Ride Reports
Games evening replaces workshop
Michael was too unwell to attend the social at his own home, so the planned Cycle Workshop at Crofters was swapped for a games evening instead; 25p admission still brought refreshments and a relaxed night.
Lustleigh Cleave via Primrose Cafe
A fierce wind and a delayed start saw us miss one rendezvous, but we regrouped at the Primrose cafe before an idyllic lunch in Lustleigh Cleave and a tailwind home. Richard B had to be prised from his second pot of tea, and Ponsworthy Splash provided a welcome bike wash.
Combe Fishacre pothole mishap
A jarring pothole on Colston Road near Velwell halted the Combe Fishacre ride when Simon came off—thankfully with only minor injuries—and a nearby farmer vented about months of ignored repairs. The rest took a gentle loop through the Newhouse Barton lanes via Ipplepen and Broadhempston.
Paignton road safety quiz night
Richard Hopper’s specially written questions made the road safety quiz popular with the youngsters, sparking lively discussion and real learning. The only regret was the absence of a few who might have benefited most from the evening.
Maypool youth hostel games 1988 2
A hostel in turmoil, wires jutting from sockets, set the tone for a weekend that ran on mischief and momentum. Someone promptly fused the place just before the games, but light returned for a breathless round of Crazy Post and a late birthday cheer. Next day we rolled via the Dartmouth ferry to Blackpool Sands, arriving in time to watch the year-round swimmer stride into the icy sea, a brisk reminder that our escapades weren’t the only feats of the day.
Rainy ride towards Whooping Rock
Heavy rain set in just after Mike and Brett arrived, yet we avoided the most direct route home for a brief run towards Haytor and back via Ashburton, showing the younger riders that once soaked through, a wet ride can be unexpectedly enjoyable.
Risk and computer games evening
The last social of the season was a relaxed games evening at Crofters in Buckfastleigh, where a few computer games gave way to a mammoth game of Risk; simple, good‑humoured and enjoyed by all.
Harford moor ride via Erme Mill
Sunshine framed a ride whose highlight was the lane to Harford and the rough, exhilarating moorland traverse to South Brent, miraculously without a wrong turn. A seized bottom bracket early on and the unlikely pleasure of stroking rainbow trout at Erme Mill gave the day its character.
Owley and Glaze Brook Easter ride
An easy Easter Special threaded new lanes to Owley and a quiet spell beside the Glaze Brook in spring sun. With the egg hunt shelved, Budgie and Simon ate theirs and tried to knock down a dead branch, before we rolled into South Brent’s Copper Kettle and ran into a large London CTC group.
New Forest and Isle of Wight 1988 6
At Sixpenny Handley even the cars had dogs, a comic prelude to a tour that led from chalk downs into the New Forest’s heaths. We were drawn to a doleful donkey at the Rufus Stone and watched Mark somehow keep his new bike spotless through a quagmire. Across the Solent the Isle’s pay-happy sights tested our thrift—Alum Bay’s glass shop shut early—but Blackgang’s cliff-edge drama and a kindly Sandown tearoom won us over.
Staverton and Caddaford loop
A splendid early summer evening for the first Friday ride of the year, with primroses and violets lining Green Lane en route to Staverton. We drifted home in the gathering gloom via Caddaford, delayed only by two over-friendly dogs.
Lunch by the ferry at Dittisham
With most away on the Isle of Wight tour, Richard set off alone from Buckfastleigh and met only Philip at Totnes; they joined the Torbay Section for a sunny ride to Dittisham, pausing for lunch by the ferry alongside the Yellow Wellie Brigade before heading back through the lanes.