One Team: technician and duathlete Guust De Smul
Practice what you preach… And so our mission - getting everyone on a bike - also applies to our own employees. One of them is Guust De Smul, a technician in the workshop in Kluisbergen. When he’s not working on the bikes of our lease customers, Guust is on his own bike, a BMC Teammachine SLR 01, because this duathlete likes to keep up the pace.
We spoke with Guust about his passion for cycling, from wrenching to riding.
Cyclobility is for cyclists, by cyclists
Guust joined the team in March last year. “ Since then, I’ve been supporting the team as a bike technician in the central warehouse. This is pretty much the epicenter of Cyclobility, so there’s a lot going on. It can be challenging at times, but that’s exactly what makes it fun. The days are well filled and I enjoy myself. My responsibilities include handling repairs from the shops that require extra attention, such as damage cases or electronic issues. But also assembling bikes and carrying out quality checks on the builds, so we keep the error margin as low as possible, ” he explains.
Our duathlete continues: “ In addition, I regularly head out with the service van to carry out repairs on-site at the customer’s location, at work or at home, or to deliver a brand-new bike. I enjoy being on the road with the mobile service, you meet people and often have to come up with creative solutions. ”
Does a technician have a favorite brand to work on?
Guust: “ Yes, Stromer . It’s a beautiful piece of technology that’s put together brilliantly. You really need to know the bike inside and out to understand how it works. That makes solving technical issues interesting, but sometimes also a bit of a challenge. Luckily, we can always rely on the very helpful technical support team of the brand itself. ”
Obsessed with cycling
“ I’ve been obsessed with bikes since I was a child. Endless laps in the driveway made sure I’m still in love with cycling today. In my teenage years, I started racing, and about five years ago I switched to duathlon. I made that choice because I had grown a bit tired of the local kermesse races and was looking for a new challenge. After a few serious crashes, I also became more and more cautious in the peloton. Switching to duathlon was a logical step, as I maintained my fitness during winter through running training. Mentally, I also enjoy alternating cycling training with running, ” says Guust.
Cycling and running training, that sounds like a lot of training?
Guust: “ On average, I train between 12 and 14 hours a week, although that depends on the weather and time. I prefer longer duathlons, middle and long distance. That’s where I perform better than in sprint or quarter-distance races, where pure speed plays a bigger role. In longer distances, I often make the difference on the bike thanks to my background as a cyclist. ”
Does Guust often take home the win?
“ Every year I manage to win a few races. This year, for example, I won Duathlon Kortrijk for the third time, which is a record. In the past, I also competed with the Belgian national team at the European and World Championships for middle distance. Unfortunately, due to a nagging hip injury, I have to skip the championships this year. I’m now taking the time to fully recover and I’m determined to be back next year! ”
Glad to hear that!
Finally, why should technicians apply to Cyclobility today?
Guust: “ Working at Cyclobility is very rewarding. You join a top team that is always willing to help and support you. On a technical level, I’ve already learned a lot through training courses to sharpen and keep my know-how up to date. That’s incredibly important in a world that is constantly evolving! ”
Do you, like Guust, have a passion for cycling and an insatiable curiosity for the technical side of things? Then now is the perfect time to apply for a job as a bike technician at Cyclobility.
