Tag: cycle

CONSULTATION: Riding Bikes In Newton Abbot Public Parks

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Better be quick if you want to comment on this public consultation as it will end on Thursday 12 January 2023! Teignbridge District Council are seeking views on changing an old 1951 byelaw that made it illegal to ride any type of bike in local public parks.

If successfully changed, cycling routes could be provided where there is a clearly identified and evidenced need that will benefit local communities, where routes can be safely provided, and where there is sufficient local support.

These are the parks:

  • Courtenay Park 
  • Baker’s Park
  • Forde Park
  • Powderham Park
  • Osborne Park

Here’s a link to take part in the online consultation – https://www.teignbridge.gov.uk/cyclebyelaw

If you’d like to read Teignbridge’s ‘Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan’ you can find it here – https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b127b3cc51534c4d8c32183ad3d2b56d

Sustainable South Brent

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So chuffed to be working in partnership with Sustainable South Brent on Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival summer cycling events programme. They do so much more than promote and facilitate cycling in their community. Click HERE for their promotion for the 3 DARTMOOR TOWNS CYCLE RIDE on Sunday 15 August 2021, and whilst you’re there, have a look at all their other initiatives and events!

Cadover Bridge Cycle Ride

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People are loving the Bike Bus! It transports cycle riders in a minibus, and their bikes on a trailer, up onto parts of the higher moor of Dartmoor National Park (where really only expert or experienced cyclists ride to, because going ‘up’ really is uphill, many hills!). So the Bike Bus drops off the riders in the most scenic areas and the group cycles back to the starting point, mainly downhill. Fab!

On Saturday 31 July 2021 the Bike Bus is going to collect riders from Buckfastleigh and from South Brent, then take them up to Cadover Bridge, in the Plym Valley above Lee Moor.

So far the weather has been kind, and the thunderstorms haven’t interferred with some great cycling and days out.

Pick-ups: 9am in Buckfastleigh (Victoria Woodholme Car Park), or 9.40am in South Brent (Palstone Park). The Bike Bus transport and cycle ride is FREE!

It’s a group, social, bike ride and is not off-road or competitive. You do not need to be an expert cyclist and it will be led at an easy pace; however, you should have good level of fitness and stamina.

It’s approx. 10 miles from Cadover Bridge to Ivybridge, with a few hills. Participants may then opt to return on the Bike Bus from Ivybridge Station to be dropped off in either South Brent or Buckfastleigh, or cycle the additional 5 miles from Ivybridge via Glazebrook to return to South Brent, plus the further 5 miles via Harbourneford if returning by bike to Buckfastleigh.

As this page is being published, there are still a few places left, so be sure not to miss out! Book on Eventbrite.

Dartmoor is awesome!

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If you have visited Dartmoor National Park in Devon, or just seen jaw-dropping pictures, you will probably agree that Dartmoor is one of the UK’s finest landscapes. It is an unique place rich in history, natural habitats, commanding tors and river valleys and a diversity of wildlife including many rare species. In short, it is AWESOME!

And exploring Dartmoor by bike is even more awesome! (as well as environmentally friendly)

Cycle South Dartmoor is proud to support the BIG BIKE REVIVAL’s first local cycle ride of the summer – a BIKE BUS RIDE that takes riders in a minibus and their bikes on a trailer from South Brent and Buckfastleigh onto the higher moor, for a group cycle ride starting from Combestone Tor (near Venford Resevoir) returning to Buckfastleigh and on to South Brent.

The ride will include stops at Holne Church, Holne Community Shop and Hembury Hill Fort for a picnic lunch and a short talk from former Natural History Museum’s Head of Entomology, Malcolm Scoble.

This social cycle ride is on Saturday 24 July 2021 from 9am-2pm and it is FREE to residents of TQ10 and TQ11. It is subsided by support and funding from national and local organisations, and delivered by Be Buckfastleigh in partnership with Sustainable South Brent.

Places are limited and to take part you must book, either on EVENTBRITE or by contacting Be Buckfastleigh direct.

e-BIKES have potential for greatest impact in Rural areas

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A recent study in May 2020 carried out by researchers at the University of Leeds has found that:

  • Electrically-assisted bicycles (e-BIKES), if used to replace car travel, have the capability to cut car carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in England by up to 50%. (about 30 million tonnes per year)
  • The greatest opportunities are in Rural and sub-urban settings. (City dwellers already have many low-carbon travel options, so the greatest impact would be on encouraging use outside urban areas.)
  • There is scope for e-BIKES to help people who are most affected by rising transport costs.

e-BIKE use has the potential to improve equity.

Rural areas have fewer public transport or alternative transport options to fit their travel needs. Due to distances between rural villages and towns and few safe cycle routes between them, and the often hilly landscapes in rural areas, walking and standard cycling are not always the best modes of transport to replace a high proportion of car travel.

However e-BIKES, compared with conventional cycles, have considerable range and enable cyclists of many different ages and abilities to tackle difficult hills and routes, thereby making e-BIKES a realistic alternative mode of transport for work, shopping, exercise, tourism, etc. to replace a large number of local car journeys in rural environments.

Policy makers need to move beyond the changes they think people would like and instead plan for a transport system which reduces its CO2 emissions as well as providing efficient, accessible mobility for all.

Diagram showing the hierarchy of different modes of travel according to environmental impact
HIERARCHY OF MODES OF TRANSPORT: HIGHEST (AIR TRAVEL) TO LOWEST (WALKING) ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT BY CO2 EMISSIONS

Read the report here.

Here is a link to Cycling Week’s online review of the best electric bikes for 2020.

Ashburton – Buckfastleigh – South Brent… Feasibility Study

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The project group has managed to raise the money needed to commission SUSTRANS to carry out a feasibility study for a proposed mixed-use path, enabling walkers and cyclists to travel safely between the centres of these three settlements. A key consideration of this route is to enable young people to cycle safely to and from school at South Devon Community College.

We raised £3550 by donations from:
£500    Buckfastleigh Town Council (Mayor’s Fund)
£500    Asbhurton & Buckfastleigh Hospital League of Friends
£2000 Dartmoor National Park Authority
£300    South Hams District Council
£250    South Brent Parish Council

We are very grateful to these donors for supporting this project.

The appraisal has been carried out and the final proposal should be available shortly – watch this space!