What kind of reputation do Specialized mountain bikes have?

Question

Are Specialized bicycles considered good bicycles? Are they comparable to Trek, Jamis, Gary Fisher, et cetera? What is an 'average' price for a Specialized bike? Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

Answer 1

Yes they are good bikes and yes they are comparable to the other brands you've mentioned. There's no average price for a Specialized bike unless you are after a specific model which would be sold for an average price, there's many different models that range in price from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars.



As mentioned by another poster:



Quote - "They are actually regarded as a very exclusive manufacturer and have a great reputation for making high quality frames"



They aren't what you call a 'very exclusive manufacturer', they are just a smaller company that isn't as common if you compare them to a large company like Giant. Most of their frames are made in Taiwan by a bicycle company called Merida who is the 2nd largest bicycle manufacturer in the world they also own about 30% of Specialized. Some of their frames are even outsourced and made by Giant (also from Taiwan) who is the largest bicycle manufacturer in the world.

Answer 2

Specialized mountain bikes are excellent bikes. One thing you have to remember is that each of the manufacturers you listed make a whole range of bikes that are suitable for all types of uses.



It's actually kinda hard to track down an authorized Specialized dealer. They have very few retailers around the US. They are actually regarded as a very exclusive manufacturer and have a great reputation for making high quality frames. Their high performance bikes can cost as much as $7000-$8000. These are full carbon, dual suspension with the highest end components.



Cutting to the chase, their mid-range mountain bike, the Stumpjumper with disc brakes and good components has an MSRP of about $1000.



EDIT: Okay, the guy below caught me. I evidently don't know what I'm talking about. Apparently Specialized now (like nearly every bike manufacturer on the planet) gets their frames from some Asian producer. In terms of widely-available bikes (not some small, boutique road bike manufacturer), most bike frames are produced in Asia. Only some Cannondales and Trek's OCLV road bikes (Madone, etc.) are made in the US. So then the question is, how does the frame perform? Specialized has a reputation for producing great bikes and their frames, even if they do come from Asia, are usually well-made. Giant actually does produce good stuff and they stand by their warranty very well.



All of this origin of the frame stuff doesn't really matter, it's just a game of "gotcha" for cyclists. Point is, they make very good bikes and chances are you'll be happy with one if you get it.

Answer 3

I think that Specialized makes some very nice bikes, maybe some of the best ones for a mainstream company. I had a Stumpjumper FSR and a Cannondale Jekyll, and while both were very nice, I felt the Stumpjumper a little better overall. I also felt that Specialized offered more standards than Cannondale, which is more special in what you can upgrade or not. I think that most or all of Specialized bikes are made in Taiwan. If you're searching for country of origin for a support us jobs, you're good, but if it's a perceived quality issue, forget about that and it doens't matter if it's made in Taiwan. Taiwan makes lots more bikes than probably elsewhere, and they really know how to build them. It's just depend wich particular brands you buy them from. Also, it's funny that people are very particular on the frame, but then just put everything else made elsewhere.

Answer 4

you know, i had that thought the other day, i saw this old lady riding a specialized mt bike. i just figure they are not better or worse than the nice treks, schwinns, etc. im gonna guess $400 at least, $1000 at most. dont take my word for it though

Answer 5

in my opinion specialized is better than all of those brands you mentioned. the average price for a specialized depends on what u want. their website is www.specialized.com and there u can see their prices