SAN JOSE, CA (BRAIN)—Former employees at Specialized can be found at hundreds of suppliers and retail stores throughout the world. And tonight many of them can found at the Dive Bar in San Jose. There, they will swap stories and perhaps tell the occasional lie about their tenure—however brief—at the Morgan Hill company.
This year’s gathering also benefits Trips for Kids. Those who show up are expected to drop a crisp twenty in the pot in exchange for a T-shirt. And if you bring a blank check you can bid on a mid 1980s Specialized Sequoia that Gary Hoisosington is donating to benefit the organization.
Former Specialized employees—along with a few current ones— have attended these impromptu gatherings for years. And each has more than a few stories to tell. But as one ex-employee said it’s not about “bashing Mike”—a reference to Mike Sinyard, Specialized’s founder and chief executive officer.
“Everybody knows that working for Mike isn’t that easy. He can make you crazy. But everybody who’s worked there learned a lot about the bicycle business and you can see that in the number of ex-Specialized employees and where they are today,” he said.
The bar also has a bunch of TVs hooked to a DVD player, organizers said. Anyone that has a DVD with video from an old Cactus Cup Race, world championship event, or anything else embarrassing is asked to bring it and share with crowd. There will be a hangover ride on Saturday. Maybe.
—Marc Sani
