Trek Bicycle Corp. opened its first flagship mountain bike shop Monday in Saugus, making it the second Trek Bike Shop in Santa Clarita.
“Trek does a huge range of bikes, from kids’ bikes all the way up to we have pro teams who use our bikes in a professional setting, so the best, latest technology bikes, and anywhere in between,” Store Manager Alasdair Fraser said.
The original Trek shop in Santa Clarita represents a typical Trek store that carries a range of products, while the new store is specifically tailored toward high-end mountain bikes, Fraser added.
“Northern California is the home of mountain biking and where it was discovered, but Southern California is really where a lot of riding gets done,” Fraser said.
With 12,000 acres of open space and trails that traverse the Santa Clarita Valley’s hillsides, along with a newly opened city of Santa Clarita Bike Park, SCV residents don’t have to go far to mountain bike on some great terrain.
“Santa Clarita is awesome because the terrain is here, and it’s also awesome because of the community,” Fraser added. “There’s plenty of places that have this terrain and don’t have people who are willing to give up their evenings and weekends to dig trails.”
Fraser was referring to the SCV Trail Users, a committee of the nonprofit Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Association, that works year-round to not only create new trails but also maintains existing ones.
“If you go out there and you ride a bike on the trails, that doesn’t just happen. It’s hundreds of people putting in thousands of hours to do that,” he said.
Jose Gonzalez, Trek Bicycles’ director of suspension development, is an avid volunteer with the Trail Users and has created a special partnership between Trek and the volunteer group, with Trek donating $2,700 in 2019 to purchase a trailer for build days and more to come, according to Fraser.
Suspension lab
Unique to the newly opened Trek Bike Shop in Saugus is a window that gives customers a sneak peek into Trek’s research and development suspension lab.
“When you look on (a Trek) bike, the rear shock was developed here in Santa Clarita,” Fraser added. “(Jose) and his team have been in Santa Clarita for 14 years. … They were over on the other side of town by the bike park, and we moved them over here, so we could have a retail store and our Trek suspension lab all under one roof.”
On Tuesday, Santa Clarita City Council members approved a sponsorship agreement with Trek Bicycle Corp. for naming rights to the city’s new bike park, along with financial contributions.
“I’m very excited about this,” Councilwoman Laurene Weste said. “I think that it’s a pile of dirt right now. It’s shaped dirt, but it’s still dirt — the kids don’t care, they’re out there getting exercise and getting healthy. … I think this is going to help us start as we work through getting this to be a state-of-the-art bike park.
“It’s a great facility, and we’re starting out with a pretty doggone good company that has a great reputation nationally and internationally, as well, so I’m thrilled to have them working with us … (to) help us bring this to life in the best possible way,” Weste added.
‘All about hospitality’
Meanwhile, Fraser said he hopes to continue to build the relationship between Trek and local bikers, planning on being there to keep them hydrated and fed, along with other ways to support their riding, while having fun doing it.
“I can be out there with my team in a van, giving people high fives and handing them cold drinks,” he added. “For me, it’s all about hospitality. To be successful in 2020, you’ve got to provide hospitality, you’ve got to make people want to come here.”
The shop strives to exemplify that, with graphics of local trails plastered on the walls, along with tributes to local riders, like Aiden Chapin, seven-season National Interscholastic Cycling Association athlete and 2020 Junior National champion.
Trek and Fraser are looking forward to continuing to build their community relations, even planning to use the shop’s outdoor area as a hospitality area, complete with an outdoor barbecue, games and access to the nearby bike path.
“None of our other bike stores have this kind of space, and we have the weather where we can use it all year round,” Fraser added.
Trek Bike Shop is located at 26625 Bouquet Canyon Road in Saugus.
