GALBIATE – Since the start of the season, the mechanics of the MBH Bank-Ballan-Csb team have been able to count on a valuable ally in carrying out their work. It is Sprayke, a young and ambitious brand, specialized in bicycle care and maintenanceTo find out more about this new technical collaboration, we decided to chat with Michele Cereda, Sprayke brand manager. We met him a few days after the official announcement by MBH Bank-Ballan-Csb of the move to the team professional which will happen starting next year.
Until now, we've seen Sprayke collaborate exclusively with off-road teams. Now, it's making its debut on the road.
As everyone knows, we've always been a technical partner of mountain bike teams. Among these is KTM Protek Elettrosystem. The team's mechanic also works with MBH Bank-Ballan-CSB. Thanks to him I got in touch with Antonio Bevilacqua, manager of the Bergamo-based team. We met at the end of last year and quickly reached an agreement, thanks to which we are now their technical partners.
What inspired you to enter the street world?
Working exclusively with off-road teams, we were interested in testing ourselves on the road. There are analogies and points of contact between the two worlds, but also differences.We wanted to come into contact with a new, particularly demanding world that could somehow allow us to test our products in contexts and competitions that were new to us.
It's been only a few months since this new technical collaboration began. Are you already able to draw an initial conclusion?
I can definitely say that we enjoy working with the entire team, from the mechanics to the athletes. They are available so much that we have put our logo on the lower part of the rear triangle of the bicycle frameIt's a "strategic" position. Every time a video is made about cleaning a bike, our logo is clearly visible. Speaking of videos, the team has made several showing mechanics in action with our products.
Your products are the mechanics' daily work tools. What's your relationship with them like?
I'd say excellent. At the beginning of the year we met with them for a training day during which we presented each individual product to them, explaining their use and how to use them correctlyI would like to emphasize that our products have been designed to make their work as easy as possible. These products, in addition to cleaning and making the frame shine, they do not damage its components in any waySpeaking of cleaning, can I tell you an anecdote?
Please…
At the start of the season we provided the team mechanics with a 25 litre container of our degreaser cleaner Super Cleaner. After only a month they called us to ask for a new package as they didn't have any left. To our surprise, we discovered that they had also used it to clean flagships and vans thanks to its ability to make the treated surfaces shiny and protected.We have never had flagships so clean, shiny and protected…” their Chief Mechanic told us.
Furthermore, being a biodegradable product, it can be used with complete peace of mind, without any fear of pollution. In any case, we explained to them that they could easily dilute it during use and consequently make it last longer., without compromising its capabilities. A pleasant surprise and further satisfaction for us at Sprayke!
I imagine that working with such an important team as MBH Bank-Ballan-Csb is a source of pride for you?
Absolutely. Knowing that a team that has boasted champions like Ganna, Ciccone, and Ayuso in its recent past can only fill us with pride. We then decided to provide the boys who are part of the team this year with a maintenance kit with our products so that when they are at home they can personally take care of their bicycle.
We've reached the end of our interview. Was there anything that intrigued you about this "debut" in road cycling?
Obsessive attention to bicycles. I come from the world of mountain biking, I have always attended the race tracks and have been alongside the team mechanicsThey also take care of the bike, but I've never seen the care and attention to cleanliness that I've seen in these first few months of working with the mechanics at MBH Bank-Ballan-CSB. It's truly another world.
