“The Fourways area is one of the fastest developing commercial and residential hubs of Johannesburg,” said Peet Le Roux, the retail services manager of Specialized Bicycles Africa. “It was important for us to be part of this development, while the team from Melrose Arch was keen to tap into this market. Our corporate identity is continuously developing and refined to address the needs of our riders. The latest changes and designs were created by our retail team in Morgan Hill, California and this is the first shop in the world that will represent this new look. This shop will be equipped with all the bells and whistles, offering a high standard of service, product knowledge and a professional Body Geometry Fitting studio.”

“We have a well organised corporate identity that has been developed over the 40 years of Specialized history,” continues Le Roux. “Our dedicated retail services team educates our dealers and staff on the ground on visual merchandising, our products and general retail aspects. Our local retail services team works closely together with their global colleagues, to ensure we are always on top of the retail game and well informed of any CI developments. Thus, the global retail messages can reach our dealers directly through our local team and therefore we are able to keep our high standards and help our dealers to create the Specialized vibe. All Specialized dealer staff also attend product, merchandising and Body Geometry Fit classes held annually at our headquarters in Stellenbosch. These classes are hosted by our global SBCU (Specialized Bicycle Components University) program and are vital to achieve the standards of our premium brand.”

“We opened our Melrose Arch store almost three years ago. During that time we have seen an amazing growth in the demand for quality cycling products,” said Rob Ambler-Smith, owner Concept Cyclery Cedar Square. “The Fourways area is a major hub for cycling in Johannesburg, and we felt that given the number of cyclists in the area, there was an opportunity to open a Specialized Concept Store. The store offers the most comprehensive range of Specialized products in South Africa, a world class workshop and state of the art Body Geometry Fit studio that allows the bike to be tailored to your riding requirements. We are extremely proud of the new store. Our staff are well trained and geared to offer balanced advice and friendly and efficient service.”

Prominent Specialized athletes and ambassadors include XTERRA legends Conrad Stoltz and Dan Hugo; Olympic Triathlete Richard Murray; Dakar rally winner Giniel De Villiers; and former Springbok rugby players, Corne Krige and Tiaan Strauss.