Tis the season for cycling!

Let’s all make the most of the sunshine and get out into nature as much as we can. Pedal Power is here for you and your friends and family to hire bikes and trikes to fit your needs and get exploring Cardiff’s parks, coast and surrounds.
Our Bay site is now open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday (10.30 til 6pm with last hire at 5pm) in addition to Pontcanna, open Tuesday to Sunday, (10am til 6pm with last hire at 5pm) and it may be worth mentioning we can do large two wheel hires (we have done over 40!!) for groups – the only place in Wales that can do this currently.

And don’t forget to include a visit to our friendly café when you are out and about. As the saying goes – Cycle. Coffee. Cake. Repeat.

At Pontcanna we also offer learn to ride and skills and confidence lessons plus various group rides. Call 02920390713 or email bookings@cardiffpedalpower.org.uk to find out more.

The Bay – an ever-evolving work in progress

Every time you visit our Bay site recently you will discover that things keep changing as we work tirelessly to improve our Porth Tiger location! We are very grateful to Keep Wales Tidy and Welsh Government (Local Spaces for Nature initiative) for helping us plant our wild garden filled with pollinator-friendly plants and supporting a variety of other wildlife habitats.

Our Bay site is a great starting point for a cycling exploration of an area steeped in history and rich in wildlife and we would love to work with community groups and local schools to develop this theme.

If you have any queries or suggestions, please get in touch at info@cardiffpedalpower.org.uk

Making new friends all the time – and we love it!

As we emerge from the shadow of the pandemic, it’s great to welcome back old friends and very exciting to make new ones too. Innovate Trust have got involved not just in cycling but are also getting creative making props for the Butetown Carnival (August Bank Holiday) where our sidebysides have become a regular feature!

We’ve been delighted to work with Newydd Housing and are sure their family rides planned for August will be a resounding success.

Another housing association, CCHA, have a large ride planned with us, starting out from the Bay and our aim is strengthen our relationships with ALL housing associations and help them bring the benefits of cycling to their tenants, so any help in making connections will be very welcome.

Proving  it is never too late to get cycling, we are now a regular activity for the members of Elder Fit who demonstrate that age is no barrier to having fun and who bring huge energy and laughter with them every visit.

If your organisation is interested in joining the Pedal Power family, please contact director@cardiffpedalpower.org.uk for a chat.

We are also continuing to work with PHW and Cardiff Met to support their Move More initiative (MakeYourMove.org.uk/movemorecardiff) as we are able to include everyone, all ages and all abilities, in a fun and useful activity, namely cycling. It is extremely important that nobody feels excluded at a time when cycling is not just good for your health and the health of the planet,  but may also be good for your bank balance! Not only can you hire from us, but we also have a regular supply of refurbished bikes for sale plus act as dealers for many of the specialised trikes. As ever, please help us spread the word.

Hospital connections

It is well understood that cycling can help when coping with illness and injury and Pedal Power would love to be more involved with health professionals to support their work so we are especially delighted that in the last few months we have worked with three different physiotherapy departments in Llandough Hospital – Spinal Injuries, Neuromuscular and Mental Health Services for Older People. The photo here does not convey the wonderfully positive impact cycling had – one participant bursting into song as he cycled! – and we aim to continue and increase our connections here. Again, if you can influence the powers that be or know someone who could, please pile on the pressure!

Ride for All 2022

It may seem a long time ago now but it’s still worth a mention – our 2022 Ride for All was a resounding success with around 130 participants in both rides – surely one of our best turnouts and very important in raising the visibility of inclusive cycling in our capital city.

On that note, we are planning to have a Bee Ride before the end of summer, actual date TBC. Yes, you read right – our Bee Ride, when we would encourage everyone to dress as bees (of course!) is intended to highlight the importance of all pollinators and to make the link between our two sites at Pontcanna and the Bay. More details to follow soon.

Please remember we are a charity and we need your support

It may be hard to believe with all the good stories we have to tell but Pedal Power faces a constant financial struggle and the challenges everyone is facing affect us just as deeply.

Every donation, no matter what size, makes a significant difference as we are always seeking grants and reliable funding to support the continuation of our work.

And finally a shout to the staff and volunteers who keep Pedal Power going. It’s not always easy - working for a small charity (and we are still small in relative terms) means we don’t have the pay structures, the systems, the departments etc that larger orgs do - it’s a constant challenge for all of us, but I can assure you that everyone at PP, without exception, goes above and beyond on so many occasions and with such generosity of spirit. The positive experience of the customer and support of the team are always foremost in everyone’s actions and I am humbled by the dedication and good humour of all who keep us going and open.

Here’s to a great summer!

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