Rutland Cycling at Rutland Water celebrates 40th anniversary

Bicycle retailer, Rutland Cycling, has begun to mark its 40th anniversary.

Established in 1981 as a simple cycle hire timber cabin on the shores of the newly-created Rutland Water, the business has grown to become a leading bicycle retailer with 14 stores across the Midlands.

“Remarkably that cabin still stands today,” said Paul Archer, director and son of founders, Dave and Ann.

“In those early 80s days, summer weekends and school holidays were absolutely vital for trade - we worked hard to find exclusive offers to persuade customers to travel past many other cycle shops to ours and that approach to offer the best products and service is still at the forefront of our business today.”

The first store at Whitwell, Rutland Water, was soon followed by a second store on the south shore which went on to become Giant Store Rutland – at the time, the largest Giant brand store in the world. Shops have also been set up in Peterborough, Cambridge, Leicester, Nottingham, and Milton Keynes.

Throughout those 40 years, the Archer family have been ever present, with Dave and Ann’s daughter-in-law Karen now running the business.

Karen said: “Our customer-first approach, offering the very best products and services, hasn’t changed in the last 40 years, and remains a laser-focus for Rutland Cycling as we look to provide end-to-end excellence for everyone from new cyclists, to experienced riders.

“We’re excited to embark on the next phase of the business, and share our passion for cycling with even more people over the next 40 years.”