The Gehrig Twins Sign with Specialized
Press Release
The Gehrig Twins are joining forces with Specialized for 2023 and beyond.
The Enduro World Series races have dictated the calendar of the two enduro riders for the last ten years, leaving little room for "left and right". With the opening of their own bike lodge "Flem Mountain Lodge" last summer, the two will no longer compete in the World Cup. But anyone who knows the Twins knows that giving up racing completely is not an option. Instead, the twins will try their hand at other cycling disciplines in the future and expand their horizons on two wheels. In this way, the twins will remain in the world of cycling in the future and continue to pass on their passion for the sport. All combined with their flair for adventure!
As one of the first sponsors of the power duo, Specialized had a great influence on their careers. In between, the two have traveled the world with their enduro bikes, achieved great results, gained valuable experience and made a name for themselves internationally. Now that the twins are on the road more locally, this is exactly the right time for Specialized Switzerland to bring the two back on board. Together, they have a series of events, races and adventures lined up, to ensure that Specialized and the Twins are causing sensations in Switzerland and beyond.
First up is a trip to the Canary Island for the Komoot Women's Rally to conquer the Gravel route Gran Guanche together with 50 other ladies.
Back to the roots: Enduro World Series Winterpark 2014
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Member since Jul 29, 2008
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I’d say I’m fairly into the adventure world on Instagram and honestly hadn’t heard of nor had most of my friends most of the people they cut. Bar a few. Even guys like Dylan Buffington, I thought he was an employee at specialized. Not an ambassador.
Probably saw such a small return and considering they’ve discontinued both of their “adventure” bikes. Was a good ten year run for most of them. Jobs don’t last forever.
Here a few things to consider about swiss wages (i think median wage currently is 6600.- CHF):
- the wages are usually talked about BEFORE taxes in Switzerland. So usually you don't get to hear what actually is in the pockets after tax. Where i lived so far, the taxes are somewhere around 1-2 monthly incomes. Depending on canton (state) and municipality.
- health care has a mandatory insurance, which isn't cheap! I guess most are around 350-500 CHF monthly. Depending on the level of hospitality you whish in the hospital (single room or nornal room) and in the base insurance it's about how much you have to pay first, before the insurance pays the rest. Pretty much open to the top.
- mobility isn't cheap here either. A General Abonnement (national train ticket) is around 4000 CHF per year or 335.- CHF monthly. If you want a car, you come quite cheap if you are around 350-400 CHF. Just gas alone is in the last couple years between 1.70 - 2.20 CHF / liter.
- rents are high. If you are somewhere in the flat land that has more than one bus each hour and maybe a Volg (small supermarket that is mostly in the countryside - why: long topic for an agroculture forum). It's easy to only find somewhat modern flat with 3.5 chambers and ~70 m^2 which are 1500 CHF and more per month.
In addition to all this, the prices for food and other everyday goods are high. There are several reasons for that. One is, that for a long time "swiss made" was a quality sign and the workers demanded a piece of the premium price people paid for those goods. The other thing is that some laws were put in place ages ago like that parallel imports were forbidden. There for the main importer or the producer of a good could basically set a fantasy price. This is still the case besides that law being changed e.g. with cosmetics. This lead to those people that work e.g. in a supermarket etc. demanding higher wages which lead to margin being smaller and companies increasing prices because certain people (e.g. owners of the companies) felt like they need more which leads to higher prices which leads to the demabd of higher wages to smaller margins to.... You get it.
Then there is that whole anit-EU movement made up by the rightwing and liberal parties. They won a vote on joining the european economy room (EWR) back in 1990 or so. Now all they aim for is holding status quo or even making a step back (i guess their goal is to get back to a country of poor farmers...). Instead of looking for cheaper health insurance or energy costs etc. their only working for their own pocket.
I am not an econimist though, so someone else probably can say more indepth what causes it. But i know from first hand experience how it is to live here...
I know it is hard to understand for foreigners, why we push our own products so far and why it is so important to keep our farmers and not just put housing on all these massive plots of land and import cheap stuff from Eastern Europe. But that is what you get in a real democracy - people decide what they want. If the general population was not happy about it, there is always the possibility of change getting a referendum going and getting everyone to vote about it...
Just saying
Kudos, dingdong!
It becomes an ethical thing at a certain point by principal not to support a company so driven by greed that taints our sport.
Dropping the global ambassador program sucks for those riders, but every employee needs to justify their wage otherwise you end up with a sinking ship full of rotten wood.
My point about the bikes still stands though, and their warranty service is pretty great.
bikeportland.org/2011/03/10/epic-wheel-works-will-change-name-due-to-potential-trademark-conflict-with-specialized-49504
That case and the Cafe Roubaix case, are quite old now. I'm not aware of any more recent examples.