unterhausen

I will not buy Specialized now. Doesn't hurt that I'm not a big fan of the LBS that carries them, but the Volagi suit pretty much sealed the deal for me. And I did temporarily think about dropping speedplay after I found out how ridiculously they go after anyone that might possibly be making money off of their pedals, but then I got a good deal on a batch of used pedals and I gave up on that for now. I'm not convinced it helps my knees, but the thought of using something else doesn't appeal to me right now.

Seattle Forrest

Brooks [strike]ballast[/strike] saddles.

Andy_K 

How is that even possible? You must be very selective about the groups you ride with.

I got one when I first started cycling, before I "knew better." It's still one of my favorite jerseys and has withstood an awful lot of abuse, including weekly pressure washing during CX season.



It fits well when I have my winter layer of fat, which has been year-round lately.

krusty

-Cheap Scotch
-compostable kitchen waste bags (why do they always begin the composting process under my sink and finish it half way to the bin?)

SlimRider

Nothing from Specialized for me!

tagaproject6

What about a Trek Lane???

pdxtex

ill 2nd, 3rd, and 4th the notion of not buying a brooks saddle.....i know what people say about them but you may as well put a real horse saddle on your road bike. brooks saddles are gnarly. and heavy!!

Dancing Skeleton

Cervelo, Giant, GT or Fuji. I don't have any good reasons, but I just won't.

Any generic or knock-off from China sold on eBay.
Or for that matter, anything from China sold on eBay. It's all pirated, low-quality garbage.

I won't buy anything on-line that I even touch at my LBS. If I walk in there, try something on or even look at it, I buy it there.
I paid $200 for a jacket at my LBS (where I tried it on along with several others). The same jacket was on sale at Nashbar for $100.
But Nashbar did not help me pick it out, so I paid the $200 and walked out happy.
I will buy on-line, but not after researching at my LBS.

BTW-I'm surprised that Specialized seems to have taken the "most hated brand" title from Trek.

rydaddy

Anything from Mavic tops my list.

Jed19

Why?

I have always been happy with anything Mavic I've owned. Wheelsets, rims principally.

svtmike

Not surprising given how cool it is to look down one's nose at the big guys. I will choose to continue to enjoy their excellent bikes with the lovely curved sloping top tubes. I'm also keeping my Speedplays.

RJM

Carbon bars, stems, seatposts.
"Race wheels"
Components that are marketed for only weight savings.

Of course, I still ride steel.

wrr1020

I think one of the reasons is the amount of Specialized bikes you see. I remember Trek was hated for the copious amounts you saw out on the road, now Specialized seems to have claimed that prize because i see tons of them around my way, way more than Treks at least. Add to the fact that i've heard they treat a lot of there dealers poorly and the whole Volagi issue.

rydaddy

It comes down to bang for your buck. But I am a biased wheelbuilder...

IcySmooth52

Sigma (cyclometers): incredibly poor manufacturing and they break easily I've noticed.

Trek: Their products under $2000 are of very poor value and new riders are paying for the name. They even use to have straight gauge tubing on most of their aluminum frames, when Lance was in the Tour. I'm not impressed by Bontrager as well.

Maxxis: Not a good experience with their tires. Don't last long, get puncture flats more often, etc.

rangerdavid

Seriously? Didn't you see the price before you bought them?

svtmike

I will never buy paired spoke wheels.

kimconyc

I meant that for the price--they are cheap(er), they aren't that good in terms of durability and fit in my experience.

On the other hand, I'm not spending $30+ on a pair of some name-brand gloves.

I picked up some neon leftover leather gloves from the '80s when I was in Italy for €4 a pair and they seem to be pretty good. Plus, because of their hipster appeal, they upset roadies, which is always a plus.

jmccain

No mo Joe Blow Pro.

Fragile head and poor customer service.

(and don't say it, I know there's more than one cheap joke there)

SPlKE 

Copy that.

Expensive, practically non-serviceable junk.

bjamis75

I've never bought anything from Bontrager that wasn't a pile of crap.

kimconyc

Yes!

Drew Eckhardt 

Shimano - can't shift 5 cogs smaller with one lever shove, brake levers double as shift levers, crash replacements are expensive, cranks look like dead octopi
SRAM - no triples, multi-cog downshift capability lacking, crash replacements are expensive, no 18 cogs
Canondale, Giant, Specialized, Trek or any other stock bike - generally come with bad gruppos from one of the aforementioned companies, have bad wheels, need lots of customization

Vlaam4ever

I'm surprised by the hate for Specialized. I see a lot of Specialized bikes on this Forum. Is the Lawsuit the primary reason for the hate? Or do you have experiences with their bikes that you don't like? Poor workmanship? follow up support on warranty claims? unusual wear?

Thanks!

I happen to like the ride/styling of their bikes. Not sure I agree with not buying from the big guy because the are the big guy. If I can find a better bike of equal value as the Tarmac, I'll probably buy it. Just curious if some you could expand as you seem to have a strong opinion with a lot of people reading this.

rydaddy

+1

And add to the list... machine-built wheels.