Specialized apologises for anti-social cycling by its staff on company rides

Specialized has apologized to people living in the Californian city where it is based for anti-social riding by employees on lunchtime group rides from its headquarters.

The apology was made in an open letter from the US bike brand that was published on the website of local newspaper The Morgan Hill Times.

It came after a video was shared on Facebook last month by a journalist from San Francisco based TV station KRON4, who had received it from a viewer concerned about the behaviour of some of the cyclists.

The video was accompanied by an email from the viewer, whose name was not disclosed, in which a number of allegations were made against participants on the daily rides.

The viewer claimed:  “They run red lights, stop signs and in general take over the local streets. Although our little town has very wide bike lanes these riders ride 3-5 abreast and block all auto traffic in that direction.

“If there are children in the crosswalks as they run an intersection they are 'buzzed' by the cyclists that can number up to 60, zooming by at speed up to 24mph.

“I have seen the lead riders swarm cars that, although having the right of way, the lead cyclist seemed to feel were in their way.

“They beat on the sheet metal and pound on the glass of these cars. I have witnessed children in these cars in hysterics as they thought they would be harmed by the riders.”

The person said that they had contacted local police about the riders’ behaviour, who had in turn got in touch with Specialized.

They claimed to have received “thinly veiled threats” from people who said they worked for the company, and that Specialized had said part of the problem was hiring foreign riders who “do not understand US traffic laws” and that “many of the bikes being ridden are prototypes that must be tested in race track conditions so they are not required to obey traffic controls.”

The complainant also alleged that police were powerless to act because, according to a Specialized employee, the company has “an arrangement with the city that permits them to ride as they wish because they provide jobs and pay a large amount of property taxes.”

Whether or not there is any truth to some of those allegations, Specialized’s response showed that the company acknowledged that there was a problem and that among other things, it would remind staff of the rules of the road.

In its letter addressed to the Morgan Hill Community, the company said it “would like to apologize for the inconveniences caused by the large number of cyclists that ride each day from our company and the lack of riding etiquette while out on the roads of Morgan Hill.”

It went on: “Effective immediately we have changed our lunch ride route so it no longer goes through the Paradise Valley Neighborhood. We are working directly with Specialized employees to educate and enforce the California State Vehicle Code regulations as they pertain to cyclists.

Specialized added: “We are working closely with the Morgan Hill Police Department to create safer road situations for both cyclists and motorists and will be working together to plan a safety course in the near future.”

The company also said that it had drawn up “How We Roll” guidelines for participants on the rides, as follows:

RESPECT for all traffic laws, like responsible and intelligent adults

RESPECT to all those we encounter: motorists, riders, runners, kids in crosswalks, etc.

BE COOL and say hello to everyone we meet while out riding

DON’T FORGET that when we ride we are representing both Specialized and cyclists at large

BE RESPONSIBLE and have the courage to remind anyone that is not riding in accordance.

Specialized, which has been based in Morgan Hill for more than 35 years, added: “Going forward we are committed to following the rules of the road and being better at sharing with other people out and about.”