaturity. Don't worry...you will grow out of it.
 
I didn't have many complaints about my '06 Allez Triple, other than the weight. But it was a fairly smooth riding bike. Definitely not the quickest accelerating bike, but, it wasn't a race bike, so who cares? The only reason I got rid of it was to upgrade to my Trek 5500. Now the Trek is an accelerating monster!

I am definitely thinking the OP was just trying to start ****. Has he even posted anything since the original post?

Kelly, I can understand your frustration. But did you ever consider that maybe you just got stuck with a lemon? Bikes are susceptible to factory flaws just like automobiles. Maybe not as often, but susceptible all the same. Sorry to hear your's was a POS. Hopefully you find something more to your satisfaction.
 
The 1984 Specialized Expedition: A much sought-after beauty of a touring bike: http://www.flickr.com/photos/franklyn/sets/72157603908831682/

The 2012 Specialized Expedition: "Around town or the campground, the Expedition is comfortable, plush, and perfect for cruising paved and dirt roads" http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?spid=62180&scid=1099&scname=2012+Early+Launch


What a shame.
 
I have a 2008 Allez Elite. I think it looks cool but it is definitely heavy and in hindsight I could have gotten better componentry for the money elsewhere. I didn't pay anywhere near MSRP for it though so I feel I've gotten my money's worth out of it and have found it to be smooth and comfortable and very reliable. I like it.

That said,I did just have an interesting conversation with the owner of my neighborhood LBS. He told me they used to have a really good deal with Specialized and they used to sell their bikes and products. Then, about a year ago, they started hiking their prices unrealistically and pressuring them to sell more merchandise. Long story short - this LBS cut off ties with Specialized and is now focused on less expensive but better spec'd bikes like Jamis.

Then he handed me a Specialized Armadillo tire in one hand and a Continnental Gatorskin in the other. WOW what a difference. The Conti tire was selling for nearly $20/tire less than what I paid for my Armadillo Elites and weighed half the grams. He says Specialized charges superfluous money for marketing gimicks like the Zertz example and the carbon seat stays on the '08 models and, in this case, the claim of a bulletproff tire at the cost of valuable dollars AND added weight over the competition.

This little conversation a few hours ago complented by this thread has slightly swayed me away from a brand that I was totally bought into hook line and sinker. I'm still loving my ride, but when it comes time to upgrade it may not be a Tarmac that gets to ride on my roof rack.
 
but... Kevin Costner rides an Allez!

Come to think of it, this was probably Specialized's turning point, wasnt it?

 
I like Costner jokes.

I see him on the bike above,

the only man in the world who rides upside down.

"Hate is a terrible word! Specialized has a lovely line of bicycles. I find them to be rather Sexy."

Proposed model name for a new Specialized bike, big logo,

SPECIALIZED
SEXY HATE

and for the hard core,

SPECIALIZED
ANEURYSM[COLOR= rgb(255, 0, 0)] +[/COLOR]

and for the saddle sore,

SPECIALIZED
URETHRA MAX