Greg Minnaar is a man of many talents. Not only one of the best World Cup downhill racers in the world, he's also a very successful entrepreneur, and helps out with a women's jewelry company as well. We stopped by to take a look at the inner workings of his bike shop in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
 | My father bought the shop in 1992 or '93 I think. I was racing motocross at the time, but when they bought the bike shop I grew less interested and my results were going down - I wasn't getting in the practice time since I was always at the shop. Then I got into bicycles and really liked the way I could ride and practice by myself up in the forest. I actually did my first race up in Ferncliff, at the top where this year's World Cup is. A couple of years ago my dad was really ill, and since I've always said I wanted to take over the shop, I thought that was the right timing. |
| It's quite nice being up here in Pietermaritzburg - it's more social, guys are riding, they come in and shower and go to work, have a swim, coffee, beer, whatever. |
Minnaar's World Champs winning V10 has a spot of honor along with the rainbow striped jersey and gold medal on the wall.
'A place for everything and everything in its place.' The shop is well organized, and equipped to tackle any imaginable repair.
| I'm away a lot and I have other businesses that I'm involved in as well, so I rely a lot on Shane Small to run the two stores. He oversees both, and then Craig Paul runs the top shop here. We only run three staff members up top, and then we've got five on the bottom. Shane bounces between the two checking stock levels and everything else. |
An attached massage therapy and physical therapy center means that riders can get their bikes
and bodies tuned up.
There you have it - a look inside Greg Minnaar Cycles. Greg's one of the favorites going into the opening round of the World Cup this weekend - keep checking back for all the action from Pietermaritzburg.
Greg Minnaar Cycles is located just around the corner from the Cascades MTB Park. The boutique shop is fully stocked with Santa Cruz and Cannondale bicycles along with a coffee shop and an adjoining massage and physio studio.
Member since Oct 27, 2010
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Missing two crescent wrenches on the wall there...
O.o
:'D