Hi. I'm considering buying a used Specialized Globe bike. Here's the picture from the seller*:



*No, I don't know what's up with the rear-fender-on-the-front-wheel thing.

What concerns me is that a bit of Googling shows that the 2008 and 2009 Globe models were recalled due to fork failures.

This bike doesn't look like any of the photos in the recall notice, but I want to make sure.

Thanks!

Based on the presence of cantilever brakes, I'd say the subject bicycle is older, as the recalled models all have V-brakes. Also, the recalled bicycles have threadless headsets, while this one has a traditional threaded design. If you want to be sure, request the serial number from owner. That may tell us the manufacturer and year. If not, then Specialized should be able to tell you if it's a recall bicycle based on the S/N.

Unfortunately a couple of years ago Specialized buried or took offline the archives for the mid-2000s Globe bikes, so it's a little more difficult to pinpoint model years. But if you Google around, setting a date range of around 2007-2011, you'll find some online magazine reviews of Globe bikes. They were promoting them pretty heavily toward the hipster demographic so there are some lifestyle type magazine reviews and a few by some fairly knowledgeable cyclists.

I'd guesstimate that bike is closer to the end of run for the Globe lineup, around 2012 or so. Sometime around then was when Globe resumed tacking on the Specialized parent company name again. The earlier mid-2000s bikes had only the Globe name prominently displayed.

As I recall they were hinting at promoting a lineup of eBikes but pulled the plug on that and the development team disbanded. There were some interesting tech journal interviews with the Globe team from that era. Just a bit of semi-noteworthy trivia on how bike companies take wild guesses at the market direction. I suspect the increasingly availability of city rental bikes undermined demand for heavy, affordable casual city bikes, and eBikes pretty much nailed that coffin shut. I think the Globe marque continued for a couple more years with single speeds, one of the few persistent niche bikes.

My first bike after a 30+ year hiatus was a 2008 Globe Carmel that I bought in 2015. It's still my errand bike since it's massively overbuilt and perfect for hauling lots of stuff, but a bit heavy for pleasure riding. I've mostly switched to a Univega hybrid and Centurion road bike, but keep the Globe Carmel for short errand rides. I might eventually give it away because I doubt I could sell it for more than $50. Nice bike but not the sort of thing in big demand.

I'm with T-mar on this. If the canti brakes are original (and no reason to think they aren't), it's much more likely to be earlier than the recalls, not later.

Long fenders = better coverage and less schmutz thrown onto you. Front looks funky, I agree, but it was a Globe thing.

From what I've figured out through further Googling, it looks like this is a "Globe 7," which was produced in the '90s, and this one is probably from the second half of the decade. It seems that the earlier ones ('93-'95 or -'96) came with Sachs 7-speed hubs (and frames made in Italy), and the later ones with Shimano. I think, looking at the shifter and linkage, this is Shimano. Am I right about that?


Yeah, that really is weird, but apparently that was the factory spec. I'll be curious to see if it works better than an ordinary front fender.

Yup, sure looks like a '97 Globe. I'd forgotten that Specialized also sold bikes in the 1990s under the Globe marque, before the mid-2000s revival of the Globe brand. Different logos too.

Looks like a Dutch style wheel lock on the rear too, just below the seat stay.

Looks like it might be a 3-speed with coaster brake, but I don't see a shifter -- maybe slightly obscured by the handlebar?

That would make a fine errand and casual bike. Better than my Globe Carmel, which has a sloping top tube but isn't a mixte or step through type, so it's still tricky to balance and mount with a heavy load.

It's a 7-speed Nexus w/ coaster brake, I'm fairly certain -- the shifter is probably this one:



I'm buying this bike with a very specific purpose in mind: my wife and I both commute by bike, and since our daughter was born (she's almost 5 months old now), we've been carrying her with a Douze cargo bike (which is completely amazing -- I can't recommend it highly enough). But it often happens that we need to switch bikes -- if, say, I take the baby to campus, but my wife needs to take her home. So we need another bike that both she (5'6") and I (5'10") can ride, when we're not riding the cargo bike. We both wear dress pants to work, so an IGH and enclosed chain (I'm fond of the Hebie Chainglider) are a must. I'm not wild about coaster brakes, but in most other respects this one seems right for the purpose. If we like it, we might look for a non-coaster-brake IGH rear wheel and/or a generator front wheel.

Yeah, I didn't realize the Globe sub-brand went back that far. I remember when they were being hyped in the mid-2000's but at the time I thought they were a new thing for Specialized. This is a cool little bike. This isn't the appraisal area, but I'll give my unsolicited opinion about pricing. I'd say this is worth $150 or so, great if it were $100 or $125. I would pay up to $200 here in Seattle if I was in the market for such a thing and it was fully functioning.

Edit: just noticed it has a lower end crankset. It also has that design of Shimano cantis where the plastic ring is structural and integral to the function of the brake. If that plastic ring between the brake arm and the fork is not crusty, fine. If it's crusty, be prepared to replace it once it breaks. I'd max out on $150 for this bike if I was in your situation. I would prefer to pay less.

This one just passed through my garage, the longer front fender does help a lot with rain and sprinkler runoff spray. This one had a 3-speed hub and coaster brake. And I wouldn’t be surprised if the one you’re looking at has the longest seatpost you’ll ever see like this one had. I thought it had a stuck post, but it was just so long that it had a lot of friction. It was a nice comfy riding bike, funky but nicely functional. And, yeah, a headache trying to figure out the age of it, I gave up.

This is a women's 95 Globe 7. This one has metal fenders like the one I have. The 94 and 97 ones had plastic fenders. This has a coaster. The 97 had a drum brake . Only the 94 3 speed has the Sachs Torpedo hub. Can tell the lighting has been removed. Beware of dry rotting tires. Thanks Mitch