A SHORT BUT LONG STORY
& ANNOUNCEMENT

Message from Jessica, Peter’s coming soon.

Sometimes when you share something that is deeply emotional, setting the stage seems fitting since there are some of you that have just recently met us. Yet there are 1,000’s who have been in our lives for decades. I speak to you today as a woman entrepreneur, multiple business owner, exercise physiologist, a coach, a bike fitter and your framily.

 It all started in Verona back in 2006 when I created SBR, an individual and small group focused coaching and training studio for swimmers, bikers, runners and triathletes. In 2009, the addition of Rocket Bikes, Peter’s and my bike shop, was a move to catapult us as a home base for so many of you over the years, with great success. We’ve been a “mom and pop” shop since day one. We wanted to offer something different and non-mainstream. You see Peter. You see me. Our focus was always on creating relationships through bikes, just like the coaching focus established with SBR. In 2019 we expanded our relationship focus through the addition of the café to offer different and unique experiences in coffee, beer and a community space. Peter and I created everything you’ve experienced over the years from our own sweat, time and personal investment. We did our best to leave a mark and a positive impact on the community. We hope you learned a little about bikes, how to train for an event, understand a proper bike fit, sipped a great coffee, and most importantly, enjoyed a space to just be you and connect with friends and family.

The message I share today is that for the immediate future, we are closing our physical location of our businesses for the bike shop and café. We don’t know where we will land. We will resurface somewhere. We don’t know when or where. The trajectory of the consumer landscape has changed so much we have not been able to figure it out to continue to keep our businesses open; in turn to provide a roof over our head. The grand project we set forth on here at Bruce Street in 2018 is not working and we’ve exhausted all our avenues to figure it out, during and post-pandemic. Our goal was to always provide different options and allow you to experience what you are consuming (whether bikes, coffee, food, beer) and to also create a relationship with you. What we have curated, is just something not many are consuming, and definitely not enough for us to make a living at it anymore.

Even after all the relaunching, reorganizing, re-everything, it’s still not working. We’ve done everything we’ve been told, suggested and beyond, and this post-pandemic era is just not recoverable for us. None of what we are doing is moving the needle the right way. It’s purely a financial decision, overhead is too high and customer counts are low. Many do not now or understand the long-term effects the pandemic has on small businesses. Even big businesses are suffering to try to continue on with long-term projections not looking good. 

Recently, a few local micro-small businesses have closed due to post-pandemic chaos. One business who has walked some of the same paths we have over the past few years navigating this post-pandemic world of small business, said goodbye last month. One sentence that resonated with me was that “the pandemic hurt us in ways we have not been able to even let ourselves completely feel and heal from.”

Sharing this is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. And, I won’t fluff this up. I’ve created, co-created and owned six businesses in the Madison area over the past 23 years and I’ve never encountered such difficult times such as we had the past four years. This is a very personal decision and it’s extremely emotional to do this. This has been my life for almost three decades and walking away is not easy, but sometimes walking away from something you loved, needs to happen. The toll the past four years has taken on me, my emotional and physical health, has taken me almost to the end. The sacrifice is not worth it anymore.

Even though there is sadness in us moving on right now, there are wonderful people and a business taking over our space who will take wonderful care of it. An announcement will be made soon.

So, at this moment, we are putting our “two week’s notice in”. Our last day of café service will be Sunday, March 31st. For the next two weeks we will have modified hours and some additional hours to allow you to swing in for “one last….”.  

Bike shop service will conclude sometime during April at our physical location, however Peter will continue to work on bikes, sell bikes and do anything bikes for you, remotely. If you have anything in the hopper with Peter at the bike shop, you will be taken care of no matter any dates above. Please connect with Peter personally via email to continue bike service with him. And, on the 31st, there will be one last Sunday Funday ride, so bundle up, and get out and ride with us.

Since we are not taking everything with us, there will be items here at Rocket that are for sale from inventory (for bike shop and café) to tables and chairs to cups and mugs. Starting the last week of March we will have items that are available for sale, and ready to go to new homes. If there is something of interest, give a chat with us about the item to make it yours.

One bright light to share with you after all of this. Peter and I have become the strongest pair, couple, life partners imaginable. There is so much more under the covers that none of you know about, that goes on in small business, especially when it’s with your life partner. I am so grateful to have the love of my life support, love, like and snuggle me up every day. The massive stress we’ve been under over the past four years connected us deeper. I’ve personally been dealing with a few health issues you are not aware of, that have been severe at times. Having the support and love from, and with Peter, well, it’s quite amazing. I would not be here today talking to you, if it were not for Peter.

Please swing in to say "I'll see ya when I see ya". Collin, Peter and I would love to see you.

So long for now.

Jessica, Jess, Coach, Lauf, Boss Lady