6 Questions with Dave George of Gear Change
Cape Town’s riding scene is booming and Gear Change has quickly become one of its most recognizable community hubs. In this interview, founder Dave George reflects on the brand’s roots, its commitment to inspiring people to ride and the vision driving its latest expansion into Green Point.
Myles: Gear Change has become a recognizable name in Cape Town’s riding community. What gap in the market did you originally set out to fill when you opened your first shop and how has that vision evolved over time?
Dave: Our purpose has always been to inspire people to ride bikes. It’s about that connection you and I have with a bicycle. If we are not riding we are grumpy. It’s the centre of our lives. Where we think, where we connect. It’s non-negotiable. We would like to be multipliers of that. Our business goal is to build out as many local bike shops as is viable in the Western Cape. To be the local bike shop. Where you go for great service, hospitality and human connection around a common passion for the bicycle.
Myles: Your new Green Point store marks the third Gear Change location. What made Green Point the right fit for expansion, and how will this branch differ from or build upon your existing shops?
Dave: We felt like the city and the Atlantic seaboard are under served. Yes there is a high LSM customer that perhaps won’t travel to our other stores, but there is also a wave of young health and lifestyle conscious people semi-grating to the city. Where do they go to buy a bike on a Saturday? We also believe Cape Town has a huge rental bike opportunity similar to Majorca and Girona. Our intention is to build out a rental fleet. Green Point is perfect for this. More and more people wish to travel without their bikes.
Myles: Cape Town’s riding culture has grown tremendously in recent years. How has Gear Change adapted to serve both the passionate weekend warrior and the performance-driven semi-professional athlete?
Dave: We were obviously always performance driven as that’s our DNA. We love to race, we also just love to ride. We are passionate about being fit, healthy and purpose driven. Teaching our customers. If we can take a customer on a journey to achieve a life goal like Cape Epic, it’s incredibly rewarding! We love servicing at the races. We love the stories at the end of an incredible adventure. Enough time has passed that most of our customers don’t remember my career. Taking newbie’s through the sport is also fun. Our goal is always to get them as hooked as we are. Then just be there for them.
Myles: From customer experiences to workshop expertise, Gear Change has a reputation for hands-on service. What guiding principles shape your approach to customer engagement and community building?
Dave: When we roll out a new store we already have processes and templates that work in our other stores, so it gets easier and maybe a little fancier as we are not starting from scratch. We are grateful and committed to continue to offer the full Trek range and customer experience as in our other stores. New to Green Point we will also have a Pinarello store-in-store. We have a great working relationship with the group that owns Pinarello and this has made it an easy fit. We are very excited to up the Pinarello experience in South Africa.
Myles: Sustainability and mobility are increasingly influencing urban design. How do you see Gear Change contributing to Cape Town’s future as a more cycle-friendly city?
Dave: There are so many issues facing our country at the moment that it is just really hard to get funding to make safe routes to commute. I am optimistic that if the DA can win the major metros in the next municipal elections we will start to see rapid change! The world is moving towards bicycles and not away from them. We would love to be part of the change in the city. It needs to be much safer than it is! All of my team commute some, if not all of the time and we encourage them to ride.
Myles: Opening a new store during a time of rapid industry change is bold. What trends in cycling and retail excite you most right now and how is Gear Change preparing to stay ahead?
Dave: We stuck to our values over the last years and strove to be more compelling in service and hospitality. We are not selling price. Best price and best service never exist in the same organisation. The businesses that fell or are falling during the post-COVID bust were all price driven, Chain Reaction and bike24 are the best examples. Customers who drive on price often drive the poor service outcomes they get. It can never be exceptional unless you put value to the service your local bike shop offers.
We believe in bikes and the future of bikes and have built a resilient business so that we can take opportunities when others can’t. We are passionate about teaching our team the skills required to be competent industry operators. Our workshops are the life blood of our stores. It’s where we can deliver more than expected. I guess, in the end, our goal of wanting to be your favourite bike shop is what drives us forward. // gearchange.co.za