On a freezing cold morning when gloves were essential to stay alive, Kane turned up with no gloves and had to share with Dennis!  The lower Hembury track was frozen solid today and the youngsters took pleasure in riding through the ice-topped puddles.

Everyone got a free Christmas chocolate bar as we sat on the swings and forts in Holne playpark admiring the views and watching beams of sunlight melting the frosty grass.  Suddenly it seemed to get even colder, and a swift ride along the ridge road to Hembury fort didn't make us any warmer at all!  Plans for a meander around the many tracks that criss-cross the wood were replaced with a speedy descent down the Slalom track and a dash for the almost tropical warmth of the Crofters clubroom.

The afternoon social included a showing of the Christmas edition of Doctor Who and a grand Lord of the Rings computer game challenge between Joe and Michael on the one side and Kane and Josh on the other.  No prizes for guessing the winnders!

Osian was slower than usual on his first day ride, so our outward ride through Ashburton and Bickington was somewhat delayed.  He picked up on the climb to Ilsington however, and we arrived at the hotel by 12.20, leaving us plenty of time to enjoy the pool, sauna, jacuzzi and steam room before settling down for our three-course meal.  Gavin lost some pool time because he had to fix a puncture!

The meal itself was generally good, as this year everyone could choose from a full lunchtime menu.  Keir, of course, was the most difficult to please, so the staff had to offer him chicken instead of turkey!  Afterwards there was coffee and mints in front of the huge open fire, during which time Joe learned that he had just beaten Keir to the 2004/2005 attendance trophy.

The ride home was mainly downhill and, consequently, chilly, but Osian had found new energy after his meal so we made it back to Buckfastleigh before dark.

Heavy overnight rain gave way to a blustery but dry morning just in time for the start of our ride.  We rode along Colston Road and on to the Cider Press Centre at Dartington where we settled into Cranks vegetarian restaurant for a range of scones and fruit juice concoctions.  The riverside cyclepath gave us excellent views of the swollen river Dart, culminating in the weir which had been transformed into a raging torrent.

Kane was beginning to struggle as we climbed the hill towards Rattery, but he splashed bravely onwards through the lakes that straddled the lanes, bringing us home by 1.45 for an afternoon social at Crofters.

To finish the ride on a dryer note we rode through River Dart Adventures and on through Holne Woods, following the woodland path up towards Gallant Le Bower.  From there the Slalom track through Hembury proved irresitable.  Nick and Donald were both impressed with the track, although Nick's stated aim of staying close behind his son proved difficult to make a reality!

There were short breaks in the rain, but it was tipping down for the return journey through the lanes from Staverton and some of the youngsters may have been wondering why they voted to go on!  Everyone did well, including new rider Osian, and the afternoon social at Crofters helped to make up for what had turned out to be a very wet morning of cycling.

New 8-year-old Donald performed incredibly well on an ambitious first ride to the Avon Dam, ably accompanied by his father.  An unfortunate incident with a farm dog near Nurston did not put him off at all and we were soon pushing our way through the many visitors walking up the path from Shipley Bridge.  We paused briefly by the river so that the youngsters (including Henry who hasn't been out for a few months) could eat a little nourishment, then we pressed on to the dam itself, today almost overflowing after the recent rains.

Once the final climb of the Abbots Way had been completed, everyone enjoyed the spectacular views to the coast and the long descent to Cross Furzes.

The cold night air was getting to Keir by the time we reached the bottom, so Michael loaned him his fleece for the final section of the ride home via Hawson Court.

Jaden was pleased with his new bike - surprisingly good considering it came from a skip!  On a perfect summer's morning we rode up Dean Hill to Bloody Pool, bought ice creams at Shipley Bridge and continued on to the Avon Dam at a good pace, pausing only so that Jaden could get his feet wet in the cool waters.  The reservoir was a little lower than usual today but it still made a perfect backdrop for our photos.

As usual the best part of the ride was the descent from Water Oak Corner to Cross Furzes, a new experience for Jaden.

When we finally reached the car we kept to our original plan and enjoyed an excellent meal at Pizza Hut in Plymouth before returning home.

Keir was unusually asking for a longer ride this morning, and whilst Sol had not been out for several weeks he had never had much difficulty with longer rides.  With this in mind we rode to Bovey Tracey to buy lunch and then headed up the Wrey valley for the steep climb to the reservoirs.  Everything looked perfect today in the summer sunshine and we enjoyed a peaceful lunchtime on the banks of the Tottiford reservoir.

We continued along the rough path that circles the reservoir, then followed the lanes to Moretonhampstead, but by this time Sol was discovering that he was much less fit than he had expected and Keir was slowing down in sympathy!  The route home via North Bovey was consequently rather slow-paced, and by the time we had also stopped for refreshments at Houndtor a late return was guaranteed.  It was well past 7pm when we finally rolled back to Buckfastleigh, but even though we were tired it had been a really enjoyable ride and a good achievement for all concerned.

Today's adventurous ride started with the Colston Road route to Dartington and the cycle path to Totnes, where Morrisons provided a good selection of food for lunch.  Next came the fun part of the ride  - the cycle path via Sharpham to Ashprington.  The path has been much improved over the last few years so we made good progress, interrupted only by a short stop at a rope swing.

We couldn't resist testing out the swings and climbing equipment in Ashprington play park, but there was no shade there from the mid-day sun so we continued down the hill to the stepping stones at Tuckenhay and got permission from the owner to have our lunch in a patch of garden beside the river.  The ducks seemed pleased to be fed!

The return route was via Forces Cross, Moreleigh and Diptford, making an energetic ride that pushed Louis, Gage and Dennis to their limits. 

With only Joe and Michael out today we decided on a harder ride, taking the Gappah Cross route to Haldon and then descending to the Exeter Ship Canal path that starts at Starcross.  The weather was perfect as we rode along the canal path, with swan and signets adding extra interest.  We detoured past the riverside shops in the centre of Exeter but eventually settled on Pizza Hut as our preferred lunch stop, consuming two drinks refills before the pizza was served!  It's amazing how much more enjoyable a meal can be when it has been really earned!

The long climb from Shillingford St George to Underdown proved the hottest part of the ride, leaving Joe feeling somewhat drained, but we were soon speeding our way home via Chudleigh and feeling very pleased with our efforts.

A most unfortunate incident marred the final part of the ride from Cross Furzes.  A young deer, hidden in the hedge, decided to jump out into the lane just as young Dennis was riding past.  He had no chance of avoiding the poor creature, and both Dennis and the deer were grazed and shaken by the incident.  There were no serious injuries and the deer soon got up and wandered off, but it just goes to show how some accidents just cannot be avoided.

We chose Mothecombe for our first beach ride of the season, partly because it's one of the easiest to reach.  After stocking up with lunch at South Brent (where today they had no sandwiches whatsoever) we sped down the hill to Ermington and were soon dropping down to the Erme estuary.

The tide was on the way out when we arrived, so we had lunch on the near side in the shade of the only tree we could find and then waded across the shallow waters of the Erme to Wonwell beach on the far side.  All that remained was to cycle home via California Cross, which we managed in excellent time.

On a superb May morning we rode to South Brent, stocked up with food at Plymco and then pressed on to Wrangaton and the steep lane to the golf course.  When Dennis had proved his worth by reaching the top first we started the short walk across the golf course, where a competition was in progress.  Ten-year-old Dennis spotted a golf ball lying by the path, and when he saw some golfers heading in his direction he did the obvious thing: picked it up for them to save them a walk!  Poor Dennis!  But they were very understanding, hastily urging him to drop it back where he had found it.

We had lunch half-way up the hill, hunted for letterboxes at Ugborough Beacon itself, then headed across the moor to pick up with the path down the valley to South Brent.  Part-way down we found a spring producing a stream of pure ice-cold water - just what we needed on such a hot afternoon.  There was time to explore the wooded riverside before we headed home via South Brent.

Ride cancelled.