Disclaimer as I did not think it would be my ‘thing’ but I was very wrong. The skills and thrill was immense. You can start slower and build up if needed. I say this a lot as confidence comes with action.

Essentially I went as this place is within my catchment area, I recognise this as the impressive Olympic sport it is, but this isn’t really in my comfort zone either. I took the kids and then felt I should try too. Llynfi in Maesteg is the furthest East of the catchment I cover and it’s not a cycling discipline I’m familiar with, so with a lot on I wasn’t sure about getting there. So glad I did! Riding full pelt around the track, with a nice burning sensation in my legs, then a rest with the others in a form of discussion , and repeat helped build the happiness quick. We have discussed doing a women’s intro session to BMX so keep this in mind. Would you be keen?

Overall cycling can have a reputation for being expensive, and I must say I can debate this happily as I feel cycling is often an investment but just noting that this was £1 BMX bike hire, and £1 full face helmet hire making it a really really accessible experience. In total it was £12 for the three of us for 2.5 hrs of really learning and enjoying the process of riding BMX. I thoroughly recommend giving this a go if you haven’t. They have a really fabulous Facebook page that details what, where, when etc. and we definitely going again so search Llynfi BMX to find their info. Do this right now and follow their updates.

I would give BMX top marks for the best fun, and a great opportunity to really improve skills at increasing speed too. I’m very much an endurance person but speed should never ever be neglected.

Special thanks to the Llynfi BMX Racing Club and coaches for making us all feel really welcome.

Can’t wait to go again.

Might be tempted to do a race too!

I’ve had a brilliant few months figuring out the regions and talking to a whole lot of amazing people in the cycling community within my catchment of West and South West Wales. All the clubs and cyclists have different aims and cycling backgrounds. We’re all very different but I feel confidence is a real deal breaker for many women and ultimately can sometimes hold us back. I can’t pretend to know why this is but often we wait for moments to be perfect before taking the courage to do something. I know I’ve had my own challenges around this too and I’ll just talk about my own methods that work for me, please note there is a huge amount of academic material available on this topic and these are just my thoughts that work for me. I’ve mostly adapted my thinking around reading Professor Steve Peters, Chimp Paradox multiple times. It’s a great read, I might go as far as to say it’s my favourite as understanding how our brains work is fascinating, it helps with so many scenarios in life. The Chimp Paradox is something I often go back to if I find my thoughts just don’t feel quite right about something.

I’ve adopted the sensation that I will 100% not know what something will be like if I don’t take on that opportunity. If confidence is holding anyone back particularly in their cycling, then I’d suggest that making any attempt to action a small part of what you want will help tremendously. I think if you’re waiting for everything to be perfect, including your confidence than the wait might take forever. Even elite athletes rarely have a situation where every scenario is prepared for them to execute what they are doing perfectly.

For many reasons I’m writing this to hopefully support any women wanting to step a bit further ahead with their cycling. I know so many capable women and sometimes we just need a nudge towards the next opportunity that might feel a bit out of reach and a bit out of our depth. I can’t emphasise enough the power of a women’s community to support each other can have.

To gain confidence in cycling it can look like many things, maybe join the Breeze ride, enter the race, fix the mechanical, what ever is holding us back, with a little bit of action the confidence will grow a little too.  What is the difference between an excuse or a reason? You might not know me, but I am rooting for you to reach out for yourself to give yourself the confidence, just a little bit at a time. There is a lot of joy to be found in the process too, and this also build confidence. I’m purely speaking from my own experiences here and everyone is different but if confidence is holding you back from more cycling then maybe break it down into small manageable pieces. Yes I appreciate this is a chicken and egg situation but give yourself a pat on the back and move forward again. Confidence will grow with steady action, and it might not always be there so you will need to keep working on this. These are purely my own thoughts, I’m only writing these based on what I’ve discussed with women recently and from my own thoughts. For academic writing around this then you should read The Chimp Paradox for the pure joy of understanding how you can transform your thoughts. Thanks kindly for reading. Onwards & upwards x

Women & Girls BMX Festiva. Keen to try something new and different? Yes! Join us for some BMX skills & fun. Event is FREE! Session lead by Coach Ffion James. Ages 12+

⚫️🟡⚫️ INFORMATION 🟡⚫️🟡

Llynfi BMX Racing Club

Llynfi Maesteg CF34 0TW

Come a little earlier to get your bike and helmet ready. Stay after the session and bring your family for some Festiva fun and free time on the track from 11am - open to everyone, all ages and abilities.

Free to book here-

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/women-girls-bmx-festiva-tickets-1003280297377?aff=oddtdtcreator

Intro session lead by BMX Coach Ffion James, and supported by multi skills Coach Lizzy Felton. This will be a great and welcoming session to get women together to experience BMX. Special thank you to Matthew Rowlands and Llynfi BMX Racing Club for supporting this.

✳️CHANGES: *Sessions are subject to change, particularly if very poor weather conditions, please check our page if there’s an update before departure for track!

✳️FEE it's FREE: however sessions are usuually £2 member/local | £4 non-members for your next visit.

✳️FORECAST: looking alright! 🌥️☁️🌧️

Gear up appropriately for the weather - extra gloves, thick socks, base layer, bobble hat, and warm drink or sun hat, suncream, cold drink!

✳️TRACK: general maintenance and set-up before starting.

✳️START GATE: Sunday (with help to set up)!

✳️BIKES: BMX Race bikes available to loan £1 each (limited numbers - first come first served)

✳️HELMETS: free to hire for this session but full face helmets available to loan £1 each for the next one (limited numbers - first come first served).

✳️TO RIDE: must be competent rider for track but you can cycle around the perimeter on the flat areas if not, must wear a full face helmet (your own or hire ours), if using your own bike must have working rear brake and not have stunt-pegs on your bike.

✳️GEAR: wear your gloves (important - any gloves) and protective elbow and knee pads (if you have any), wear long sleeved top and trousers (important to protect your skin if you crash from bad track rash)!

✳️HYDRATE: bring a bottle of water or you can buy a variety of drinks at our tuck shop!

✳️ARRIVAL: Sign in and say hello.

✳️MEMBERSHIP/DECLARATION: please complete a form for yourself/child.

✳️REFRESHMENTS: Various cold drinks (water/bottles/cans/juice), hot drinks, snacks (sweets/crisps) available to buy at our Cafe.

✳️TOILETS: we do not have onsite toilets so please go before you set off, otherwise it’s the bush, nearby supermarket or a local pub!

See you at the track, let’s have some fun and work hard! 🔥⚫️🟡

No idea how to caption these pics

“Whose turn is it to clean the bikes merched?”, ah yes, it’s my turn.

Tonight we did the Gower Riders open cyclo-cross session. It’s always a game changer riding with others, and it makes every element of cycling much more enjoyable. Just to be clear, this is a sales pitch as we’re looking for more women to join our start lines for the Welsh Cyclo-cross league so I’ll jump straight in and explain why this is an excellent way to invest your energy. I’m not writing this as some fancy elite rider but as a mum juggling jobs, and tasks, and outlining that the women on the start line are all very real and varied and we need each other for it to be a race. We have everyone from elite level to cyclo-cross beginners and we have a share mutual respect for each other.

It might be easier for you to just enter the entire league than read my happy cyclo-cross ramblings but hold tight because it’s one of my favourite cycling disciplines.

So the session from Gower Riders is essentially a practice for the races to come, they offered a muddy field and hill to practice on, but it’s such a different experience riding like this with other riders. For example there were several different clubs at the session exactly like a race, and the senior event they mixed the men and the women up and then they had a mixed junior session. Just noting at this point that women in the Welsh League have their own separate start line and race, we have the mud to ourselves. The entries for the Welsh races are really mixed as we have a few juniors, a small field of seniors and age group riders which between us all cover all the ages. The guys set off in waves but there aren’t as many women and when I began watching these women race I felt a huge sense of wanting to know what that would be like and if it would be useful to have a go to find out. I read a quote somewhere recently and it said something like ‘you will 100% not know what something feels like unless you try it.”

Not even elite rodeos get to turn up at races in a stage of pure perfection so if you’re thinking of racing you should drop any notion that you need to know everything before starting as there will be an element of learning the process with the action of doing it.

Just skipping back to the Gower session, I already knew all four of the women from different races previously and we all chatted and supported each other. A lovely mix of riders & clubs turn up to all the cyclocross events, maybe you won’t know them on your first, second or third time at the races, but bit by bit you get to know people and feel part of it. It’s a fab community of cyclists that are out to maximise their cross season, this comes free with your entry. The kids and adults at Gower got stuck in, enjoying the mud & hilly bits at a variety of speeds, there’s no right way to do this, every lap you might try to improve but the surface will be changing due to the volume of riders churning it up possibly. At events like these there will always be some fantastic elite level racers and also complete beginners, it works well as together we become a sort of cyclo-cross mini echo system that works as a unit. For example at the session this evening there were a few Port Talbot Wheelers, some Celtic Tri, lots of Gower Riders, Towy riders looking ace too. Bit by bit you get to know these people and you become part of it. If you haven’t already, then here is a helpful reminder to get your Cyclo-cross kit sorted now and entries in.

So at the Gower session we had Emma from Celtic Tri, Emma from Port Talbot Wheelers, Jen from Gower riders and myself. I am familiar with racing with men but racing with the women goes something like this. I’m riding up a steady slope with a hairpin at the top and I hear Emma (Celtic Tri Emma) shout at me ‘Go Lizzy’, so instantly I shout ‘Go Emma’ straight back, mutual support right there, not everyone will be like this but I experience this a lot and I’m sure you will to. There’s a guy quietly riding between us saying nothing, there’s no sisterhood there but we respect him and he rides on. Maybe guys do this too but we’re pushing hard and we’re aware of the riders around us. Essentially we’re all against each other but we’re really supporting each other too.

The next bit of the session and we’re heading fast into a steep downhill that runs back on itself with a fancy camber to it. I ride this section and stay upright, Emma shouts ‘I have no idea how you can do that’, and I shout ‘but Em! You are doing that’! I appreciate this might not sound entertaining but Emma makes me laugh all the time. In fact she’s the mad reason I started cross in the first place. A few years ago we got to know each other watching our kids riding cyclocross, it was nice, Emma told me she wasn’t a cyclist but she’d talk gearing at me and cassettes casually and I’d always listen. I often had non clue of the technical stuff she was discussing but bit by bit our friendship grew. However the idea of actually racing myself wasn’t something I’d considered. I’ve raced a lot in my time, I love it, but the last and only time I’d ever ridden a cyclocross race was in the British University champs (BUSC) oddly enough in Swansea when I was at University at Loughborough. It was in my second year in 2006, this was the first and last cyclocross race I’d ever done. I think we can all agree 2006 was so far away that anything I learned will now have been forgotten. Mostly, my barrier to not racing cross was because I’d had an equipment problem and had no bike. The idea of buying a bike especially just to try a sport seemed a huge commitment and didn’t cross my mind.

Anyway fast forward nearly two decades I’m stood in a freezing field with my new pal Emma and she’s saying “we should give this a go”, and I say “yeh why not?”. After that Emma kept asking every few weeks, have you got a bike yet? Our kids do a lot together so the discussion around cross just unravelled very fast. Again, I had an equipment problem as buying a new bike to try an event seemed a bit full on. I am in no way stereotyping but mum’s spend a lot of time and effort on their kids but the idea of getting something so fancy for ourselves doesn’t always reach the top of the priority pile. The mums to do list is incredible as it is without adding cyclocross to it but this is a point I feel quite passionate about.

Anyway I messaged an old friend saying I was looking for a cyclocross bike, if she saw anything suitable for my size then let me know. Tracey instantly replied saying ‘here we go, what do you think of this?’. Unfortunately at this point it was the end of the summer hols and my tumble dryer just broken, I had a lot of things to pay for but the cyclocross bike journey and problems seemed to continue to come together. That’s a longer story but I did by the bike. You don’t need a cyclocross bike particularly, you can try on gravel or on a mtb and I can assure during a race like this you will bond with your bike considerably. My bike is old and problematic, I’ve had several mechanical issues with it but I love it so much.

The @welshcx Welsh Cyclo-cross league offers excellent racing, and we are looking for more women to join our start line. Please do join us, I will probably be there and it would be great to see you there too. Women entries are often smaller than the guys but the community is fantastic and I’d thoroughly recommend this discipline. If a part of you hasn’t done cross and wants to find out, then please figure that out. If you’re lucky enough to have a mtb, gravel and/ or cross bike then definitely prepare for the races to come. You don’t have to race but if a part of you is keen then definitely get ready for cross season.

Either way, keep enjoying your cycling.

🚲🚲🫧🧽🧼🫧🫧

First picture is 4year old Opal, she is possibly one of the coolest kids ever. She just quietly really enjoyed the BMX track, with her family there too all enjoying with her. We could all do with learning from the determination and coolness of a little girl just enjoying the moment.

We had a fantastic time at our Women & Girls BMX Festiva led by Ffion James from @beiciocymru . It was a session that came together really quickly and it was difficult to know how many people would actually come. After a meeting with Mark Edwards, Ffion James and Matthew Roland’s earlier that week, I then set the event page page up, and we waited hoping someone would book. Amazingly all spaces for the session went within a few days which was a huge relief as sometimes it’s difficult to know who or if anyone will turn up.

I felt it was a was a huge success, some were complete beginners, one girl came all the way from Exeter to join us, only two in the group had racing experience and it was nice for them to share their skills with the rest of us. Both the racing girls totally loved their bikes but often they’re the only girls at training so it felt nice they could share their skills and techniques with us to appreciate. There was no ego here, no one was judging, just a safe space to try something new with others and grow together.

After Ffion had done some basic intro skills we tentatively went to the top of the BMX track to watch half the group roll down the track for the very first time. It does look steep from the top but wow it’s a thrill. Watching all of the group drop down one at a time was quite special. Just noting here that the racing girls could have powered it down showing off (and why not!) but they joined the session at the same pace and steady effort and built up with every one else and everyone seemed to grow together.

It was a really mixed group ranging in a 50 years age gap between everyone and I feel we made one heck of a fab team. We had 10 spaces to work with and on the morning we only had 9 and then a further two dropped out, my heart sunk as potentially no one could have turned up, then the rain hammered it down and I thought we might be having to cancel at that point. Then as the start of the session got closer we all huddled under the Llynfi BMX racing track tent hiding from the rain making that nervous casual conversation you have pre ride. Julie is often the woman who prepares your bikes and kit from the containers and the rain was bouncing off the roof at this point. I was expecting Matthew to walk over and say we’d need to shut the track because the rain was so heavy. Then suddenly the clouds lifted, the sun arrived and extra women began to turn up so we then had a full session to get started. Ah the relief. Noting at this point too that the booking page also said that 135 people had looked at the event so we’re hoping we can build on this.

Later that day I sent an email out to everyone who’d booked thanking them for coming and I had some lovely replies. One mum emailed to say her daughter has spent four years watching her brother loving BMX but our session was the first time she’d ventured into riding BMX herself. This was a powerful email to read, also, this rider was really very skilled on the bike and I’m glad she felt this opportunity was for her. Confidence comes with action!

It’s nice to be able to be part of something like this but Llynfi BMX is a great place that regularly holds open sessions so if you fancy it please do go along. Special thank you to everyone that was part of this, I thoroughly enjoyed and I hope you did too. Huge good luck to the girls who are racing at Llynfi next weekend too.

Huge congratulations to @stevie.w

It’s been totally amazing seeing him win the @thetourofbritain this week.

Here he is inspiring my family with an age range between 8- to over 80! Aberystwyth is incredibly proud of this fella. My social media has exploded with pictures of his gentle and reassuring smile.

I was asked to write an article a few months ago to talk about why West Wales produces so many champions and truth is Stevie is totally unique. He’s gone through some very serious injuries to achieve what he’s doing now and he deserves his success. Da iawn i ti Stevie!

I am beyond proud of these women, as earlier this evening they reached Paris, these women are my HEROES!! 390 miles over five days is beyond outstanding. The work and support they’ve put in before even starting this is incredible.

They have trained and supported each other to prepare for this through @breezecycling @beiciocymru on regular rides all over the place. I’m very lucky to have joined them on some Breeze rides noting that it’s not been plain sailing or easy for them and they’ve worked incredibly hard.

Breeze continues to show me the sheer support and strength women have when women ride together. If you’re a woman reading this, you’re very very welcome to come along and join rides to free and become part of this incredible set up. The Let’s ride link is in my bio. We want to grow this in the region and support what we already have. I am happy to answer questions anytime. Special mention to Breeze Champion Karen Dusgate for her wonderful leadership that’s been part of this.

Llongyfarchiadau mawr merched 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿➡️🇫🇷❤️

Beicio Cymru is running a women's social tomorrow/Thursday night at the Cymru Velo Track Cup at Newport Velodrome. This will be an informal evening with a chance to meet Beicio Cymru’s Women’s Community of Practice & chat with myself with other women involved in cycling in Wales. It will be a great chance to watch some exciting international track racing & network with others too.

It would be great to see some of you there from 6pm.

Supporting Women’s Sport & cycling can sometimes just be as straightforward as watching it. So many exciting things to see unfold at an international race like this, and it’s a great opportunity to watch. Let me know if you’d like a link to come, please follow Beicio Cymru for updates too.

Book your free ticket for the racing here (starts at 6):

https://newportlive.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173654276

Register for the women’s social here: https://cwd7723dowy.typeform.com/to/Zb6V8u3i

Diolch!

Lindsay has a wealth of knowledge, she’s a Breeze Champion, a racing champion, a coach, excellent technical support so I’d really recommend going along. I will be there to support on Sunday too. We have a lot of knowledge between us but also we’re here to really support the women’s community to grow so if you’re keen please come.

Are you curious about mountain biking? interested in Gravel riding? but don’t know how or where to start.

Or are you already riding and looking for like minded women to ride with, with the bonus of some skill sessions?

Why not be a part of something that will hopefully grow, and you can grow with it, where you have access to advice and help from experienced riders and racers.

Our new club could be for you, why not come along to Glyncorrwg Mountain bike Centre on January 26th to meet us and find out more about who we are and what we have planned.

We shall be in the cafe from 10am till 2pm just pop along when it’s convenient for you.

They have a website but there’s lots of fab updates on the Facebook so here’s a link.

Might see you Sunday! Lizzy x

https://www.facebook.com/share/18EJkd9Gtf/?mibextid=wwXIfr

registered to@beiciocymru &@britishcycling and a stunning 21 members joined which feels like such a healthy number to begin this new venture.

In glorious soggy Welsh weather, lots of women came along to fill in membership forms and chat all things cycling off road. Mud, tyres, confidence, technical stuff, all areas were chatted about. Being part of any cycling club offers so many experiences, knowledge, it’s a shared sense of adventure, and the ability to grow together. You’ll always go a little bit further with others with a shared aims. You might not even know your aim is shared, then someone will make a great suggestion and it’ll give you an idea for yourself. Everyone was made to feel really welcome. I’d like to wish this new club the very best! So many opportunities can play out from here with miles and smiles ahead and knowing Lindsay has been key to leading this feels so positive.

I am so fond of Lindsay, I’d say over the past year with my role with Beicio Cymru that Lindsay has steadily become a friend, where instant chatting can lead us into all sorts of exciting conversations. I feel Lindsay is incredibly approachable with her very wide knowledge of cycling. Her idea of cycling is entirely different to mine as my tyres tend to be a lot thinner, yet our understanding of our direction feels really similar. We both want to see more women cycling, and Lindsay has worked incredibly hard with her partner James to set up all the necessary box ticking and methods required to affiliate a cycling club with British Cycling. This is now ensures the club has the appropriate infrastructure and insurances, but it also offers opportunities to improve, build and develop the club too. No one knows exactly where our bikes will take us and that’s why we love it.

It was a real privilege chatting to all the women who came along, they dropped in for the open day, some women were thrilled to be chatting about their experiences while others were a bit more shy and nervous in comparison and a few coffees later Afan Forest Riders were full of members. I have to say I absolutely understand the sensation of nervousness that joining a new club instils in us, on this note of you are looking at a club and hesitant to join just go for it. Turning up to a cycling event and not knowing anyone is ok, it might not feel like joy but you will find your way and there are many of us out there wanting to see you come along and find your way to get stuck in. I’ve gone through this process multiple times of joining a new club or going to a new event, I appreciate it’s nerve wracking, sometimes turning up when you don’t know anyone seems like a challenge but it will almost certainly reward you. Also, I feel Nerves mean you care and caring is good! A club is there to work as a unit to help support each other as you develop. All the different clubs have their own vibes & quirks, all clubs have their own methods, and even politics too but they offer opportunities together that work well. Afan Forest Riders instantly felt like a club with huge drive and support offering the opportunity for connection, but a little different as it’s for women!

I spoke to my mum before getting to Glyncorrwg and she has met Lindsay a few times over the past year, Mum told me how Lindsay has given her some really insightful advice around knee issues to help strengthen my Mum’s knees up. We all know knees are funny things, but as my Mum is in her 70’s and she absolutely loves her cycling and it meant along to me knowing someone like Lindsay had taken the time to help improve my Mum’s knowledge to help her with her confidence when it comes to cycling. My mums cycling is such a well-being boost for her and that continued confidence for her is priceless. I know other women experience this and this is just one example that’s close to me. This is just one of the small stories I have that outline Lindsay’s impressive and immense understanding of cycling and how she navigates this into a wider community. The fact my mum is in her 70’s shows Lindsay’s versatility too and strengthen to share her knowledge is so many ways.

I caught up with Lindsay after the event and she’s said that 21 women have now confirmed members and I know via Merched Cycling we’ve had such a great response. I’m looking forward to seeing this grow and I’ve offered my help when needed too.

So just to round off with wishing the very very best best best for Afan Forest Riders, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this evolves.

For more info please see their website.

https://afanforestriders.club

Enjoy your riding! See you soon. Lizzy x

A very warm welcome and invite to celebrate International Women’s Day with Beicio Cymru and Triathlon Cymru.

We have partnered up to host a fantastic skills day for Cycling and Duathlon to support more women & girls in cycling & multi sport.

This will be a coached day to develop skills & techniques, but also a great opportunity to get together as a community to share thoughts and experiences too. It would be lovely to see you.

Tickets to attend the session are £4. Please book in advance due to limited availability. Food and drink will be available, & parking charges apply. Any questions please get in touch. We will have a verity of coaching support and knowledge to share for all abilities.

More information on the link…

We are looking forward!

Pembrey Country Park

11.30-2pm

Saturday 8th March

Ffion James, Beicio Cymru

+44 7887 377421

Rhian Williams, Triathlon Cymru

‪+44 7384 214695‬

Lizzy Felton, Beicio Cymru

07939223669

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/international-womens-day-cycling-diwrnod-rhyngwladol-y-meywod-beicio-tickets-1256899433039?aff=oddtdtcreator

The cycling community is amazing and I’ve tried to find methods to help navigate that for others. I’ve not stood still with the hope that this can keep growing in the most sustainable way. Huge thank you to everyone who’s been part of this in some way. Onwards! Lizzy x

🚴‍♀️🚴‍♀️🚴‍♀️

Blwyddyn gyfan ers i mi ddechrau

©merched.cycling gyda’r nod o gefnogi mwy o

fenywod a merched ym myd beicio a’r gymuned feicio ehangach.

Er bod gen i dros 20 mlynedd o brofiad a gwybodaeth beicio, mae’r dudalen hon wedi dod yn lle i geisio adeiladu rhywbeth gydag eraill ac ar gyfer eraill. Mae beicio yn gymaint mwy na phedalu o gwmpas, ond mae’n cynnig ymdeimlad dwfn o lawenydd corfforol a meddyliol trwy’r cyfnodau prysur a drwg.

Mae’r gymuned feicio yn anhygoel ac rydw i wedi ceisio dod o hyd i ddulliau i helpu i lywio hynny i eraill. Nid wyf wedi sefyll yn llonydd gyda’r gobaith y gall hyn barhau i dyfu yn y ffordd fwyaf cynaliadwy. Diolch yn fawr iawn i bawb sydd wedi bod yn rhan o hyn mewn rhyw ffordd. Ymlaen!

Thank you for your support! diolch i chi am eich cefnogaeth! Wrth Lizzy x

@lizzy.felton

#beiciomerched #womenscycling #beiciocymru #welshcycling #cycling #beicio #thankyou #diolch

https://www.instagram.com/merched.cycling?igsh=ZXdhYzZ3ZGYzdDc1&utm_source=qr

Only 5.5% of the entries were women. It feels intimidating but it’s still worth it. Oddly a woman at our session on Saturday talked about intimidation and how she feels intimidated at bike events with a majority of men, and I felt that was a really individual response. I can turn up to most situations and not feel like I’m out of my depth, even though often I am. For example the athletes at a race can feel intimidating but you have to find your space & place to hold the race. Women absolutely belong in these situations It was a small field, 54 entries and only 3 were women. I need to finish writing this! I’ll pop back soo .

1. Thursday 27^th March – Women’s Community of Practice 1 – Encouraging more women into coaching (online)

We have an informative and inspiring session about why and how to get into cycling coaching! More information and registration via the link below:

Confidence and Development – Encouraging Women into Coaching – Community of Practice - Women in Cycling 2025 #1 - Beicio Cymru

2. Thursday 24^th April – Women’s Off-Road Community of Practice 2 – Demystifying Ride Leadership (online)

For those interested in hearing more about MTB Leadership, with some free spaces available on courses later this year.

Community of Practice 2: Demystifying Ride Leadership Tickets, Thu, Apr 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM | Eventbrite

3. Friday 23^rd May – FIAS Community Building Toolkit Workshop Bike Park Wales

Aimed at women+ wanting to set up a women's MTB community, or existing community leaders. In person spaces are limited to 20 as this includes lunch and uplift for an afternoon ride at BPW. Online option also available. Register here

4. Saturday 27^th March – Women’s-Only Intro to BMX Session – Cardiff BMX track (2-4pm)

Ever wanted to have a go at BMX but been too intimidated to give it a try? This is the perfect chance for you to give it a go in a supportive, female-only environment. No experience required. Booking link to come.

Please share this information with any women and girls in your clubs and networks who would be interested in these opportunities, and please get in touch if you have any questions.

Race report:

We were four riders, from four clubs, four sets of skills -riding as one.

Lizzy Felton in bright pink, Laura Davies in soft pink, Hollie Labunsky in black and yellow, and Bethan Marks in blue. After a hectic day juggling work, kids, dogs, and Estyn stuff, general family and work life, with fresh and tired legs between us we were somehow ready to race. I’ve done TTT’s with Hollie multiple times but I wasn’t entirely sure of my own fitness. Being fit and race fit are entirely different things. I imagined we’d start the race and I’d fall back immediately, the things our minds tell us! However my legs felt really good, these are rare moments to find and I felt my speed needed was within my control.

The TTT, brilliantly run by Port Talbot Wheelers, is technical and unforgiving-think under pressure or fall behind. One lapse in focus and you're overlapping wheels or drifting off. But autopilot kicks in. We took 30-second turns at the front, adjusting as we went. I’ve been reminded to add that it was extremely hot too “hotter than the face of the sun” one racer added.

The course swept us down the valley, then dragged back up. Oddly on the way down we saw a dead owl in a feathery pile next to us as we went past it and I was convinced it was a bad omen, absolutely impossible to describe how our brains think when we race. Gaps opened, we smoothed them out. At this point clear communication is crucial. The slowest rider can also get dropped and making decisions like this under pressure is not easy. Thankfully I wasn’t the fourth rider yet we decided to stick together anyway. Racing feels fast and slow all at once, through and off, hold the wheel, switch, repeat. At the final push, Laura yelled for one last effort-which we'd already been giving all along.

We were the Fastest women's team second year running (though the only one this year). Still, an amazing experience. It's intense, but doable and absolutely worth all the preparation and fuss and lengthy WhatsApp discussions when planning.

Total distance of 26.17 km at 37.9 kph, 41.26min. Light wind. A few tactical errors. We'll be back for more.

Huge respect to the other riders and organisers-what an event.

100% recommend if you fancy it. There aren’t many so I’d recommend planning for it right now. Find someone similar pace and get sorted, it’s worth it. If you’ve done these then you’ll agree!

We were lucky to host the British Road Race Championships in Aberystwyth yesterday and what a day it was!

Ceredigion doesn’t have many Breeze Champs, so we were especially grateful to have Nia, who volunteered across so much of the Aber Cycle Festival, and Emma, who came along to help lead a Breeze ride with us. We’re very lucky to have Pippa host rides locally too so it meant we had several Beeeze rides on.

Huge thanks as well to Ffion and Anna, who travelled up from South Wales so we could make the ride happen. We had a great time as we had a chance to chat and catch up properly as we’re usually planning and working planning across Teams, Zoom and whatsaap so an in person talk on a bike is bliss. You can solve so much while spinning and talking things over on a bike. Sometimes you don’t even need to talk about anything and it just feels right anyway. We had several days to catch up. Anna and Ffion were staying nearby so we had a chance for a Lasagne, salad and chips the night before which felt like a real treat. The hotel we went for food was full of interesting cycling people from all over the UK and Europe too, Team cars from all over the place with European number plates were everywhere and officials having some down time chatting was an interesting place to be. Very quickly we found another woman Suzie Warren who we race with and it’s always nice to listen to everyone. Last minute race checks, route recces and communication plans were being discussed and it was wonderful. We didn’t stay up late in anticipation of such a big day to come and we said thank you and nos da.

We’d turned up on Friday night for the British Crit Champs and wow it was so thrilling.

My absolute favourite thing about Aber Cycle Fest is the people you meet.

It was brilliant to come together and share such a memorable experience. ❤️🚴‍♀️💬🌧️

We had a brilliant time as @beiciocymru hosted a @breezecycling Women’s Social Ride to celebrate @abercyclefest, cheering on the elite women as they set off.

Our Breeze group was full of great energy and conversation and we didn’t get too soggy! 😄😆 Riders of all bikes and abilities joined us for a steady 20km spin, chatting, laughing, and embracing the rain before returning to welcome the racers back for their final four laps of the town centre. The speed and skill from the women racing were absolutely thrilling.

The atmosphere was electric, and watching the elite women race was nothing short of inspiring. It felt brilliant cheering them on! 💪✨

Diolch Aber!

We were aiming for a “Park Bike” vibe, inspired by the spirit of parkruns, and it didn’t disappoint. A few sharp hills and some technical switchbacks made for a brilliant workout, from first-timers to seasoned riders. We even squeezed in a bit of mock racing!

The session was organised and coached by Mark Edwards and Lizzy Felton, with support from Ffion James team spirit all around! We’re keen to do more in this area soon, so stay tuned.

Gnoll Country Park was easy to find, stunning to ride through, and we wrapped things up with a relaxed run around the adventure park. The @beiciocymru cyclo-cross season is on the horizon, with the Welsh League kicking off at the end of September.

Keep loving your bike and we’ll see you soon!

After risk assessments and course set up, this is what the session looked like:

• 10min warm up.

• 6x practice starts clipping in at speed into 50meter intervals in small group starts.

• 1 practice start finishing with dismount.

• Quick drink stop.

• 5min mock race multiple laps.

• fox and hounds relay (fun yet furious)

• Finishing with 2 lap flat out race on reverse of the course.

• Warm down.

• Total session time 1hr 10.

  
  

The riders were superb!

Mixed abilities and ages yet worked well together. Well done tonight everyone. I feel like it somehow works juggling all the ages and abilities, the laps set up with the course allows the diverse abilities to maximise their abilities, thank you for your patience too if you came.

We will work more on skills over the next few weeks. First race is September 14th at Pembrey to work towards. Special well done to the youngsters who have been racing over the past few days too. Thanks kindly all.

Training dates to come Monday evenings in September from 6.30pm

Monday 1st, 8th, 15th (ride like G yellow week)

Special thank you to helpers especially to newly qualified Paramedic Emma for being our designated First Aider who brings her reasuring knowledge and understanding.

@markedwards1927 was away this week but we’re running this together so it will be great to have him back next week.

The sessions are free but please pay car parking towards the park as they’re kindly hosting us and it’s a perfect location for sessions. These sessions are booking up extremely fast so please don’t book of you can’t come as it take a space from someone else. Tonight’s session was booked up but some didn’t show up which meant other riders might not have been able to come due to our set capacity.

Our current location for our sessions is @gnollcountrypark Monday nights in September. Please DM Merched Cycling to get the WhatsApp link for updates and booking. Everyone is very welcome but due to coaching capacity and ratio numbers are limited.

Any questions please ask. If you’re coming here are some session reminders…

📝 Session Reminders

• 🥤 Bring a drink – staying hydrated is important!

• 👨‍👩‍👧 Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult – parental supervision is required.

• 🚻 Toilets are available but only with a key and the child’s adult. Lizzy has the key.

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🌳 Park Etiquette

• 🐕 This is a public park – please be respectful of other park users, including dog walkers and families.

• 🚑 Emma Powell is our first aider – a qualified paramedic. Diolch, Emma!

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🛞 Rider Safety

• 🪖 Helmets and suitable clothing are required for all riders.

• 🧭 The course is clearly marked and checked in advance for safety.

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💚 Sustainability & Feedback

• 🅿️ The session is free, but please pay for parking to support the park and help keep sessions like this going.

• 💬 We’d love your feedback afterwards – it helps us improve!

• 🙌 Thanks for booking as we’re glad to have you with us!

My girls are great swimmers but open water is a different vibe to the pool and we adapted together.

The beauty of a tow float means you can just chill at any stage but it still takes some nerves. Interestingly swimming with the kids meant they had their own inquisitive thoughts about what was beneath us and Gwen decided to dive down to look which made me wonder. As an adult I swim past the nature however the kids stopped to watch meaning I learned from them.

Every breath of fresh air feels so good. Somehow the dark water brings a calm but it’s a peaceful feeling that’s hard to find in modern life. I felt a great calmness knowing their @celticdolphins  coaches & swimming have helped them get to a place where they can swim so comfortably and we appreciate that. Water should always be respected. I’ve really loved wild swimming this summer especially with my family.

Special thank you to @caris_swimzone  for her awesome calming and encouraging peace she brings to the water with her style, also photo credit as she caught us coming up for smiles at the end of completing her test loop. She sent us off to do a lap of the buoys and I think we must have been the chattiest swimmers to have done this, talking and swimming is difficult but we managed it. Diolch i ti Caris ❤️

Today we’re on our way to celebrate the very incredible career of Geraint Thomas as he rides his last race of a very long and very remarkable journey through cycling.

This is a throwback picture to 2018 when Wales celebrated his TdF yellow jersey in Cardiff.

Now we celebrate G's outstanding career and the sense of joy is fantastic. A huge standing ovation from us. Geraint is the man who made Alpe d'Huez look flat in

2018. He in an impressive double Olympic gold medal champion. Anyone else remember the heart stopping moment he had a puncture during his Gold Medal ride at the Commonwealth Games in 2014?

That was all iconic.

A very long list of phenomenal and inspiring moments.

An elite career spanning so long is extremely rare and impressive.

Not only has he achieved some remarkable wins but he's also given Wales such a warm glowing yellow shine as people from all over the world have watched his outstanding performances. Seeing the Welsh Dragon flags on Alpine stages at races watched by millions across the world is something very special.

Llongyfarchiadau mawr to you G!

Enjoy retirement.

#RideLikeG

Round 1 kicked off, brilliantly organised by @towyrider 👏

This was the start of the Junior, Senior, Vet, Grand Vet, and Super Vet Female race and it was AWESOME! A fast start from @aelwen.davies strung us all out early, setting the tone for a super technical course. Whoever designed it clearly loves switchbacks as the hairpins were relentless!

The weather was Classic West Wales. It got so wet we nearly jumped in the sea just to dry off.

It’s a long time until next summer if you don’t like Welsh rain so we all got stuck in💧

💧💧💧😅

Huge well done to everyone racing today.

More cyclocross dates for the diaries below-

🤩🤩🤩

Dechrau gwych i Gynghrair Cyclo-cross Cymru!

Cychwynnodd Rownd 1 heddiw, wedi’i threfnu’n wych gan @towyrider 👏

Dyma ddechrau’r ras i Ferched Iau, Hŷn, Vet, Vet Mawr a Super Vet ac roedd hi’n EPIG! Cychwyn cyflym gan @aelwen.davies wnaeth ein tynnu ni i gyd allan yn gynnar, gan osod y naws ar gyfer cwrs technegol iawn. Mae’n amlwg bod gan y sawl wnaeth gynllunio’r cwrs gariad at droadau tynn roedd y troadau pin gwallt yn ddi-ben-draw!

Y tywydd? Yn nodweddiadol o Orllewin Cymru. Roedd mor wlyb nes ein bod bron â neidio i’r môr i sychu!

Mae’n amser hir tan yr haf nesaf os nad wyt ti’n hoff o law Cymreig… felly fe wnaethon ni blymio i mewn

💧💧💧💧😅

Rhagor o ddyddiadau ar y ffordd—

Llongyfarchiadau enfawr i bawb wnaeth rasio heddiw!

2025 Welsh League Calendar

Round 1: September 14 – Pembrey | Off to a great start!

Round 2: September 21 – Foxley | Register Now

Round 3: September 28 – Risca | Register Now

Round 4: October 12 – Mountain View Bike Park | Registration Coming Soon

Round 5: October 26 – Chepstow Race Course | Register Now

Round 6: November 2 – Builth Wells | Registration Coming Soon

Round 7: November 9 – Lampeter, Dyfed | Register Now

Round 8: (Welsh Championships): November 23 – Venue TBC | Registration Coming Soon

https://www.beiciocymru.org/2025/08/22/welsh-cyclo-cross-league-2025-new-season-new-challenges/

#beiciocymru #towyriders

#merchedbeicio #merchedcycling #womenscycling #cyclocross

We were absolutely chuffed to join Wales in celebrating the incredible career and achievements of Geraint Thomas. Our Ride Like G session took place during our usual Monday night cyclo-cross training, but with a twist!

For the session, Coach Lizzy set up a very technical cross loop shaped like a G! G for Geraint, of course, and for the course. We encouraged all riders to wear yellow or something G-kit related: the legendary look Geraint’s sported for years, from white-rimmed sunglasses to Welsh kit, and most iconic of all, the Yellow Jersey. So naturally, we all turned up in yellow.

Riders of all ages and abilities are welcome at our sessions, and everyone brings grit and determination. We kicked off with our usual 10-minute warm-up, followed by skills, race practices, mock racing and finished this fine set with a Time Trial. Yes, a cyclo-cross Time Trial isn’t common, but the G-shaped course was steep and too technical to ride as a bunch. Each rider had the chance to practice a lap and then post a time.

We’re thrilled to say everyone gave it their all on this challenging course. A few came off, but were given the chance to go again. Fifteen riders hammered it around the loop, and the more enthusiastic ones found themselves overshooting the tight turns on the lower part of the G. The times were exceptional. We celebrated the best rides some based on speed, others on improvement and everyone was recognised for their effort. We all had the very

Ride Like G brought a brilliant buzz to our session, and it was a joy to host it at Gnoll Country Park alongside so many other riders across Wales. See you on a bike soon and we wish Geraint a very happy retirement! Geraint has well and truly earned his retirement, with huge respect from us all.

So many incredible moments were honoured, but as someone who covers Women & Girls cycling in South West & West Wales, these ones truly stood out.

I’m super proud of @towyrider’s Louise Carter a retired speed skater and now a fantastic advocate for women’s cycling. Louise has made remarkable progress as a leader in the sport, and it was wonderful to see her win the Female Cycling Award.

Equally proud to see @nini_r123 nominated and named runner-up for Coach of the Year. The time and commitment Nia puts in is extraordinary. From supporting Breeze riders to mentoring young cyclists — including her own daughters — she’s tireless. I’ve attended one of her sessions before and it was amazing fun. Kids love riding their bikes; they just need the opportunity, and Nia is brilliant at creating those opportunities. Riding with others is always more fun, especially for youngsters.

There were so many special moments to reflect on seeing brilliant coaches, volunteers, riders, organisers, leaders, and cycling enthusiasts all together celebrating was truly inspiring.

A standout moment for me was definitely the branded Beicio Cymru — such a strong and inspiring identity.

My personal highlight was hearing Nicole Cooke MBE being recognised for her absolutely outstanding performances and the phenomenal work she’s done for women’s cycling. I voted for her for the Hall of Fame, and I’m sure many others did too. She received a standing ovation from me. I can’t begin to explain how much she’s contributed to advancing women’s cycling.

Although Nicole couldn’t attend, the wonderful @bucklandanna1 accepted the award on her behalf, as Chair of @ajaxcardiff Nicole’s first club. It was a beautiful celebration of Welsh Cycling’s rich history, paired with a clear vision for its future. The “Wales Made for Bikes” strategy is such a powerful message, and it was visible everywhere.

It was lovely to see so many people gathered in one place from BMX clubs to cyclocross riders racing the following day (myself included!), to tiny young riders who stayed up way past their bedtime to hear some marvellous cycling stories. I danced exactly three dances then had to get home ready to race the next morning. Loved the opportunity to go and listen and celebrate cycling in such a fabulous way. Well done to everyone.

I finished 3rd in the Senior category for this round at The Royal Welsh Showgrounds.

So I’m now sitting 2nd overall in the Welsh League Senior Women, with two more rounds to go.

I could analyse this is many ways but I’m constant which helps with the league, I’ve only had to miss one race so I’ve been able to gather points.

The unseen amazingness: my husband Rich supporting me all over the course, quietly offering words of encouragement while our kids played and watched too.

Riding with my bike sliding around in the mud doesn’t quite capture the difficulty but the rewarding sensation from this is wonderful. I don’t put my cycling-cross on Strava as there’s no useful data that really explains how impossible it is riding with your front wheel sinking into thick mud, I feel I could run section faster so we often do that.

Hairpins on slopes demand serious headspace but this is why it’s so good, balancing intense concentration with the ability to let go. The sensation to hold yourself back isn’t unusual in many situations but it’s very noticeable on a bike. The instinct is to brake, yet often it makes no difference at all and brakes are often damaging on most of the course. It’s a fine line between confidence and recklessness and you have to judge it while you’re exhausted yet meet to think sharp.

One section felt like riding down an incredibly steep, slippery slide, then turning sharp right, left, right, left, right, left, right (repeated on multiple laps), all while constantly climbing and descending steep gradients. The sensation of my back wheel slipping was constant throughout the race. Cyclo-cross is too good.

Would I recommend cyclo-cross? Yes absolutely.

Two more rounds to go! x

I've done six out of the seven races, and tomorrow will be the last one of the season. It's been a great block of racing.

This will all change tomorrow, as it's the Welsh Champs, so I'm just going to celebrate this before getting some beauty sleep and see how tomorrow turns everything upside down again. I’ve wished everyone I’ve been coaching good luck and while I’m wired and can’t sleep I can’t wait to see how it unfolds for everyone x

The end of an era…

Here I am aged 19 to 39

Racing Seniors 2005–2025

As 2025 wraps up, so does my time racing as a Senior woman category. I raced as a Junior, but I was 19 when I began racing as a Senior Woman.

The first photo is 19‑year‑old me at the British Champs in 2005, the second pic is my final Senior race at the Welsh Champs last month, riding my daughter Gwen’s bike after a last‑minute change.

This has been a huge part for f my life and I’m very happy to have had the opportunity to age disgracefully with my bike. I now have the heart of a 20 year old thanks to my years of training, it’s a big string heart that’s loves my bike v much. A lot has happened in this time and it’s been great. I’d really like to continue racing forever.

Thank you 2025 and let’s see what 2026 looks like.

Wishing you a very happy new year x

It was amazing to hear about the hard work already underway from organisers to get us to this point, and what’s to come is going to be magnificent. Everyone has an opportunity to make a truly positive impact, both socially and culturally. Questions around poverty and accessibility for children and young people were particularly important, and I think if any of us are in settings where we can support others to experience some sort of joy on wheels, then it’s such an important aspect of sensing the pure freedom and fun a bike brings then we must share it with others too.

Get your bikes and your enthusiasm ready. Wales. Made for bikes!

More to come.

Today marked 10 years of this brilliant event, and its great to think how many hundreds of children have benefited from it over the decade. One of my favourite things this year was seeing young people who raced in previous years coming back as volunteers to help the next generation enjoy the same opportunities. That says so much about them, their families, and the event itself.

A special thank you as well to those who volunteered even without having children racing this generosity is exactly what keeps events like this going.

It’s such a joy watching so many young athletes push themselves, support each other, and realise what they’re capable of. Those moments where two swimmers are pacing each other stroke for stroke don’t just happen they happen because events like this give them the space to try, to compete, and to grow. Two young swimmers neck and neck up and down pool pushing each others ahead is amazing to watch.

This race is the perfect entry‑level event for newcomers, while still giving experienced athletes a proper challenge. Some found the swim tough, but they kept going, I must say it was hard watching but the joy of seeing them finish was awesome and I hope they carry that sense of achievement with them. Every child was encouraged, and every volunteer was right there behind them.

I don’t usually single out performances as everyone gave their all, but due to a technical glitch, Harri Truman managed to finish so fast he broke the system(possibly). He missed his podium call‑up despite winning by a huge margin, so he definitely deserves a special mention. Da iawn, Harri.

A big thank you to Kelly, Lindz and Mark, who made a brilliant team today. And well done to young Eliza likely our youngest volunteer who did a fantastic job. I’d love to see her back next year, maybe even taking part in T2 if I’ve guessed her age right.

I also want to acknowledge Annie. This was the first year without her mum Rache, and many of us found ourselves thinking of her. Annie showed real strength today, and it genuinely felt as though Rache’s support and smile were still with us.

My daughters raced too and it’s a local race we love to be part of. The only thing I would say is when you volunteer you will miss some of your own children racing while other take time as they’re not committed to helping however I feel as I’ve benefited so much from volunteers it’s important I give back exactly where I can. I did miss seeing my girls finish on the run yet I did have the chance to be right next to them pool side too. I’m really glad to be with the volunteers.

Even the howling rain during the presentations added to the atmosphere a very Welsh ending to a 10‑year anniversary (with a pandemic in the middle).

Well done to every athlete, volunteer, parent and supporter. It’s a great event to be part of.

Gwen and I, as a mum‑and‑daughter team, have been taking on “30 Miles in May” for Swansea Bay Health Charity, raising money for a safe, sensory‑rich therapy garden for local children with additional needs. It’s a project that will mean so much to families in our community

.

We originally set ourselves a target of 60 miles, but we didn’t just meet it as we went way over the target. We’ve now completed 236 miles between us, all on top of school, work, and life, also highlighting many swimming miles which aren’t so easy to build up. Some of those miles even included Ras y Gader up Cader Idris, and Gwen completed many of hers through swimming, which is even more impressive.

Thanks to everyone’s kindness as we hit our fundraising target, the final piece of the challenge. While the overall amount might sound small we’re pleased we were able to raise that.

Massive thank you to our friends and family for donating. Your support means the world, and it’s going towards something incredibly important for local children.

If anyone would still like to support us in reaching that final milestone, we’d be so grateful.

Diolch o galon,

Love, Lizzy & Gwen x

Donation link:

https://swanseabayhealthcharity.enthuse.com/pf/merched-cycling

I can’t begin to describe how excited and petrified about this, but my overwhelming sensation is I am so very happy to have the opportunity. I have just 24 days until race day so I need to prepare now, so I’m off for a run with my besties. I’m running with my amazing friend Laura and both my sons smiles are coming