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Interview with James Durand from Marzocchi Canada
Marzocchi suspension technology has long been at the forefront of the ‘freeride’ scene — partly because the other majors dropped the ball early in the game, but more because Marzocchi forks in the field were very reliable and low maintenance. I’ve owned my fair share of Marzocchi forks, starting with the old Z2 Bomber and moving on up to the superb 2002 Monster T and have been more than happy with the products’ performance.
Marzocchi recognized that Canada, and specifically British Columbia, plays an important role in maintaining the ‘mythos’ of the company and recently opened a Marzocchi Canada service centre. Marzocchi-equipped cyclists can visit the centre to purchase Marz-related gear and, more importantly, have their fork serviced. NSMB.com has an interview with Marzocchi Canada General Manager James Durand that gives some insight into the company's motivation for moving into this market.
So the question is this: Is this the beginning of a trend towards ‘personalized’ factory service centres for mountain bike products? Can I expect to see a similar Manitou / Answer service centre set up shop some time soon?
Aside: The Marzocchi guys gave me some great service up at Whistler a few weeks back. Somehow, a bolt worked its way out of my fork’s upper crown and I asked which bolt I could reposition to keep the fork safe. The guys spent a few minutes digging around and came back with the proper part for my four year old fork. At no charge, I might add.