THE Watermark is hosting a Sustainable Travel Fair this weekend with displays of cutting edge electric cars and bikes and all the information to help you get about while protecting the environment.

Local sustainability group PL:21 Transition Town Initiative has organised the event with Sustrans on Saturday, October 22 from 10am to 1pm in the Ivybridge centre.

The two groups are bringing in a range of organisations and businesses from Great Western Railway, Stagecoach and Citybus to British Cycling and Dartmoor National Park. Wrangaton shop Puffing Billy Cycles will show the latest electric bikes, while Ocean BMW will be bringing two new electric cars.

MP Gary Streeter will visit at 11am, and cycling groups from South Brent and Plymouth are expected, travelling by pedal power of course.

Organiser Graham Wilson said: ’Ivybridge is one of the few towns in Devon to have travel links that encompass roads, railways and the National Cycle Network, and it has close access to our beautiful countryside, so what better location to have a travel fair?’

The event is being supported by South Hams Councillor for Ivybridge East Cathy Cuthbert and is free for everyone to attend.

The upcoming Sustainable Travel Fair has led a high-profile local resident to write an homage to his electric bicycle.

TV presenter, historian and author Adam Hart-Davis lives near Ermington, and says the ’e-bike’ has transformed his life and ’put the fun back into cycling’.

He writes: ’Some years ago on the BBC I presented eight TV series of Local Heroes, in which I rode around on a mountain bike, talking about dead scientists and inventors. I was never the sort of super-cyclist who does 100 miles every weekend, but I lived in Bristol then, travelled the whole city by bike, and on Saturdays towed all the family shopping home in a trailer.

’When we moved to Devon I was defeated by the hills. I rode up and down the valley between Ugborough, Ermington, Ivybridge, and Lee Mill, but never turned left or right. I rode only about 100 miles a year.

’Last autumn I bought an e-bike, and my life is transformed, because I can get up the hills – even the vicious one behind the farm shop, on the way to Hunsdon and Westlake. Last weekend I rode from Ivybridge up to Harford, without stopping, and on to Cornwood for lunch at the pub.

’In just over a year I have done 1300 miles on my e-bike, and in all that time I have only once been defeated by a hill.

’The motor does not drive me up the hills, but it helps, in proportion to how hard I push on the pedals – so I get plenty of exercise, and can enjoy the countryside. I ride to the doctor, the dentist, the optician, and often to the shops. When I buy too much stuff at the Co-op they will deliver.

I almost wish I still had a job, since commuting by bike would be such fun.

’People ask me how far it will go. I once rode 25 miles into Plymouth and back, and the on-board computer told me it still had a range of 25 miles. You use more power if you ride up lots of hills, and the only time I have run out was when I did two days of hilly rides, but forgot to recharge in between. You can still ride without power, but it feels like hard work.

’Soon after I acquired the bike I came across a new local bike shop – Puffing Billy, at Wrangaton. Peter Dadge, the owner, is friendly and helpful. He has serviced my bike twice and given me loads of advice. He now stocks a wide range of e-bikes as well as normal machines.

’I do suggest trying one out; mine has put the fun back into cycling.’