Shop Check - The Service Course
Each week we are showcasing an ENVE dealer that sets themselves apart through the cycling culture they help cultivate, the service provided to the community, and how they’ve created a loyal following of core cyclists. The collection of shops from all over the globe each have their own unique vision for what creates the best resource for the cycling community while all sharing the same passion for bicycles.
Girona has long been known for its array of quiet roads and idyllic terrain, which has made the region a road cycling mecca and also serves as a home to numerous professional cyclists. More recently, the area has started to become a gravel riding destination thanks to the spotlight Cameron Meier has put on Girona through the weekly and monthly rides he puts on from his shop, The Service Course. See how The Service Course is helping lead the cycling community.
What is your specialty?
Beautiful custom bikes, road or gravel. We work with a carefully curated list of builders who we consider good friends personally and trusted artisans professionally. These include: Argonaut (USA), Bation (Australia), Belle (Barcelona), Isen (London), Legor (Barcelona), Open (Switzerland), Speedvagen (USA).
What is the shop history?
Established by ex-professional racer Christian Meier in Girona back in 2016, we have recently expanded to include two new locations in Oslo, Norway and Wilmslow, UK.
Why are riders loyal to you and/or your shop?
We like to think its outstanding service and expertise coming together to create truly inspiring experiences on and off the bike. We are very particular about the all important details and strive to make every moment a customer has with us feel special. We also take real pride in the partners we work so that we can stand behind any customer recommendation we make.
Does your shop sponsor or host a popular, infamous, and/or awesome ride or clinic that you’d like people to be aware of? If yes, give us the what, when, where, and tell us why we shouldn’t miss it.
As well as our weekly Sunday Salida group rides in all of our locations, and a whole host of special travel experiences, our quarterly Gravel Bonanzas are always a real highlight for all involved. We had to cancel our Spring edition this year for obvious reasons, we had partnered with Komoot to make it free of charge for the first time ever and it was shaping up to be our biggest and best yet. So we are really looking forward to rescheduling and having a great day on the bike together.
What are you currently riding and/or what’s your favorite bike right now?
Zwift is the name of the game right now for us here in Spain and for that reason nothing better than a frame made from stainless steel so we are currently riding a Legor XCR. Outdoors that would have to be the Belle ATER, this adventure beast is set up to go anywhere and everywhere!
In your opinion, what’s the number one upgrade every rider should consider?
A custom frame would be my starting point, getting onto a bike that’s been made to your specs and tuned to your riding style is an amazing feeling. If you already have an awesome frame I would say wheelset, on gravel bikes especially it will be one of the components that takes most of the direct abuse from the terrain so these should have good puncture protection, be tough as hell, compliant and roll fast.
What is one act of maintenance you wished every customer would learn to do on their own?
Tubeless tire setups, especially on the road, seem to be intimidating to many customers but they offer such a great ride feeling that we work with clients to get them trained up and feeling comfortable.
What is one that they shouldn’t?
Go for it, we can usually fix anything you mess up!
What technological innovation in cycling has improved the ride for your customers the most in recent years?
Electronic shifting has been amazing, precise, reliable and allows you to mix drivetrains like never before. Road shifters with mountain bike cassettes, it has opened up a whole new world for people looking to explore off the beaten track.
What’s your favorite ENVE product and why?
We are big on our gravel and 650b so the G27 would have to be the favorite around here. The variable terrain and surface conditions here in Spain make 650b the way to roll for the comfort and grip of big volume tires, add in the puncture resistance of the G27 hookless rims and you really have the perfect gravel wheelset.
Be sure to follow The Service Course on Instagram @theservicecourse.
