We want to introduce you to the latest addition to the Pilot dealer network: Giant Turkiye. After meeting general manager Ibrahim Yilmaz for the first time at Eurobike 2023 in Frankfurt, it soon became clear that we were destined to work together one way or another. A couple of months later Giant Turkiye has joined the pack of enthusiastic Pilot ambassadors by becoming the first official Pilot dealer in Istanbul! In the piece below, Ibrahim introduces the team and store to you in his very own way.
“Our store offers a wider and more qualified bicycle portfolio than any other bicycle store in the country and we develop a relationship with our customers beyond the sale of bicycles and equipments through many social events. Our aim is to offer them the best user experience.
We have been serving in the bicycle industry in Turkey for more than 10 years. In our adventure that we started as the Official Distributor of Giant Bicycles in Turkey, we prioritized investing in people. We have adopted the principle of presenting strong brands to potential customers with a strong and dedicated team. Giant Bicycles Turkey is managed by a young and dynamic team of dedicated cyclists in solidarity with each other. “
‘We have a strong team who have proven themselves in the industry, including former national athlete Arzu Sağnak who is a former Turkish Women’s Road Champion, Kudret Özbay, an expert in classic bicycle restoration and works as the advisor on components and bike types, Özgür Tunalı, an expert mechanic who has dedicated more than half of his life to the correct functioning of thousands of bicycles and actively competes with his full suspension beast and finance manager, Can Arıcı, who nowadays commutes between home and work on his gravel bike, looking for the perfect balance between inputs and outputs in our bank accounts.’
‘We organize high-performance road rides two days a week, “Giant Ride” events, and we manage these rides with a team of professional bicycles coaches. In Istanbul, where more than 20 million people live together and unites two continents, our location is in the Kadıköy district, where cycling for both sportive and transportation purposes is the most common in the country.’
‘In our tenth year in the industry, we have prioritized setting new trends with brands that are in line with our goal of providing the best user experience. In line with our vision, we visited Eurobike and had the chance to meet some of the leading titanium bicycle manufacturers and examine their bicycles closely.
However, we are aware that titanium bicycles are the best option for users who do not expect a competitive advantage from their bicycles, but still looking for perfect balance between performance and longevity and the fact that titanium bike are produced from an environmentally friendly material that does not require paint also makes them very attractive to all of us. Aesthetics is a relative concept, but as a team, titanium’s unique sleek look makes it a more appealing option than its often naughty carbon siblings.
That’s why, on our Eurobike trip, we knew right away that Pilot was the brand that best suited our ideals. Pilot managed to combine the classic look of titanium with the elements of a modern road bike in harmony. To understand this, it was enough to see the Celes model winking at you from the far corner of the aisle among hundreds of bikes.’
‘With its fully integrated cable guiding and the integrated cockpit, Celes, instead of the touring geometry we are accustomed to seeing on titanium bikes, was a bike that constantly demanded more from its user with its thin-waisted low head tube.’
