Homestyle
April 2009
For former ad man Manu Sandejas, setting up a mountain bike shop was natural progression given his long-standing passion for the outdoors.
To say that Manu Sandejas "loves" bikes is an understatement. This becomes especially obvious when you visit Knobbies, his mountain bike shop. And the signage subtly belies his former occupation: "Knobbies...Get a grip." Only a seasoned copywriter worth his salt could come up with such an appropriate tagline.
Timing was key to Manu's introduction to the entrepreneurial world. "Just when I was at what seemed to be the final chapter of my advertising career, the country's interest in cycling was already on an upswing," he says. "[Now] more and more people are giving up their badminton rackets and accepting the reality that their bodies are no longer cabpable of doing the same things that they used to. Mountain biking is a great outdoor recreational sport that is low impact. Unless you fall," Manu adds with a chuckle.
Knobbies Hobbies, Inc. has an informal partnership with the Sabak Sports & Adventure group. The latter has three established branches in Makati, Santa Rosa, and Alabang, respectively. Knobbies acts as Sabak's brach located north of Manila.
 The design of the shop is very crisp and clean, courtesy of Architect Gelo Mañosa. The display is pretty straightforward, with bikes, accessories, and apparel arranged neatly, in their specific areas. An interesting feature located at the storefront is an inclined platform that fully utilizes the visibility of the bikes, from the starter bikes for children to the more advanced mountain bikes. On one side of the store is a brick wall of varying shades and depths, giving off a warm yet edgy ambiance to balance off the dominant stainless steel appointments. A glance upward reveals a photomural of mountain bikers plowing through foliage and dirt roads. A wise design move as this contrasts perfectly with the black ceiling, and gives some "green relief" to the store's overall character. All in all, the store has a boutique vibe, which is due primarily to its streamlined design and wam materials and visuals. Perfect for Manu who says "I wanted it to be cool and comfortable place for friends and customers to hang out in. That's the way things work in bike shops. Guys like to hang out and talk about stuff, especially those related to mountain biking. That's also why there is always a supply of ice cold beer in the ref."
Aside from the cool and comfortable atmosphere, Knobbies prides itself on being a full service store. Apart from the bikes and bike parts, Knobbies also carries other gear, including helmets, gloves, socks, shorts, jerseys, biking shoes, hydration packs, handy tools, spare parts, bike racks, and the list goes on. Due to the close relationship between Knobbies and Sabak, the former carries the latter's flagship brands: Ellsworth and Titus, as well as merchandise from the U.S., Europe, Taiwan, China, Japan and local sources.
In terms of service, Manu says enthusiastically, "The staff is warm, accommodating, and knowledgeable. We have a very talented mechanic who is armed with the necessary Park Tool equipment to keep a customer's bike in perfect condition. He can give it a thorough wash."
It seems this has done wonders to boost the customer base, which, according to Manu "has doubled since we opened mid-December 2008, thanks to our location, Sabak's reputation, actual services offered, and with the help of the Internet: local mountain biking forums spread the news on our opening, and our products and services." "Initially, our customers were just starting to get into the sport. As our reputation as a good and reliable LBS (Local Bike Shop) spread we are now enjoying the support of seasoned riders as well," he adds.
Besides what he gets from his current roster of distributors and dealers, Manu is on the constant lookout for more mountain bike products. He is also planning to offer bike tours and organize events like races and bike clinics for kids. The next big thing on his wish list is to create an urban trail near the shop, on an empty piece of land, perhaps as a way of fulfilling his long time dream of creating an X-Games type of park in the future.
With a passion like Manu's, it will only be a matter of time.JEFF F. ISIDRO
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