Are Specialized having a laugh or are we really this gullible?

[winjim]

My first 'proper' bike back in the late 1980s was one of these:

So obviously I was ahead of my time. Great bike that, took me everywhere. Hooning round the woods with my mates on BMXes, touring up Snowdonia and round the Netherlands. Good times. Still got the scar from a nasty crash in Snowdonia but the bike was fine.

Of course we all lusted after a Raleigh Mustang SIS...

 

[StuAff]

Does it do the job(s) you want it to do at a price you wish to pay? If the answer is 'yes', why give a toss about what the manufacturer and the marketing calls it or says it's good for?

 

[Globalti]

It will be a huge step forward from the old steel mountain bikes of the 80s, light, fast, smooth, great brakes and easy to shoulder up a mountain.

 

[Venod]

Just needs a head shock to make it quicker, I have ridden a lot of tracks/bridleways on MTB, CX and some on my road bike, but the fastest times were on my Cannondale MTB with headshock and 700c wheels with 30mm tyres it was a flying machine.

 

[Gunk]

Yes, the MTB market does seem to have missed a niche over the years.
MTB was my first cycling discipline and I never wanted to be a downhill king or pushing my bike to the limits of grip - I mostly enjoyed flowy fast trails and a laid back ride in the countryside enjoying the view and the fresh air.
A bike like the one posted above would have been perfect for me then

I completely agree, that bike is perfect for laid back leisure rides, no Lycra, just shorts, T shirt and a pair of trainers. I think it’ll sell well, not everyone wants dropped bars.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Some cyclists are prone to being hoodwinked by marketing, others are not. Personally, for me an MTB is still rigid and it always has 26" wheels.

I was thinking that brer Speshhhhh doesn't look very different to my 1995 Cinder Cone.

 

[I like Skol]

Hmmmm! Let me look back to my 2010 'hybrid'
View attachment 195258

 

[MichaelW2]

I used ride my road bike ( with commuting rack and 'guards), off road. I could finesse it down steep slopes and it was fast enough on trails to evade the pitchfork wielding mob seeking just punishment for my heresy.

 

[FrankCrank]

 

[mustang1]

Haha yeah I saw that the other day. Dude, you gotta innovate or die! What decade are we in now, 1980 or 1990, with this bike setup?

Actually, before I got my MTB a few years ago, I just wanted a simple no-suspension-anywhere bike, but not a hybrid. This could have fitted the bill (if it's not too expensive).

 

[jay clock]

Pretty much perfect for me to replace my c2005 Cannonade F1000SL with headshok. The headshok is knackered and beyond economic repair

 

[Justinitus]

Similar to the Giant Toughroad flatbar that’s been around for a few years - excellent all rounder bike, just sold mine after many happy miles. I’d expect it to be quite light for what it is (my Toughroad was 10.2kg) but 24 spoke wheels? I’m not sure unless your quite light. £1600 for the entry level model, £2400 for the one in the OP’s post!

 

[Venod]

I don't understand all the criticism and negativity about this bike its just got flat bars instead of drops, which has always been an option with some brands and if you build your own, its a bit expensive, but if its your thing why not.

I completely agree, that bike is perfect for laid back leisure rides, no Lycra, just shorts, T shirt and a pair of trainers

You can of course do laid back leisure rides in Lycra and cycling shoes, still enjoying the comfort of proper cycle clothing.

 

[Drago]

"New" MTB developments for 2021:

1. Bar ends.
2. Flex stems.
3. Dayglo paint jobs.
4. 3" thick pudding basin helmets.
5. Sharkfin chainstay protectors.

I'm the cycling equivalent of Nostradamus I tells ya.

Basically, what specialized have done here is a new version of the 1979 Cleland Range rider.

 

[Gunk]

You can of course do laid back leisure rides in Lycra and cycling shoes, still enjoying the comfort of proper cycle clothing.

I try and avoid Lycra, padded cycling shorts under regular shorts and a T shirt for me. I'm not a cyclist, I am someone who enjoys bikes and cycling!