How a global bike brand courts Olympians, creators and casual riders

Considering his catalog of bikes, Ben Edwards said he can point to a way that every model was improved from listening to a rider.

“We can take the learnings from an epic mountain bike that just won an Olympic gold medal to the bike someone can buy because they just want to start riding to work from a sustainability standpoint,” said Edwards, global marketing leader at Specialized Bikes. “It becomes a flywheel that those riders feel when they ask us to make a change.”

Whether the brand is working with an installation artist or an Olympic cyclist, Specialized Bikes knows relinquishing control builds partnerships that stick. 

Using athletes and creators as more than just marketing vessels drives brand affinity—80% of consumers would be more likely to buy from brands who partner with influencers beyond just social media content, according to social media management tool Sprout Social. 

Through a mix of steady partnerships with artists, athletes and casual bike enthusiasts, Specialized is focused on product innovation from the top down while building a brand that is both competitive and approachable. Sometimes, that means partnering with people like Gordon Ramsay, whom the brand found out was a Specialized enthusiast when he walked into a store and bought a bike. 

“As a premium performance brand, we need to make sure we don’t lose who we are by chasing trends or likes,” said Edwards, “but it’s super gratifying to find talented creators who have this affinity for Specialized.” 

Securing the splashy endorsements

This summer, the brand received heightened visibility when cyclist Remco Evenepoel won double gold at the Olympics riding a Specialized bike. 

“Remco has been with the brand since he was 16 years old,” said Edwards. “It’s those kinds of relationships that can just naturally and authentically inspire a rider to put his bike right in front of him with his arms in the air in front of the Eiffel Tower after winning an Olympic gold medal.” 

To help professional athletes stay committed to his brand, Edwards has found that putting their feedback into the fold is what builds loyalty. 

“You measure a cyclist's power in wattage, and it really comes down to how many watts you can put out as an athlete,” he said. “ If we can help them save two or three watts with a helmet, set of wheels or bike frame, suddenly they have a 20 watt advantage. It’s about Formula 1 level attention to detail and close relationship with an athlete to serve their needs.” 

Amplifying artistry 

Applying this philosophy to his creator network at large, Specialized has found that the best collaborations come from treating partners like creative strategists. This summer, the brand worked with artist and creative director Jessie Bearden on a portrait of Evenepoel for the Tour de France.

“I used fully biodegradable pigments made out of charcoal, limestone, plant material and minerals mixed with water,” wrote Bearden, who has garnered a following on both TikTok and Instagram for her work. “It will rinse away and won’t cause any harm to the beautiful environment.” 

The partnership was a testament to respecting artistry and relinquishing creative control, according to Edwards. 

“We said, 'We love what you do, and we want to do something fun at The Tour De France. Can you help us think of something fun? What would this look like in your world?'” he said. “The traditional way is finding the problem we want to solve and giving a very specific brief, but we work with creators in a much more high-level way.” 

Edwards also highlighted the brand’s relationship with Gee Milner, who has garnered a fanbase from building bikes online. While not a professional biker himself, Edwards stressed his attention to detail and creativity that he adds a depth to the brand that can’t just come from athlete endorsements. 

“Social media has allowed us to reach new audiences that aren’t necessarily paying attention to specialists,” he said, “but they are paying attention to a creator who happens to love cycling and Specialized." 

Engaging the everyday rider 

To engage with the people who haven’t made careers out of cycling, Specialized is also focused on aligning with consumer values. For its 50th anniversary, the brand launched “Reduce, Reuse, ReSpecialized," a program that will offer free tune-ups and helmets for kids, as well as discounted repairs for any bike and brand. 

 The brand supports Outride, a nonprofit that recognizes the mental and physical health benefits of riding a bike and has brought cycling to 50,000 middle school students. 

“Bikes can feel pretty technical,” said Edwards.“We want to give our core riders those technical details, but we need to demystify and remove barriers to riding. We put a lot of time and energy into bringing new people into the sport.”