Events

Introducing Specialized Paarl – A new benchmark as a destination store

Supplied by Specialized Bicycles Africa

· By Bike Hub Features · 28 comments

On 1 February 2021 Specialized Paarl opened its doors to the public in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic. 

Set in a converted wine cellar on a working wine and fruit farm the Specialized Paarl store nestles beneath the magnificent backdrop of Paarl mountain. The name Paarl comes from the Dutch, “Parel” for Pearl from the granite outcrop that crests the mountain overlooking the town. Huge glass windows offer panoramic views of the Paarl valley and the Du Toitskloof mountains in the distance, reminding customers of the endless potential for adventure that lies in wait.

 

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The store is the brainchild of Paul Neethling and Darren Herbst, who share a vision of a community hub for the town where cyclists and their families feel welcome and are able to relax and spend time together in a comfortable environment. This ethos is the common thread that winds its way through every aspect of the store from the friendly and welcoming staff, to the light, airy retail floor and world-class workshop to the homely feel of Knus Karoo Kitchen next door. Their goal is to offer cyclists a holistic, one-stop experience- from purchase to bike-fit, trail permits, events and a place where the whole family feels welcome. Parents are able to have a cup of coffee or a glass of wine at Knus Karoo Kitchen, while the kids enjoy the pump track.

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Walking into the store, you’ll be welcomed by the experienced and friendly sales team, who are ready to point you in the right direction whether you need specific technical guidance or are just browsing. The spacious workshop and stellar team of mechanics are near at hand, ready to give your bicycle the care it deserves.

The Retül Fit room is equipped with a state-of-the art Retül Vantage 3D motion capture fit system, to make sure you are perfectly set up on your bike: comfortable and able to eke out every last watt when you need it.

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The farm forms part of the Paarl Adventure Trails network and there are over 400km of trails running from the doorstep. The maintenance and development of these trails remains a focus for Darren, and acts as a drawcard for new and existing customers looking for a convenient and safe starting point for their rides.

The Hero Legacy project also offers foundation classes every Wednesday to introduce 3 – 12-year old’s to the joy of cycling free of charge on the pump track at the front of the store. These classes serve to bring the local community together and expose youngsters from a range of backgrounds to the basics of bike-riding.

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The trail network plays host to range of mountain bike and trail running events which draw riders to the area, most notably the recent Paarl MTB Challenge served as SA Marathon Champs, bringing elite athletes from around the country to dice it out for the national jersey. With ample secure parking and easy access from the N1 Highway, Specialized Paarl is perfectly positioned to assist both locals and visiting riders, whether racing or just enjoying the spectacular scenery.

If you are passing through the Paarl pop in for a coffee and a chat with Darren and the friendly team. The store is open from 08:00 to 17:30 during the week and from 07:30 to 14:00 on Saturdays and Public Holidays.
 

Specialized Paarl
Physical address: Pieter Hugo, Paarl, 7646 (Google map)
Telephone: +27 21 036 2800
Instagram: @specializedpaarl
Email: info@specializedpaarl.com

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Comments

Shebeen

Jun 4, 2021, 9:44 AM

Looks like they've done their homework. should be successful and worth a visit. 

Tiny K

Jun 7, 2021, 9:00 PM

On 6/4/2021 at 11:44 AM, Shebeen said:

Looks like they've done their homework. should be successful and worth a visit. 

Believe you me, It'll be worth the visit! ????

Chris_

Jun 8, 2021, 5:56 AM

Was this the shop Cyril bought his Spez?

That would be quite an opening gambit for the shop.

ChrisF

Jun 8, 2021, 6:03 AM

6 minutes ago, Chris_ said:

Was this the shop Cyril bought his Spez?

That would be quite an opening gambit for the shop.

He bought at Revolution cycles, according to N24

Steady Spin

Jun 8, 2021, 7:45 AM

Great looking store for a great brand.

Well done to everyone involved. It will definitely do well! 

thebob

Aug 11, 2021, 12:25 PM

Typical. Invest all the money in a swanky shop then don't even bother to answer emails

Specialized Bicycles

Aug 11, 2021, 2:10 PM

1 hour ago, thebob said:

Typical. Invest all the money in a swanky shop then don't even bother to answer emails

Hi there,

If you have not received a response to your email query from the store please drop a mail with your details and your enquiry to ridercare-za@specialized.com and we'll ensure you get the info you need.

Have a great day further!

thebob

Aug 11, 2021, 2:19 PM

8 minutes ago, Specialized Bicycles said:

Hi there,

If you have not received a response to your email query from the store please drop a mail with your details and your enquiry to ridercare-za@specialized.com and we'll ensure you get the info you need.

Have a great day further!

Thanks, I will do so

thebob

Aug 17, 2021, 5:00 PM

And just like that a Scott instead of a Specialized was bought

MajG

Aug 17, 2021, 5:28 PM

27 minutes ago, thebob said:

And just like that a Scott instead of a Specialized was bought

This due to poor service or scott having better product and service?

ChrisF

Aug 17, 2021, 5:37 PM

37 minutes ago, thebob said:

And just like that a Scott instead of a Specialized was bought

ENJOY !

thebob

Aug 17, 2021, 7:36 PM

2 hours ago, MajG said:

This due to poor service or scott having better product and service?

Specialized Paarl took 7 days to reply to a query submitted on their fancy online sales system. Specialized SA offered to help after my initial observation above and have still not replied to an email and a PM, also after 7 days. In the meantime my local Scott dealer was super responsive and arranged a new Spark 910 for me.

DIPSLICK

Aug 17, 2021, 8:14 PM

37 minutes ago, thebob said:

Specialized Paarl took 7 days to reply to a query submitted on their fancy online sales system. Specialized SA offered to help after my initial observation above and have still not replied to an email and a PM, also after 7 days. In the meantime my local Scott dealer was super responsive and arranged a new Spark 910 for me.

Oops,,, happy safe enjoyable miles

SwissVan

Aug 18, 2021, 3:58 AM

8 hours ago, thebob said:

Specialized Paarl took 7 days to reply to a query submitted on their fancy online sales system. Specialized SA offered to help after my initial observation above and have still not replied to an email and a PM, also after 7 days. In the meantime my local Scott dealer was super responsive and arranged a new Spark 910 for me.

Out of interest can you share what the query was?

 

Thomo

Aug 18, 2021, 4:25 AM

I've had good comms experience with Spez SA in the past, so that's a bit surprising.

Stores are a different story and can often be hit and miss particularly when they don't have a dedicated online presence. (and even when they do)

Some will argue pick up a phone if it's important/urgent enough.

The addition of live chat to some sites has also improved things a bit.

 

thebob

Aug 18, 2021, 6:01 AM

2 hours ago, SwissVan said:

Out of interest can you share what the query was?

 

The Spez website indicated an Epic Evo in stock at the dealership. Went to their site and saw they had a dedicated online query system. Filled in all my details and was given the indication they would be in touch ASAP. ????‍♂️

Tomik

Aug 18, 2021, 6:47 AM

Similar story with Spez Tygervalley. Needed a helmet on one occasion, they didn't have my size so said would order and call me back. Still waiting for the call...

Same story with MTB shoes - no call-back received. Needless to say, I don't have a Spez helmet or shoes. And am extremely unlikely to buy from a Spez shop in future. 

So some basic advice to the new shop: Follow up on orders and requests. Sure not all will convert to a sale but if you let a few slide, you will lose customers. 

lechatnoir

Aug 18, 2021, 7:35 AM

41 minutes ago, Tomik said:

Similar story with Spez Tygervalley. Needed a helmet on one occasion, they didn't have my size so said would order and call me back. Still waiting for the call...

Same story with MTB shoes - no call-back received. Needless to say, I don't have a Spez helmet or shoes. And am extremely unlikely to buy from a Spez shop in future. 

So some basic advice to the new shop: Follow up on orders and requests. Sure not all will convert to a sale but if you let a few slide, you will lose customers. 

Same old story... what the service provider seems to miss is that what seems to be the smallest thing is actually a big deal for the customer. Dropping the customer when they are trying to solve their monumental crisis is actually a big deal for the customer. Look after the customer's small things and the customers will look after the service provider when it comes to buying big things.

Oddly, at some point in their life, the service provider IS actually a customer. Don't they get annoyed by poor service? Can't they relate that back to their own customers? People tend to vote with feet and wallets and for service providers, that is a painful lesson to learn

The Ouzo

Aug 18, 2021, 7:43 AM

I've become annoyed many times at different retailers for not responding to queries sent in from their own websites, but recently experienced an issue from the other side of the fence.

We also have an online query log page, this is managed by an external company, and I imagine most retailers also have theirs outsourced. We were concerned though that we were no longer getting as many queries as we used to and then did some testing and found out the system was not working 100%.

So whilst I'm not resolving the retailers completely as I still think along with the query form they should supply an email address and/or phone number (both of which should be manned internally), it is possible that they have been experiencing similar issues with their systems.

Paarl Adventure Trails

Aug 18, 2021, 9:01 AM

Morning Gents / Ladies 

Sincere apologies for the late reply , I'm not much of a hubber and guess that makes the comments look even worse . 

I was told about the comments re not getting a response from our team and have taken a look . Totally unacceptable and def not what we want happening as a new store . 

there are absolutely no excuses and all we can do is sincerely apologize and get it fixed . 

What i can say is that it was not intentional at all . As many know we have the Paarl Adventure Trails , events and many other products in the group and have tried to build a great name through the quality and service we give . Specialized Paarl is no different . 

The enquiries system was designed to receive enquiries, and allow the team to respond fast . this has obviously not always been happening and we will address this immediately . 

sorry okes . given us a kick up the ass and we will do better going forward  

 

Darren

 

thebob

Aug 18, 2021, 10:11 AM

No worries Darren. Just trying to make a point. I'm sure you're also miffed at losing out on a sale. For me, and I am sure many others out there, online communication is where it is at. If you have the systems, but they aren't being used properly, then you are just upsetting the potential customers who wish to make use of them. I dealt with two other Specialized dealers whilst looking for a bike, one solely via Facebook messenger and the other via WhatsApp after a web enquiry. Both were super efficient and would have had the sale if they had stock.

Mook

Aug 18, 2021, 10:26 AM

1 hour ago, Paarl Adventure Trails said:

Morning Gents / Ladies 

Sincere apologies for the late reply , I'm not much of a hubber and guess that makes the comments look even worse . 

I was told about the comments re not getting a response from our team and have taken a look . Totally unacceptable and def not what we want happening as a new store . 

there are absolutely no excuses and all we can do is sincerely apologize and get it fixed . 

What i can say is that it was not intentional at all . As many know we have the Paarl Adventure Trails , events and many other products in the group and have tried to build a great name through the quality and service we give . Specialized Paarl is no different . 

The enquiries system was designed to receive enquiries, and allow the team to respond fast . this has obviously not always been happening and we will address this immediately . 

sorry okes . given us a kick up the ass and we will do better going forward  

 

Darren

 

Respect for putting your hand up :thumbup:

SwissVan

Aug 18, 2021, 10:44 AM

4 hours ago, thebob said:

The Spez website indicated an Epic Evo in stock at the dealership. Went to their site and saw they had a dedicated online query system. Filled in all my details and was given the indication they would be in touch ASAP. ????‍♂️

Sounds like shocking service indeed.

This is exactly why I’m I’m not a fan of ordering or requesting stuff like this online, I prefer to look at someone eye to eye and to go back to them if something does not go to plan.
 

I’ve bought several Specialized bikes (including an EVO ????)and various other accessories from local Spez dealers this way, while there are sometimes still things that niggle me the service has generally been good.

Enjoy your Scott ????

Danger Dassie

Aug 18, 2021, 11:06 AM

2 hours ago, Paarl Adventure Trails said:

Morning Gents / Ladies 

Sincere apologies for the late reply , I'm not much of a hubber and guess that makes the comments look even worse . 

I was told about the comments re not getting a response from our team and have taken a look . Totally unacceptable and def not what we want happening as a new store . 

there are absolutely no excuses and all we can do is sincerely apologize and get it fixed . 

What i can say is that it was not intentional at all . As many know we have the Paarl Adventure Trails , events and many other products in the group and have tried to build a great name through the quality and service we give . Specialized Paarl is no different . 

The enquiries system was designed to receive enquiries, and allow the team to respond fast . this has obviously not always been happening and we will address this immediately . 

sorry okes . given us a kick up the ass and we will do better going forward  

 

Darren

 

This is class on its own, well done to you!

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