February 15, 2018: Allez Update

Update: 2/15

Thank you for your patience as we've worked to address the safety concern relating to Model Year 2018 Allez (Base), Allez Sport, and Allez Elite forks.

We're happy to report that we've received approval for our fork recall and replacement program, and we've been working hard to source replacement forks to get you back riding as quickly as possible. Starting today, we will begin delivery of forks to your retailer, who will install the new fork on your bike at no cost to you.

As we've stated before, availability of forks will initially be limited, but we expect more forks to arrive each week. We anticipate having sufficient quantities to serve all riders globally by the end of March at the latest.

Your retailer will be contacting you via email to provide further detail on the recall and the replacement program. When a fork is available to match your bike, your retailer will contact you to schedule the replacement at your convenience.

Please email [email protected] or call directly at (800) 722-4423 if you have any questions.

On behalf of the Global Rider Care team, thank you for riding Specialized.

Jon Goulet

Director, Global Quality and Rider Care

UPDATE: 1/24/2018

In December we issued a notice asking you to stop riding your affected Allez, and that we'd replace your fork with a new one painted to match. At this time, we are happy to update that production of replacement forks is going according to plan and without delay. Pending regulatory approval, we expect being able to replace forks beginning in early February.

Please be aware that while our team is working hard with our suppliers to meet global demand, initial quantities will be limited. We will be allocating forks on a first-come, first-served basis. Priority will be given to riders who have signed up in advance at their retailer. If you have not done so already, we invite you to contact your retailer and provide your bike details and contact information so that we can prioritize your replacement.

When you sign up for a new fork, we will offer you a credit of $75 to use on Specialized merchandise at your local retailer. Please note this pre-order is NOT necessary to be eligible for a new fork or the $75 gift from Specialized, but it will help us get you a fork as quickly as possible.

Our next communication on this topic will be in early February. At that time we should be able to provide specific details to you and your retailer to get you a new fork. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact your retailer or Specialized Rider Care.

Thanks again for your patience, and thanks for riding Specialized.

Regards,

Jon Goulet, Director of Global Quality and Rider Care

12/13/2017

Dear Specialized Rider:

At Specialized, safety is our primary concern, and when safety is compromised for the rider, we need to take action.

After careful examination, we've concluded that some model year 2018 Allez, Allez Elite, and Allez Sport model bikes may contain a manufacturing defect in the fork crown which potentially affects safety. Therefore, we've decided to prepare for a recall which will involve replacing the existing fork with a new fork.

By this letter, we're asking riders to stop riding, and our dealers to stop selling, affected bicycles. Even though, to our knowledge, no one has been injured and no regulatory agency has brought this to our attention.

We've already engaged our considerable manufacturing resources to supply high-quality replacement forks, painted to match your bikes. Riders who've purchased these bikes will be our first priority for replacement, followed by our retailers. As riders ourselves, we fully understand and are working hard at finding solutions to minimize your inconvenience. We hope you'll understand and appreciate that we will need time to obtain necessary government approvals and time for our factories to produce a sufficient quantity of forks for the recall.

We assure you that getting you, the rider, back on your bike is our highest priority, and that we're working day and night to make this happen as quickly as possible. As we progress, we'll provide regular updates to you on Specialized.com. And when we begin to deliver replacement forks, we will promptly notify all concerned.

For questions, please contact Specialized Rider Care at (877) 808-8154.

On our part, we wish to apologize for this inconvenience.

Mark Schroeder, Director of Engineering