CYCLING in Newport is booming with over 40,000 using routes around the city last year.

This is a massive 26,000 more than the 14,139 who were riding their bikes in the area in 2009.

Cycling charity Sustrans puts the increase partly down to the creation of a traffic-free walking and cycling route between the city centre and Caerleon.

This success in Newport was discussed at a landmark conference in Cardiff, where the Active Travel (Wales) Bill became the world's first where local councils have a legal duty to develop and maintain a network of routes for walking and cycling.

The huge increase of cyclists in Newport features in Sustrans' report The Real Cycling Revolution, which highlights the increase of 26,757 users and reveals reveals children are making twice as many trips as they used to.

Newport's route connects the university campuses, schools, hospitals and residential areas with the city centre.

Sustrans encourages people to use the routes with the fact that cycling pays back four times more than they cost users in 10 years- this is on money saved on paying for other forms of transport.

It is encouraging the Welsh Government to recognise the economic benefits of cycling and walking and to invest heavily in this area to help counter rising levels of obesity and rising fuel bills.

National bike week takes place from June 16 to 24, when people will be encouraged to cycle. Details are at www.bikeweek.org.uk.

You can find details of Sustrans and cycle routes near you at www.sustrans.org.uk.