SPECIAL EFFECTS
Like many successful brands, Specialized’s story is one of entrepreneurship and capitalism, but this one comes with a leftfield twist.
As a young man fresh out of university in 1973, Mike Sinyard sold his Volkswagen Camper van to raise enough money to fly to Europe and ride around on his bike. After spending some time in Italy he met Cino Cinelli, founder of the eponymous Italian bike company. Spotting an opportunity, Sinyard bought as much of Cinelli’s product as he could afford, so that he could sell it back in the US. He would later convince the Italian to make him the sole US importer of the brand.
‘Mike sold those first few components from a trailer attached to his bicycle, riding up and down the San Francisco Bay area,’ says Mark Cote, global head of marketing and innovation at Specialized. ‘That was where our name came from – “specialistas” is an Italian term for manufacturers who would build or connect specifically tailored products with the consumer.’
Sinyard officially founded Specialized in 1974, and two years later the brand released its first product, the Specialized Touring Tyre. Since then, the company has developed beyond all recognition, growing to the point where it not only follows trends in the cycling market but often dictates them. Its catalogue boasts a huge and diverse range of products, sponsors world-class athletes in every cycling discipline and has even launched a charity that now runs
