A downtown staple since 1989, REM Bicycle and Fitness offers superior service, quality bikes
Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
JASPER – Ethan Trusty still has the bicycle his parents bought him when he was in eighth grade from REM Bicycle and Fitness in Jasper.
His parents bought him the Trek bike after they grew tired of replacing inexpensive bikes that fell apart after a year purchased at big box stores.
Trusty, along with his twin brother, loved riding bikes and working with his hands, but he never imagined then that he would one day own the bike shop, a Jasper mainstay for more than 30 years.
Today, Trusty is the owner of REM Bicycle and Fitness, 804 Main St. The shop sells Trek and Electra bicycles for every age and kind of rider; REM also sells home and commercial fitness equipment. The shop offers repair and maintenance services to all brands of bicycles.
Trusty bought the business in 2019 after working for owner and founder Paul Gasser for 10 years. Trusty was a freshman in college when he went to work for Gasser part-time. After three semesters, he hadn’t decided on a major and approached Gasser about working full-time.
“That was the beginning of taking the bike shop more seriously,” he said.
The business Gasser began in 1989 continues to grow and service is a primary reason for that.
“Paul saw the need for quality bikes and he offered the service with it,” Trusty said. “What we continue to do is sell quality products and back them up with service. We’ve built a good client base. As the years have gone by, bicycling has grown about every year. Especially with more people becoming conscious of the environment. And with gas prices going up, the idea of biking makes more sense.”
Interest in biking is strong in the Dubois County city, where there are two paved pedestrian trails. The Jasper Bike Club is focused on getting more kids riding bikes. Volunteers meet weekly to build bike trails on land provided by Jasper schools and there is a weekly bike ride.
Service and more
Growing up in nearby Huntingburg, Trusty and his brother, who also worked for Gasser as a youth, pedaled many trips from their home to Jasper.
“We rode all over town from sun up to sun down. We enjoyed tinkering on bikes and sometimes we’d bring them to Paul when we couldn’t fix them ourselves,” he said.
For a time, Trusty said he envisioned owning REM Bicycle and Fitness with his brother, but he went into the US Coast Guard and lives away from Jasper.
Trusty said Gasser still visits the shop and has been a mentor as Trusty learned the day-to-day aspects of the business.
Competition from big box stores will always be there for businesses like REM. Customers may pay more when buying from a small store, but they are getting more.
“When you buy from a local shop, you’ve got a place that’s going to provide service. You’re going to have more value because you can get more usage of it,” Trusty said. “Jasper has been an awesome community and supported it for over 30 years.”
Early on, summer was the busy season for REM, but as the business expanded into selling and servicing fitness equipment such as treadmills and ellipticals, Trusty said the slow times aren’t very slow anymore.
“We stay busy year round,” he said.
Sales of bikes remain strongest in the summer months, but the Christmas season is not far behind, Trusty said.
“It’s an important season for us to stay here and keep the doors open and getting a new bicycle is one of the coolest gifts you can get.”
Store hours
Monday – Wednesday and Friday, open 10am – 5:30pm
Saturday 9am – 2pm