New bike shop opening in Poole

BikeBiz can exclusively reveal that Rockets and Rascals is opening a new bike shop in Poole, Dorset.

One year ago Rockets & Rascals opened its first bicycle emporium and cafe in the historic Barbican quarter of Plymouth, Devon. Twelve months on, the team has unveiled plans for a second location, Rockets & Rascals Poole, located in the stunning Lilliput area near Sandbanks.

Marketing director Steve Toze shared plans for the expansion exclusively with BikeBiz: "We’ve had such a wonderful reception with the Plymouth emporium. Our plan was only ever to add a cultural edge to cycling in our city and get more people on bikes. Plymouth had good bike shops already and our intention was not to compete but to bring something new and exciting that would boost the profile of cycling. It’s working and we’re excited to move onto the next episode.

"Poole represents a surprisingly similar situation to Plymouth, it’s a great waterfront city with wonderful places to ride. Rockets & Rascals can bring something original and authentic to the mix in Poole and we’ll continue to get people excited about riding bikes."

Owners Jim Pascoe and Steve Toze have partnered with local businessman Hugh Roper to expand their brand into Poole. Toze explained: "We thought hard about a workable way of expanding our brand without compromising our brand values. We knew we wanted to get on with expansion but our company is still young and heavily focussed on the work we’ve started in Plymouth. It was obvious that working with someone that has lived and breathed their local scene and has a proven track record in business that far exceeds our own would be the preferable solution. Hugh already has a number of cycling related projects underway and his knowledge and energy will be instrumental in carrying the brand forward in Poole."

Poole businessman Hugh Roper added: "The Rockets and Rascals Bicycle Emporium in Plymouth has proven to be a great success with the local community. To bring the formula and experience the team have to Poole, will fit perfectly with our coastal destination. The Purbeck Hills and surrounding countryside represent some of the best loved road and mountain biking in the country. We’re keen to get the doors open in May and our team will be on hand with not only great coffee and bikes but also a steady stream of events and shop rides that are part of the Rockets & Rascals experience."

Find out more at www.rocketsandrascals.com