Specialized bicycle range: here they are in chronological order
Variety is the spice of life…
With the recent upgrade that is to be delivered by #bicyclecouriers next week, I thought about a few Specialized bicycles I was fortunate to pilot over the years. There are 6 below, plus 1 I forgot about and included with the 6 other kids bikes listed in the following post. Making a baker’s dozen in total. Which shows a fair amount of support for the big S Specialized bicycle range.
Specialized Secteur
This was my very first member in the Specialized bicycle range, bought from Petie (ex Helderberg Cycle World that turned into Specialized Somerset West concept store). And it was a long-distance treat. Great value, super comfy with those zertz stays. And last me 4 years and 11 months. Just under the 5 years warranty. So when the frame eventually gave in, I got a brand new upgrade from Petie. I must commend them on the stellar customer service. And it was also a great time to upgrade to a 105 groupset. Gone are the days of the triples. More on the https://www.specialized.com/gb/en/secteur-triple/p/35156?color=80480-35156
Specialized Roubaix
This was worthy replacement for the Specialized Secteur above if I ever saw one. It was a rather big upgrade as the alu Secteur made way for the carbon Specialized Roubaix SL4 frame, now with zertz stays both front and back and even more comfortable. This was the best of both worlds, both comfort and speed. A great long-distance cruiser that eats up the miles with consummate ease. I love spending time on the Specialized Roubaix during the many Audax rides from 200 300 400 600 1000 and 1200 kms. And on the recent Bolandcycletours! One of my favourites in the Specialized bicycle range. More on the https://www.specialized.com/za/en/roubaix-sl4-sport/p/118384?color=208644-118384
Specialized Diverge
I bought this bike as a reward to myself for selling MMB Move My Bicycle back in the day and to take along to tackle the first TCR Transcontinental Race across Europe I did back in 2018. And my idea was never to take this one gravel riding, rather just to have something super comfy and capable to tackle the Alpine and other European passes. The new Specialized Diverge ticked all the boxes. Wider tires to soak up undulating roads and a spot of gravel if I ever had to veer off course. Easy gearing for going up the mountains. And disc brakes when coming down them. Added the CG cobble gobbler seatpost and swopped for 105 hydraulic discs and shifters. Of all the bikes in the Specialized bicycle range listed here – this is the one which has been to the most different countries! More on the https://www.specialized.com/us/en/mens-diverge-comp-e5/p/128909?color=239507-128909
Specialized Epic comp
How lucky am I? Valerida gave me this as an early Christmas gift back in 2015. It was the right model, built for comfort and speed, with the REBA fork up front and the custom Fox BRAIN shock at the back. Opinions on the brain can be polarized, but I absolutely love it. perfectly still when climbing and opens up when going over the rough stuff. I loved every second on the Specialized EPIC comp and will be sad to see it go. We’ve done 3x EPICS, have-a-dozen MUNGA routes and many Atta’s, K2C’s, 5x Transbaviaanses and so much more. A pillar of light in the Specialized bicycle range. More on the https://www.specialized.com/za/en/epic-comp-29/p/65313?color=187119-65313
Specialized Chisel
When the time came to retire the first Epic comp aluminium above, I needed to replace it with something similar. Now the current range of Epic 8’s are all in carbon. And they are all priced at or north of R100k. so this new Specialized Chisel, which is basically an alu and heavier version of the Specialized Epic 8 comp, certainly fits the bill. I’m not one for dropper posts, so you can shave off a few grams there. And maybe a lighter wheelset down the line. But then again, you might just as well go for a used Epic carbon. As below. Which is what I did. So, I never bought the Chisel. More on the https://www.specialized.com/za/en/chisel-shimano/p/4274029?color=5427874-4274029
Specialized Epic carbon
This was the subject of the #newbikeday post from #bicyclecouriers from earlier. And a worthy one at the. I spotted the Specialized EPIC carbon online for a good price and immediately clinched the deal. It is still en route and only to arrive here next week so I am keen to see what needs to be done to it. but it does have a 36T chainring upfront iso the standard 32T. and a new chain and cassette will go a long way to improve the climbing ratio and get that crisp shifting. Unfortunately not in black, but in racing red. More on the https://www.specialized.com/za/en/mens-epic-comp-carbon/p/154345?color=239077-154345
