Specialized launch Globe Haul ST, the brands first eCargo bike

Specialized has today announced the launch of the Globe Haul ST, the brands first eCargo bike.

Coming to market some 10 months after the May 2022 teaser campaign, Specialized points to the Globe Haul ST as the first of a line of cargo eBikes – an entirely new category of eBike for the brand – which fills the gap between a commuter eBike and a car.  For Specialized the Haul ST marks the start of a new ecosystem of products and accessories focused on meeting the everyday transport needs of people looking to a bike as a new means of getting from A to B.

Lots to like

Lets start with price. At $2,700 USD the Globe Haul ST is definitely stepping off on the right foot. ‘Accessible’ is the word (relative to what other eCargo bikes with serious load capacity* sell for).

The brand outlines that Haul ST is designed with increased load capacity, paired with a versatile accessory mounting system, something we can expect to see across the Globe line; a range designed to enable people to travel comfortably in urban and rural environments, providing robust, capable, adaptable, dependable, good old utilitarian transport; 100% ideal for replacing mundane daily ‘run around’ use of a car.

The Globe Haul ST also launches with an accessory line that includes front and rear pannier adaptors, a rear passenger seat, handlebars, and foot pegs, an MIK-ready front rack, rear wheel cover, and plug-in throttle. A rack customization kit also provides various hardware to bolt on just about anything to the front.

With this load carrying capability in mind, the line’s inaugural model, the Globe Haul ST, uses a sturdy, premium aluminium frame equipped with a hub-driven custom-tuned motor to transport up to 190Kg* (419Lbs) for up to 60 miles on a single charge. The motor comes with 5 levels of pedal assistance, making even steep climbs completely manageable. Pedal assist is controlled through the Globe Haul ST’s handlebar remote HMI, which also displays the state of charge, estimated remaining range, and odometer.

Utilizing a one-size-fits all design, featuring a dual telescoping seat post and adjustable handlebars means the Haul ST can accommodate riders from 4’5” to 6’4″ tall. The step through frame makes mounting and dismounting easy, even when the bike is laden with groceries, gear, or passengers. The bike is mounted on extra small, 20″ double wall alloy rims and quiet yet capable Carless Whisper Reflect 20″ x 3.5″ tires which the brand highlights gives the Haul ST it’s agile and comfortable ride quality.

The Globe line is backed by a lifetime frame and a 2-yearelectrical warranty, giving owners peace of mind that their cargo bike is built for the long haul.

What’s not to like?

The Globe Haul ST will initially launch exclusively into the US market. Yes, it’s the brands home market. No, it’s not where the largest (Germany), and fastest growing (Europe) eCargo bike customer base is.

And then there’s how that launch is being delivered.

The Globe Haul ST will launch with an exclusive presale for customers who signed up early for the bike’s waiting list. The limited quantities will be available by special invite, which will begin hitting inboxes (and mailboxes) at the beginning of March. The presale goes live on March 8, 2023, at 9:00 AM PST, with its B2C date of March 9, 2023, at 9:00 AM PST.

‘Exclusive presale’. ‘Waiting list’. ‘Special invite’ Did someone from 1997 call and say they wanted their influencer (Hollywood A lister) Prius back? How can a brand so heavily mismatch the launch experience to the product, end user, and market place it enters into?

Has not attending Eurobike (as a brand), and relying on almost entirely US based brand, marketing, and communications staff, already come back to bite? Where is the understanding that ‘Cycling as Transport’ is not that kind of fanboy / fangirl sector?

The eCargo bike is not a latest ‘must have’ lifestyle accessory. In markets where the eCargo bike is already well established, and growing strongly, ‘Utilitarian’ is the word, used as high praise. That single word forms the basis around which all product communication is built. Even a cursory glance at the competition in this sector would clearly identify the type and style of language being used. Marketing to people who don’t call themselves cyclists takes something entirely different.

As for ‘limited quantities’, that kind of availability is suggestive of a brand feeling out entry into a market sector, one in which established names have been staples for years already. Is that why the ‘US only’ soft launch? Is that why the ‘fans of the brand’ style launch strategy? It gets even more puzzling when you know that, “used cargo bikes have an average mileage of almost double that of commuter, sport, or, performance ebikes in the US market…“. So what’s the thinking with the Globe launch strategy? Are Specialized concerned Globe won’t fly at home in the US, much less in what should be its primary target market; Europe?

Specialized goes on to say that they are serving customers in whatever channel they prefer, allowing them to choose between home delivery and shipping to their local retailer for pick up and optional assembly service. So assembly by a bike shop is now ‘optional’? How does that work with warranty support?

Whatever the outcome, the industry will be watching with interest. With Trek recently launching the Fetch+ 2 and Fetch+ 4 eCargo bikes, direct competitors for product from brands such as Urban Arrow and Riese & Müller, the stakes are certainly getting higher.