In mint comdition.
The Specialized Globe line of bicycles has been around since the early nineties with a focus on short distance commuter and city bikes. With the recent economic downturn, rising gas prices and a renewed interest in urban riding, Specialized has taken the bold step and converted the Globe line into a complete brand. The new Globe brand, which will launch in 2010, was introduced Thursday in the bike friendly city of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The new Globe brand is big departure for Specialized, which has built its reputation on road and mountain bike race courses around the world. Instead of using the Specialized name to drive sales of Globe bikes, Globe is now separate and focused on changing the way people use bicycles in their daily lives. The Globe brand’s vision is to ‘Inspire everyone to a cycling lifestyle.’ To achieve this vision Globe as its own team of designers and engineers separate from Specialized and dedicated solely to the Globe’s vision.
When developing the brand the Globe team set out to create a line of bikes that they hoped will become integrated into people’s lives, essentially replacing their cars whenever possible. To establish the brand, the Globe team created a line of five bikes that while all serving different functions are united by the brands vision and several unique design features.
The consistent theme throughout the Globe line is the ultra clean design and muted color palette that was inspired by the classic Volkswagen bug. Another theme of note is the absence of branding on the frame and components. Without looking closely at the head tube badge it is virtually impossible to tell the make of the bicycle. This is a refreshing change compared to the heavily branded offerings of other manufacturers. There are also subtle chevron shaped elements on the seat clamp, fenders and head tube badge. The head tube badge is another element that is carried through the Globe line and is unique in that allows the rider to insert a 2 x 3.5-inch business card or picture for a bit of customization ? see Chewy above.
