It’s 2014 and we’re sitting in Bruce Davey’s garage, the humble beginning of 3Sixty Sports. In the early stages of the business, 3Sixty Sports was solely a distributor of mountain bike parts and accessories. Fast forward to today, and what you’ve got is a bustling bike workshop and distribution hub.
It has been a crazy few years, especially with Covid in the mix, but 3Sixty Sports is continuing to expand at an accelerating rate, “we’ve managed to triple our turnover in the four years since we upgraded from my garage, the rapid growth of 3Sixty Sports always continues to amaze me. I have my epic team to thank for a lot of it, with most of them working across both 3Sixty Sports and Gloworm Lites,” Bruce explains.
Both the distribution and workshop sides of 3Sixty Sports are now situated at 6 Aranui Road, Mount Wellington. “We are currently in the process of ensuring the repair workshop is a viable income stream whilst continuing to build and expand the distribution to dealers around the country. It is important for us that we push the message of ‘buy local’ as much as we can because we’re a distributor first and a repair center second.”
The vision behind 3Sixty Sports
When the decision was made to open a workshop to customers, Bruce naturally went against the grain of the industry and decided to create a high-end service center.
“The products we distribute to our dealers are all top-level and we wanted our repair store to match that level of prestige. With the help of a marketing expert, we had to figure out how we were going to offer our customers something that they had never encountered before. We drew inspiration from The Barbershop Company – a world-class barber experience without the traditional intimidation factor of a mustached barber in a leather apron. Instead what their customers receive is a relaxed approach to the luxuries of a barber.”
What you can expect with the 3Sixty Sports – Bike Boutique is first-class service that imitates the experience of a high-end car service center. With a seamless booking system, clear communication from beginning to end, and excellent customer service you can trust you’re being looked after when you choose 3Sixty Sports.
A look at our services
At 3Sixty Sports we do everything from a basic service through to a full suspension service. Most of our services can be viewed on our website before booking. We’ve recently added a new bike rebuild which we are really excited to offer. Let’s say you’ve just bought a new bike from a big box retailer and you want peace of mind that it has been assembled correctly.
As part of the new bike rebuild service, we will reassemble the whole bike for you. Larger shops generally employ lower-skilled employees who are expected to assemble a high volume of bikes which can lead to a rushed job that is incomplete. What this means is there will be a shorter time period between purchase and first service.
Our personalised approach at 3Sixty Sports will ensure that your bike lasts longer and you’ll also be a lot safer out on the trails.
The importance of full bike servicing
The main reason you should get your bike serviced is to ensure you’re as safe as you can be whilst you’re out riding. If you don’t get your bike serviced regularly then things will break which will put you at risk of injury.
“Let’s say you’re biking up a hill, and your chain snaps from the pressure on the pedals, causing you to lose balance, and smack your head on your handlebars. I may or may not be speaking from experience,” Bruce chuckles.
Just like a car, your bike needs regular maintenance to ensure it’s safe. The more you service it, the longer it’ll last.
Our first-class repair process
Booking on Hubtiger
Our booking system is powered by Hubtiger which you can access via our website or by downloading the Hubtiger App. Our full range of services will be listed for you, if you’re not sure what you need, select what you think you might require, add some notes and we can work with you to determine your needs.
It was important for us to have customization of services, which is our key point of difference from the larger retailers who offer a menu board that you choose from. At 3Sixty Sports you’ll only be charged for the repairs and services we carry out as we know bikes are not a one-size-fits-all approach.
From there you’ll be able to see our full booking calendar and book the next available slot or one that suits you. Once confirmed, an email will land in your inbox with instructions on how to locate us.
Communicating with us
When you bring your bike into the bike boutique, one of our qualified mechanics will be able to provide you with a clear understanding of what your bike needs. Your bike is now in very capable hands and our mechanics will communicate with you throughout the whole process, either via text, email, or on the app.
Post-repair
When it comes time to collect your bike, you will again be met by our lovely team who will be able to answer any questions you have. If you find yourself out on the trail remembering a question you forgot, then no need to fret as we are very thorough in our post-repair communication to ensure that everything is running smoothly.
Looking ahead to the future
It is exciting to see the world borders opening up again and the mountain bike hotspots around New Zealand filling up. Down the track, another 3Sixty Sports bike boutique may open up on the North Shore in order to provide ease of access for our customers in that region of Auckland. Whilst the repair store is bustling, we are still very much focused on distributing to dealers, first and foremost we always want our customers to support their local bike stores and workshops.