Europe - Madrid Cycling

I will be moving to madrid for a year in November. Is there a healthy cycling culture? Are there road races? Club/teams one can join (or at least tag along) easily?

I am considering taking my bike, but not sure if its worthwhile.

Thanks,
Paul

There is not a really big bike community.
When I was living there I was one of the few ones using the bike as a transport mean, but little by little the thing is growing: we have to make it grow.
In Barcelona, where I live now, step by step there is a bigger bike sense...
Good luck in Madrid. It is a really nice city!

http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/9005/pc2ny9.gif (http://imageshack.us) Hello and well come to Spain. My english is horryble, sorry.

First visit the web site foromtb.com It´s as big as this site but only for spanish people. They answer more quikly than here :)

There is a zone were you can find people in Madrid that do XC, dirt, Free ride or what ever you ride. The site is called "zona centro" in that forum.

In retrobike forum there is a group of people who rides ti bikes in Madrid (moots, IF, clark kent merlin...) if you have one of this bikes you can chat with them.

There are a lot of groups and you can improve your spanish there as I do with my english here.

I´m not from Madrid, I´m from Burgos (Castilla y Leon) but I can tell you that near Madrid are some mountains and you can visit them. Take a train and your bicycle(and a gps too;)) If you need more information ask me.

In Burgos you can see more bikes than in Madrid. Madrid is special, you will see it. In september is the festibike. Visit it.

PD: It´s not Germany or Holanda, were the mercedes and BMW are at home and ride their bicycles, in Spain every one take his car for every thing.