PLANNING a visit to cycle in the national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty in the south west is set to become a lot easier thanks to investment by the Rural Development Programme for England.

An Adventure Cycle Map was recently launched by world class cyclist Andrei Burton at Princetown. The new interactive map contains legal off-road cycle routes all over the south west of England, including Dartmoor National Park and the AONBs.

Dave Dixon, of South West Protected Landscapes, has brought the project to fruition, working with the 1 South West Cycling project.

Dave said: 'Cycling is a great way for people to get out and enjoy the south west's breathing spaces and has a broad appeal.

'This online mapping allows us to provide lots of information such as photos and videos, enabling people to choose trails that will suit their cycling ability. We want to help people have a great day out and keep coming back by providing information that helps them plan their trip with confidence.'

The Adventure Cycle Map aims to bring tourism business benefits to the rural south west throughout the year. Bicycle shops, hire outlets and clubs can all be found on the map and cycle-friendly accommodation will be shown soon.

The information shown is of use to people planning horse-riding or walking trips as well as those planning to cycle.

To encourage responsible use of trails, national park and AONB staff can attach information to each individual trail such as indicating if a trail is prone to erosion in wet ground conditions, or trails that will be busy and best avoided at peak visitor times.

To view the map visit http://www.1sw.org.uk">www.1sw.org.uk and click on a link to the interactive map.