Georgia from Specialized UK visited us last week and was armed with a bunch of kit to test, as well as a bike that we can’t (as yet) talk about…THE new kenevo e-bike
Words: Sean White Images: Steve Jones
SPECIALIZED CLOTHING AND KIT:
It’s easy to think that Specialized has a focus mainly on bikes. There are some incredibly well sorted bikes in their range and machines such as the Enduro 29, Demo 8 and Turbo Levo have featured in the 2017 Dirt 100. The Specialized tyres score highly too and are priced well in comparison to equivalent brands. Although sticking mostly with the proven FSR suspension system for many years, the Specialized design team are constantly innovating. They have worked closely with Ohlins suspension, developed an in-house dropper seatpost (The Command post) and the S.W.A.T box down tube stealth storage system which we’ve found invaluable. There is attention to detail and clever design touches on plenty of this brand’s products.
And so it is with their clothing, helmets and footwear range. We featured the development process of the revised 2018 2FO flat pedal shoes recently and have been fans of their clothing too. The Enduro/Andorra Comp shorts scored a Dirt 100 spot this year and editor Steve Jones swears by the S.W.A.T storage bib shorts. Great fit, quality fabrics and constant development has lead to some really top class garments and kit. Sure, the brand doesn’t have the ‘moto’ heritage of Fox, Troy Lee Designs or Alpinestars but it certainly is loaded with high performance options. We take a look at a snapshot from the current Specialized range – from head to feet.