Getting old sucks, might as well have a nice bike
Every so often I run across a WWWTPD cyclist. You know the type, they look at what the pro teams are doing, and say out loud to those who do their own research that all of that effort is a waste of time. You should just do what the World Tour (WT) teams do. Performance is so important to the pros that they wouldn’t possibly compromise on the products they use. I…
I hope this leaked specification/marketing copy is a joke. Because if it’s not, I legitimately wonder what is going on in the Specialized HQ marketing department. Who thought “Speed Sniffer” was a good idea? Seriously, who? Is this a cry for help? Because I feel like it might be a cry for help.…
I ran across a post on Reddit the other day where someone claimed that they were told that using chamois cream with the saddle might destroy it. That seemed really strange to me, because the Venn diagram of people who buy expensive 3D printed saddles who’s entire reason for existence is to enhance comfort, and people who use chamois cream is probably a circle.…
I like to think about the the cost differential between a “premium branded” carbon wheelset and lesser known brands (also referred to as “Chinese wheels”, although I’m not a fan of that term) as breaking down into two categories: extra insurance and signalling.…
Good gloves can be the difference between a comfortable ride and the opposite. Big fan of these Specialized MTB/Gravel gloves.…
In the vast collection of all-rounder gravel tires, I think the Specialized Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss stands out. It’s not the lightest, or the fastest, or even the most puncture resistant. It’s strength is in the balance of these factors, while delivering a comfortable ride. …
It’s really hard for me to see Specialized’s move into direct-to-consumer sales as anything but a way to take margin away from dealers. Which, yeah, fine, it’s their sandbox – at least on the surface. Digging a little deeper, it’s important to understand that this is pretty bad for their customers too. I’m not going to get into how the relationship works with their dealer network (this is covered in the CyclingTips…
It’s no secret that Specialized resells Praxis Works chainrings, but I was surprised by what I discovered when looking into what they are actually selling.…
Sorry BIKERUMOR!, now matter how many times you say “gravel bike” when talking about the new Crux, it’s not a gravel bike. That’s not to say that it’s not a cool CX bike, in a time when gravel is the new black. Just that we need to be honest about what it is. Why pretend otherwise? As long as we’re being honest, maybe prioritizing the lightest “gravel” bike isn’t the smarted choice.…
First off, just to be clear, I think it sucks. Really sucks. That Specialized canceled the pre-orders of everyone who bought one of their bikes from Mike’s Bikes. While they almost certainly were within the bounds of their contract with Mike’s Bikes, it’s not great for the 400+ people screwed over by this act, and perhaps more importantly, will cost Specialized goodwill to a much wider audience. FOR SHAME! But, what I…