Distributor in the spotlight – meet Michal Gúgľava

In our last ‘Distributor in the spotlight’ interview, we visited the Czech Republic, getting to know Karel David, the unicycling service and warranty manager at MERIDA Czech. Our next stop is in Slovakia, where we sit down with Michal Gúgľava, who is one of the product and sales managers for MERIDA Slovakia.  Michal is one of the longest-standing members of the team and a key man when it comes to all things product. He runs a tight ship and has the tidiest desk we have encountered so far. He loves nothing more than mountain biking in the Slovakian hills, with a few stops for photos and light refreshment, of course. However, he doesn’t get to do this quite as often as he would like, as he has the very important job of being cheerleader chauffeur for his two teenage daughters. We asked Michal about his long career with the company and what his favourite MERIDA bike is.

Who are you and what is your job role?
I am Michal Gúgľava, and I am one of the product managers here at MERIDA Slovakia. I am also the sales manager, so I oversee the order process from beginning to end to ensure good service for our dealers. They mostly use the business-to-business platform to place orders now, as it is more convenient for them, but we still get the odd order via email or telephone.

How long have you been in the company, and how did you get to your current position?
I have worked here for 28 years now! I first started working here part-time when I was studying at university. Initially, I was working in a shop which sold MERIDA bikes in the summer and ski equipment in the winter. When I finished studying, Jaro (the MD) offered me a full-time job in the distribution office. So, my whole career has been working at MERIDA Slovakia and with MERIDA bikes.

Jaro popped his head in at this point and added that they knew Michal was the one for the job just a few minutes into the interview, as he stood out from the other candidates; he was only 19 years old then!

What is a typical working day like for you?
My first job is usually working through e-mails and orders for the day that have come in overnight. As well as distributing MERIDA, we also distribute SMP saddles, Rotor equipment, YBN Chains and Bryton computers, so I look after these brands as well. We feel these products complement MERIDA bikes, and dealers tend to sell them.

Another part of my role is to work on current and new ranges with Jaro and Rado (the other product manager, find his interview here. As the products evolve and prices fluctuate, we update the marketing materials and pricing for our partners. I also support the information line; this is a service we offer to end users, where we answer questions/queries about our products via e-mail.

Does your interest in cycling help you in your day-to-day role?
Yes, definitely, I would class myself as a hobby cyclist. I cycle for fun, to keep me fit and to clear my head. When I started working in the bike shop, I was already into cycling and was keen to work there as I needed money to feed my hobby! The shop was also a great place to learn about cycling as well, as back then, we didn’t have the internet; the shop was where you went to learn about bikes and new products. So right from the start of my career, the fact that I was a cyclist myself helped me when supporting customers.

For a young person interested in becoming a product and sales manager, what advice would you give them?
I think you need to like bikes and build a relationship with bikes and cycling. You need to understand that the bike is not a simple single product; it is a compilation of many parts which come together to make the finished product.

What sort of cycling is popular in Slovakia?
Slovakia is quite hilly, which lends itself well to mountain biking, e-mountain biking and gravel riding. These disciplines are mainly for sport and leisure riding, but commuting would also be more popular if the bike infrastructure, especially the dedicated cycle lanes, were improved. 

We have seen an increase in e-bikes around the world. What is the use of e-bikes in Slovakia?
They are already popular and could become even more successful. I think the important factor holding back the growth of e-mountain bikes in general is the cost of e-bikes in relation to income. From our point of view, the starting price level of MERIDA’s range of e-bikes is defined by their high quality. Some people then end up buying cheaper, lower-quality e-bikes, or unfortunately decide not to buy an e-bike at all. 

What MERIDA bike are you currently riding, and have you made any changes and alterations to it? If so, what benefit did they bring?
I am riding the latest BIG NINE carbon frame with XT components, the cross-country version. I used to ride full suspension, but I decided to try a hardtail again to have a better understanding of the pros and cons of modern hardtails versus full suspension when dealing with customers. I have to say, after riding full suspension for many years, it has been a pleasant revelation to me how much fun a hardtail can be, especially one as well thought through as the BIG NINE.

The only change I have made is adding a dropper seat post. I must confess I am addicted to this product; once you have ridden with one, you can’t go back! From a visual perspective, I changed the brake rotors to the better-looking Shimano XT ICE TECH rotors.

What is your all-time favourite MERIDA bike?
The ONE-TWENTY and the eONE-TWENTY (with the vertical shock) as it is the best all-rounder that suits my riding style.  The travel is enough for me, the geometry and the capability of the bike are just perfect, and it is affordable.

What do you think are the most exciting developments of the MERIDA brand over the years?
For me, the XC MISSION line (and then the MISSION) was exciting as it was the first full suspension bike I rode, back in 2002. I loved the frame construction, and it had low-ratio-suspension. I still have one 25 years later, and I still ride it occasionally, as it works fine! From the road riding range, I think the evolution of the SCULTURA and REACTO are both bikes that MERIDA can be proud of, particularly with the link to the MERIDA team.

What is your main cycling discipline, and how did you get into the sport?
I am a pure mountain biker, I ride for fun and enjoy combining cycling with being outdoors and enjoying beautiful Slovakian scenery. I also like to fit in lots of stops for refreshments. My wife and daughters used to join me when my daughters were smaller. This was a different type of riding, but it was really special to do this all together – that’s the great thing about cycling.

Do you have an ‘idol’ in the world of cycling?
I don’t have any idols as such, but I have huge respect for people like Gunn-Rita Dahle and José Hermida, who work with MERIDA. They have both achieved huge success in their disciplines and have worked with the R&D team to develop and improve MERIDA bikes, which I believe has been invaluable to the brand.

Do you have other hobbies away from two wheels?
I love hiking and being outdoors, and I can also often be found tinkering in my workshop -trying to fix things. My family have a large old traditional wooden house which we are slowly renovating, so that keeps me quite busy! Other than that, I am a chauffeur to my two teenage daughters, who are cheerleaders; this involves gymnastics and dance, which is quite intense and requires a lot of practice, so I try to support them to do this as much as I can.

Do you have any MERIDA ‘after-hour’ activities?
We don’t organise anything formal, but we may do a bike ride together in the evening and have a cheeky beer or two afterwards.

What has kept you working here at MERIDA Slovakia for the last 28 years?
There are two reasons I have stayed here as long as I have:

Firstly, it is the product, as I am proud to work with such a high-quality bike company. I love the bikes myself, so it is a pleasure for me to work with MERIDA. The public in Slovakia view the brand in a very positive way so again this gives me great job satisfaction.

Secondly, I have worked with most of the team here for many years, so we have long-term working relationships, and we work well together. I also value the long-term relationships I have with our dealers and with the MERIDA family.

Why should someone come to Slovakia for a cycling holiday?
We have amazing locations for riding; you need to access them by car, but once you get out into the National Parks, the riding and scenery are phenomenal. There is a popular National Park called Pieniny in the north of Slovakia near the Polish border. It is the smallest of all our National Parks, but it has amazing cycling and hiking routes. There are also lots of sightseeing opportunities there with beautiful castles and picturesque old towns. In the National Parks, there are some trails restricted to hiking only, others are purely for cyclists, and some are for shared use, so permit cycling and hiking; it is all clearly signposted.

Given the choice for a little bike adventure (time and money no object), where would you go?
I would like to ride and explore each corner of Slovakia, as there is still so much I haven’t seen because I don’t have the time to explore them fully.


It is unusual these days to start a job straight from university and continue in it for 28 years, but this is exactly what Michal has done, and you get the impression he still gets as excited about his work today as he did at the start of his career. MERIDA Czech and Slovakia is a family-run business, and although not blood-related, it feels as if Michal is part of that family. He is very professional in everything he does, he has a real love for MERIDA bikes and mountain biking, but is also a dedicated family man. We hope one day he has the time to do the trip we talked about, where he can fully explore all four corners of his beloved Slovakia by bike.

For our final interview from our visit to MERIDA Czech Republic and Slovakia, we head back once more to the MERIDA Czech Republic office for one last catch-up with the team. Finishing our time in the two countries, we met with Petr Březina, who looks after the marketing side of things, to get his perspective on cycling in the Czech Republic, find out how he relaxes away from his desk and how the team are doing a fantastic job of spreading the MERIDA name far and wide - in fact, far beyond their borders.