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I know there's a fair few of us, does everyone know about the new shop/cafe in Tongwynlais?
I promise I'm not personally or financially connected to them in anyway, this isn't some kind of sneaky marketing, but it's a couple of guys trying to make a start of it and it's really good IMO, had a nice chat with their mechanic this morning whilst he trued up my back wheel and the cafe looks lovely (not a coffee / tea drinker so limited appeal to me).
Links to their social media below
I just hope the boys in Sunset don't see this, I don't want to have 'that' conversation...
It's already our standard end of club run stop if heading back in that way. Excellent coffee and cake, proper bike parking too.
I've seen it when I've been riding passed, I dont tend to ride with a wallet though. Will make a stop in there soon.
It's good to see, remember riding passed the closed bikeshop when I first started uni and thinking how sad it looked.
It's near me but not called in yet.. Their website imply a you can hire their workshop.. If that's gen it could be very handy
I think Bike Shed are also gonna be opening a place in Tongwynlais soon too
Where did you hear the Bike Shed thing, gwaelod? That's interesting, because I always thought that Tongwynlais was an ideal place for some sort of bike service business.
That said, I would like to try out the new cafe, but so far, because Tongwynlais is often in the middle of my short exercise ride, it's been a while since I actually had cause to stop there.
I shall just have to shelve the Strava results one of these days and grab a coffee.
I keep meaning to call in but also keep forgetting to take money with me.
Where did you hear the Bike Shed thing, gwaelod? That's interesting, because I always thought that Tongwynlais was an ideal place for some sort of bike service business.
The bike shed signs are already up on the shop along with a sign saying coming soon. It's been like that for a few weeks now. No idea when its actually opening though
Ton is indeed a great place for a shop, but there was one for a few years that failed - I like to think I played a small part in it 😉
A couple of years ago Cognation asked me to write a thing for their website / FB about riding Pubs / Cafe's etc, I've never been one for them so I wrote about places I knew and wrote about the "bike friendly Lewis Arms" after riding my bike there exactly twice, it's probably all in my head but I saw more bikes outside the Lewis after that and more bikes actually stopping in Ton rather than just passing through.
As for the Bike Shed, this came from a mate of a mate of a mate type thing - but I'm told that when Plan2Ride first starting planning their place almost a year ago, the Cafe over the road really objected another Cafe opening and tried to have it stopped, maybe by blocking planning? I don't know - anyway they couldn't so they've leased out a bit of their building to the Bike Shed instead, how true that all is I don't know.
I wonder if we should all meet at this place then for a coffee and possibly do some riding? Saturday morning?
There's also a tea-room in the woods, in that building that I think used to be a forestry office. Anyone been in there?
There's also a tea-room in the woods, in that building that I think used to be a forestry office. Anyone been in there?
This sounds suspiciously like the start of a horror film 😯
I wonder if we should all meet at this place then for a coffee and possibly do some riding? Saturday morning?
This is an excellent idea. Road, or mountain?
I vote road.
After a coffee, of course.
I wonder if we should all meet at this place then for a coffee and possibly do some riding? Saturday morning?
My saturday morning plan was a cafe ride of some sort...this could work. It's less than 2 miles from my house so perhaps with a slight detour before/after
I vote mountain. Trails are dry, cafe is right by the woods....
Ton is indeed a great place for a shop,
I disagree why would you want to visit a bike shop while out on a ride? Maybe for a inner tube or snap link but that's not a sustainable business mode.
As for a cafe, what's wrong with the Spar 🙂
Always thought it would be an ideal place for a bike shop/cafe, usually see loads of bikes around there. Would do good trade on a weekend with passing traffic from the Taff Trail and it would probably be the only shop open on a Sunday too 😀
Tongwynlais seems to me like it has been designed to injure and maim cyclists. It's quite impressive how such a short stretch of road manages to chuck so many hazards at you.
Not been to that new cafe but would be up for a meet-up some time.
I regularly stop at the woodland cafe, and was there this morning. Make sure you get an extra shot of coffee as otherwise I think it's too weak. They have a pair of peacocks and an egg was found in the peacock house for the first time. The excitement was tangible..... Fingers crossed for a baby peacock in the near future. I took a riding buddy from Finland there last week and he thought the cafe and the trails in the area was amazing and couldn't believe what we've got so close to a major city. Especially the steepness!! The cafe is also an excellent place to take small kids, so much so that my boy always asks if he can stay there all day.
The Bikeshed is next door to the Stove shop and I think it's them that are renting out the extra space.
I've been meaning to stop at Plan2Ride for a while so will stop there next time.
Fair enough, but we must hit the road again soon, as I have been riding some around the Garth that are simply stunning, with not a car in sight.
Alright then, next time it's wet 🙂