The weather forecast this morning was very clear: heavy rain would move in at around 12.00. We set off along Colston road, determined to make the best possible use of the 90 minutes of dry weather available to us. Sadly, however, Charlie had different ideas: he managed to ride over some dead wood and drove the biggest thorn we had ever seen right into his tyre, through the tube and out of the sidewall!

Michael rushed to get his spare mountain bike inner tube, only to discover that Charlie's rim wouldn't accept Schrader valves! Having fixed the two punctures caused by the thorn we then discovered a third from an unrelated thorn, so it was half an hour later when we finally got moving again.

At Huxham's Cross we made the decision to get home by the time the rain started rather than risk going on to Totnes and getting drenched, so we detoured along the riverside path at Staverton and then headed home via Hole Farm and Abham. Matt put up an impressive performance on his first ride with us, so we got back to Buckfastleigh in double quick time.

The rain began as we entered Buckfastleigh at 12.01 so our confidence in the Met office was thoroughly vindicated! Computer games at Crofters provided some compensation for the shortened ride.