1974
We are riders—that fact has guided our every decision since 1974. When quality tires weren't around, we strove to make the best. When people wanted to ride cruisers in the dirt, we made the first production mountain bike. When roadies wanted to go faster, we doubled-down on carbon and built our own wind tunnel. And when we saw kids struggling to focus in school, we started the Specialized Foundation to help them through cycling.
Specialized. Made for riders, by riders.
BECAUSE MOUNTAIN BIKES NEED TRAILS
As quickly as the mountain bike arrived, so did the issue of trail access. By 1987, bikes were getting the boot from public lands. That year, we took part in a round table of advocacy groups, and within six months, the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) was born. In short order, we became trail access evangelists. We sponsored the first industry-wide meeting on the subject, and some of our employees went to sit on IMBA’s board. Without trail advocates, there’d be no trails to protect. It’s as simple as that.
SONGO.INFO
Support local, over the years Specialized had and continues to have, direct involvement with Songo.info.
Songo.info has humble beginnings: from a dream of providing a safe space for children to play on bikes, it has evolved into a Sports and Academic support programme focused on creating a long-term impact for the children in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch.
Our key objective is that every child that comes through the songo.info program goes on to be a confident, well-rounded individual who is gainfully employed and a contributing member of the community. We currently have 50 children from ages 6 to 24 years within the songo.info family.