Darren Ohl and his wife, Ginger, cut the ribbon at the Vermont Bicycle Shop in Barre, signifying the shop was officially open for business Friday morning.

 
By Aaron Retherford
Darren Ohl had been working toward this moment for the greater part of his adult life. He found his calling early in life and the fruits of his labor became evident when he cut the ribbon outside the Vermont Bicycle Shop Friday morning.

Ever since Ohl and his wife, Ginger, moved to Barre, he said everything has pretty much fallen into place. It’s expectedly taken hard work to make his dream a reality, but Ohl said he’s benefited from serendipitous luck. So while he breathed a sigh of relief when his store officially opened, it was more of a feeling like everything turned out the way it should.

“It is fantastic. Barre has been incredibly welcoming and very supportive. I think the attendance this morning shows that,” Ohl said.

Nearly 30 people showed up early Friday morning to check out the new bike shop at 105 No. Main St. #100 in Barre near Goodfellows Jewelers.

The store had been open all week, and Ohl already has a wall full of repairs to show for it and he has sold a couple bikes.

“It seems like people are as excited as I am, so it’s great,” Ohl said.

Now that the store is open, Ohl plans to focus on community. Along with discounts for making a purchase, volunteers at local non-profits also receive a discount on purchases made in the store.

“I really look forward to getting the shop hopping,” he said. “We’re going to have different events, including different rides. We’re going to meet here and go on bike rides. The idea is to keep fostering the community through the bike shop.”