Rain halted the ride at the start, but young Toby arrived hoping for an evening at Crofters and was rewarded with computer drawing instead of miles; with Gary’s talent also on show, the night became a quietly creative social.

A bright day framed by a dramatic tide at Mothecombe: the vast sands vanished so fast the lads timed its advance in centimetres per second before fleeing the last dry patch. Back via Erme Mill to South Brent, where Simon, having missed the Ivybridge turn, found us at the Copper Kettle.

An evening of muddy, overgrown tracks delivered messy fun, especially for young Alan Skinner. When one path ended in corn fields there were a few complaints, but the mood stayed buoyant—even if some parents might not be amused by the mud.

An unexpectedly strong Paignton turnout set the tone for a tough afternoon, climbing to South Brent’s Copper Kettle for 70p four-scoop ice-creams before pressing on to quiet North Huish. A village Treasure Hunt and the juniors’ sticking-plant skirmish added colour before we split routes home.

A short evening spin to the riverside path at Staverton became a simple pleasure: stone-skimming on the Dart, before we found yet another ‘new’ lane for the return via Abham and Caddaford.

Swift progress up Haytor set the tone for a sunlit Dartmoor outing, with an unplanned run along the granite tramway and a breezy sweep over Hamel Down to Widecombe. Water fights at the valley stream and Craig’s rope‑swing display at Spitchwick gave the day a playful finish.

Back on the open moor at last, we ground up to Cross Furzes and Lud Gate, then flew down the bumpy track to Chalk Ford. The evening brought pump mishaps—Joan’s ‘puncture’ proved to be Paul’s pumping, and later Rohan’s blown rear tyre was saved by Richard’s timely chase for the right adaptor.

On our National Bike Week invitation ride, four groups converged on Broadhempston exactly at 3.15, filling the square with colour. A thirsty detour to Denbury saw Nick unlock the primary school to refill bottles, before a fast run down the Pridhamsleigh track.

On the longest day we still kept it short, climbing to South Brent before granting the youngsters exactly two minutes in the park. Richard H loathed Avonwick’s cobbled track, so we took the lanes home via Diptford and Rattery to be back for school next morning.

A crystal-clear evening between showers showed the countryside at its best, with the riverside track’s mud prompting a Beaston diversion after Broadhempston. Michael’s rear tyre-wall exploded, forcing a car rescue; the rest relished the deep mud and twisty lanes home.

An afternoon ride towards Haytor was cut short by the weather: by Ashburton the forecast showers had merged into steady rain, leaving us sheltering under trees before conceding defeat after 25 minutes. Naturally, the sun returned as soon as we headed home.