The going is about to get a lot easier for cyclists visiting Dartmoor.
The Dartmoor National Park Authority has launched a free bike bus service, the Dartmoor Freewheeler, for the 2006 season.
Available on Sundays from April 16, as many as 12 cyclists will be able to travel on to the moor by minibus, with their bikes on an attached trailer, and then enjoy a mainly downhill ride home. Various pick up and drop off points along each route should provide good access and children are welcome although bikes must have a minimum 20in wheel rim. Four routes will operate on a rota basis: l First Sunday of the month: Saltram to Princetown. l Second Sunday of the month: Newton Abbot to Mardon Down near Moretonhampstead. l Third Sunday of the month: Plymouth to Okehampton l Fourth Sunday of the month: Buckfastleigh to Postbridge When there is a fifth Sunday in the month an extra Saltram to Princetown route will be run. Alison Kohler, head of recreation and tourism, said: '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, visit the High Moorland Visitor Centre, Princetown or the authority's web site at http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk">www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk. Booking seats on the Freewheeler is essential, call 01822 890414.