Specialized Bicycle Components Specialized Bicycle Components Specialized Bicycle Components, Inc., commonly called "Specialized", is a United States-based company that designs, manufactures and markets bicycles, bicycle components and related products under the brand name "Specialized". The Morgan Hill, California-based company was founded in 1974 by Mike Sinyard — and since 2001 has been 49% owned by Taiwan-based Merida Bikes. The company was founded in 1974 by Mike Sinyard, a cycling enthusiast who sold his Volkswagen Bus for $1,500 to fund a cycle tour of Europe, where he bought handlebars and stems made by Cinelli to take back to the US. Sinyard started out importing
Trek Bicycle Corporation a mountain bike with the quick ride of a road bike: MultiTracks, Trek's first line of hybrid bikes, were born. That same year Trek also introduced its first line of kids’ bikes. In 1991 Trek opened its first company-owned retail store in nearby Madison, Wisconsin. In addition to showcasing a full line of Trek products, the Trek Store served as a hands-on sales training center for employees from Trek's headquarters who lacked retail experience. The store also provided an outlet for Trek to test merchandising and marketing ideas before expanding them to its network of independent bicycle dealers. In the