Mike Sinyard: 50 years at the helm of Specialized, and still all in
In 1974, Mike Sinyard sold his Volkswagen van to go and buy bike components in Italy. Fifty years later, Specialized is one of the most iconic brands in world cycling — and at 77, he still rides. He welcomed En Roue Libre to the Morgan Hill headquarters in California for the most personal episode we’ve ever recorded.
“Riding is my Ritalin”
Mike has ADHD, diagnosed late. Fourteen years ago, he read the story of a kid who told his doctor that riding was his Ritalin. He called the doctor, learned no pharmaceutical company would ever fund the research, and decided to fund it himself. Today, 50,000 kids go through his OutRide foundation every year.
Specialized, past and future
The Stumpjumper, born without a single piece of market research; Robert Egger’s arrival; Chinese brands (“it’s nothing new”); DJI’s Avinox, gravel, artificial intelligence, women’s racing, succession… A rare conversation with a founder who never retired.
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