A NEW smartphone app has been launched to promote cycling in and around the Vale of Evesham.
The Evesham Vale Rail Trails app is a tool to guide cyclists along six different routes with information about points of interest and good places to stop for a break along the way.
All of the routes showcase the beautiful countryside the Vale of Evesham has to offer including its horticultural, agricultural and architectural heritage.
The project was designed, developed and jointly funded by Cycle Evesham Vale in partnership with GWR, Areca Design and Worcestershire’s Vale and Spa and has taken months of hard work to get to the finished product.
Cyclists are given a choice of six routes to follow ranging from 17 to 27 miles taking them through towns and villages such as Wixford, Broadway, Pershore or even around Bredon Hill.
All of them start and finish at Evesham railway station so anyone travelling from outside the area can easily arrive by train.
Once out on the route, the app provides live directions on a map on the phone’s screen.
Alerts highlight points of interest and also cafes, pubs and picnic spots to help make the ride as enjoyable as possible.
Robin Walker from Cycle Evesham Vale helped co-ordinate the project and said: “We are very pleased to have been able to launch the app in time for the summer, which is the best season to enjoy cycling in the Vale.
“There have been a lot of people involved in getting to this stage, pulling in local knowledge and the technical expertise to develop the app and we’re delighted with the final result.”
Cyclists have already begun using the app with over 50 downloads already.
As part of the launch for the app, Cycle Evesham Vale are running a ‘Festival of Evesham Vale Trails’ throughout July and into August.
Cyclists can enter the event then ride one or more of the routes from the app to receive a wooden medal to mark their achievement.
All the proceeds will go towards helping local charity Evesham Vale Cardiac Rehab which provides a facility for the survivors of heart attacks, and for those who have undergone heart surgery, to recover full fitness, gain confidence and return to playing a full part in society.
• Visit https://cycleeveshamvale.org/festival-of-evesham-vale-rail-trails/ for more on the event or https://cycleeveshamvale.org/valerailtrails about the app.
