The "I hate Specialized" Bandwagon...... what's the deal?

[fanievb]

it's not the bike/brand I have a problem with, its the fanboys who ride them and think they own the road/trails with their branded everything.

 

[Oskos]

I have a stumpy and love it. Must say i also like some of those Orbea's you see at the World champs and World cups.

 

People with alot of money and people trying to stand out will go and buy a Epic. Its just a culture thing, like a toyota bakkie. If you go measure the quality of some off these products they all round about the same.  

[lukelockie]

I heard a rumour that a Spez bike doesn't work unless you have Spez kit on...

[Gideondv]

My 2cents...

 

Regarding the Specialized kit:

They make good looking, quality kit at competitive pricing (If not cheaper than its competitors).

 

Warranty / aftersales service:

Excellent

 

Charity/ development of riders.

Specialized does a lot!

 

Trail building:

Maybe I am biased because I live in Stellenbosch but they do a Sh!tload to keep Jonkershoek trails awesome! $$$$

 

I ride a Camber & loving it!

 

Seeing that Specialized is arguably the most popular bike brand in SA you will definitely get a couple of tjops on them. #getoverit

[RockCoach]

I have to admit that I own a pair of Spez road shoes. But they are well over 10 years old before the brand became snobbish and are they are black. The last time I wore them must be over 3 years ago.

[MuddyMike]

Wow, the generalizations are incredible......

 

Now I am in real poo, I have a Specialized Camber and a Cannondale Super Six. WTF I am going to do? the horror......I love both these bikes, but please hubbers let me know if I am allowed to!!

 

I have "matching" spez baggies......now I cant ride in them because some idiot thinks I am a poser in Spez kit???

 

How about all the haters being less concerned about how many people ride Spez, Cannondale, Silverback, Merida or whatever else they choose to ride and just enjoy your ride or do you look around the start pen at the local race and put everyone in their sterotype box??

 

My next problem is how could I ever stop on the trails to say howzit to JC Meyer or Rouxtjie while I am on my Spez and they are on thier SS's.

 

Get over yourself people. I am the same oke now (on a Spez) that I was when I rode my 1st Silverback.

[MuddyMike]

and yes Spez and other leading brands like cannondale, pina etc) bikes and kit is a little more expensive, but the huge money into R&D and it needs to be funded somehow. The same is true for any other leading brand in ANY industry......

[Hairy]

Sure, the same way I can ride the downhill course at thaba with a rigid hardtail...as with you, I will just take a bit longer on the down.

Lekker Rouxtjie ..... 

 

Sure, but thats not everyone's cup of tea. We get all giddy if we have a shuttle day once every 3 months. Imagine getting all the free vertical with a ski lift pass. You'll be doing triple the distance in about the same time.

Never done a shuttle ride before

 

Lift pass idea would be very very Lekker, more lekker that Routjie's rigid HT DH riding....

[RudoJ]

Hi, my name is Rudolph, and I have a Specialized.

All Hubbers say "Hi Rudolph"

 

Ok now that the formalities are out of the way. Mine is a 2011 Rockhopper, think Mr Potgieter and Wyatt knows it. Bright Red, cant miss it, but I love it. Over the years the wheels, brakes and stuff has changed. Bike serves me well, rides like a dream, but so will any other half decent bike with a good set up. At the time, I got her for a flippin good deal.

 

Luckily its only the bike that's Spez. Giro shoes, Scott helmut and a mix of other stuff. Even if I were kitted out in Spez gear I wouldn't give a rats ass about what others think, I love and live to ride. So those that try and put Spez riders in a category, sorry, cant help you there

 

As Rouxtjie said, I also hate people that drive Ferraris, and yes, I will most probably stay with the brand as another hubber said.

[nazmo]

Its hilarious how people get worked up about brands and brand loyalty. be it bikes, cars, phones. Just let it be. (I dont own a spez, and If i find one that I like, i will buy it, in teh same way I dont own a BMW, dont care about the stigma, but if the M4 is in my budget and rides well, ill get it)

[Iwan Kemp]

I heard Spez owners only buy Coke from Woolworths. Apparently WW coke is just better and they can definitely taste the difference. 

 

[Iwan Kemp]

In actual fact, I once saw a guy who had a Spez on the back of his BMW stop at the Blaawklippen Engen to buy some stuff (I'd assume drugs and "merchandise") from the Woolworths there so it must be true. 

[Pure Savage]

I got me Venge through an insurance claim at an amazing price.

 

I love the bike now, but would not have been able for fork out my own cash for one!

 

I am not a brand snob I dont think. I am a value for money guy, so run Ultegra, Novatec rims and everything from a CWC sale

 

Bike is hella sexy!

[Wuzzie]

What I dislike about Spez in SA is that there are way too many Epics sold in relation to Cambers, Stumpies and Enduros. We are the only country in the world where this happens. It's become a yuppie brand full of ex golfers.

Rubbish !!!!!!!!!its because of the type of riding we do as in stage racing.

No other country in the world has the number of stage /marathon races and events we do.

The Epic is perfect for them. Epic  has the Brain Camber doesn't, Brain makes sense when it comes to events.

Its actually the other way around most SA MTB riders need Epics or hard tails as in lower travel bikes as most (converted golfers? don't do technical trails as they do in Canada, Europe and the states.

[Iwan Kemp]

On a serious note: Spez make some great bikes and some killer gear (bike gear and clothing). They also have some over-hyped proprietary stuff. BUT society loves the underdog and hates the big guy and all things told that's where the Spez-hate comes from. They are big, so they must be bad. 

 

(They have not been doing themselves any favors in how they handled a couple of sticky situations.)

[Wuzzie]

Not so, it is because we have a stage race culture and our trails are not nearly on the same level technically as Canada, the States and Europe. The Epic is perfectly suited for what we get in our stage races and most of our trails.  

I prefer riding my Stumpy FSR on stage races. Not because I NEED 140mm travel, but because I LIKE the added comfort. It probably costs me 10% a day on my time, but when I am not out stage-racing I know I can give it a good rip down the ST. In the perfect world I would probably drop another R50k on a well-specced Epic for racing. 

I totally get why most prefer to buy an Epic instead of a Camber or Stumpy FSR, 

Snap I replied without seeing your post and said basically the same thing, even stating regions.

 Haha we must be correct