Dartmoor National Park Authority
6 April 2006
Get on your bike with the Dartmoor Freewheeler
Dartmoor National Park Authority has launched a free bike bus service for the 2006 season. The Dartmoor Freewheeler service is available on Sundays from Easter until October 2006, enabling cyclists to travel by minibus, with their bike on an attached trailer (max 12 bikes) onto Dartmoor, so that they can enjoy a mainly downhill ride home.
Starting on Sunday 16 April 2006, and running every Sunday until 22 October, the Dartmoor Freewheeler will be operating on four routes - these will run on a rota basis:
On months where there is a 5th Sunday, an extra Saltram to Princetown route will be run.
Alison Kohler, Head of Recreation and Tourism, said:
‘The aim of this service is to make it easier for cyclists to get up onto Dartmoor, without the need to bring a car, and then give them the opportunity to enjoy a mainly downhill cycle ride home. The routes chosen will appeal to a range of cyclists, from experienced, long-distance riders wanting to go on more challenging terrain, to families who may prefer quiet country lanes and disused railway lines.’
For further details, pick up a Dartmoor Freewheeler pack, which includes a booklet about the service and all the timetables, plus the four route leaflets (with directions and full Ordnance Survey mapping). Copies are available from the High Moorland Visitor Centre, Princetown. Alternatively, the publication is available on the Authority’s web site
To book a place on the Dartmoor Freewheeler, Dartmoor National Park Authority’s High Moorland Visitor Centre on (01822) 890414.
Ends
For further information
Jackie Ridley, Tourism & Recreational Transport Officer
John Weir Head of Communications, Dartmoor National Park Authority.
Tel. (01626) 832093
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Notes for Editors
Each of the routes offers a choice of pick-up and drop-off points and these are shown in the leaflets.
The Dartmoor Freewheeler is a pilot project which will ascertain the level of interest in this type of service.
Children are welcome on the routes, but bikes must have a minimum 20 inch wheel rim - there is no provision on the trailer for tag-a-longs.
The minibus is operated by Wood Brothers of Buckfastleigh.
National Parks cover 10% of the land area of England, Wales and Scotland. They are of special value to the whole nation because of their great beauty, their wildlife and cultural interests and the opportunities they offer for quiet enjoyment. However, they are not nationally owned - the land is in the hands of many landowners or occupiers including farmers. Over 33,400 people live inside the Dartmoor National Park and many millions of visits are made to it each year.
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This page last updated 06 April 2006
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Page updated 5 April 2006
