EAGLE, ID (BRAIN)—Industry veteran Brian Stuart Grieger died unexpectedly at his home from a massive heart attack on October 27. He was 53.
At the age of 12, his family moved to Van Nuys, California, where he began bicycle racing. Grieger was a very successful racer as a junior and his real strength as a racer was on the track, his favorite event being the Madison race.
His passion for bicycles expanded into an apprenticeship at a bicycle shop in southern California. Grieger was also an extremely accomplished musician, playing clarinet and saxophone. He studied music at Cal State Northridge, Cal State San Francisco and the University of California at Berkeley.
He continued his bicycle racing in Northern California with the Berkeley Wheelmen and twice raced in the national championships, and was California State Track Champion. Grieger managed Berkeley's Missing Link Bicycle Shop, the largest retail bicycle shop west of the Mississippi at the time.
"He was a cool dude," said Jon Warren, owner of Idaho's Bicycle Mania. Warren worked with Grieger at the Missing Link. "I'm going to miss his big smile and warm heart. He was a mentor to so many people getting into cycling."
Grieger met his wife, Natalie, in Berkeley in 1979. In 1989, they moved to Boise, Idaho, where he continued his craft becoming one of the most respected bicycle mechanics in the country. He worked as team mechanic for the Ore-Ida (subsequently Hewlett Packard then ultimately PowerBar) Women’s Challenge stage race and was named Outstanding Mechanic in 1996.
"He had a childlike wonder and joy at discovering new things," Natalie said. "He was the gentlest, most compassionate and generous man ever. I spent the best 29 years of my life with him. He was my best friend, my lover, my soul mate."
Brian is survived by his wife, Natalie; his brother, Scott; and cousins, Kathleen and Melanie Walker. An open house in memory of Brian was held Saturday at his Idaho home where roughly 100 attended.
