Pedal Power

My wife and I were in Cardiff from the US and wanted to visit Castle Coch and Caerphilly without needing to hire a car or trying to figure out bus service. It looked like both were accessible via bike trail and we are both avid cyclists, so we walked to Pedal Power from our hotel and rented two bikes. They came with all the accoutrements you might need (helmet, lock, panniers, etc.), which was perfect since we obviously didn’t bring any of that with us. The staff were very friendly and accommodating.
Bikes weren’t what we were used to riding back home but they got the job done for our leisurely trip. Mechanical condition was generally good, and I think the only issue was when I dropped my chain going up the absurd climb to Castle Coch. We did around 40 miles round trip. For what it’s worth, local drivers were very polite the few times we had to venture onto public roads. Taff trail is really dodgy north of Castle Coch but that just added to the adventure!
All in all I’d highly recommend going here. Great way to take in the sights and visit the local attractions without spending a lot or sitting on a bus.

If you don’t mind hopping on a bike with a large «Pedal Power!» logo emblazoned on the front of it then this place is absolutely ideal.
It really is amazing, going on the Taff Trail towards Castell Coch, how quickly you can feel that you’re nowhere near the city. Within about 10 or 15 mins, you’re cycling in some very picturesque parts of the country indeed.
The Pedal Power people run a very efficient service. Operating from Sophia Gardens and Cardiff Bay, they charge just £3 an hour or £15 for 24 hours use per bike. They are really decent folks aswell, last time we were out, my friend had a puncture after about 10 mins cycling so they gave us a new bike and a couple of hours free each aswell.
It really is a bike trail that has to be experienced. You can get to Castell Coch within about 40 minutes. See if you can make it up the final hill to the Castle aswell! I always collapse about halfway up as it’s so steep.
There’s a neat little pub at the bottom of the hill leading to Castell Coch and they have some great food in there, if you fancy a little break. It’s situated pretty much exactly halfway through the ride to the Castle too so it’s a perfectly placed rest stop. I’ve never been further than that as I’m afraid of the motorway (!) but it’s a must-​do if you fancy getting getting out of the city for a little while.

Fancy getting into bike riding but cant afford to fork out for a bike? If so this is an absolute must for you to get started.
In the summer I decided to take up bike riding. I am usually very quick to find a new hobby but the majority of the time I dont stick at it for very long. Hence the nearly new trumpet, the still wrapped tennis racket and the un opened box of skates I have sitting in the garage!
So when I decided to turn my hand at cycling I chose to visit Pedal Power first… and god I am glad I did.
The bike I hired was everything I needed and did the job adequately. I used Pedal Power a few times, the prices were cheap starting from £5 for one hour to £15 for 24 hours.
I am pleased to say I am now the proud owner of a bicycle which I use all the time. Especially on the Taff Trail.
The only negative point I have is that they dont stock Choppers! Ha Ha

Cardiff Pedal Power is an excellent project to get people on their bikes — even if you don’t have one.
It’s basically a bike hire scheme — there are two bases from where you can hire bikes — near Sophia Gardens (near centre of town) and down at Cardiff bay.
You can get to both via the Taff trail, which is an excellent place to ride, even if you have the fitness levels of a sloth because its pretty much flat, that’s because it follows the river Taff (makes sense ay?). I’ve cycled along it many a time and its a lovely way to while away a few hours.
So, in theory, if you wanted to, you could cycle from Cardiff bay up to the Brecon Beacons — but you’d need the following:
A long cycle hire time — and they are flexible on this. The longer you hire for the cheaper it becomes, relatively speaking that is, otherwise if you hired it for a lifetime they would end up owing you money. So for example and 1 hour = £5, two hours = £7.50, three hours = £10, 24 hours = £15.
A packed breakfast, lunch and dinner and PJ’s.
And legs like tree trunks (as in fit not fat).
So there is no excuse — on ya bike!

If you go on a cycle ride it’s amazing what you will find…
Pedal Power is a bike company that supplies bikes to be hired to the public at the cost of £10 per person for a few hours and cycling along the Taff trail and it is a highly recommended and a very commonly used path.
It such a beautiful ride along the Taff trail with mostly trees over your head, shading you from the hot sun and cooling you down. The journey is nearly always flat, but along the way there are quite a few benches or picnic areas to eat, drink or to relax on. Mum and I only did a small part of the trail and that took roughly two hours.
They have a few different offices and for the one down in Cardiff Bay they are open Seven days a week. Their offices are all run the same way and are organised in the same way as each other. There are mostly volunteers who work there and even some of the roles within the offices are voluntary careers.
They have all kinds of bikes such as; bikes for women, men, and children and for the disabled, plus buggies, a range of baby seats, and tag along bikes. I recommend to all who love bike riding and the Taff trail.

This is a charity bike hire centre offering a wide range of bikes including some that are specially adapted for children and adults with disabilities, enabling nearly everyone to enjoy cycling whatever their age or ability. They even have pedal cars which can take up to six people, as well as tandems, trikes and bikes with kids’ trailers.
It’s open seven days a week, and in Cardiff there are two branches: this one in the Bay (en route to the Barrage), and another in Pontcanna Fields (near the Taff Trail).
Because these centres are trying to make cycling more accessible to everyone, they also try to keep bike hire prices low — with bikes available from £3 for an hour, up to £15 for 24 hours.
It’s a great idea, and perfect for people who can’t afford or store their own bike, or for those who only cycle a handful of times each year and don’t want their own bike.

I find bike hiring places great for my needs. I ride them about 5 times a year, I house share so can’t keep one in the house, so it’s ideal when a cheap hiring place comes along for moi.
Enter Pedal Power with a huge array of 2 wheeled implements to set you on your way. Starting at £5 for an hour and up to £15 for a day it’s really reasonable and better than wasting your money on poxy public transport.
Every bike comes with a helmet (I look a prize in them), Lock, pump and survival kit with repair type gadgets and a spare inner tube.
The staff are great in here as well and were really helpful on good bike trails to investigate.