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Originally Posted by carlucci1106
^^Looks like it belongs in the Machines for Freedom thread, but I could be wrong. Doesn't matter, they are getting bashed in every thread, for good reason.
I agree that the letter expressing sympathy for MFF was codified. I doubt they have any intention to do a whole lot of sizing for people with more body shape in the future. They bought her up, employed her, and then realized her business model didn't work for them.
Reminds me of all the brands Trek ate up, and quickly spat out in the 90s.
Seems like at the end of the day, it (the acquisition) was a way of showing that the company has a soul, and a culture of inclusion- until the culture of inclusion doesn't yield profit. Can't find bike shorts to fit?-- should have bought more from us.
I was discussing this with a friend the other day, and here's how it ties into this thread... Sinyard and people like him (and Erik, the owner of the chain of mostly Specialized product stores here in MN), are outliers in the industry. This is an industry with a lot of people who are so accustomed to not making a ton of money like other sectors, that they'd rather just have fun and make friends than be on a "growth trajectory." Sinyard and the small minority are extremely different. They like riding a bike, but it's not the satisfaction that comes from that that drives decision-making.
It's money. It is dominance. It is being the center of attention. It is like every other Fortune 500 company out there, that is devoid of "feelings" when they make business decisions. The letter is canned on purpose. The bad PR is going to hurt a little in the short term, but the company is going to make it through whatever storm comes. Any other professional CEO looking in is going to say all these decisions are handled deftly and professionally.
In the bike industry, we've grown to feel like a small family. Specialized is not shy about wanting to be separate and above this business liability. They are a business that exists to make money, whereas I think the greater context is industry-folk who answer to a philosophical/higher calling type of rubric for how they operate. It is what it is. In order to understand it, you must remove yourself from the "bicycle industry" norms, and look outside to Big Tech, banking, Wall St, or Amazon.
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I hear what you’re saying, but if we talk bike brands… Pon, Spec, Trek, Canyon, Giant, Merida are all run like a business (as opposed to a lifestyle choice), with the latter two being publicly traded which brings increased levels of scrutiny and expectation for professionalisation/profit.
And then there’s Pinarello, Bianchi and Colnago that are all now owned by private equity.
There aren’t too many names left that aren’t being run like a business by professionals.