There were well over 100 participant in the walk/ride - children (in buggies, on scooters & bikes, even a couple on ponies), families, dog-walkers, cyclists and mobility scooters.

Refreshments at The Weir   After the ribbon was cut the walk / ride continued along the off-road track, then again under A39, this time using the footpath underpass at Helebridge (cyclists dismounted) and up the Whalesborough bridlepath to The Weir Coffee House.   The Weir provided some discounted refreshments for participants (in the area which houses a wildlife interpretation centre).

Some then returned to Bude Bike Hire / River Life Cafe at Pethericks Mill where there was also discounted refreshments for participants and information stands about the the Bude towards Holsworthy TRAC project, the Bude Valley and activitities in it.

Return routes   There were various routes for the return.   Some returned by the outward route, there was a led walk back via the towpath and another longer led walk that used part of the coast path before cutting back across to the towpath.   There was also a led cycle ride that used the Bike Hire cycle 'Loop1' route via the rest of the Whalesborough permissive bridle path, the coast road to Upton Cross and then back over Rodds Bridge to the cycleway.

Stamping scheme   Each participant who wanted one was issued with a stamping card, to be stamped at the start, at the underpass opening ceremony and at The Weir.

Production of a fully stamped card on the day entitled the holder to the discounted refreshments at The Weir, the discounted refreshments on return to the River Life Cafe and a discount off an item purchased at the new sports shop (HPT sport) at the hire centre.
A fully stamped card also entitled the holder to a discount off one hire at Bude Bike Hire on a subsequent occasion.   In addition to this, Bude Bike hire offered a discount off bike hire for event participants on the day.

The new underpass route is part of the TRAC project

TRAC is a project to negotiate and build extensions to the cycle routes in Cornwall - with current funding available for specific work in the Bude and Launceston areas.
A subgroup of the Bude Partnership is liaising with the project manager to help promote and facilitate this development.

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In the Bude area, TRAC intends to extend the current multi-use trail from Helebridge to the Devon border near Titson, with much of the new route being off-road.   Negotiations with landowners are underway and survey work has been commissioned.   A section of the old railway line south of the river Neet was purchased in 2010 to add to the section north of the Neet already owned by Cornwall Council.

The extension of the cycleway beyond Helebridge is still being negotiated.   It is hoped to complete a section to beyond Marhamchurch in 2012.

Devon County Council have plans to extend the existing off-road cycle route at Holsworthy viaduct to make more of the existing route off-road between there and the county border near Titson.   This will link to the Ruby Way cycle routes that they are constructing and, particularly, to the route between Holsworthy and Hatherleigh which is now substantially complete.   The intent is to designate the Bude to Holsworthy route as the
Atlantic Ruby Way

More information about the Ruby Country projects can be found on
          www.ridetherubycountry.co.uk

Funding for the TRAC project

The funding to support the opening of the underpass is from the TRAC (Tourism and Rural Access) project, which is delivering activity in the Bude and Launceston areas to link up the Camel Trail with the Ruby Way. The TRAC project has received £80,000 funding for the development work from the East Cornwall Local Action Group, and £xxm capital funding from the RDPE Sustainable Tourism.