Specialized R & D

[cnighbor1]

On ‎Tuesday‎, ‎April‎ ‎24‎, ‎2018‎ ‎07‎:‎42‎:‎24‎ ‎AM, Jim Merz <jameshmerz@gmail.com> wrote:


Hi Charles,

Dale Brown on CR will not let me post this on CR. Maybe your list members would be interested. It's a look inside Specialized.

http://reviews.mtbr.com/innovate-or-...lized-world-hq

Jim Merz

[DreaminJohn]

You may get some pushback from the S-Haters but I really enjoyed the piece.

Thanks for sharing.

[duff_duffy]

that is some serious money they are investing into a their lab. CNC, wind tunnels, a CT scanner? My kind of lab!

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by duff_duffy

that is some serious money they are investing into a their lab. CNC, wind tunnels, a CT scanner? My kind of lab!

They did invest a lot of money in their wind tunnel, but there has been some question about the validity of the data that they get from it. There have been several instances where the Specialized Win tunnel has produced widely divurgent results from other well established wind tunnels.

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

They did invest a lot of money in their wind tunnel, but there has been some question about the validity of the data that they get from it. There have been several instances where the Specialized Win tunnel has produced widely divurgent results from other well established wind tunnels.

doesnt matter.

when you own a big bike company and claim to make some of the most "aero" stuff in the world and someone asks you how you know it works:

"because we have a freaking wind tunnel, that's how"


is how you respond. the actual testing protocols and results make no difference at all. that's all proprietary and classified anyway

[Mike Lopez]

They've certainly come a long way from when jumping the Stumpies off the loading dock was part of the test protocol. (Probably still do but makes their workmans comp atty cringe)

I sure enjoyed those daze!

Fine write up Kurt!

[CMiller]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

doesnt matter.

when you own a big bike company and claim to make some of the most "aero" stuff in the world and someone asks you how you know it works:

"because we have a freaking wind tunnel, that's how"


is how you respond. the actual testing protocols and results make no difference at all. that's all proprietary and classified anyway

Yes, exactly haha. It's a huge legitimacy signal. Plus they can say "3% greater aero advantage over last years model according to in-house testing" etc.

Not my market at all, but still cool.

[tylercheung]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

They did invest a lot of money in their wind tunnel, but there has been some question about the validity of the data that they get from it. There have been several instances where the Specialized Win tunnel has produced widely divurgent results from other well established wind tunnels.

If whomever runs the lab is competent, then they should probably do validation tests on what is presumably a very expensive piece of equipment.

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by tylercheung

If whomever runs the lab is competent, then they should probably do validation tests on what is presumably a very expensive piece of equipment.

Isn't there some sort of standard object or shape (or series of objects or shapes) that could be used by wind tunnels the world over to test their measuring devices? A sort of "blank" if you will? A 12 oz aluminum beer can held perfectly vertical yields a cDa of x at y wind speed?

If not, there should be.

[peanutgallery]

In the US market, Specialized and Trek are the top of the heap. They own the production overseas make unique product from water bottles to bikes to shoes to tires etc. Everyone else is miles behind, except maybe Giant

A lot of the 2nd and 3rd tier brands are in open mold territory and are just off. Angles, build, quality...they're getting boat raced. Still a gem here and there, but you have to look hard. You'll see some disappear or go into bikesdirect.com route before long. I get several emails from Jamis every week, usually for 2013 Hudsons they have on sale. I consider this to be a canary in a coal mine, buckle up buckaroos