I’ve just found your site after much web browsing of cycling sites and have fallen in love!!!!!I'm new to cycling as a sport. My standard at the moment is a nice comfortable 2 hour ride but not sure how fast. I have just given up high level competitive sport and have decided to take up cycling to keep fit and perhaps progress onto some races to satisfy my competitive side but I have a few questions.
1) How hard is it to join a cycling club to find people to ride with? i.e. how fast/good do you need to be so as not to embarrass myself, do they welcome newbies? Does anyone know nice clubs to join in South Wales?
2) Are their any of you girls that go out in and around Cardiff that know some good routes for training?
Try the Cardiff Ajax http://www.cardiffajaxcycling.co.uk/web-page3.html although the site seems to be a bit tempramental. They do lots of stuff on the track at Maindy stadium, including road bike training sessions as well as the normal cycling club activities.
If that is not suitable have a look on the British Cycling website and look at the list of other clubs in the area.
NO no no! Don't be going to Ajax ... to be honest they are mainly track/roadie based and lots of kids/older people. If you are interested in MTBing you want to go to Cyclopaedia on Crwys Road and ask to speak to Ian. I was brought up in Cardiff (unfortunately dont' live there at the mo but desperately trying to move back) and all my mates still there. There is a huge riding scene especially from the shop. Ian's girlfriend Laura is ALWAYS looking to recruit moves girls into cycling (MTB and roadie). Laura loves rides that involve cake/tea stops at some point (whether half way or at the end). There is a mixture of fitness and they do it for the social side so will ALWAYS wait for people etc. If you are seriously interested and want more info e-mail me on franwhyte@hotmail.com and I will pass on your'e info to Laura or vice versa, or if you get the chance pop into Cyclopaedia, the club attached to this is www.cardiffjif.com
there is a large group of people, variety of ages and Geraint Thomas (Olympic gold medallist at team pursuit at Beijing) used to ride for us! They do club events, Christmas dinners etc.
Just re-read your initial post where you say you've just given up high level competition so in other words you won't have any probs, they cater for everyone, triathletes, MTBers (Ian raced for Wales in the Manchester Commonwealth Games), roadies, club runs, serious training, everything you want Cardiff JIF caters for.
Another vote for Cardiff JIF (stands for Just In Front in case you were wondering and was a brought about as a sort of in-joke after Cardiff Ajax were named...), I used to ride with them when I was at uni in Cardiff. You're not short of places to go round there, it's an easy trip straight out of the city centre via the Taff Trail up to Castell Coch and Caerphily Common (MTB obviously). For road I usually used to head sort of NW-ish, lots of nice quiet lanes out that way.
The road bike training sessions they have at Maindy track on a Wednesday night through the winter are well worth going to as well. Floodlit sessions for all abilities, about 2hrs, just turn up on your own road bike. The pace at the start of the "season" (prob about now actually) is always very easy going then by February/March it's often an all out race - I remember averaging about 27mph for 2hrs round there once! Having said that, there's men and women of all abilities (and most age groups) there so you're sure to find a like-minded person to ride/train with. Enjoy!
Well I only know of Cardiff due to the fact my aunt lives near by but also know of Cardiff Ajax having ridden against some of their members, know nothing of the other club.
You do not say what sort of competition you might be interested and the problem with cycling there is such a huge variety; Track, Road, Time Trialling, MTB and then there are specialist events within the categories, ie sprint or endurance events on the track, and downhill or x-country within mtb.
It might be a good idea to check out both clubs, see what they offer, try a few different types of riding, get to know a few people .....
It is now coming to the end of the season for most types of out door racing, unless you fancy cyclo-cross, but this does mean you have a winter in front of you where you can check out the local clubs, cycle scene , and perhaps try out a few different disciplines next year to see what you fancy.
And do not forget one type of racing does not preclude you from doing others.
I know I might be biased (founding member of JIF and all that.... oh many moons ago!) but Cardiff JIF offers a more all round club, road, MTB, cyclo cross, socials, competitive, fun, old, young etc etc. Cardiff AJAX is made up of older (children who have graduated from Maindy Flyers, the really really young kiddie track squad) and their parents (who train them, coach, general support etc etc). Nicole COOKE (Olympic gold medallist women's road race) was an AJAX member with her Dad.
They do offer so much as there are all varieties of ages, different club runs going out on weekends, people going out after work. They organise crits up at Llandow, JIF have their "lungbuster" track end of season races coming up for fun and games. Definately one of best clubs I've been in (having not lived in Cardiff for 11 years now) but still a member!
A lot of events they do with AJAX on Weds nights throughout the summer they go out to the A48 at Cowbridge and have 10 mile TT races £2 to enter then afterwards they have a BBQ on the side of the road quickly before people ride home, great fun. so much a massive cycling social network in Cardiff.
MTBing, Castell Coch, Wenaullt, Caerphilly Common, Rhydry it goes on and on (same with road).
OK some of you obvioulsy have local knowledge I suppose my only reference goes back to the days of Sally Hodge, and I did make the road/track assumption.
As Sharon says the only way to find out is to get in touch with all of them go on some a few rides and activities and see who you relate to best, and don't forget that you can change clubs. When I moved here I joined in with the local track league, went on a few club runs and got to know a few riders then joined a club, 3 years later I found I was socialising with a different group and changed clubs this year.
I'm definitely going to give cardiffJIF ago, looked at their web site and hearing your raving reviews sounds like a really good bet – and I only live about 2 min up the hill from cyclopedia (although I am a bit embarrassed to pop in there as I used to take my bike into them to get punctures fixed and wheels pumped up however saying that i did buy my hybrid from them last year) will drop them an email tonight.
However you've got me all in a tizz, have had my heart set on a nice racing bike to train on and keep my hybrid for trips around town and a bit of touring, but MTBing!!! Had totally not considered it, I spent a whole summer a while back out in France MTBing and loved it - once I got passed a friend telling me your not supposed to use your breaks and believing him thought it was brilliant
Now I need to choose what to spend my money on road bike or MTB?????
Thank you for all the advice, will keep you all posted.
Be warned, you will end up with a garage full of; winter bike, touring bike, track bike, time trial bike, mtb, and that's before I start with the tandem and son's bikes..........
Now I need to choose what to spend my money on road bike or MTB?????
Sorry, why is there an "or" in that sentence? Surely you should be looking to buy a road bike AND an MTB?! There's a couple of decent bike shops in Cardiff (Cyclopaedia obviously) and a bit further afield you've got Mud Dock and Evans in Bristol (although both get varying reviews of customer service...) Now's the time to buy, all the 09 stuff is coming out so all the 08 stuff is being reduced.
ahhhhhhh James now your talking but there is only so far a student loan will streatch but needs must i reckon if i can a cheap '08 model MTB and road bike will be filing up my living room soon.
What you studying? I graduated in 01 from Cardiff but had a great 3 years there. Place has changed a lot since then, all the stuff round Cardiff Bay was only just up and running about the time I left.
There was a uni cycling club (MTB) when I was there, I presume there still is - have a look on the notice boards in the Student Union. It was a bit DH-orientated back at that time but very useful for finding all the legal (and not-so-legal...) MTB routes in and around the area, there's SO many trails out round Castell Coch, the Whips, the Wenault, Rudry and most of them can be linked up with very little road. The Taff Trail goes out from the city centre past Talybont Hall of Residence and on up to Castell Coch, you can even get all the way up to the Brecons on it via Rhondda Valley (which is worth a visit not only for the biking but also the great chip shop brilliantly titled "A Fish Called Rhondda"). I'm sure I'll remember a few more local attractions and biking routes given enough time.
I haven't been back to Cardiff for ages, will be down there again for a weekend in November to catch up with an old uni mate.
I'm a medic hence having to curtail the high level sport, just couldn't fit in enough training sessions a week to make it successful and combine it with being sent all over Wales for placement.
the MTB club is still running don't know much about it but am a bit apprehensive of joining as cautious of being a bit rubbish and being the club being 'clicky'. But fresher’s fair is next week so might as well bite the bullet and go for it.
I persuaded my sister to do the taff trial up to brecon this summer with my sister, we took a slight detour and did the old roman road next to pen-y-fan which a good addition. My sister was less impressed and caught the train back to Cardiff but a decent ride never the less. Didn’t find the chippy but going again before the end of October so will have an excuse to stop. Will have to check out these other routes with my MTB which i've decided living in Wales is essential.
if your out on your bike when your next down give me a shout.
Emma if you rode the Taff Trail then you'll be fine with that bunch of guys!
Maybe you could borrow an MTB off someone and have a go, or I'm sure if you wanted to buy a road bike and MTB Ian would do you a deal! There are some big discounts at the moment on the 2008 as 2009 are just being released. Ian was telling me about some deals he has on Giants (can't remember what other bikes he sells), or look at Paulcycles.com (I think) as they always have massive sales on their MTB's.
Cardiff JIF stemmed from the Uni Club from the days when Ian studied at Cardiff. I went riding with them all in 1996 as I was doing my A-levels, weds afternoon from museum steps (don't know if it still runs) but there is a great variety of levels and Laura is always wanting to recruit more women.
Let me know how your trip into Cyclopaedia goes oh and tell Ian "Fran says hi"
There's a couple of decent bike shops in Cardiff (Cyclopaedia obviously) and a bit further afield you've got Mud Dock and Evans in Bristol (although both get varying reviews of customer service...) Now's the time to buy, all the 09 stuff is coming out so all the 08 stuff is being reduced. 
