With a forecast of rain soon after 2pm we wanted to make good use of the morning, so started with a brisk ride up to Cross Furzes. There was little enthusiasm for the open moor after the recent rain, so we dropped down to Combe, rode through Michelcombe to Holne and then actually rode past the café for once, determined to reach Ashburton. Michael seemed to get very excited when he found a BT telephone cabinet marked 3/1 at the top end of the village: this was apparently a sub-cabinet to Poundsgate Cabinet 3 at the top of Holne Chase!

The track through Holne Woods was easy and fun, leading us eventually through River Dart Country Park and on to Ashburton where everyone wanted to buy Rowe's pasties from the Spar. As we were eating them on the old railway track we bumped into Tao, out for a ride on his own to Stover. We told him he needed to go the other way if he wanted to avoid the rain, but he was keen to proceed whatever the weather.

Dillan led the return to Buckfastleigh faster than we have ever seen him ride, bringing us back to Crofters by 2.05. The rain started at 2.25 so it really was pretty good timing.