That’s just one of many memes exploding on social media regarding Specialized Bikes’ litigation against Cafe Roubaix Bike Studio. In case you’ve been out bike packing the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, Dan Richter is being forced to change the name of his bike shop because Specialized owns the rights to the word “roubaix.” Never mind the name of the French village behind the curtain or its storied place in cycling.
Dan Richter, an Afghan-War vet battling Post-Tramatic Stress Disorder, named Cafe Roubaix Bike Studio after the French villa as an homage. Specialized Bikes markets the word “roubaix” under it’s S-Works Rubaix line. So the stage was set for what Specialized lawyers feel is simply defending a trademark. Life, however, is never so simple. Read more here.
For many, this is one of many litigious actions by Specialized under somewhat specious conditions from Mountain Cycles “Stumptown” to Horst Link litigation and more. The biking community will continue to debate these decisions but by far most see Specialized’s continued use of lawyers as detrimental to cycling as a whole. Others see it as hypocritical given that Specialized started off by taking Ritchey designs to the masses. Probably the most poignant expression of disapproval comes from this open letter to Specialized’s Mike Sinyard.
You can show your support on the “Roubaix Belongs To All Of Us” page on Facebook or consider a donation to the Cafe Roubaix Indiegogo fund.
The community continues to show its disfavor. The Specialized Facebook page is riddled with references to the story. And various homages to the growing PR disaster are being shared among cyclists. Here are a few:
Storied endurance cyclist Mike Hall shared the “New Paris-Roubaix route” on Facebook.
Our title inspiration:
And even some top-tube decals:
And more:
