There was anticipation in the air at the start of our first day ride since June last year. We made good speed to Bovey Tracey and then enjoyed the old railway track through the woods to Lustleigh. Sadly, all was not well in the village: the once famous cafe now stood permanently closed, and local shops were clearly concerned at the loss of trade to the village as a whole. We ate our own refreshments in the park and the purchases a few items from the shop before setting off for the big climb of the day up Lustleigh Cleave. We paused briefly to admire an enormous boulder edging the road, known as Parson's Loaf.

Our usual track to North Bovey had been left in a particularly messy state by a fleet of off-road vehicles, but the large pools of water and thick slimy mud didn't seem to bother the younger members at all. In fact, the plastering of mud offered them the perfect excuse to ride the ford and get soaked, despite repeated warnings from the more experienced members that wet feet at lunchtime would turn to cold feet later in the ride!

The return route took us through Heatree Cross to Houndtor, where once again the usual refreshment van was nowhere to be seen. The final trek home across the moor to Ashburton was made less enjoyable by a stiff headwind and repeated showers, but the younger members were all pleased to see the total ride length exceeded 30 miles.