By the middle of 2011, Bristol and South Gloucestershire will have 48 new and improved cyclepaths and lanes.

As part of the nation's first Cycling City people will be able to cycle from Bradley Stoke, through the city centre and south as far as Hengrove entirely on cycleways.

Almost every part of the city, from Shirehampton to Soundwell and Whitchurch to Westerleigh Common, will be served by a cyclepath.

It is an ambitious £22.8 million plan of action but it has already started and the hope is that, by the time it is complete, there will be twice as many cyclists in the city than there are now.

Andy Whitehead, cycling officer at Bristol City Council, has been in charge of deciding where the new cyclepaths, as well as improvements to the existing ones, should go.

Mr Whitehead has had the challenge of working out how to complete a network of cyclepaths which, by summer 2011, will hopefully connect the entire city.

Part of a Cycling City team of eight, which works with the city council's highways department, planners, engineers, urban designers, property managers and their counterparts in South Gloucestershire, he has been involved with the programme since the bid went in, in December 2007.

"There are lots of people throughout the city council who are working on this and with a big budget it's important that we have enough resource to make the most of it," said Mr Whitehead.

"The idea is to use the model which they use on the continent, where they spend about £10 or £20 a head per year on cycling, here it is more like £1.

"But we want to get cycling as a more popular mode of travel and we think it will work in Bristol, especially since only Oxford, Cambridge and York have more cyclists per head.

"There's a real cycling culture here. One of our targets is to double the number of regular cyclists here by 2011, so it's a big target.

"But no other everyday activity can do as much both for individuals and the whole community, improving health and fitness, reducing road congestion and helping the environment.

"In Bristol five per cent of all journeys are by bike and if this is increased it will create a dramatic improvement in rush-hour conditions."

The Cycling City project is not going to be without its problems.

Some people will find that new cyclepaths will disrupt the existing green spaces, which will be used to link parts of the network together.

As improved lighting is brought to some paths, it will mean trees may need to be chopped down and pieces of land are sacrificed.

Motorists too will find they are slowed and impeded on several roads around the city as greater priority is given to those who chose to ride, rather than drive, to work.

The feeling at the city council is that, while some people may be inconvenienced by the plan, the number of existing and potential cyclists in the city is worth the trouble. However, Chris Hutt, member of the Bristol Cycling Campaign, said that the target of doubling the number of cyclists in two years looked over-ambitious.

He said: "Such rapid growth could put a great strain on some elements of the existing cycling infrastructure even though some infrastructure improvements are planned.

"Efforts to achieve such an unrealistic target are likely to involve a lot of short-term promotional activities which are unlikely to have much enduring benefit.

"It would be much better to invest in the sorts of changes that are going to continue to encourage cycling well into the future, not just for a quick fix before the money runs out in 2011."

Mr Hutt also said that the majority of the new cycling routes proposed were not new but upgrades of existing routes, for example the current path being built through St Werburgh's and the routes to Henbury, the Malago Greenway and Whitchurch Railway Path which already existed.

He added: "Much as I would like Bristol to be a true cycling city, I believe Cycling England have made a serious misjudgment in awarding Cycling City status to Bristol.

"Up until now the City Council have neglected cycling and as a consequence they have not yet developed the expertise or experience to channel £23 million of cycle funding in an effective way. We do need a cultural change in favour of cycling but such cultural changes need many years to bed-in.

"Trying to force the pace of change may provoke conflict, both between cyclists and pedestrians and between cyclists and motorists.

Councillor Brian Allinson, executive member for planning, transportation and the strategic environment, said: "This initiative will help to create a network of routes across South Gloucestershire, encouraging more people to take up cycling.

"Not only will this will provide health benefits, it will also help tackle congestion on our roads.

"Some of the planned schemes include providing a safe, continuous cycle route along the A38, better links between residential areas and amenities in Emersons Green and Bradley Stoke, and free cycle training for schools." Over the next two-and-a-half years there are going to be a total of 48 new and improved cycle routes around Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

Some high-profile projects, the Prince Street bridge modifications for example, have already happened.

The first new path, a widened and improved route through St Werburgh's and on through Lockleaze, has been started and will be complete this year.