Cycle groups and environmentalists have been making the most of the fine Easter weather and now a new cycle map for the county town has been published by Essex County and Chelmsford Borough Councils.

The Chelmsford Cycling Action Group has been campaigning for better cycling facilities in Chelmsford for more than 20 years.

Mike Lewis from the CCAG said: "Cycling is a practical, cheap, environmentally-friendly, healthy and enjoyable way to get around Chelmsford. Like many other activities, it seems like hard work when you start - the pleasure develops as you become proficient.

"With ever increasing motor traffic on our roads, cyclists need more off-road facilities while the practical benefits of cycling become ever more obvious. The real challenge now is to persuade more people to start cycling."

The greatest proportion of money currently being spent on improving facilities comes from new housing and commercial property developments, which leads to cycle routes in these areas as opposed to other, more urgent parts of town.

The new cycling map shows a dense network of 20 miles of cycling tracks using advisory routes along relatively quiet public roads. There are few journeys within the urban area of Chelmsford that force cyclists to share really busy roads with motor traffic.

The leaflet also illustrates the sort of official traffic signs cyclists may come across and give advice on safety including riding helmets, and maintaining a bike as well as a guide to how cycling can assist in a good health regime.

Mike revealed: "Chelmsford is a good town to cycle in. To start with, its topography is near ideal, almost flat in the centre with some quite gentle gradients on the outskirts. You don't need many gears on your bike to handle them."

Published Friday, April 25, 2003

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