First off, just to be clear, I think it sucks. Really sucks. That Specialized canceled the pre-orders of everyone who bought one of their bikes from Mike’s Bikes. While they almost certainly were within the bounds of their contract with Mike’s Bikes, it’s not great for the 400+ people screwed over by this act, and perhaps more importantly, will cost Specialized goodwill to a much wider audience. FOR SHAME!

But, what I really want to mention here, is how disingenuous Mike’s Bikes was in the email release below. They intentionally obfuscated who bought the chain of bike stores. Calling the Pon Group, who own Cervélo and Santa Cruz, a “family-owned company”, while not wrong denotatively, is also clearly a play for undeserved sympathy and rage. They sold out to a massive bicycle conglomerate who owns brands that compete directly with Specialized, and misled their customers with intent. Did no one at Mike’s Bikes stop to read their dealer agreement with Specialized? What did they think was going to happen? FOR SHAME!

My take on this is that Mike’s screwed their customers either intentionally, or by negligence, figuring they could blame Specialized for the screwing, and shift the sales to brands from their new owner. That’s not to say that Specialized is blameless here. Even if they are 100% in the right, they could have done something to maintain their customers and build goodwill; an e.g. of this would be to cancel the orders, but offer some mechanism where the people wouldn’t lose their place in line.

Dear customer,

For over 20 years, Mike’s Bikes maintained a close partnership with Specialized Bicycles. We’ve built a strong business here in NorCal and beyond, as both of our companies have grown together.

A few weeks ago, Mike’s Bikes was acquired by an amazing family-owned company in Amsterdam, and we couldn’t be happier. Upon learning of this, however, Specialized abruptly terminated their relationship with Mike’s. They later notified us that they would also be canceling the orders of over 400 customers who had bought and paid for their bikes in advance. They further informed us that as of October 31, they will no longer provide manufacturer warranty support through Mike’s Bikes for the many thousands of Specialized bikes that we’ve sold.

It is unfortunate and extremely disappointing that our Specialized customers are being affected in this way. This is definitely not a situation that we wanted or expected.

Our Wheelsmith Tech Departments will still be able to provide the same professional service on Specialized bikes that we offer on every other major bike brand, but for Specialized customers who need support through the manufacturer’s warranty, we encourage you to contact your closest authorized Specialized dealer, or to reach out to Specialized rider care directly at (877) 808-8154 or www.specialized.com/us/en/ridercareform

To our customers impacted by Specialized’s cancellation of your order, we are reaching out to each of you directly to help find an alternative bike from other excellent bike brands that support us. We will work our tails off to help you find a replacement bike. If you decide to cancel your order at Mike’s and order a Specialized bike elsewhere, we totally understand, and we will issue prompt full refunds.

Looking forward, we’re excited to be able to offer a broader selection of brands in both equipment and bikes. Over the next few weeks, we will announce new partnerships with some of the best brands in the business, and we’ll be offering you more options and more selection than ever before. In the end, nothing has changed at Mike’s Bikes. We continue to be fully dedicated to helping you get the most out of your ride.

We really appreciate the support of our loyal customers, over the years and today in times of change.

-The Mike’s Bikes Team