Specialized Shiv Returns as a Full Bike — For Triathletes
// October 7th, 2011 // No Comments » // Cycling
So a couple years back at the Tour de France, Specialized showed off a Shiv frame and it soon was sold as a frame-old pricey aerodynamic bike. You add the wheels and components.
Now, Specialized has redesigned the Shiv, ignoring the UCI rules and making this Specialized bike well.. specialized for Triathletes. It looks great, and the integrated fluid “tank” in the down tube is really cool. UCI sanctioned event participants will continue to have to rely on the time-tested Transition line or the S-Works Shiv TT Module that’s still listed separately from the new Shiv at a pricey $6,100.
Even though it’s not up to UCI rules, I wonder if it’d pass for things more in reach of us normal folk — like US Cycling events? Complete bikes’ prices range from
$1,550 for the Shiv Elite A1 Apex to a whopping $12,700 for the S-Works Shiv Di2. Specialized, if you’re listening, I’d love to get anything in that range to review. 
Check out the promotional video below.
This past weekend I noticed that Specialized has already launched their 2012 bike lineup, and being the Specialized fanboy that I am, I just had to post and share. The lineup listing looks to be just the newest and most innovative. I’d expected the full lineup with mainstays like the Tarmac and Allez to come at closer to the end of the year, like usual.
I’m seeing more and more of these advertisements that connect to Facebook to personalize the ad experience. Intel did it awhile back, creating a gallery of your info. That one had a lot more personal images and information, but this one speaks to me more—between it being cycling and HTC sprinter Mark Cavendish riding Specialized (self-proclaimed Specialized fanboy here!). I like that it had the pair of “Choose Your Own Adventure” type choices.
I have ridden my share of road bikes, and a few different mountain bikes, but I’ve never ridden a time trial bike. All of my TT efforts have always been on either my Specialized Allez Comp steel frame with clip-on aerobars or my carbon fiber Specialized Tarmac Expert.
I don’t even try to hide how much of a Specialized fan boy I am (as I sit here in my red Specialized Factory Racing Team t-shirt). The 2010 Specialized Tarmac SL3 is a big just update for the top-of-the-line road/race bike from California-based Specialized and to show it off, Specialized has launched a cool little microsite for the bike. It turns out by the way that Fabian Cancellera was test riding one of these for the 2009 Giro d’Italia, though they had it camouflaged as a SL2 to keep it on the down low.
I’ve seen plenty of counterfeit products coming from China and Taiwan like iPods, iPhones and other various electronics, but I had no clue that there was an issue with counterfeit bikes. I guess it makes sense that anything in high demand and with a high price tag is a good target to emulate, reverse engineer or otherwise rip-off.
