Distributor in the spotlight – meet Karel David

In our last ‘Distributor in the spotlight’ interview, we were in Slovakia meeting  Radoslav Štefánik, product manager, gravel enthusiast and aquascaper. We are now heading back to Brno in the Czech Republic to meet Karel David, who is the service and warranty manager. Karel has a pleasant, mild-mannered demeanour, but don’t be fooled, there is not much he doesn’t know about MERIDA bikes, and after talking to him, we couldn’t think of a single bike discipline he hasn’t tried at some point. When not familiarising himself with the latest MERIDA technology, he can be found in his garage tinkering with and restoring vintage bikes, or out on his beloved Vespa taking part in a CZ Vespa club ride. 

Who are you and what is your job role?
I am Karel David, and I am the service and warranty manager at MERIDA Czech Republic.

How long have you been in the company, and how did you get to your current position?
I started working here in 2011, so that’s 14 years now! I have mainly worked in the cycling industry since finishing my studies, apart from a brief period in IT. I previously worked in bike sales, then MERIDA approached me and offered me this job, as I knew the guy who did my role previously. He left to open his own shop, and he suggested I could be a candidate for his replacement. I am glad he did, as I love working here and really enjoy the challenge of resolving technical issues. 

What is a typical working day like for you?
Well, like most people, I prepare a new schedule of tasks every morning, and by midday, the day has usually gone in a completely different direction! As well as service and warranty issues, I also cover dealer support and technical questions from end users. So, this can determine how the day goes if there are lots of queries coming in. I like the job for that very reason – it is unpredictable and interesting, for example, yesterday I had a query about the maximum load for a 15-year-old DAKAR 660 bike, and it is 120 kg if you are interested!

Does your interest in cycling help you in your day-to-day role?
Well, cycling as a hobby came first, then a career in the industry. I got into cycling after studying economics & marketing and electro-technics, all my family have studied something technical, so I went along with the family tradition. I didn’t know what career path I wanted to take, but I knew I was interested in motorbikes and cycling. I chose cycling.

For a young person interested in becoming a service & warranty manager, what advice would you give them?
I would suggest studying something different to me! I would be able to understand some things a bit better if I had studied a topic more relevant to the industry. I think the only thing I use now from my university education is how to touch type!

What sort of cycling is popular in the Czech Republic?
I think this varies within the Czech Republic. The Eastern Czech Republic is flatter, so if you were going to commute anywhere, it would be there (in the cities), but even then, the infrastructure is not great in some areas. Where there are mountains, people tend to cycle more for leisure. I think a lot of people like to challenge themselves to get up the mountain on a human-powered bike rather than an e-bike. Cross country and road racing are also popular, although this is not as popular as it was pre-Covid.

We have seen an increase in e-bikes around the world. What is the use of e-bikes in the Czech Republic?
They are gradually becoming more popular; my 72-year-old father has bought one as it makes his life easier – he loves it! I think the use of e-bikes is more of a slow burn here, but I am sure it will continue to increase as people see the benefits of e-bikes.

What MERIDA bike are you currently riding, and have you made any changes and alterations to it? If so, what benefit did they bring?
Well, I used to own more, but now I only have the following MERIDA bikes: ONE-FORTY 700, MATTS with 26” wheels for touring and a SILEX. The SILEX is L size, as I find this more comfortable. I have a longer stem and faster gearing. I mainly use this for commuting. I rode across Europe touring on my MATTS. I have done lots of touring over the last 20 years to places such as Albania, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Ukraine. There are long-distance routes across Europe you can follow, for example, from Brno to Italy. Some of these trips I did with my wife (before we started a family), bike packing, sometimes sleeping in woods, other times we had proper accommodation so we could have a shower every so often! It’s all about the freedom of travelling and exploring new places.

What is your all-time favourite MERIDA bike, overall and in the current range?
Gravel bikes suit my kind of riding best now. I used to love road riding, but there is just too much traffic now, even on the smaller back roads, to enjoy it in the same way. So, my favourite bike is the SILEX. It is perfect for riding all different kinds of surfaces, and Brno has so much gravel riding potential. There is a long cycling history and a large cycling community in Brno, and we have two Czech cycling teams, one road, one track. Cyclocross is big here, so my friends and I all had cyclocross bikes, so the transfer to gravel riding felt quite natural. Here I can ride my SILEX wherever I want – there are endless gravel roads with no cars in sight.

What do you think are the most exciting developments of the MERIDA brand over the years?
The third generation ONE-FORTY. This is what I am currently riding, and due to the progressive geometry and balanced suspension, it is a big step up from its predecessor. I have also seen this kind of rapid progression in the road range, which I think has been related to the MERIDA road team.

What is your main cycling discipline, and how did you get into the sport?
Since starting a family, commuting has become my most regular kind of riding. Over the 25 years I have been riding, I have tried most kinds of cycling: road racing, fixies, cyclocross, mountain biking, bike touring and even unicycling (see photos – Karel dusted off his unicycle and had a spin around the car park for us). I love using bikes for travelling, it is the best way to see a country and meet people. I love the fact that when you are touring by bike, people always want to talk to you. A few years ago, when I did a bike packing trip with my friend to Triest, we came to a village and had no plan to stay there. However, we stopped for a beer at a brewery, were given a tour, bought some more beer, were offered a free shower and ended up spending the night sleeping at the back of the brewery. It is these kinds of spontaneous and immediate friendships that form when you meet people on a bike, and I love that!

Any cycling trips or events planned?
I have one son, and another one is due soon, so now I do micro adventures! I ride twice a week in the evenings: one night gravel, the other mountain biking. I also have a group of MTB friends I get together with once a year for three days. We head to the mountains for some biking adventures, but now we stay in hotels rather than sleeping wild in the woods.

Any riding/bike tips for your fellow cyclists?
Don’t focus on your results or the kilometres you have travelled; instead, focus on what you see around you.

Do you have other hobbies away from two wheels?
I have always loved motorbikes; my wife and I are in a CZ Vespa club. I also have a 1959 Jawa (Czech-made engine) vintage road motorbike, which I am restoring. I bought it when I was 18, I rode it for a few years, then when I got into cycling, I gave it to my uncle. I took it back 5 years ago, and it needed some loving care, so I have been slowly restoring it, and it is 99% ready. Once finished, it will be for Sunday riding in nice weather. I love vintage bikes, and it was always my dream to restore one. It’s funny that vintage bikes are always interesting to older guys. When I used to ride it, I would get stopped by the police a lot, not to check my papers but to ask me about the bike!

What do you like most about working at MERIDA Czech?
I like the fact that it is a small company. When I worked in IT, it was for a huge company, and this didn’t suit me. I like the freedom I have in my role here and working in a small team where I can get to know everyone really well.

Why should someone come to the Czech Republic for a cycling holiday?
We have so many bike parks; we are spoilt for choice! We also have marked cycling/hiking routes for tourists covering the whole country, covering thousands of kilometres. The trees on the routes are painted with markings (a colour strip with a white line painted above and below). You can get tourist maps which detail this, or there is an App called Mapy.com which shows them. You can sleep where you want when riding these trails, so it is perfect for exploring the country by bike. Also, Czech people are nice, polite and helpful to tourists, and of course, there is the post-ride Czech beer.

Of the two industries (bike and IT) you have worked in, which is your favourite and why?
I love the cycling industry, Brno where we are based, is a big cycling city, there are guys here who have competed in the Olympics, but they will always stop for a chat, cycling is a great leveller. I also like the fact I can wear a t-shirt and shorts to work rather than a suit and tie as I had to in IT.

Given the choice for a little bike adventure (time and money no object), where would you go and who would you like to take along for the ride?
If I were cycling, it would be touring in Scotland as I have never been but would love to (although not in midge season). If I were on a motorbike, it would be Scandinavia. I would, of course, take my family with me.

It is clear Karel has a genuine passion for all kinds of cycling, but particularly as a way of exploring his own country and further afield in Europe. His love of touring is infectious, and we left feeling like we couldn’t wait to come back to explore more of the Czech Republic by bike. We are learning from these interviews that the Service and Warranty guys are often built from similar stuff in that they love a technical challenge. Although Karel may regret not studying something more appropriate at university, his vast cycling experience supports his problem-solving role and enables him to interact well with all kinds of cyclists.

Our next interview in the ‘Distributor in the spotlight’ series will be with Michal Gúgľava, the other Product Manager who works closely with Radoslav Štefánik at MERIDA Slovakia. He has worked there for 28 short years, so really is part of the furniture. Speaking of which, his desk is the tidiest we have seen so far on any of our distributor visits. When not driving his two teenage daughters to their cheerleading /gymnastics classes, he can be found out mountain biking in the Slovakian hills. Keep an eye on our NEWS section for his interview in the next few weeks.