# Merida = Specialized??



## dragonq (Nov 5, 2006)

or Specialized = Merdia??










and more

https://s151.photobucket.com/albums/s147/mr_juicy_fit/


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## masshysteria (Apr 6, 2007)

Appears to be a shop in Taiwan that does work for both companies.


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## Johnny Hair Boy (Jul 11, 2004)

I think that merida owns a fair chunk of Specialized. I heard that somewhere a few years ago.


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## bbgobie (Apr 20, 2006)

Isn't Meridia the factory that manufacturers Specialized, and others?


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## Leadghost (Sep 13, 2004)

Johnny Hair Boy said:


> I think that merdia owns a fair chunk of Specialized. I heard that somewhere a few years ago.


Around 19% from what I've read. Spesh is manufactured in Merida's Taiwanese plants now instead of Giant's plants.

So Specialized = Merida, but Specialized still = Specialized when it comes to R&D and overall ownership.


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## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

Merida owns about 48-49% of Specialized. They also do much manufacturing overseas for other companies. All of the consumer level companies are fighting against one another, while at the top end, they are all in some sort of cooperation for mutual benefitand just leave the bottom end people to fight each other.


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## SlimTwisted (Jun 14, 2006)

Interesting, hadn't realized that there was a connection. I like some of the Merida AM models, hard to locate in the US market though it seems.


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## Trajan (Feb 9, 2004)

SlimTwisted said:


> Interesting, hadn't realized that there was a connection. I like some of the Merida AM models, hard to locate in the US market though it seems.


Connection, they have a connection of EPIC proportion:

http://www2.merida-bikes.com/en_INT/Bikes.Detail.49


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## SlimTwisted (Jun 14, 2006)

Indeed, while I hear a lot of mixed opinions about their bright green color schemes, there was always something I liked about them. In this new line of thinking, maybe it's the fact that on a trailhead filled with Speshies, a Merida is like having an exotic brand with the proven technology.


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## Johnny Hair Boy (Jul 11, 2004)

To bad the Merida's are all fuax bars. You would think they could get around the Specialized pattend if the have shared ownership.


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## dragonq (Nov 5, 2006)

IMHO, the production cost almost +60% higher because the installation of equipment for conservation, handling production wastes... in EU and US, specially making carbon, so they try to switch their production to other countries like Taiwan (one of the most polluted place).

Some companies still use their own R&D for sure, but some of them not.

---

here is a good example euro bike made oversea

http://www.colnago.com/en/catalogo2007/ibexmtbcabon.php


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

They own 49% of specialized and part of the sale of the company included an agreement NOT to sell their bikes in the USA (other than their electric bikes, which specialized doesn't do themselves). Its no great loss, the US market is small compared to the rest of the planet as a whole.


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## mishap (Jan 27, 2007)

This should be a pretty strong indicator they do share some technology.








Wouldn't surprise me if an Epic rear end bolted right up.

Perhaps the fact they are so close, they decided to keep FSR exclusive to Specialized to maintain the price premium.


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## sonyisdope (Jul 24, 2004)

I believe Merida owns 51% of Specialized actually. They do not use the Horst Linkage to differentiate their product lines (so they say). Merida makes all of the Specialized bikes overseas (that are manufactured overseas) for them as well. This is not news, this has been the way it is for the past few years. I always found it weird though that Merida ads would pop up in MBA once in a while too. There are no agreements to not sell bikes in the US though, they just don't do it.


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## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

Merida owns 49% to keep it under Specialized control.


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## tibug (Dec 5, 2006)

What's up with Merida using at least 7 inch rotors (many are hydros, to boot) for like all their bikes, including the XC races with 100 mm of travel?

I try not to worry about bike manufacturers and their relationships. It slows up the works!

Tim


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

mishap said:


> This should be a pretty strong indicator they do share some technology.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Merida was actually using that design (its licensed from a german company called Bergwerks) for longer than the Specialized Epic has existed. If anything, specialized R&D got the idea for the frame layout (which was needed to fit the THEN brain shock design) from looking at what their new "partner" produced already.

Many companies which could produce more advanced suspension designs than single-pivot linkages COULD do so, if they didn't still sell so well, and work so well. Merida has won world cup races with that design.


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## skiahh (Dec 26, 2003)

sonyisdope said:


> I believe Merida owns 51% of Specialized actually. They do not use the Horst Linkage to differentiate their product lines (so they say). Merida makes all of the Specialized bikes overseas (that are manufactured overseas) for them as well. This is not news, this has been the way it is for the past few years. I always found it weird though that Merida ads would pop up in MBA once in a while too. There are no agreements to not sell bikes in the US though, they just don't do it.


J_C's right; Merida has a 49% stake in Specialized. At least that was the latest I read. Always possible that it's changed in the last couple of years.

Merida also is where the frames are manufactured.


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## taikuodo (Jul 3, 2006)

Dude, the guy in beijing bicycle wears a Merida jersey!


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## Stuart B (Mar 21, 2005)

mishap said:


> This should be a pretty strong indicator they do share some technology.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Its not same tech as the epic. This is not horst, its a bit like a faux bar. Also this has something novel of its own, the top of the shock isn't the same pivot point as the rocker/seat tube pivit...it attachs on a third pivot point on the rocker...so the shock is effectively pressed in from both ends. no brain either.

it does look similar though, and it could be possible that the epic rear bolts up.

Not sure if its still there but there was an animation of it on the merida site.

Stu


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