Rutland Cycling takes over Pitsford Cycles, Northampton

Multi-award-winning Midlands-based independent bike shop Rutland Cycling has taken over Pitsford Cycles, located at Pitsford Water reservoir near Northampton, bringing its growing family of retail stores to eleven. Rutland acquired Station Cycles’ chain of stores in Cambridge in 2015 and is due to open a multi-million pound new store in Leicester next year, in partnership with Everards Brewery.

David Middlemiss, Managing Director of Rutland Cycling, commented:

“We are delighted to announce this further growth of our store footprint, extending our reach into Northampton, Milton Keynes, Kettering and Rugby. With its blend of cycle retail and hire, and beautiful location with ready access to traffic-free trails for hire and demo, Pitsford Cycles is a great fit for Rutland Cycling. The Pitsford team have built a fantastic business and we are privileged to be taking on such a strong and committed team. We look forward to further growth ahead as we bring our expanded offer to Pitsford, including more brands and a dedicated Electric Bike Centre.”

Pitsford Cycles was established by local entrepreneur Jeff Webb, who successfully grew the Pitsford business to become Northampton’s leading cycle hire and retail store, supplying the area with leading brands including Giant, Specialized, Trek and Frog. The store is located on the shore of Pitsford Water reservoir within Brixworth Country Park, with miles of traffic-free waterside trails and the traffic-free Brampton Valley Way, which stretches for 14 miles between Northampton and Market Harborough.

Managing Director of Giant UK, Ian Beasant, said: “We are grateful to Pitsford Cycles for their hard work over many years, building the Giant brand in the Northampton area. We now look forward to growing the business further with Rutland, one of our key partners.”

With backing from the Business Growth Fund since 2014, Rutland Cycling have made significant investments to grow their store and online presence.

Paul Archer, Director and son of Rutland’s founder, reflected: “The last four years have been a great success story for Rutland amid tough times in the cycle retail sector, and we look forward to further growth ahead as we build our family business for the long-term. Our family values and business vision mean we are committed to delivering the best: best brands, best prices, and the best customer experience, wherever our customers choose to shop with us.”

Rutland Cycling began life in 1981 as a simple cycle hire cabin on the shores of newly-created Rutland Water. In addition to its eleven retail stores, at Rutland Water, Grafham Water, Cambridge, Peterborough, Fineshade and Pitsford, Rutland has also built a successful online presence through its website, www.rutlandcycling.com.