Specialized Bicycles eliminating counterfeit products

[News bot]

Specialized Bicycle Components looks to improve rider safety and eliminate counterfeit products available for consumer purchase. As the Internet shopping realm continues to grow, so does the opportunity for low-cost, counterfeit products. Although the low-cost purchase opportunities may sound like a bargain up front, purchasing a product that isn't tested to industry standards is not worth the risk.

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[LOOK695]

I salute them for what they are doing. Unfortunately there will always be a market for cheaper products and often disguised as the real deal which in turn is also fed by the high prices of the genuine product and unaffordability for many consumers

[Eldron]

I'm not sure "safety" is the main reason ANY company tries to remove fakes from the market. I'm thinking something more green and papery is the reason.

 

I'm all for Spesh removing ALL fakes from the market. Bringing in cheap carbon goodies is fine but stealing from a known brand by adding their logos is wrong wrong wrong.

[Cyclewizz]

I saw some time back that they had Shutdown some sites selling fake kit.

 

Must still cost a few Dollars to chase and shut these guys down.

Can't imagine China being to helpful.

[TheJ]

Nothing to do with safety, and getting pretty tired of big business trying to convince people of it. Even Chinese frames have to adhere to standards:

 

CEN Tests

EN14781 Standards

JAPAN JIS Standards

 

None of the Chinarellos I've owned, that my wife have owned, or my friends, or the carbon wheels, seatpost or bars, have ever failed or hinted at failing.

 

Its all about protecting the Randellas.

[LOOK695]

Nothing to do with safety, and getting pretty tired of big business trying to convince people of it. Even Chinese frames have to adhere to standards:

 

CEN Tests

EN14781 Standards

JAPAN JIS Standards

 

None of the Chinarellos I've owned, that my wife have owned, or my friends, or the carbon wheels, seatpost or bars, have ever failed or hinted at failing.

 

Its all about protecting the Randellas.

But for me there is still a question mark concerning the finished product, especially something like a carbon fork. That being said there are not really any reports about catastrophic failures

[Cat2forLife]

I have no issue with Chinese frames or wheels, but I don't think that's what they're talking about here. The issue they are tackling is sub- standard knock- offs, which are a safety hazard and perform nowhere near as good as the original product.

 

Also note that it's not only about the frames and wheels but things like helmets etc. But having said that, people who buy sub- standard, knock- off helmets and safety equipment are a special kind of stupid.

[Eldron]

But for me there is still a question mark concerning the finished product, especially something like a carbon fork. That being said there are not really any reports about catastrophic failures

 

Agreed. Having played with a LOT of real, fake and chinocheapies my impression is this:

 

1) The finish on "real" products is way better - is this an indication of attention to detail in my opinion? Hell yes.

2) Quality control (not necessarily actual quality) is better on "real" brands.

3) Lay up and choice of carbon is better on "real" brands.

 

Does this mean cheapies are bad and will fail? No but there is a greater chance they might fail.

 

It is a risk reward choice. If you're happy to ride a product that has a greater chance of failing then it's your choice. You sacrifice some piece of mind for some money.

 

How big that safety versus money margin is, is the real question. It could be miniscule - it could be great - there just isn't enough clarity and information to make that decision armed with all the facts.

Edited March 31, 2016 by Eldron

[NotSoBigBen]

Nothing to do with safety, and getting pretty tired of big business trying to convince people of it. Even Chinese frames have to adhere to standards:

 

CEN Tests

EN14781 Standards

JAPAN JIS Standards

 

None of the Chinarellos I've owned, that my wife have owned, or my friends, or the carbon wheels, seatpost or bars, have ever failed or hinted at failing.

 

Its all about protecting the Randellas.

Yes I'm sure it is largely about the $$$$ but surely people can understand that the copying of designs and even worse then branding it with the original manufacturers name and logos is not on?

 

Let's not even get in to the selling it on as an original to some unsuspecting cyclist .... and yes it happens more often than everyone would like to think ????

[Eldron]

I have no issue with Chinese frames or wheels, but I don't think that's what they're talking about here. The issue they are tackling is sub- standard knock- offs, which are a safety hazard and perform nowhere near as good as the original product.

 

Also note that it's not only about the frames and wheels but things like helmets etc. But having said that, people who buy sub- standard, knock- off helmets and safety equipment are a special kind of stupid.

 

The problem is - is that there isn't really a difference between knock off fake and chinese cheapie. One has a branded logo on it and one doesn't.

 

Sub standard is sub standard with or without a logo.

 

Sure a brand name doesn't mean you'll keep your front teeth forever but it does mean there is a greater chance you will. Probably. Possibly.

 

And there in lies the rub - there are no consistent numbers, tests or organisations that compare "fake" to "real". Spesh do some but I's bet they only disclose the worst of the fake and best of the real.

[LOOK695]

The problem is - is that there isn't really a difference between knock off fake and chinese cheapie. One has a branded logo on it and one doesn't.

 

Sub standard is sub standard with or without a logo.

 

Sure a brand name doesn't mean you'll keep your front teeth forever but it does mean there is a greater chance you will. Probably. Possibly.

 

And there in lies the rub - there are no consistent numbers, tests or organisations that compare "fake" to "real". Spesh do some but I's bet they only disclose the worst of the fake and best of the real.

Been thinking the same re testing and comparing the products from a structural point of view and that would mean posing as a buyer and buy from hongfu/yishunbike etc and not from some obscure seller on alixpres. Huge financial expenditure......

[Cat2forLife]

The problem is - is that there isn't really a difference between knock off fake and chinese cheapie. One has a branded logo on it and one doesn't.

 

Sub standard is sub standard with or without a logo.

 

Sure a brand name doesn't mean you'll keep your front teeth forever but it does mean there is a greater chance you will. Probably. Possibly.

 

And there in lies the rub - there are no consistent numbers, tests or organisations that compare "fake" to "real". Spesh do some but I's bet they only disclose the worst of the fake and best of the real.

 

Fair enough.

 

I do understand your point that pretty much all of the Chinese frames are knock- offs (as in there are no original designs) and I do not intend to ever ride a cheap Chinese frame.

 

I do however (and this could just be ignorance) believe that certain Chinese manufacturers design there own wheels and that some of them are to be trusted. Again I do not own or ride Chinese carbon wheels, but from what I have read the rims seem to be ok.

 

I think that the term "Chinese" might be used a bit too vaguely. There are reputable brands having their products manufactured in China. That being said, most proper stuff in being manufactured in Taiwan. I think what we as consumers need to stay away from and what Specialized and some other companies are fighting is the (ethically debatable and sometimes illegal) manufacture of open- mold frames. These are the frames being churned out of toy factories that have no quality control. One frame could be better than the original and the next could be a death trap.

 

That's my biggest issue with this "under the radar" Chinese stuff. There is no consistency. I know I would much rather ride a bike that has been made in a factory that the brand supports and carries a warranty and is guaranteed to not catastrophically fail, than ride something I got for cheap.

 

And let's be honest, those replicas NEVER perform as well as the originals, because as has been mentioned, the do not use the same carbon lay- ups, carbon densities, resin or any of that. They just slap some carbon into a mold and hope for the best.

[TheJ]

I have no issue with Chinese frames or wheels, but I don't think that's what they're talking about here. The issue they are tackling is sub- standard knock- offs, which are a safety hazard and perform nowhere near as good as the original product.

 

"Perform no-where near the same as the original product"

 

Pro riders are given bikes straight from the manufacturers, they get to ride the real thing. The rest of us, there is ABSOLUTELY no way for an amateur cyclist, if blindfolded, to tell the difference between a Spez Tarmac and a Chinese Tarmack is maybe 50g, the difference in the Toray carbon used. Joe Soap won't know the difference.

[Bloukrans]

Oh... thought Spez is a counterfeit product of Merida

[eddy]

The issue they are tackling is sub- standard knock- offs, which are a safety hazard and perform nowhere near as good as the original product.

 

 

 

Safety, build standards or performance do not come into it. It is simply protecting their brand and has nothing to do with the physical integrity of the product.

 

Building a stronger, better performing bike and slapping a Specialized sticker on it would meet the same reaction and correctly so.

[Grey Hubs]

What gets me is that Big name products instill fear that sub standard products will fail, yet when a branded frame breaks it's due to a manufacturing flaw...

 

Sometimes I believe the Chinese frames are over designed to avoid problems. So not ALWAYS an inferior product...perhaps not cutting edge weight, but still a value purchase.

 

 

But agree - don't buy counterfeit and then brand as original.