Wow. No bloodshed, no foul on this thread.

Interesting link. No clear consensus but the nod goes to Specialized.

Specialized sucks. The company has a long and deep history of suing the little guy & little girl (1). They might make great bicycles (I will never know), but the company rules the bicycle world with an iron fist. I vote with my dollars: I will never buy a Specialized bicycle or component.

(1) Just a small sample of overzealous legal thuggery by Specialized:

Epic Wheel Works will change name due to potential trademark conflict with Specialized

Specialized pressures Canadian bike shop to change name

Specialized Bicycles Sue Former Workers Who Created Startup

F U specialized for going after Epic Designs Adventure Cycling Gear

Looks like we're really ironing things out here...

since you have such high standards I'm sure you and the other ethically-minded people on 41 would never buy cheap chines knockoff anything for their bikes?

ALL big corporations go after anyone that goes even remotely near copyright infringement, specialized didn't corner the market on it, they're more high profile because they've got deeper pockets.

But hey, this is the 41, I'm quickly learning the 41 is located in an alternate universe kitty-corner between oz, candyland and the twilight zone.....;)

Correct, I don't buy cheap Chinese knockoffs.

It may not be ethics, but people do buy from companies that they 'like', the basis of which can be grounded in either fact or perception. The popular perception around here is that Specialized is a bit of a d**k as a company. Their litigious ways may or may not be commonplace with all bike manufacturers, but their PR dept seems to do a poor job of controlling it because their stories seem to remain top of mind for many around here. For some it's clearly enough to draw a line.

Then there's others who just like to mess with defensive fanboys.

Specialized is 49% owned by Meridia. Maybe this is just another case of hating bikes made in Taiwan or China.

Technically, fingering nuns is not a deal breaker.

Where? Here?! No!!!!

...the weather is abysmal in a large part of the country. The people need both bread and circuses.

Or, perhaps, people's reasons are exactly what they say they are. Nah. Too simple.

And really cold, too.

Who could argue with this?

Just another plausible explanation, not discounting any of the reasons already cited.

As previously mentioned, they do make some bikes that look like a dog hunched over taking a crap. I would never get one of those.

:lol: I have one of those bikes with a dog taking a dump look. But I love it still, rides too good to sell.

I know. If my LBS gave me 5% off....

What? No Felt?

I don't think it will matter much. Most people will continue to buy the enduro bikes, like Cannondale Synapse, or Roubaix or Scott CR1, not the BMC Team Machine.

People will buy whatever bike the LBS they trust sells, not what bike Team Sky rides. Especially considering there aren't that many Pinarello dealers to begin with.

So my guess, this will have zero impact and people will buy tons of Specialized since there are too many Specialized dealers.

I'll give a dissenting opinion based on my experience working for a company which has many trademarks. From a business standpoint, you have to protect your marks in this day and age. That's because not protecting them, from even a small company, leaves you open to contest. Not saying someone could contest a mark solely on that, but if you do not openly protect all of your marks, it sets precedent. And courts go many different ways today.

Robby Gordon was sued for trademark infringement a few years back because he used essentially the stylized S which is trademarked by Spec, on his Speed Energy energy drink. In the end, he changed his logo. Spec had to protect that mark, because even though Robby was in a different business altogether, to not protect would set a bad precedent. And also confuse consumers who might think Speed Energy was related to Spec, or vice versa.

Now, Spec's law firms might be cut throat when it comes to protection of the marks they represent, I'm not arguing that. But a company today has to protect the marks that represent their business. As you would.

Specialized is like Apple. It's a superior product with flawless execution and premium pricing. The criticism against companies like Apple and Specialized is often one-sided. People love to hate successful premium brands. Maybe it's because we're in a recession. Who knows.

In a nutshell, this says it all. I'll never understand why we pull so much for little guys, and once they become successful we hate them.

Oh boy.

Totally agree. OK, so no oil companies are angels, but after the BP spill in the gulf I stopped going to BP. If everyone did that, a foreign company that carelessly spills oil on US shores (with a CEO that publicly complains about all the stress it causes him), goes out of business overnight. Vote with your dollars. That way corporations might not be mindless marauding zombies. So, in the context of this thead, I really don't believe Specialized boycotters are "fahking idiots."

And, yes, people might find it "hard to live" by not eating shark fin soup, wearing fur coats, burning fossil fuels, or choosing to use fluorescent bulbs, forego A/C, recycle, keep a mulch pile, grow their own vegetables, buy local, or ride a bicycle instead or driving.

Why do you hate America?

sorry, voting with your dollars, especially against big anything, will often backfire. See: Big Oil Bailout Prevention Act.