Specialized to revive Globe banner as shop led eBike brand?

Specialized has teased a new electric bike product line under the Globe banner, something previously reserved for a line of city bikes.

The introductory note is light on detail, but does direct to globebikes.com, hinting at a separate branding being visible on this line. A preview image again doesn’t give too much away, other than a wide-tyred, upright posture bike with lots of carry capacity for goods. A hub motor is visible, as is a control unit on the handlebar, hinting that the revival of the Globe branding will be pedal-assisted.

What will be more interesting to bike shops, some of whom have recently been disillusioned with the brand’s B2C avenue opening, is a suggestion that the Globe brand will help the brand’s retail network to compete with a fast-expanding catalogue of B2C eBike brands largely sold online. Specialized has been active in adding stores of its own this year, in particular in the USA.

The Specialized Globe statement reads:

Today, Specialized is announcing the creation of a new business unit called Globe. Most everyday car trips are short, joyless, and bad for your wallet and the planet. Globe is an extension of the Specialized brand that will focus on bringing more fun to local living while reducing the number of car, truck, and SUV trips needed for everyday transportation.

Specialized’s purpose is to harness the power of the bicycle to pedal the planet forward. Globe will help us deliver on that promise in a new and more accessible way.

We’ll do this through a commitment to lifetime value and affordability with the products that we create, the way that we reach and communicate with new riders, and through our continued partnership with independent local bike shops who don’t currently benefit from the growth of direct-to-consumer exclusive brands. Globe will harness the power of the Specialized ecosystem to provide everyday riders with the widest nationwide network of sales and service opportunities.

Globe will serve riders with a growing number of everyday high performance EVs and the accessories that go with them. Globe bikes are built to move you, your family, and your things. Our plan is to start taking orders in late 2022 and deliver our first bikes to riders in early 2023. Globe will be available exclusively to USA riders at launch.