9th May 2011

SIDMOUTH: Cycle route improvements planned for Sidmouth

By Huw Hennessy

Cyclists in the Sid Vale should be celebrating soon, as the network of dedicated bike paths around the area is being extended.

Faced with ever increasing petrol costs and more traffic-free trails around Devon, we’re better off going by bicycle instead of car, says Devon County Council.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, said that more cycle paths are being planned over the coming years.

The county council allocated £25million in 2009, which it has been using as part of a cycling strategy to make Devon a premier destination for cycling tourism by 2012. Its strategy will be developed to set out ambitions for the next 20 years, running alongside the Local Transport Plan.

Some of the county council’s budget will go towards the building of new cycle paths in and around Sidmouth, over the next two to three years.

One path will link Woolbrook via Long Park and Lymebourne Close to the existing cycle path on the Byes enabling more pupils and staff to cycle to St Nicholas Junior School. Another cycle path will link Sidmouth College to the adjacent cycle route through the Byes up to Sidford.

Plans are also in the pipeline to extend the path up to Sidbury, creating an off-road route for both cyclists and pedestrians, avoiding the main road, much of which has no pathway or grass verge.

Councillor Hughes said the council wants to help people integrate their journeys home to work and school by bicycle instead of driving.

He added though that safe cycling is always important.

“It’s a pleasure to see more people cycling for everyday journeys, and there has been a phenomenal increase in the number of children cycling to school,” he said. “But it’s important that we remind all road users to look out for each other - walkers and cyclists are the most vulnerable and so we would implore motorists to look out for them and show consideration on the roads. Good observation is also important for the county’s motorcyclists who often come off worse if they collide with a car. However, with good training, diligent driving and awareness from other road users, we can make Devon a safe place for those on two wheels.”

Devon County Council has highlighted the increase in cycling in Devon, and is keen to further the trend. There has been a 40 per cent increase in cycle journeys in Exeter over the past five years, with improved routes and facilities for cyclists.

It has said that one in four car journeys are two miles or less, which makes travelling by bike instead a logical choice, particularly in the nicer weather.

It points out the various benefits of opting for two-wheel travel, such as reducing congestion, cheaper running costs than the car, promoting tourism and a healthier lifestyle.

The county council will also look to attract other economic benefits by continuing to host international cycling events, following the success of the Tour Series cycling event in Exeter and two stages of the Tour of Britain in Devon.

The Tour of Britain saw world-class cyclists racing through Sidmouth in 2010, and local clubs and race organisers have a busy calendar of events again this year.

The Devon stage of the Tour of Britain will miss out Sidmouth this September but the race will start in Exeter and will cover more than 110 miles (180 km) of the county, including Dartmoor National Park, before finishing in Exmouth.

The route will take in a number of other communities including Pathfinder Village, Tedburn St Mary, Moretonhampstead, Bovey Tracey, Dartmeet, Postbridge, Bow, Crediton, Broadclyst, and Rockbeare.

For those keen to take part in cycling challenges as well as watching them, there are various races and charity events in East Devon.

The Force Century Cycle Challenge will take place on Sunday, June 26th and is a charity ride offering either a 55 or 100-mile route from Topsham to Tiverton and out into the countryside.

Force is a local cancer charity based in Exeter, and cyclists from Sidmouth will be taking part in its challenge ride in June.

For more details, visit: www.forcecancercharity.co.uk, or telephone (01392) 402875.

The Sidmouth-based Sid Valley Cycling Club organises social and competitive events throughout the year, with a range of challenges to suit both the occasional rider and more serious enthusiast.

It runs road and off-road rides on several days each week, and its big annual event is the Rodney Pyne Annual Hill Climb up Peak Hill, which takes place in October.

For details, including membership information, visit: www.svcc.org.uk.

The Axe Valley Pedallers is Seaton’s cycling club, which also offers rides for all abilities. Further information from www.axevalleypedallers.org.uk, or telephone (01297) 625 375.

Book Prize

What is your favourite cycling route around the Sid Vale?

Send us details, preferably with a map route and photographs, and you could win a copy of “It’s All About the Bike”, a guide to the “Pursuit of Happiness on Two Wheels”, by Robert Penn.

The book, published this month by Penguin Books (RRP £8.99) is a witty and erudite account of the worldwide sensation caused by the bicycle - “one of mankind’s greatest inventions,” according to Penn.

Please email your local bike route to: [email protected].

Maximum 500 words, and remember to include your name and full address.

The best suggestion received by Friday, May 27th will win a copy of the book, and will be published in a future issue of Sid Vale Weekender.

PICTURE: Crowds cheer on the professional cyclists at the foot of Peak Hill on the South West stage of the 2010 Tour of Britain, which routed through Sidmouth last year

SIDMOUTH: Cycle route improvements planned for Sidmouth

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