Southern California - Specialized bailing on SoCal bike shops

Specialized has decided to end contracts with several bike shops in Southern California. One of them is The Path Bike Shop in Tustin.

Sounds like Big S wants to concentrate on their concept stores.

http://thepathbikeshop.com/blog/

Nothing new there.

Sad, too.

It is always a shame when a relationship like that ends with "vague reasons" from the other party.

Our small LBS no longer carries specialized. They must get quite a franchise fee or whatever from these Concept stores. There is one a few towns over and I went in there shopping for what would have been a $4K bike. I was not impressed to say the least. Bought my new single elsewhere (not a Specialized).

Sigh. I love my specialized bike but that doesn't mean I love specialized... they're pretty dang corporate these days. They probably don't enjoy seeing their 2011 bikes discounted at these smaller stores but that's an odd way to expand your presence.

LBS closest to my house sells Specialized and Fuji, and they are Performance Bikes. Says it all.

The two LBS I frequent most are Bike Warehouse, a small chain based in San Diego that sells Giant and Raleigh, and Pacific Coast Cycles, a real mom and pop that sells Masi and Surly(I bought my Masi from them)

They probably don't enjoy seeing their 2011 bikes discounted at these smaller stores but that's an odd way to expand your presence.

When I was looking around for the previous model year bikes, "The Path" was nowhere near the cheapest. The bigger shops had more decent deals. I'm guessing the path just didn't do enough volume. On the other hand, they are probably one of the best bike shops in OC with almost a cult following...big S is becoming more tainted with a lot of their customers by doing this.

I do love The Path for mountain bike stuff, and it's sad to see them lose Specialized.

Delighted to hear it. They've been in my S**tfile right after S***bucks for more than a year now and I look forward to them becoming the next S**tour. :thumb:

I loved their seats, but they discontinued the good one, so I've bought enough of them on Ebay and Ebay.au to s**tain me for the next s**ty years or so. :)

Might take a few years, but S***ialized is on the slippery slope that also ate Trek, The Bachelor, Huffy, and the Macarena. Are they relevant? Only in a negative way. Happy Riddance.

http://images.wikia.com/starwars/images/a/ab/Sarlacc-TOR.jpg

Don't hold back, Chris. Keeping your feelings buried inside you ain't healthy.

I've felt that way about Specialized for a while, but only after reading about them and hearing stories about them from shop owners. But then I rode one this past week (borrowed from a close friend instead of renting a far inferior bike like I usually do) and I'll have to say it was a really nice ride. So nice, in fact, that I was starting to change my impression of them.

You definitely see enough people riding them around here - there must be something to that.

I loved my '97 Rockhopper. When the frame cracked after 10 years of abuse, they replaced it under the lifetime guaranty. The Performance Bikes in Fountain Valley didn't have any Specialized last time I looked. Specialized is not on my list of bikes I want. I'm not going into a concept store, whatever that is. Sounds like Niketown, overpriced stuff for the true believer only.

They can lose their market. Too bad, but I won't cry that much.

Should we be surprised by any of this? Many small to medium sized bike shops have closed in my area and some new company stores seem to be replacing them. Trek does pretty well with franchise stores but I am not sure Specialized has planned on going with the same model, not that a corporarte store would keep me from getting any bike I decided I wanted.

I don't know if the fact some stores are losing a dealership relationship with Specialized is the same as what we have with Trek but one advantage of a Trek type of store is they have more sizes available for the customer to try. I happen to be a firm believer in "try before you buy," I just got a Tarmac to replace my Lapierre. I looked at Giant, Trek, BMC, Specialized and Masi. I thought about Penarello and Cervelo but there are no dealers close by and the selections they have are limited. Is there a question as to if small stores being better than big stores? No I think if the truth be known it is the difference between who works at these stores. I have done business with some great small stores but even today I get most of my work done at a bigger store. The have more access to parts and can get things shipped quicker. Just from personal experience. Just because I have a Specialized today doesn't mean I would get one the next time I got a bike. Just because I didn't get a Trek, Giant or BMC doesn't mean I will not get one next time. Most of all I am just as likely to buy from a super-store as I would be from a mom and pop store.

On the otherhand, Fujis, Bianchis, Konas are now as ubiquitous as 5 Hour Energy shots; I see them in some pretty low rent places...next stop Walmart. Specialized management are zealots about protecting the brand; we'll see 5 years down the road which was the smarter company.

Seems harsh... wonder what the deal is.

Just thinning out the herd? Perhaps this shop is selling more of a competitor's brand and they only want shops that make Spesh the focus of their sales?

Crazy. I never understood why GM wanted FEWER dealers either. So I clearly don't understand business!

Any idea what other dealers are similarly affected?

Business is business I guess, I'm just disappointed I can't buy Specialized stuff at my favorite OC shop, and instead my least favorite OC shop (Rock n Road) seems to be gaining a monopoly on the brand.

Either way I'll continue using specialized's saddles, bar wrap, and shoes...I'll just be getting them in LA county now instead of the shop 5 minutes from my house. Lame.

Business is business I guess, I'm just disappointed I can't buy Specialized stuff at my favorite OC shop, and instead my least favorite OC shop (Rock n Road) seems to be gaining a monopoly on the brand.

Either way I'll continue using specialized's saddles, bar wrap, and shoes...I'll just be getting them in LA county now instead of the shop 5 minutes from my house. Lame.

Are their saddles that good?

On a more serious note, I think the concept store model is gonna (eventually) blow up in the face of their sponsors/companies.

Their motives/agendas are suspect. I think the real motive is to use their heft, brand recognition and advertising dollars to eventually drive the other guy out of business. And that is really amazing and a shame, when you consider that Specialized does not manufacture anything. It is essentially a design and marketing firm.

Well, they won't be the first company/behemoth that got carried away by its temporary/ephemeral success. it is called "HUBRIS"

I thought about Penarello and Cervelo but there are no dealers close by and the selections they have are limited.

I thought A Road Bike 4 You had a lot of Pinarello in stock.


I'm just disappointed I can't buy Specialized stuff at my favorite OC shop, and instead my least favorite OC shop (Rock n Road) seems to be gaining a monopoly on the brand.

Is Surf City losing Specialized as well? Last time I was in there it seemed like that was just about the only bike they carried.

On a more serious note, I think the concept store model is gonna (eventually) blow up in the face of their sponsors/companies.

Their motives/agendas are suspect. I think the real motive is to use their heft, brand recognition and advertising dollars to eventually drive the other guy out of business. And that is really amazing and a shame, when you consider that Specialized does not manufacture anything. It is essentially a design and marketing firm.

Well, they won't be the first company/behemoth that got carried away by its temporary/ephemeral success. it is called "HUBRIS"


+1 "The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers."
http://theprincesslettersproject.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/movie_haircuts_13.jpg

Aren't you a little short to be a storm trooper?

You need a D+D reference now to really sink into the 7th level of geek hell.

Are their saddles that good?

Their approach to saddles is genius:
~They offer at least a dozen different models of saddes, and most of those come in three different widths.
~Specialized dealerships (most of them anyway) have a 30-day no-questions-asked exchange policy.

Before Specialized, you might find an LBS that would let you try a saddle in the parking lot. Your only other option was to put your chips on one seat and spin the wheel. If it didn't work out, sell it on Ebay and take a loss.
I would probably be on a Selle Italia, or a Fizik, or other brand than the Avatar if they offered a similar service. It's a clever pusher who offers the first dose for free.

Aren't you a little short to be a storm trooper?

You need a D+D reference now to really sink into the 7th level of geek hell.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3395/3424115045_852d930a89.jpg
This is the best I've got. Really tried to get into it when I was 14, but thankfully it never took and as a consolation, I've actually slept with a few women in the last 20 years.
The bewildering thing to me is that so many women proclaimed themselves geeks on their internet dating profiles. Yeah, right--welcome to the bandwagon toots, but I suspect this is just another fad and we won't have the benefit of your company for very long.

Fortunately slapping on lycra and a tight jersey is enough to scare off any eligible women, which makes my wife happy. All the regular geekiness is just gravy.

I have owned my share of Specialize bikes and like them as a company... but they are cutting of their nose to spite their face with this concept issue. The Path sold a ton of product for them. Yes... they sold competiting brands but they pushed people towards the Specialize product. Of course if I am interested in Specialize I would now just go to RocknRoad, the local concept store. It won't hurt The Path's feelings. They will just push other great brands. Both Specialize and Trek need to think about how they are marketing their bikes. If the one shop in the area is "sucky" (not saying this is true however) then they lose the market available...

What I am hoping is this pushes independant stores to bring in more "other" product to compete with Specialize and Trek. Both firms sell nice brikes but their product is waaaaayyyyy overpriced. For instance, Spec. sells a almost $2000 road bike with Alivio components... that is Walmart level stuff. For the same price (or cheaper) Jensen will sell you a Fuji or some other bike with 105 or Ultegra. Competition can sometimes be a good thing.

Is Surf City losing Specialized as well? Last time I was in there it seemed like that was just about the only bike they carried.

No they are the local Spec. concept shop in HB and CM. They won't lose their contract with Spec. anytime soon...

I have owned my share of Specialize bikes and like them as a company... but they are cutting of their nose to spite their face with this concept issue. The Path sold a ton of product for them. Yes... they sold competiting brands but they pushed people towards the Specialize product. Of course if I am interested in Specialize I would now just go to RocknRoad, the local concept store. It won't hurt The Path's feelings. They will just push other great brands. Both Specialize and Trek need to think about how they are marketing their bikes. If the one shop in the area is "sucky" (not saying this is true however) then they lose the market available...

What I am hoping is this pushes independant stores to bring in more "other" product to compete with Specialize and Trek. Both firms sell nice brikes but their product is waaaaayyyyy overpriced. For instance, Spec. sells a almost $2000 road bike with Alivio components... that is Walmart level stuff. For the same price (or cheaper) Jensen will sell you a Fuji or some other bike with 105 or Ultegra. Competition can sometimes be a good thing.

They are counting on the fact that they'll get rid of the store owner, if their constant research and yearly income statement shows him/her to be a "slouch", business-wise. And I heard that the way their concept store model is designed, they actually own the store. and for this reason, they can tell their "partner" to hit the road for a myriad of reasons, and then some.

And about their bikes being overpriced? Well, that is part of the big picture. You can say whatever about Mike Sinyard, but he is no business strategy slouch. He sold a little chunk of Specialized to Merida (the largest bike manufacturer in the world) so as to guarantee he'll always have a manufacturer to fabricate his bikes that is also vested in his success. Much more importantly, he has kept the idiots at Merida off the biggest and most lucrative bicycle market in the world, the USA (shakes head, again). That is business strategy 101.

Specialized and Trek have a huge piece of the market. Either road or mountain, you cannot escape S or Trek on the trails. Everyone seems to ride one. A big part of the higher price is buying the brand name. Their reputation is great to everyman/woman.

I don't really like concept stores because of the selection. You are more or less locked into one company's products, whether they are good or not. The beauty of the LBS is they can make a recommendation based many times on personal experience with a product. This is invaluable.

Both S and Trek have large selections when it comes to sizing. As mentioned before, even their saddles come in multiple widths.

Specialized and Trek have a huge piece of the market. Either road or mountain, you cannot escape S or Trek on the trails. Everyone seems to ride one. A big part of the higher price is buying the brand name. Their reputation is great to everyman/woman.

As shocking as it may be, in 2010 when I was buying my first road bike, I'd never even heard of Specialized. I spent literally all day test riding bikes and bought the one I thought felt best - a Specialized Roubaix. I rode over tons of railroad tracks during the test ride, and was intending to do a thing called "centuries" I'd read about. The bike simply was the best for my needs that I had a chance to try.

My point is, the name brand had zero value to me at that point, other than me being able to verify that they were a well respected and reputable brand before I purchased. They make great stuff, and more than just the name brand is carrying them through. They are so gigantic they can put the money into R&D (and probably 5x more into marketing). The downside of being gigantic is apparently they don't need the "little guy" LBS shops anymore, and for that I'm sad and annoyed.

6000 miles later and I bought another Roubaix. It was cheap (compared to anything else similarly spec'd that I found). It's super light. It's comfy as can be. This time I knew the name on the downtube.

Last year, I visited the Trek factory in WI. The entire operation is amazing. The design studio had a separate entrance on one of the floors and looked like a command center with dozens of workstations. The R&D area was huge, almost like a warehouse. The gym seemed like the ceiling was several stories high.

After touring their facility, you get an idea of how big they are and how small the LBS is in comparison.

It's all about "making Mike money". And, apparently; Mike thinks concept stores only is the way to do this.
Honestly, the first time I went into The Path a couple of years ago; I was surprised to see the big S in there.
Didn't realize that they weren't only in concept stores then.

I think they make good bikes, but spec them lower than much of the competition at the same pricepoint.

Report from a S rep that I got third hand is that RnR sells more S-works bikes than any dealer in the country. Helps to have 4 stores in OC where everyone cares about status and has $$.

It is amazing how S grew from a college kid at SJSU wanting to get some parts for himself to what it is now.
( I met him a few times back then. My best bud was his brother in law - I shoulda stayed better friends)
He's ticked off a few people along the way - watched a MTB movie about the formative years of MTB (forgot the title) and Fischer is certainly not a friend in it.

It is amazing how S grew from a college kid at SJSU wanting to get some parts for himself to what it is now.

Wow that brings back memories! I met Mike Sinyard at the Bike Show in Anaheim back in '78 and Specialized was a 10'x10' both selling (mostly) TA cranksets and chainrings. He was just a kid (well, so was I) back then, with long hair and a huge beard. Yes . . . times have changed.

Rick / OCRR

No they are the local Spec. concept shop in HB and CM. They won't lose their contract with Spec. anytime soon...

I'm not surprised to hear that. Every time I head there, I see more and more Specialized bikes and less and less of the other brands that they (used to) carry, like Rocky Mountain and Pake.

Wheel World is still a Specialized dealer. Wonder if they are next?

Wheel World is still a Specialized dealer. Wonder if they are next?

Their days as a Specialized dealer are numbered.

There is an advantage to concpt stores of course. When times get hard like we are facing today the corportation can help a store stay open. Not saying that is what Specialized is doing but I see the point. Is it bad business? Toyota sells Toyotas and hardly ever carries Honda. Same with motorcycle stores for the most part. They also have the money to drop on R&D and to support a team. Truthfully It doesn't matter if it is a company store or a private one to me,. All that matters is service and if the LBS is small and can't get the parts I need when I need them sooner or later I'll go to where they have more stock. I know if I buy a Trek there will be several Trek stores within 50 miles, I now am at least that close to three and not that far from a superstore.

Bicycles are vehicles or sports equipment depending on your point of view. Once I research a bike I am interested in it is far easier if I know that Trek or Specialized store will have a 52-56-58 and maybe a 60 in a Tarmac, Roubiax and more than likely one with SRAM or Shimano. But if I am interested in a Masi chances are most open LBS will have to order one on my size, I know I might luck out but that hasn't been my luck. At this point I don't see Specialized moving in the direction of Trek but would it matter? You go to Ford to get a Ford and Chevy to get a Chevy and no one thinks twice about it. And where do you go to get you Apple serviced? Doesn't hurt Iphone, Ipad, or Ipod.

And where do you go to get you Apple serviced? Doesn't hurt Iphone, Ipad, or Ipod.

Doesn't it?

There's a huge alternative product in the market now called Android that might have you second guessing that strategy.

Nevertheless, no one company can be all things to all people.

There is also the possibility thats the Path and Specialized didnt have a good relationship. When I worked retail, relationships were key. Just saying, sometimes we dont hear all the pieces of the puzzle.

There is also the possibility thats the Path and Specialized didnt have a good relationship. When I worked retail, relationships were key. Just saying, sometimes we dont hear all the pieces of the puzzle.

Of course, the relationship was probably not the best. The Path was selling other bikes, especially Ellsworth, which are handcrafted bikes that were superior to Specialized mountain bikes. Specialized does not like that. I have heard this from a previous/fired Specialized dealer.

The Path caters to the MTB community and to some lesser extent to roadies. They sell a ton of Specialize bikes but also sell other bikes such as Santa Cruz, Ellsworth, Turner etc. One reason they have been so popular with the MTB crowd is the choice and variety they offer. I am glad Tani did not bend to pressure and is willing to give up S as a brand. More room in the shops for all the other great brands out there... Specializes loss... the MTB community's gain...

Delighted to hear it. They've been in my S**tfile right after S***bucks for more than a year now and I look forward to them becoming the next S**tour. :thumb:

I loved their seats, but they discontinued the good one, so I've bought enough of them on Ebay and Ebay.au to s**tain me for the next s**ty years or so. :)

Might take a few years, but S***ialized is on the slippery slope that also ate Trek, The Bachelor, Huffy, and the Macarena. Are they relevant? Only in a negative way. Happy Riddance.

http://images.wikia.com/starwars/images/a/ab/Sarlacc-TOR.jpg

The Macarena is gone too? :(

Like jmx, I too didn't know much about bike brands. I knew I didn't want cannondale or scott (I just didnt like the way the names sounded) and I didn't want Giant (in case someone saw me, and I was podgy in those days) look at me and make fun "there's a giant on that giant". So it was S or T for me. I bought S based on looks and price.

Since then I bought another S which got stolen so I still have the original S. My next bike probably wont be an S tho because
1. i fancy trying another brand
2. they changed the geo to be acceptable to a wider audience and I still want a tight geo until I'm too old to have it.

Of course, the relationship was probably not the best. The Path was selling other bikes, especially Ellsworth, which are handcrafted bikes that were superior to Specialized mountain bikes. Specialized does not like that. I have heard this from a previous/fired Specialized dealer.

Actually, Ellsworth has cooled off a bit for mtb. They are nice bikes, but now considered heavier than the competition. They do ride nicely.

The "hot" brands are Santa Cruz as Pam mentioned. S mtbs are selling out, too. I guess the best time to dump dealers is when there is a shortage of your bikes.

Since then I bought another S which got stolen so I still have the original S. My next bike probably wont be an S tho because
1. i fancy trying another brand
2. they changed the geo to be acceptable to a wider audience and I still want a tight geo until I'm too old to have it.

I know a thing or two re brands... I had my share of Specialize bikes (4 actually) and I have nothing but good things to say about the brand. But I've moved on and after learning something about bikes I decided for the price of a nice high end Trek or Specialize bike I could get a fully custom bike, handmade to my specifications and adding all the components and nice touches I want, including custom wheels and still not pay the price asked for those production brands (and I did).

As to mountain bikes, I loved my Spec. Stumpjumper hardtail and full suspension bikes but I have since fallen in love with Santa Cruz's Superlight/Juliana bikes. Works great, easy to maintain. Has a coolness factor...

saddles SUCK!

saddles SUCK!

You must be an impressive climber.
http://aaronmchugh.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/triathlon-seat.jpg

Wheel World is still a Specialized dealer. Wonder if they are next?

hopefully not! they're pretty close to me and it's a good shop. the mechanic is great, too. yes, this has not bearing on specialized. just saying.