Brave the breezes, axe the anxiety, enhance your energy and heighten your happy, with Winter Wheelers, a cold-conquering competition from the folks at Love to Ride. Running from the 1st-25th December, this cool riding challenge is aimed at getting more people riding bikes through winter. The cold, wind and rain can deter people from riding a bike, but this cold-busting campaign aims to show that, with a little preparation, every day is a biking day.
Plus, there are epic prizes to be won throughout December. Every day you log a ride, you're entered into the prize draw. You could even win a new bike on Christmas Day!
https://www.lovetoride.net/devon?locale=en-GB
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Where to Ride - Devon
Cycling is a great way to explore the beautiful county of Devon and take in some spectacular scenery. There are routes to suit everyone, from leisurely afternoon rides to cycling to work or school.
Have a look at our new interactive cycling map to help you plan your ride. Need some more inspiration? Visit the Explore Devon website for routes in Devon and the South West.
Local rides for new cyclists
There are many traffic free cycle routes to try in Devon, each with their own attractions and stunning scenery.
For those just getting started in cycling gentle summer cycle rides don't come more scenic than the Exe Estuary Trail. The trail offers sweeping views of the estuary and fantastic opportunities to see wildlife.
Alternatively, why not try a popular section of the Tarka Trail in North Devon from Barnstaple to Bideford. Following the Taw Estuary and taking in pretty coastal villages such as Instow, with its sandy beach.
Local bike hire
If you don’t have a bike to ride, but you would like to experience Devon from the saddle, bike hire is available on all of our popular leisure routes. Check out where you can hire a bike here.
Brush up on your skills
Need a confidence boost before going out for a ride? Book a FREE 2 hour cycle confidence session a FREE 2 hour to brush up on your skills here.
I already cycle
For the more adventurous cyclist there are opportunities to go a bit further on Devon's trails and to link these up into a long distance adventure.
Both the Exe Estuary trail and the Tarka trail have something to offer if you already cycle. You can do a 26 mi circular ride along both banks of the Exe Estuary trail, including the possibility for various ferry crossings with your bike. At 30 miles the Tarka Trail is one of the longest continuous traffic free cycle routes in the Country.
Sustainability
We love how burden-less cycling is sometimes - how every pedal stroke means fewer emissions, cleaner air, less roadway pollutant runoff, and less material waste.
It’s not always easy to do, but with enough commitment and a bit of effort you can really amp up your sustainability game. Here are some choices to explore, benchmark against, or even push beyond as you really cement your climate credentials:
1. Swap more and more of your trips to your bike. Start with the obvious and most straightforward step - just replacing more and more of your car trips (maybe commutes, or trips to the store, etc) with bike trips. Want an extra bit of encouragement to make this happen? Set yourself a goal on your profile page and let us track your progress - you can also share that goal with friends and colleagues to help keep you on track!
2. Replace one really difficult trip. Step 2 is to push yourself into using a bike for those really difficult car trips - things like transporting something large or harder to carry, taking a child to the park or daycare, or going somewhere more distant than you usually ride. Use this as a chance to really prove to yourself what you can do!
3. Go car free for a week. Ok, so you’ve handled the tough trips and you’re riding most of the time. Well, it should be a breeze to go car-free for a week! You’ve got seven days, and you have to avoid the car for the whole week. If you have to bail that’s ok, but come back to the goal until you totally nail it!
4. Go car-lite. You know by now how much you can do without a car. But maybe you’re still sitting on a second car in your household, ‘just in case’. Well, you’ve shown that you can get by without it - so ditch that second car and rake in the savings!
5. Go car-free. The most advanced move, going car-free can be quite comfortable in some places and a unique challenge in others - either way, if you find yourself without a car you’re in elite company and we salute you!
https://www.lovetoride.net/devon/pages/benefit_sustainability
Enjoy the Outdoors
Riding a bike affords a spectacularly unique opportunity to exist out in the world. It preserves the human scale while simultaneously expanding it outward. For those so inclined, you can cross continents, scale mountain ranges, and explore the fibres of our greatest cities.
If those thoughts stir a bit of wanderlust in you, read on for some of our favourite ways to take your love of the outdoors to the next level:
1. Touring - Touring is sort of like the beautiful merger of a bicycle and a motorhome. By carrying everything you need on your bike (usually through racks and bags attached to your bike), you can travel anywhere your heart desires powered only by your own two legs (and some delicious local meals).
2. Supported Rides - If you think touring sounds great, except for that nonsense about carrying your own stuff, then you’ll want to explore supported rides. Often organised in groups to make the most of a support vehicle, these rides allow you to move from destination to the next while someone else deals with your stuff. Of course you have to pay for that luxury, but that’s an option!
3. Mountain biking - Not every outdoors jaunt has to end somewhere distant. Mountain biking mixes outdoor adventure with varying levels of adrenaline (choose the right trails for your desired experience!), creating something that feels a bit like meditation and a bit like being a human mountain goat.
4. Bikepacking - Of course you’ve guessed by now that someone decided they love mountain biking and touring and so they should combine the two. Well, they did - it’s called bikepacking, and involves loading a bike capable of heading off-road with your gear and getting out into the woods for some proper escapism. It used to be a bit less common, but bikepacking is on the rise now!
https://www.lovetoride.net/devon/pages/benefit_outdoors
Health Benefits
Our six favourite bike health benefits (oh, there are tons more!):
1. Mental Health - Moderate levels of exercise are now a primary prescription to those suffering from depression or high levels of stress, as the natural production of endorphins and their absorption are both greatly improved by cardiovascular exercise (University of Bonn).
2. Max Your Mind - One study found that a 5% increase in cardiovascular fitness led to a 15% boost in mental acuity (Illinois University)
3. Sleep Better - Outdoor exercise facilitates deeper, more restful sleep and reduces the time associated with falling asleep (Stanford University)
4. Immune Booster - Folks who rode 5 days a week for 30 minutes a day took half as many sick days as their sedentary comparison colleagues (University of North Carolina)
5. Heart Health - Regular cycling can reduce your risk of heart disease by 50% (Purdue University)
6. Boost Metabolism - Not only do you get the benefits of riding, but your metabolism gets a boost (and burns a greater number of calories than usual) for hours after you’ve finished.
