Do you have a question for Specialized Women's Product Team?

[salsabike]

I thought you were perfectly polite and responsive to the admin's request to give a little more info. I'm glad you're trying to get good information out to women cyclists. Welcome to TE!

[Alex]

Welcome! I appreciate any company that is interested in the woman cyclist and I hope you find some good information here.

I have no questions at the moment, but I will tell you I love Specialized gloves (both the fingerless gel gloves for road riding and the full fingered gloves for mountain biking). I am also very happy with my Ruby saddle. :-)

There are MANY friendly folks here, but sometimes we just lurk....

Alex

[KnottedYet]

I don't think there's anything in particular I'd like to ask Specialized, but I (like Alex) want to give you some praise.

Love LOVE the Body Geometry gloves. Women's sizes don't fit me right, but the men's are great! Likewise the Body Geometry Taho mtb shoes. I can't wear the women's (too narrow in the toes) but the men's are fabulous.

The Body Geometry line is wonderful, and I recommend it to my patients fairly often. Especially the shoes: having the built-in medial post in the forefoot is such a good idea!

[rlambert]

Thank you guys all for the super friendly introduction to the page and site. And thanks also for all the praise on the product. I am pretty excited to get started with this and also field any product or general riding related questions (of course I will be needing some help too I am sure with questions of my own ) I am really excited to hear and learn from female cyclists from all over the country!

Hey NY Biker! If you do come up with some saddle questions, let er rip. We just got done doing some really interesting saddle testing with a pressure scanner!

[KnottedYet]

Hey NY Biker! If you do come up with some saddle questions, let er rip. We just got done doing some really interesting saddle testing with a pressure scanner!

OOH! OOH! Data! I want data!
Trek funded some studies I was able to get a hold of, but I found their protocol to be pretty badly flawed. When a rep was demo-ing their amazing new concept in women's saddles at a shin-dig in SF, the only other woman in the group and I were both grimacing in anticipatory pain. (they've since trashed their amazing new concept and wisely moved on to a different but assuredly equally amazing new concept)

Is Specialized's data going to be trade secret, or will it be published? Can you share? (I won't tell, I promise!)

[rlambert]

OOH! OOH! Data! I want data!
Trek funded some studies I was able to get a hold of, but I found their protocol to be pretty badly flawed. When a rep was demo-ing their amazing new concept in women's saddles at a shin-dig in SF, the only other woman in the group and I were both grimacing in anticipatory pain. (they've since trashed their amazing new concept and wisely moved on to a different but assuredly equally amazing new concept)

Is Specialized's data going to be trade secret, or will it be published? Can you share? (I won't tell, I promise!)

We are trying to get some pics or video of the demonstration and testing here soon. It is super interesting to watch. The craziest part is how aware women are of exactly what is bothering them. They will describe something and sure enough it is right there substantiated on the screen!

[Trek420]

The craziest part is how aware women are of exactly what is bothering them. They will describe something and sure enough it is right there substantiated on the screen!

What a surprise. Women say "ow ow ow that hurts!" and by dang gum it does

Thank you for the shoes I have a broken toe and can't wear road shoes anymore or at least have not found a pair that don't cramp my boo boo toe. Specialized Tahoe are supportive, fit nice and tight and still room for that one broken toe. Without 'em I'd be wearing cycling sandals, or buying two pair of shoes to have two different sizes and then trying to sell the spare shoe on TE not that there's anything wrong with that.

Thank you!!

I have one question: Bike Snob NY thinks this video:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=33018

is produced by Performance bike co. Any inside scoop?

[Kris]

I was over on the Commuters thread reading about hair problems, and thought, "Maybe this is a problem some company could work on." And then I thought of this thread. So here's my question for Specialized: Since a lot of women are reluctant to ride, or to ride more often, because they don't want to have flat, frizzy or wet hair with dents in it when they get where they're going, are there any helmets or other products that will help us have work-worthy hairdos, and, if not, could you put someone to work on inventing some?
I'm aware that many women couldn't care less, but if we want more people out of their air-conditioned cars and on bikes, someone needs to address this.

[SpinSpinSugar]

Hi Rachel. My question is - why does Specialized not produce a WSD steel road/touring bike? My local specialized dealer told me "Oh... you're looking for steel? Hmmmmm.... no..... nope.. nothing in steel."

There are racks and rows of Carbon & Aluminum WSD bikes, but not steel? It's a shame because I'm having a devil of a time trying to find a bike that fits.. One of the size 51cm WSD aluminum models fit me like a glove.... (can't remember which) but I would never buy an Aluminum bike for touring in a million years.

Surely not all women are interested in being roadies only?

/Rant over

SpinSpinSugar

[Eden]

I know you're in the mountain bike division, so this isn't really your field, but my question is why does it look like you've all taken two steps back with your women's racing bikes? Last year you finally had small bikes equal to the men's models. Now I see the new Amira only goes up to the "Expert" level model and comes with a compact crank standard. Give us a little credit...

[Bluetree]

I know you're in the mountain bike division, so this isn't really your field, but my question is why does it look like you've all taken two steps back with your women's racing bikes? Last year you finally had small bikes equal to the men's models. Now I see the new Amira only goes up to the "Expert" level model and comes with a compact crank standard. Give us a little credit...

@Eden
My dealer says he can deliver me a 44cm S-Works Amira frameset by November. Apparently, it is the lightest frame in Spesh's lineup, and since their lightest Tarmac is out of the box at 13.9, it should be something. But yeah, it's a compact.

@Smilingcat
Arundel carbon sideloading cages are very secure. If you would like to try them out, I have an extra pair you can borrow. But I agree, since Spec offers some of the smallest size frames, they could have thought about the cages more. (I also have an extra 143 Ruby saddle).

Comments/questions...
• No pinky flowery stuff for me. I would go custom before I rode something stereotypically "girly"

• Spec's clothing line is not up to the quality of their bikes. Designs are uninspring and seem tailored towards casual riders. No BIB shorts for women? Come on...

• As much as I like the patented BB on my S-Works Ruby, I wish they would make it a standard BB30 so I can use other cranksets with gluing in a sleeve. The S-Works chainrings don't work with Campy chains as well as the FSA and SRAM cranksets on my other bikes.

• I was interested in the integrated Ruby Barmac... Until I found out that is was actually heavier than my Ruby handlebar-stem combo. That seems counterproductive. Will this be improved, or will the Barmac be continued as a blingy novelty?

• After countless saddle/handlebar changes, all of my bikes now have Ruby SL saddles and Ruby 38cm carbon bars. Your products rock.

•

[rlambert]

Hey Everybody,

First off, thank you all for the questions and comments, they are so insightful. I have only answered a handful of the questions and we are going to answer the rest of them with a video reply from Eron Chorney, our women's brand manager. I really appreciate how thorough all the feedback has been as well as all the comments on product and colors and graphics. We will post it up on here by the middle of this week and will include answers to saddle questions, road bikes, bottle cages and colors and graphics. Thanks again!

Rachael

[SadieKate]

Comments/questions...
• Spec's clothing line is not up to the quality of their bikes. Designs are uninspring and seem tailored towards casual riders. No BIB shorts for women? Come on...

Yeah, but their Enduro short rocks. It is the only mtb short with decent length inseam and back seat seam -- and fits me without resorting to a stupid and unflattering elastic waistband. I have found no other short that fits the bill.

Now, if Specialized would allow mail order so I could buy from TE and sell the shell and inner liner separately, I'd be a happy camper. I'm paying $120 for a shell and storing the liner on the shelf because, as usual, the liner and the shell aren't sized the same. How about 60 bucks for each?

[Becky]

Yeah, but their Enduro short rocks. It is the only mtb short with decent length inseam and back seat seam -- and fits me without resorting to a stupid and unflattering elastic waistband. I have found no other short that fits the bill.

Now, if Specialized would allow mail order so I could buy from TE and sell the shell and inner liner separately, I'd be a happy camper. I'm paying $120 for a shell and storing the liner on the shelf because, as usual, the liner and the shell aren't sized the same. How about 60 bucks for each?

It's not just Specialized. This seems to plague most women's mtb shorts. They're often silly short, or the inner liner is terrible. The only decent mtb short I've found is the Sugoi Gusta, but the liner is so-so (for me), and it's hard to justify $120 for the outer short alone.

You can buy lycra shorts in different lengths, why not mtb shorts?

[BellaMTB]

This thread seems to have gone in several different directions, but I just wanted to add my comments about the color choices on WSD bikes - I agree with several of the previous posts about not liking the obviously "girly" color schemes (esp. pink) - probably a visceral reaction from childhood experiences. Aside from that, I think the practical consideration of resale value is also important (probably harder to sell a pink bike). I realize you can't please everyone, but my main complaint is that many of the bikes (especially higher-end) only come in one color. If I don't like that color, I won't buy it. I am very particular about the colors I will buy. I'd like to add that I do like the subtle monochromatic patterns (e.g. "Tribal") on some of the new Specialized 2010 WSD bikes.

Now for my last LBS bike color experience: I was shopping for a higher-end Specialized MTB a few years back and politely asked the sales manager if the model I was looking at came in any other color. He stared at me and replied: "Guys don't care." !!!?? Needless to say I bought my bike elsewhere.

(re. rlambert's participation - OK by me, though I am new here.)