Letter to Bicycle Dealers from the Publisher of Bicycle Guide and MTB Magazines

This letter was included in copies of Bicycle Guide sent to Bicycle Dealers. After reading this try to consider how objective reviews in Bicycle Guide and MTB magazines of product categories that happen to include Specialized goods will be. In buying the 4th (back) cover of these magazines, Specialized may have also bought their objectivity.

September, 1995

Dear Bicycle Dealer,

MTB Magazine is pleased to introduce SPECIALIZED's new 1996 GROUND CONTROL line of full suspension bicycles. GROUND CONTROL is presented for the first time on the back of MTB's October issue and is sent to you directly for an advanced preview of this exciting bicycle line.

Available in October, bicycle dealers will have the opportunity to broaden their customer base with a new category of bikes incorporating rear triangle suspension. The key to GROUND CONTROL is AIM - Active Independent Mechanism. This allows the bikes to achieve fully active, independent pivot action resulting in suspension neutrality. One of the best features of GROUND CONTROL for both the dealers and consumers is that SPECIALIZED has brought high technology down to affordable price points.

Racing performance over the years has resulted in what SPECIALIZED deems "the ultimate full-suspension bike." We are very pleased to be the first to introduce you to GROUND CONTROL - "The plush way to crush" in one of the fastest growing mountain bike publications, MTB "The Ultimate Mountain Bike Magazine." Enjoy.

Best Regards,

Joe Kensil

Publisher

MTB / BICYCLE GUIDE Magazines

Maybe I'm naive, but I thought this type of endorsement and manipulation wouldn't be associated with Petersen Publishing who sells the Back Cover of the Bicycle Guide magazine for $5,815 and the Back Cover of MTB magazine for $3,565 on a 9 time rate.