The name will not change, and neither will the kind, courteous service we've come to know them for.  Ownership, however, has changed at Boh's Cycle and Sporting Goods in downtown Moose Jaw.

Bryan "Boh" VanTassel, the long-time owner operator, has officially retired after selling his business to the brothers Calibaba, Brittan and Jordan.

"I think COVID had a lot to do with the decision," Boh said.  "You know, things were floating along as usual...I'd been cycling through Mexico and came home to find out all my staff had been laid off and here I was, standing in the store right at the beginning of COVID all by myself and wondering about the future."

Boh's was closed for a time but when bicycle shops were deemed an essential service, he was back in business and to his surprise, business was never better.

"Yes, I opened up and started doing sales out of the front door and repairs out of the back door and in the month of April 2020 I did my busiest April in 30 years, sitting here all by myself," Boh told us.

"We slowly got the staff back and part-way through the summer, Brittan came along, and he ended up working a couple days a week for us.  We needed the help and I got to know the guy and I just knew that this was the guy I wanted to run my store in the future if there was a possibility," Boh said.

Brittan Calibaba and his brother, Jordan, are no strangers to the local business community.  They had New Board Shop for a number of years and recently took over ownership at Alternate Root Organics, a local health food and supplement store.

"Things got really busy here and Boh was looking for an extra hand, so I started building some bikes for him and learning about the business a little bit.  I was quite busy at the other store, kind of learning operations there since we were only about a year into running Alternate Root Organics.  So, we were kind of chatting about me maybe taking over one day and I just said maybe we'll wait another year or two and see where things are at over at the other store but then, this spring came around and me and Boh got chatting again and he was looking to retire.  So, he presented us with the opportunity, and we decided we're going to go for it and give it a go," Brittan explained.

And, so far so good for the new owners.  Brittan says business has been steady through spring and into the summer.

"We've been quite fortunate that our bike brands have been able to keep up quite well and bikes have been flowing in so, if you need a bike, we've got sizes extra small to double extra-large and everything in between.  So, yes, as long as the bikes keep coming in, life is good," Brittan smiled.

One thing Brittan promises will not change at Boh's is the service you get after making a purchase.  Hundreds of locals know that once you buy a bike at Boh's that's where you can take it for tune-ups and repairs.

"Yes, we have two full-time mechanics.  In fact, one of them is a certified mechanic through Winterborne Bicycle Institute so we've got him in there spinning wrenches.  If you've got any issues, we're going to get to the bottom of it and if we can get the part, we're going to fix it," Brittan said.

And while Boh will continue to drop in to help the Calibaba boys get settled in, he admits he's going to miss the shop.

"You know, after more than 30 years of doing this, you get to meet a lot of people and it just becomes a part of your day...but it's time.  You know, you get old.  You look at a tape measure and you see 100 millimeters and you look, I'm 63 years old this summer, you look at the 63 mark on the tape measure and you think about how much of your life is left...it's time to start living - time to ride bikes, paddle my boats and go camping," Boh said with a smile.

Looking back at 32 years in business, we asked Boh to talk about the changes in the bicycle and sporting goods industry.

"Holy moly, you know, back in the day, Raleigh bicycles were our bread and butter.  We sold bikes for $149.99, and you know, now, we don't have many bikes under $500.00.  The technology has changed though and everything that stared out expensive has come down in price for the common people so, what you get for $700.00 now compared to what you got 20 years ago for $700.00 is three times better than you used to get," Boh explained.

And, while it's time for Boh to retire, he believes the Calibabas will find success now and into the future.

"You know, COVID has been a renaissance for the bicycle business.  You can't go out at night without seeing families of four and five riding around.  Buffalo Pound, riding out there used to be almost a little private ride...but I was out there one Sunday and there were more than 100 vehicles at White Track - people driving out there with their bikes to go riding.  They're doing it.  They're paddling.  They're cycling.  They're outdoors...and the fitness equipment - everything this store has inside of it has been under siege for the last while and that's a wonderful thing," Boh said.

Brittan says you will see some gradual changes at Boh's Cycle and Sporting Goods, but he prefers the word "evolve".

"The backbone of the place is bikes and boats so that's what we're going to focus on but with the apparel and the clothing stuff, we have some ideas of what we want to shift into.  We'll have more outdoor stuff and more kids' stuff...we're going to kind of evolve and shift the front of the store to make it more our own, I guess," Brittan said.

"At the end of the day, we want people outside having fun - cycling and being healthy...people are going in that direction.  They're being more aware about what they put into their body and what they do with their body.  If you take care of yourself, it can help with your mental and physical health and I think the community just needs to focus on that, work together and realize how much fun it is to get out there," Brittan said.

Brittan knows from experience that owning and operating an independent shop is very challenging, but he says he and his brother are confident they can make this work.

"We're not here without our customers so they are the most important part of our business.  We want to work closely with our customers to get them what they need and service them the best we can.  We're excited about the future," Brittan added. 

You'll find Boh's Cycle & Sporting Goods at 821 Main Street North in downtown Moose Jaw.  You can also follow them on social media and take a look at their website right here: www.bohscycle.ca

                                     (Left to right, Brittan Calibaba, Boh VanTassel and Jordan Calibaba)