Specialized bicycles: model range, advice on selection and operation

Choosing a good bike for a beginner is a difficult and demanding task. In no case can you rely only on the company, and yet it can provide some valuable information if you study all the available information about the brand. Consider the Specialized bikes, which have become quite popular in our market in recent years.

If a person has never heard of Specialized bicycles, he really should be considered a beginner, because this brand is one of the most recognizable in the whole world.

It all started like a movie - Mike Sinyard, a bicycle enthusiast from the United States, decided to go on a bicycle tour in Europe, and on the way he managed to meet with several Italian suppliers of top-end parts of the time in order to collect goods from them for sale overseas.

The guy with just one batch brought in with his own hand made $ 200 (which was good money at the time), but Sinyard realized that market demand was far from being satisfied with such a volume. Then the young man, having contacted the sellers from whom he had purchased parts for the first time, agreed on the purchase and direct delivery of bicycle parts to the United States in order to organize a full-fledged trade.

The business immediately became successful, and Mike began to think about his own production. True, at first his thoughts were directed not at whole bicycles, but at parts, because the first product in 1976 was tires, but which ones - the young American businessman surpassed even his Italian suppliers in terms of product quality. In 1981, the manufacturer reached a completely new level, finally introducing the first batch of its own bicycles, and three years later it even acquired its own team of cyclists.

Over the years, Specialized has pioneered many cycling technologies and accessories that are needed by millions of cyclists around the world today. The products of this company are often called the world's most technologically advanced bicycle.

Since the reader has decided to choose a bike for himself, largely focusing on the good name of the brand, it is worth considering what it consists of, that is, to understand the advantages and disadvantages. By tradition, let's start with the good.

• Top quality. There is nothing to doubt - the manufacturer's brand is listed in the lists of the best in the world, it is a widely recognized brand that has achieved success not at all due to low prices, but due to a responsible attitude to work. Buying such a bike is a long-term investment.

• Technological attachments. This may not be expressed in the form of gadgets familiar to a modern person, but the manufacturability of Specialized bicycles is felt literally in everything. Here, each screw is designed to work for increased speed, perfect grip, or any other positive outcome.

• Wide range of. As befits a global brand, Specialized produces bikes of all kinds and purposes, so every cyclist will find a suitable model for himself here. In addition, the company produces both relatively inexpensive amateur bicycles, which are fundamentally no different from similar products of any other company, and advanced sports bikes, which even champions are not ashamed to sit on.

As for the shortcomings in general, there are actually none, although some models have certain weak points. They may relate to the imperfect operation of one or another unit of the bike, for example, grips slip, the speed is not fixed well enough when shifting, and so on. However, the firm is diligently working to eliminate the shortcomings, so that a situation in which criticism two years ago is no longer relevant today is the norm.

Specialized brand products are also good because has the widest assortment of various bicycles for every taste... For the younger generation, children's bicycles are produced, for adults - a whole scattering of specific models for a particular type of riding with wheel spacing from 20 to 29 inches.

Given the variety of bikes described, it would be inappropriate to consider all their models here, but at least a few typical examples should be highlighted. It should be immediately clarified that our review is not a rating of the best models or a direct recommendation to buy - you still need to choose a two-wheeled vehicle for yourself purely according to your own criteria, but we will only consider a few typical representatives of the brand.

It's not even one bike, but a whole a series of top hardtail mountain bikes (cushioning on the front fork only). The main modification assumes a wheel diameter of 26 inches, but there are also variations of 29 inches.

Transport is equally convenient for both sexes and is distinguished not only by increased reliability, but also by indescribable style. This is one of the most recognizable series of the brand, which is regularly updated.

Children's bicycle models rarely become recognizable and insanely popular, but this is exactly the case when we are faced with an exception to the rule. The manufacturer himself positions his brainchild as universal - it can be the first bike for a child who is not even ready to give up additional side wheels yet, and a transition to a new level for someone who has already outgrown their previous 12-inch bike.

This sample, as the name suggests, has a wheel diameter of 16 inches, while many competitors start at just 20 inches for kids' models.

Another popular line of the manufacturer, which is presented by the brand itself as an attempt to fight the typical problems of modern civilization in the form of environmental pollution. Hence, we draw the obvious conclusion that this bike is designed primarily for city driving - it aims to get people to abandon private cars and even public transport in favor of cycling.

As with the Hardrock line, this bike is designed for all categories of the population, and therefore there are different wheel diameters - from 24 inches and above... In addition, a special version for ladies is available with a purposefully lowered upper tube, which makes it easier for passengers in dresses to get on and off.

From all of the above, two important conclusions can be drawn: the first says that Specialized produces bicycles for every taste and offers a good selection of two-wheeled vehicles, the second - that the brand itself is quite trustworthy and its bikes can and should be chosen. Another thing is that transport must be chosen strictly for yourself, and it would be wrong to think that any model will suit you simply because "the company is good."

To avoid common mistakes, consider what you need to start from when determining the ideal bike.

• Bicycle type. Ask yourself why you need a bike and what your typical route will look like. Specialized started out as a mountain bike manufacturer, but if you plan to ride only on asphalt in urban areas, give preference to one of the city bikes, and for regular long-distance trips, pay attention to roadways - all these options also have decent quality.

• Specific features of each type... Take a city bike, for example - when moving around the city, you may need accessories typical of a car: a bell, a headlight and a trunk. The bell, in principle, is always relevant, but the last two devices are optional: perhaps you will not ride in the dark and prefer a more practical and comfortable backpack.

• Dimensions and weight. Many beginners buy a bike to ride and completely forget that between rides, the bike needs to be stored somewhere. If your apartment is cramped enough, look for compact models with small wheels. In folding models, this manufacturer is not strong, which is due to its "mountain" origin.

• Year of issue. For most other manufacturers, this criterion would not matter, but not for the high-tech Specialized. The company's engineers are constantly coming up with new tricks that make their products better and better, and although the model may be called the same, with a difference in production of several years, it should not be surprising that the newer copy has improved driving characteristics.

• Price. If you were counting on buying an inexpensive bike, then you are clearly interested in the wrong company - well-known brands with a worldwide reputation usually do not make cheap products. Another thing is that in this case the high cost pays off entirely.

The bicycle seems to be an extremely simple design, familiar to all of us from childhood, however, the manufacturer must supply each copy of his bikes with instructions and at the beginning indicates in it that only a thorough study of this brochure can guarantee the correct and safe use of the vehicle.

Considerable attention has been paid to bike tuning issues, which will allow you to correctly adjust the height of the seat and steering wheel for the most comfortable and safe ride. The authors also focus specifically on safety issues during operation in rainy weather and at night. The manual also provides comprehensive information on which parts fit the bike and how often it needs service.

The following video provides an overview of the 2019 Specialized Rockhopper Comp 29 '' mountain bike.