The Olympics and the Paralympics may be over but the spirit of Paris is alive and well. We're inspiring local people of all abilities to try cycling on traffic-free sections of the National Cycle Network's Avenue Verte.
An inclusive cycle ride on the Avenue Verte near Newhaven. PHOTO: Toby Spearpoint
When the Paralympics began, we held our own celebration of inclusive cycling on the London to Paris Avenue Verte cycle route near Newhaven.
People tried out a range of adapted cycles provided by the Cuckmere Cycle Company along this peaceful, traffic-free section of route two on the National Cycle Network.
It marked the start of our new three-year MoveAbility project with Sussex Community Development Association, funded by the Motability Foundation.
Chris Boardman met our volunteers on the Avenue Verte as part of his Pedal for Paris ride. VIDEO: Toby Spearpoint.
You don’t have to be an athlete to cycle
The challenging 247-mile Avenue Verte includes several leafy paths.
The Wandle Way in London, the Forest Way in Sussex, and the Cuckoo Trail in East Sussex are quiet, off-road trails which are great for families, people in adapted cycles and mobility aids.
Throughout the summer, we held a number of events on these routes to inspire people to get active, and to show that you don’t need to be an athlete to try cycling.
We created a schools pack ahead of the Olympics to encourage families to get competitive on their school journeys.
There were activities to inspire children to try walking, wheeling or cycling to school along their section of Avenue Verte.
Children from Polegate School (pictured) held their own Olympic Games along the Cuckoo Trail, a popular traffic-free section of the route.
Children at Polegate School in East Sussex took part in Olympic-style challenges on the Cuckoo Trail, part of Avenue Verte. PHOTO: Toby Spearpoint
Championing change
To help anyone who wanted to ride all or part of the route ahead of the Olympics, our amazing volunteers checked and improved signs right along the English side of the Avenue Verte.
In July, Olympic cycling champion and Chair of Sport England Chris Boardman met volunteers on the Forest Way while on his ‘Pedal to Paris’ ride.
He used sections of the Avenue Verte during the eight day ride from Manchester to Paris to highlight climate change.
Chris Boardman said:
“Good signs, maintenance and surface improvements are a big help for anyone doing this wonderful challenge route.
“But it’s not just about the long distance. It’s the short journeys that happen to schools, shops and workplaces. People can use bits of the Avenue Verte, they don’t have to go all the way to Paris!
“And the better it is, the nicer the experience and the more inclined people will be to give it a go.â€
Our volunteers checked signs and repainted mileposts in Olympic colours along the Avenue Verte. PHOTO: Toby Spearpoint
Joe Bigwood, our head of behaviour change in the South of England said:
“The Avenue Verte is an inspiring link to our Olympic and Paralympic cyclists.
“To complete the whole route is a challenging ride but you don’t have to do the whole route.
“It’s made up of several traffic-free sections which are brilliant for people of all ages and abilities to use for their everyday journeys.
“Our summer of events helped people to explore their local section of the Avenue Verte and set their own walking, wheeling and cycling challenges.â€
The 247-mile Avenue Verte (AV) is the French name for a cycle route from the London Eye to Notre Dame in Paris, via a ferry crossing from Dieppe to Newhaven.
The route has thousands of everyday users who travel on sections of it by foot, wheelchair or cycle.
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