Win some, lose some

Recently it was announced that Cycles Gaansari in Ohio would be closing their doors and indefinitely shelving their Gaansari and Fisso brands. As someone who had a Gaansari on my wish list this is something of a bummer. Of course part of the reason great bike companies fold is because too many people have wish lists that never turn into actual purchases.

Normally when a shop folds the reasons are clear and the story usually goes something along the lines of: a well intentioned individual opens a bike shop because he loves cycling and then finds out the hard way that loving bikes and running a business are completely different things. This time the story takes a different route.

For starters, Gary Boulanger, the man behind Gaansari is a bona fide industry vet with stints at Rivendell and writing/PR work for a number of brands. The boy knows the industry. What really puts Gary apart from many others in the business are his personal beliefs. Gary is a pretty religious guy with some deeply held convictions. Now I'll be the first to admit that people with strongly held religious views tend to make me nervous. Really nervous. Think unarmed narc at a biker rally nervous. The number of people who have thumped the Bible in an effort to push all manner of agenda that are, at best, directly contradicted by the teachings of Christ is too long to go into. Gary is different. He's the kind of Bible thumper you wish the media would show more of.

Along those lines, he's partnered with fellow thumper and cycling genius Tom Ritchey to organize Wheels of Mercy. Wheels of Mercy (http://wheelsofmercy.blogspot.com/) is a project aimed at using the bicycle as a tool to improve the economic and social development of Rwanda. When he's not busy trying to save the world Gary will be helping Ritchey/Syncros with PR work.

I've only crossed paths with Gary on a few occasions but they were enough to convince me he's one of the nicest guys in the business. I wish all the best for Gary, Jean and their kids as they head out west to the Bay Area. The loss of Gaansari will almost certainly be a win for humanity and it's hard to be disappointed by that.