Chinese law enforcement, working with Specialized and AliExpress, has seized more than US$1.6 million in counterfeit high‑end bike parts after raids on two factories in March 2025, in what Specialized is calling the largest anti‑counterfeiting operation in its history.
Announced publicly on 5 December via a PR Newswire release, the bust centred on carbon frames and wheels that looked like top‑tier race kit but, according to Specialized’s testing, failed basic safety standards, “sometimes catastrophically”. Seven individuals were arrested and prosecuted, the companies said.
Roughly US$1.1 million of the seized stock carried Specialized marks, including fake Tarmac SL8 frames, Roval wheels and handlebars, forks, seatposts and some 9,500 sets of decals. The factories were also producing knock‑offs of other premium names, with goods mimicking brands such as Pinarello, Cannondale, Cervélo and Trek.
"Specialized is unwavering in its commitment to protecting its riders and upholding a zero-tolerance policy against dangerous counterfeit products," said Andrew Love, Global Brand Protection Manager at Specialized. "The success of this largest counterfeit bust in the cycling industry highlights the impact of collaboration between brands like ours and tech-driven platforms like AliExpress."
Specialized’s brand‑protection team first flagged suspiciously cheap listings on AliExpress, then made test purchases and confirmed the products were fake. AliExpress used its data tools to trace the sellers back to physical manufacturing sites in China, before passing evidence to local authorities for the raids.
For riders, that “too good to be true” superbike frame or wheelset from a third‑party seller is not just an intellectual‑property issue, it can be a direct safety threat. Counterfeit carbon is not built or tested to the standards of genuine kit, and when it fails it often fails without warning.
Velora has contacted Specialized's brand-protection team for further comment and advice on identifying counterfeit products.
