Distributor in the spotlight – meet Bart Oosting

Our DISTRIBUTOR IN THE SPOTLIGHT series shines a light behind the scenes of our many MERIDA family members to find out more about the people who look after the MERIDA brand around the world, as well as delving deeper into the unique story of how they started their business, where they are based and what they offer to MERIDA customers in their country. After sitting down with Peter Koperdraad, Managing Director of MERIDA BENELUX, and gravel-bug-bitten Andrea Lodder (full story here and here), we sat down with Andrea's boss and CrossFit fanatic Bart Oosting. Bart is in charge of all things marketing and has been with the company and at Peter's side for a long time, especially considering his tender years. To find out more about the man, his job and to talk about key MERIDA bikes, CrossFit and golf, we sat down with him for a rather large coffee. Here we go...

Who are you, and how did you come to work here at MERIDA Benelux?
I am Bart Oosting, I am the Marketing Manager, and I started working here in 2007, so I have been here for 17 years. I grew up near Peter and my father worked in the industry, so he was friends with Peter. Peter knew I was a keen cyclist (mountain and road). I often needed parts, so my father suggested I work part-time for Peter to help fund my cycling. I started in the warehouse, moved into sales and then marketing (which is what I like best), so a not entirely unusual way to get into the business.

What is a typical working day like for you?
Every day is different, but we have regular sales and marketing meetings. I have regular contact with dealers and customers. We attend shows & exhibitions, arrange reviews of bikes with cycling magazines, do sponsorship, advertising, etc. I have three people to help me - Aranka, Andrea and Demiz. We have a small team here of 16 so we all cover a lot of roles, I like the variety it presents.

From your point of view, how does cycling (sport and transport) in your country differ from other countries?
In the Netherlands, most people have 3-4 bikes: commuter, road, mountain and probably an e-bike. MERIDA can offer all these types of bikes. We have a well-developed infrastructure of cycle paths and tracks, so you don't have to cycle next to cars. There are also plenty of places to park bikes, and there is a historical culture of cycling as a means of transport that introduces people to bikes, and sometimes to cycling as a sport, at an early age. It is normal to cycle everywhere, my daughter is 4 ½ years old and she uses her bike for everything. Children take a test at around 7-8 years old and get their cycling licence. This gives them and their parents the confidence to use their bikes to go to school, to visit friends and just to play.

What is your main cycling discipline, and how did you get into the sport?
I originally started mountain biking, then a few years ago I got a REACTO and did more road riding. Lately I've been riding more on gravel, I don't have a mountain bike anymore. I ride a lot with my daughter in the woods, and of course, she rides a MERIDA!

Do you have other hobbies away from 2 wheels?
I used to do competitive motorsports such as enduro motorbiking but now golf is my main hobby away from cycling. Peter (Koperdraad, MD, MERIDA BENELUX) got me into it at a MERIDA launch in Girona, and now I play as much as I can, as do a lot of my friends. I also do CrossFit. I used to do a lot of competitive CrossFit, but any competition (cycling or CrossFit) requires a lot of effort and time, which can be tricky when you have a young family. With golf I can just go out for 2 hours, I get to go out in a beautiful environment, and I can still talk to my friends as you are not pushing yourself as hard as with the other sports.

What is your current ‘go to’ bike, and have you personalised it?
The REACTO - it was a former team bike. It has a custom paint job and a special MERIDA one-piece cockpit, which is lower than what we normally put on the bike. The other is the new SILEX 10K gravel bike. It is also a custom build with a 1 x 12 drivetrain and carbon wheels. I love it for its versatility, and we have a lot of super fun gravel tracks in the Apeldoorn area.

What is your favourite MERIDA bike, overall and in the current range?
Overall, it 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 with these bikes. It feels like they have hit the sweet spot in the road market with them. Also, with the SILEX, it feels like MERIDA is now being seen as a road and gravel brand rather than a mountain bike brand that also makes road bikes.

Do you have any sporting idols?
That would be Matt Fraser from the USA. He was an Olympic weightlifter who broke his back and was told he'd never do sport again. So, he turned to alcohol. Then, he discovered CrossFit. His coach made him promise that if he bought him the right shoes he would compete, he did (and won) and went on to become world champion for 5 years. He had so much resilience despite what he was up against which motivates me to do CrossFit.

Do you have any MERIDA riding activities, like a lunchtime ride or anything like that?
We do after work rides together when we can, even though the bar* is working here we don't have after work drinks here! (*MERIDA BENLUX and the MERIDA EXPERIENCE CENTRE are based in a former Harley Davidson dealership.)

What do you like best about working at MERIDA Benelux?
I still go to work every day with a smile on my face despite the many years I have worked here!

After our time with Bart, it became clear that MERIDA BENELUX, like so many of our distributors, is based on the interests, strengths, passions and experiences of the people who work there. The sum of the parts is what makes it work and it's great to see cycling buffs working seamlessly with other sports enthusiasts, bringing their perspective to the game. For our last 'coffee companion' at MERIDA BENELUX, we caught up with Ronnie Miltenburg, the self-proclaimed 'jack of all trades' who looks after everything to do with service and warranty and whose fascination with all things technical turns out to be a huge plus in his role. Keep an eye on our news section for his story.