This case study is about Specialized Bicycle Components Inc. known as Ride the Red S. Specialized was founded in 1974 by Mike Sinyard. According to Chris Murphy, director of marketing for Red S, specialized is for serious riders. He says, The customer is buying the ride from us, not just the bike. The company began to produce its own bike parts by 1976, and introduced the first major production mountain bike in the world in 1980. Specialized now has an extensive global distribution network of 5000 retailers in 35 countries in Asia, North retailers in 35 countries in Asia, North America, South America, and Australia. They maintained a reputation as the technological leader in the bike and bike accessories. The formal mission is still the same since they established the company To give everyone the best ride of their life. Specialized produces a full range of high- end and entry-level road bikes, mountain bikes, commuter/city bikes, children's bikes, BMX bikes, and offers an extensive line of bike accessories. They divide the bikes, BMX bikes, and offers an extensive line of bike accessories. They divide the bike market in two categories: (1) the retailer- it only sells to the retailer because they realizes a strong relationship with the dealers is a key factor for success. (2) The end-user consumer- its focus in designing the product and broken down into the target age groups. These question focus on the three steps of the planning phase of the strategic process: a. Do a SWOT analysis for Specialized Bicycles. In assessing the internal factors (strengths and weaknesses), use the material provided in the case. In assessing the external factors (opportunities and threats) augment the case material with what you see happening in the bicycle industry. IN b. Using your SWOT analysis, select target markets on which you might focus for present and potential bikers. 3:46 PM