What's Going On at SpeCEOlized?
As a Specialized fan considering an eMTB and an urban e-bike commuter, I'm finding it hard to get excited about their offerings right now, even though these segments seem like major growth areas. I recently received an email about the Turbo Vado SL 2 Carbon LTD, with the tagline "It Took 50 Years of Innovation to Create This Bike." It raised my expectations, but I was let down to see it was launching with a motor from a year ago that was not particularly inspiring.
Compared to the latest motors from Bosch, Pinion, and DJI, I consider the Specialized motor outdated. Marketing a bike as cutting-edge while using stale tech makes me question their commitment to leading the market. I respect Specialized’s effort to develop custom software for their rebranded Brose motors, but I’m not convinced this approach is working, as these motors are not the best in their class and seem to be falling behind in terms of specs.
After watching a video comparing some of the latest eMTB motors, I came away convinced that Pinion has the most future potential, and that Bosch and DJI are setting the bar right now.
If Specialized wants to retain riders like me who want the latest and greatest tech, I think they need to rapidly step up their offerings or embrace partnerships with different industry leaders. Without this, I suspect many of us will be drawn to other bike brands featuring more enticing technology.
Additionally, I’ve heard that Specialized has been putting all sorts of pressure on independent bike shops, making it harder for these local businesses to stay afloat, despite relying on them for sales. The company itself seems to be in some disarray, with three CEOs in two years, and even a lack of clarity on LinkedIn about who's actually in charge right now. I really hope they get things together, because Specialized has an amazing history of making great products—but as the bike world electrifies, they seem to be falling behind.
At the time of writing, these are the company’s three publicly listed CEOs. While LinkedIn profiles may not be the most critical detail to focus on, they do reflect a certain level of attention to detail.
Update November 19, 2024: After reaching out to pr@specialized.com to inquire about the CEO at Specialized and whether they actually had three, it seems they finally did a little LinkedIn profile cleanup. My outsider take is that this is a messy situation. The fact that they've got two folks sharing CEO titles, combined with the founder being the only one with a LinkedIn Pro account, implies to me that things might not be going smoothly over there. How is it possible that they don’t have CEO leadership based out of their HQ in Morgan Hill?! Keep an eye on Specialized—I suspect some housecleaning might be on the horizon.
