News
Road

Inside: SRAM's Australian Dealer Service Direct

published 18 May 2015

Technical training, product support and more

Comments

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Image 1 of 37

Welcome to SRAM Dealer Service Direct - take a tour of our gallery by swiping, tapping or clicking right(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

There are enough spares to build forks from scratch, but sometimes that can be inefficient, and so complete brand-new forks sit in small quantities on racks. If rare parts are needed in a hurry, forks may be pulled apart into spares – otherwise in other rare cases, a full fork swap is done(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

The DSD workshop is downstairs, with multiple working bays and plenty of space(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

Some tools are custom made, such as this Reverb post clamp(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

For those attending STU, there's a casual seating area and a full kitchen too(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

The STU room can host up to 14 people at a time, but we're told the ideal is a more personal seven, where each person is then always hands-on(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

All STU workspaces face the front TV screens for a proper learning environment(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

...inside, the rear bed section has been replaced with fold-up bunk beds and space for motorbike transport(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

A custom Jayco caravan sits awaiting the next road event...(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

Outside is a purpose-built washing bay that proper drainage and permanent workstand clamps (clamps not pictured)(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

Not designed for public access, SRAM Australia's offices sit deep within a Victorian industrial estate not far from Melbourne's best riding. Rob Eva, SRAM’s general manager for Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, took us for a tour of the place(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

Some of the neutral service wheels and equipment sits awaiting the next event(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

Racks of spare suspension fork, wheel, brake and drivetrain components(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

Another view from the DSD workshop, with technician David Ferroni working away(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

Where the SRAM European and US offices have museum-like displays, the Australian collection was far smaller. Still, they had a few pieces of history, with items like Nathan Rennie's world record long-jump Boxxer fork, a Sid'ney fork (2000 Olympics limited edition) and this(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

The SRAM shop dog - Carlee(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

In the workshop, the drawers not holding tools are holding service spares...(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

... and more spares...(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

The guys at SRAM Australia were still tight lipped about wireless, but they're clearly part of the testing(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

Rider jerseys line many of the office walls(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

Wheels from WorldTour and Pro-Conti teams are returned at the end of each season and then redistributed to smaller, national teams. For example, these wheels from Drapac were being passed onto the Australian NRS Search2Retain team(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

Just about every recent RockShox spare is kept on premises, that includes a shelves and shelves of crown-steerer units (CSU's) and lower legs(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

Doesn't get much more Australian than this - when you're left with a spare tray of a ute (what us Australians call small trucks), you make use of it(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

SRAM sponsors the Australian National Road Series and provides neutral service for it - these vehicles are kept on premises(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

Another neutral service vehicle sits and awaits the next race(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

Now that's a bike rack! Some are ex-WorldTour bikes, some are for neutral service, some are staff bikes and the rest are used as demo rides for those attending STU(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

Here’s a look at the vehicle area. The trailer on the left is for off-road events (it's sealed to dirt) and the one on the right is for cleaner events(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

The brands within the house of SRAM(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

SRAM Technical University (STU) is where dealers learn how to make your bikes better(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

Custom mats – not something you'll find at the average university(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

Each attending dealer is given a workspace with their own tools for the three day course, prizes are given to those who keep theirs the cleanest (the idea being that a clean and ordered working environment is an efficient one)(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

A drawer of tools belonging to the STU course intructor - James Lewis(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

Need directions to your nearest SRAM sponsored race?(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

Various dampers await the next STU course(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

Greeting entrants is the bike of world cup downhiller Troy Brosnan(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

Even the tables are made from SRAM products(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

... and even more spares(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)

This article originally appeared on BikeRadar

Gallery: SRAM's pArt Project

Analysis: SRAM wireless electronic group

SRAM Red wireless electronic group details discovered

SRAM brings 1x to the road with new Force 1 and Rival 1 groupsets

Tucked deep within an industrial area, not far from Melbourne's best trails and road rides, sits SRAM's Australian Dealer Service Department (DSD). This custom-fitted building serves many roles from being SRAM's southern-hemisphere offices, to dealer training, to service support and as a place to store event support equipment and vehicles.

Sitting as one of SRAM's six global DSD's, the Australian offices were built off the need for an increasing demand from large bike companies and dealers wanting immediate support for original equipment components, without having to rely on aftermarket-selling wholesalers.