THOUSANDS of people are expected to join in a festival of cycling in Tavistock next month as the town becomes one of five centres in Devon to benefit from a £2-million grant to promote the sport.

Devon County Council will be aiming to become a cycling county with the grant from Cycling England — it is on the back of the council's £25-million investment up to 2012 to make Devon a premier destination for cycling tourism.

To launch Tavistock as a leisure cycling 'hub' the Meadows will be hosting a day of events on Saturday April 24 with plenty of fun, free, family-friendly activities, including a taster bike ride, to inspire people to take up the sport.

The other towns to become a focus for cycling are Exeter, Exmouth, Newton Abbot and Barnstaple.

The council will be looking to introduce people to cycling who may not otherwise consider taking to two wheels, as well as making cycle hire more affordable for families, and improving accessibility to routes for people with disabilities.

Cycle access to holiday parks and tourist accommodation will also be improved to make it possible for visitors to cycle, as well as exploring how to upgrade links to the railway network to encourage people to take their bicycles on trains.

The cash will pay for cycling facilities to be improved, such as signing, cycle parking, recreational facilities and bike hire.

Devon's network of cycle routes will be highlighted by better, readily available information such as maps and online information and there will be a widespread promotional campaign.

Derek Helis, from Dartmoor Cycles in Tavistock, said a lot of money had been spent on the cycle trail from Plymouth to Ilfracombe which went through Tavistock, and a vital new section, a bridge across the Walkham Valley at Grenofen, was soon to be built.

He said: 'The infrastructure has been created so people can cycle safely. We have to wake people up to the fact that there is an alternative way of travelling to work and to school.'

He said the area had the biggest freeride downhill cycle club in the country — Woodland Riders at Gulworthy — but it was those who did not cycle as a hobby who needed to be convinced of the benefits.

Mr Helis said he was a great advocate of getting children away from the playstation and doing something energetic: 'We certainly need to be more bike-friendly and have more racks, say outside the town hall.

'I would be happy to support and be involved in anything that encourages ordinary people to do more cycling.'

The funding has come from Cycling England's 'Finding New Solutions' initiative. Devon County councillor Stuart Hughes who is responsible for highways and transportation, said: 'This is an ambitious project but we're fortunate in Devon to already have hundreds of miles of family-friendly cycle trails.

'We already have a sizeable investment in place to improve cycle routes across Devon as part of our new cycling strategy, and this additional funding not only recognises what we have already achieved but will ensure we're well placed to become a cycling county.'