Interview with Bart Oosting

Distributor in the spotlight: MERIDA Benelux

Our "DISTRIBUTOR IN THE SPOTLIGHT" series takes a look behind the scenes of our many MERIDA family members, to learn more about the people who care for the MERIDA brand worldwide. We'll also dive deeper into their unique stories: how they started their business, where they're located, and what they offer to MERIDA customers in their country. After our conversation with Peter Koperdraad, Managing Director of MERIDA BENELUX, and gravel enthusiast Andrea Lodder (full story here and here), we also sat down with Andrea's boss and CrossFit fanatic Bart Oosting. Bart is responsible for everything that has to do with marketing and has been working with Peter for a long time, especially given his young age. To learn more about Bart, his work and to talk about important MERIDA bikes, CrossFit and golf, we sat down with him over a big cup of coffee. Here we go...

What does a typical working day look like for you?

Every day is different, but we have regular sales and marketing meetings. I am often in contact with dealers and customers. We attend fairs and exhibitions, arrange reviews of bicycles with bicycle magazines, do sponsorship, advertisements, and so on. I have three people who help me: Aranka, Andrea and Demiz. We have a small team of 16 people here, so we all fulfill different roles. I love the variety that brings.

How does cycling (both as a sport and a means of transport) in your country differ from other countries?

In the Netherlands, most people have 3-4 bikes: a city bike, road bike, mountain bike and probably an e-bike. MERIDA offers all these types of bicycles. We have a well-developed network of bike paths and routes, so you don't have to cycle next to cars. There are also plenty of places to park your bike, and there is a historical cycling culture as a means of transport that introduces people to cycling, and sometimes even to cycling, early on. It's normal to cycle everywhere; My daughter is 4 1/2 years old and uses her bike for everything. Children take a bicycle exam at about the age of 7-8 and get their 'bicycle driver's license'. This gives them and their parents the confidence to use their bikes to go to school, visit friends or just play.

What is your favorite bike discipline, and how did you get into the sport?

I originally started mountain biking, but a few years ago I got a REACTO and started riding more on the road. Lately I have been cycling more on gravel, I don't have a mountain bike anymore. I cycle a lot with my daughter in the woods, and of course she also rides a MERIDA!

Do you have other hobbies besides two-wheelers?

I used to do motorsports, including enduro/motocross, but nowadays golf is my biggest hobby outside of cycling. Peter (Koperdraad, MD, MERIDA BENELUX) introduced me to playing golf during a MERIDA launch in Girona, and now I play as much as I can, just like many of my friends. I also do CrossFit. I used to do a lot of competitive CrossFit, but every competition (whether it's cycling or CrossFit) requires a lot of time and commitment, which can be difficult with a young family. With golf, I can just play for two hours, I'm in a nice environment and I can still talk to my friends, because you don't have to push as hard as in other sports.

What is your favorite bike at the moment, and have you personalized it?

The REACTO - it was a former team bike. It has a custom-made paint job and a special one-piece MERIDA cockpit, which is lower than normal. In addition, I have the new SILEX 10K gravel bike. This is also a custom build with a 1 x 12 drivetrain and carbon wheels. I love the versatility of this bike, and we have a lot of nice gravel routes here in the Apeldoorn area.

What is your favorite MERIDA bike, both in general and from the current collection?

In general, that would be the REACTO, the 6000 and the 8000. The design, the team sponsorship we do with Team Bahrain Victorious and the production in Taiwan all come together in these bikes. It feels like they have found the perfect balance in the road bike market. Also with the SILEX, it feels like MERIDA is now seen as a brand for road and gravel bikes, instead of a mountain bike brand that also makes road bikes.

Do you have sports heroes?

That would be Matt Fraser from the US. He was an Olympic weightlifter who broke his back and was told that he would never be able to play sports again. He got into alcohol, but then discovered CrossFit. His coach made him promise that if he bought the right shoes for him, he would participate in competitions. He did, and he won, and then became world champion for five years. His resilience, despite everything he went through, motivates me to do CrossFit.

Do you do something with cycling during working hours, such as a lunch ride?

We sometimes do rides together after work if possible and even though we do have a bar* in the building, we don't have drinks after work! (*MERIDA BENELUX and the MERIDA EXPERIENCE CENTRE are located in a former Harley Davidson dealership, that included a bar with pool table, fire place etc.)

What do you like most about working at MERIDA Benelux?

Despite the many years that I have been working here, I still go to work every day with a smile!

Finally

After our conversation with Bart, it became clear that MERIDA BENELUX, like many of our distributors, is based on the personal interests, strengths, passions and experiences of the people who work there. The whole is more than the sum of its parts, and it's great to see cycling enthusiasts working seamlessly with other sports enthusiasts who all bring their own perspective. For our last 'coffee buddy' at MERIDA BENELUX, we spoke with Ronnie Miltenburg, self-proclaimed 'jack-of-all-trades' who is responsible for everything that has to do with service and warranty, and whose fascination for technology turns out to be a big plus in his role.