Service focuses on client’s cycling goals and dreams
By Staff Report
Photo by Marty Cheek
Jenn and Bruce Hollibaugh in front of their Concept Cyclery location.
At age 13, Bruce Hollibaugh received a gorgeous metallic green Schwinn Varsity for Christmas. That bike got him hooked on serious cycling. His first job when he turned 15 was building bicycles in the local bike shop in Dallas, Texas.
Fast forward to 2006. Hollibaugh had a chance meeting with an executive at Morgan Hill-based Specialized Bicycle Components that sparked the idea of creating a concept store. Frustrated with the level of service they received from many Bay Area bike shops, he and his wife Jenn felt they could create a friendly retail store that would be a beacon for local cyclists.
Morgan Hill Life asked Hollibaugh about biking in the South Valley and how Concept Cyclery helps bicycle enthusiasts.
Morgan Hill has grown into a biking destination for the Bay Area. What is it about this region that you think makes it attractive for cyclists?
We are fortunate to have an incredible amount of diverse topology in the area. If your interest is in road riding, we have low-traffic back roads with good pavement. Our roads span the spectrum from very steep to the mostly flat along a beautiful creek surrounded by nature. If you are a mountain biker, we have California’s second largest state park east of Morgan Hill with virtually unrestricted cycling for 150 square miles. We also have Harvey Bear Ranch with just about any terrain you can imagine including serene Coyote Lake just a two-mile ride from the entrance.
What extra special services do you give your customers at Concept Cyclery?
One of our founding pillars was to create a client experience that focused on each individual’s cycling goals and dreams. This is the only way to put them on the right bike, which is hopefully only the beginning of our relationship. This approach takes much more time, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We also created the Fit studio in this same vein. After being fit by a Specialized-trained fitter prior to opening Concept Cyclery, I was shocked at how comfortable I could be on my bike. I knew immediately this would be a big part of Concept Cyclery’s brand identity.
You are involved with youth cycling programs in the local schools. Describe your involvement and why these activities are important to you.
Jenn and I both started cycling at a very young age and can’t imagine how our lives would have been if we not had that experience. We have been searching for the right person to help us take youth cycling to a whole new level in the community for a couple of years. We finally found the right person for the job just this month. Kelsey Withrow has been involved in youth cycling programs for many years and will be heading up all our youth multi-sport programs as well as working in the shop when she has the time. She has been an incredibly successful professional multi-sport athlete most of her life, so the experience she brings will be a huge benefit.
What is the ConceptFit Performance Studio and how does it help customers find a bike that enhances their experience?
ConceptFit Performance Studio is a dedicated bike fitting and performance enhancement studio located next door to Concept Cyclery. It was born out of my own frustration with a poor fit experience I had before we opened Concept Cyclery. The experience was so bad that I quit cycling for a couple of years. I had a friend who introduced me to a fitter who had attended Specialized’s fit school. He introduced me to the Specialized Roubaix and fit me properly. Realizing that not only could I still cycle, but do so without pain was a life changing moment.
CONCEPT CYCLERY
Location: 1295 E Dunne Ave #120
Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Contact: (408) 778-6300 or www.conceptcyclery.com
