ABERGAVENNY CYCLE GROUP

q Safe Convenient Cycling Routes with Bike Parking

q Training and Experience for Cycling On and Off the Road

q More Cycling as part of Green Transport Planning

q Cycling for Leisure and Tourism

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About Us

We are a group of volunteers who have been working since 1995 for safe cycling in the Abergavenny area. We are a Registered Charity, No. 1070816.

Cycling is healthy, low cost and non-polluting. It can also be very enjoyable.

We want more people to cycle to work, to school, to shop, and for leisure. Using the bike instead of the car for short trips reduces traffic, making our towns and countryside better places to live.

But our busy and sometimes dangerous roads deter the inexperienced cyclist. Reviving the everyday cycling habit needs help.

We Want Safe Routes for Cyclists

· In 1997 we proposed a network of safe cycling routes in and around Abergavenny. We consulted local people and the routes are now adopted in the County Council’s planning guidance.

· We press the County Council to make these routes safer. So far an Old Hereford Road off-road section has been provided and a Council grant let us commission the design of the next off-road section linking to Chapel Road. There are safer crossings for cyclists and pedestrians on the trunk road. But we want continuous routes throughout the town on traffic-calmed streets, through parks and over busy roads. We look forward to the completion of the Clydach Gorge route and would like a safe convenient route between Abergavenny and Crickhowell.

We Want More People to Cycle Safely

Since 1998 we have trained children from junior schools in and around the town to cycle safely on the road. Up to 120 children a year from many schools have benefited from this experience, going beyond the usual cycling proficiency training, gaining fitness as well as cycling skills. We use paid and volunteer trainers, who are fully trained and insured. Our costs are met by a small charge and a County Council grant, but the future of this service is threatened by a shortage of volunteers and uncertain funding - see below.

Our cycle track at the Leisure Centre helps youngsters to develop off-road skills and some have achieved sporting honours.

We would like to do more – to work with secondary school pupils and with adults – but to do so we need more volunteers and secure long-term funding.

Can YOU help bring our training back from the brink?

A group of children is trained to cycle safely We have trained more than 400 youngsters aged 9-11 years in how to cycle safely on our busy roads. The group fills a massive void in providing practice in on and off road cycling under a safe environment with experienced cyclists trained to carry this work out. The sessions are fun as well as challenging but the prime motive is on road cycling survival skills. This is only achieved by PRACTICE. Many former pupils have been spurred on to become regular cyclists and some have gone onto compete at regional and national level. The wider aims of the group are to encourage as many people as possible onto their bikes to enjoy a healthy, fun and environmentally friendly way of travelling.

Unfortunately in 2005 we failed to get a programme off the ground because we lost both our coordinator, John Richards, who moved from the area, and Norman Harris, our lead trainer. The group would like to thank these two leaders as well as many others who contributed so much over several years. We restarted our training in a modest way in 2006, thanks to the efforts of Ivan Gaston, but we still really need an enthusiastic person with some spare time during the day and a commitment to safety to coordinate and lead the programme.

This person need not be a regular cyclist as training skills remain within the group. However, regular contact with schools and trainers via e-mail and telephone is essential to ensure that training sessions and rides run safely and to schedule.

Please would anyone interested contact Ivan for further information on 01873 832477 (evenings) or by e-mail.

We Publish Local Cycling Leaflet Guides

Leaflet 1 - A Ride around Abergavenny
Click here to download page one (pdf file 1.02mb) and page two (pdf file 1.75mb) of our latest 8 mile cycle route leaflet - A Ride Around Abergavenny. These are large files with maps, so may take some time to download.

Leaflet 2 - Easy Cycling Around Abergavenny
Click here to download and print off page one (cover and text jpeg) of the guide and page two (map and notes jpeg) and map only (1.1MB jpeg) of our latest leaflet, published in the summer of 2005. The leaflet contains details of up to 80 miles of relatively easy cycling around the Abergavenny area, together with a fascinating glimpse at how the landscapes here were formed by Ice Ages, forestry and agriculture.

We Do Other Things – and Would Like to Do More

We liaise with Sustrans and CTC, and press for Assembly and County policies and actions to encourage cycling. We would like to work with the County Council and others in the community for an integrated sustainable transport plan for the Abergavenny area. We seek this as members of the Bryn y Cwm Community Forum.
We have arranged evening cycle rides and National Bike Week events.
We have commented on several plans affecting cycling interests, including the A40 detrunking proposals and A4143 proposals at Llanfoist, the Henry Boot plans for the cattle market site, and plans for the railway station area.
We have used Council grants to provide cycle parking stands in the town centre and at schools and the leisure centre.
We would like to make more of Abergavenny’s cycle tourism potential, at the intersection of national, regional and local cycle routes, in the Vale of Usk at the gateway to the Brecon Beacons National Park and the heritage of the Valleys.

Help Us

Our activities are limited by the number of people we can attract as members. We need volunteers prepared to give a little time to:

q Training – junior, secondary, or adult – modest payment may be possible.

q Public Relations – developing media contact, producing leaflets, newsletters, etc.

q Arranging Events – promoting successful leisure rides, for example.

q Committee membership – assisting policy work, helping to manage projects, etc

q New Activities – we welcome anyone with new ideas, prepared to give them time.

Join Us

If you want to know more, contact one of the names below. If you are ready to join the Group print this page, fill in your details, and post it with your cheque to the Secretary (contact details below). We will be grateful for your support.

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I would like to join and enclose a cheque for £5.00* annual membership fee payable to ‘Abergavenny Cycle Group’

Name………………………………………….....………. Date………………………….

Address (with postcode)…………………………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Telephone………………………………… E-mail……………………………………….

* If you are a volunteer cycling instructor a £4 rebate may be claimed.

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