Known for its performance race bikes, Specialized was challenged by the comfort category of bicycles. My team was tasked with a complete redesign of the company’s comfort bike, and set out to design something that could meet the needs of the comfort rider while simultaneously reflecting a performance brand ethos.​

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Interviews and shop visits with the rider group across the U.S., U.K., Scandinavia and Brazil revealed both local differences and global similarities in riding behaviors. Riders in this category were found to be more serious about their riding than previously thought, opening the door for a premium positioning.

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Analyzing the interview and shop visit data with the design team led us to five guiding principles in the development of the new bike.

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Throughout the eighteen-month development process, we worked closely between the product development and design team to ensure that insights from the research were reflected in the final product. We also built a launch marketing plan to elevate the bike family to the level of Specialized performance bikes. The bike far exceeded all sales expectations in its first year.