Spring is coming, and our members are turning out in ever greater numbers. Eight of us set off on a chilly morning for a detailed exploration of Hembury Woods. Callum O'B, out for only his second ride, was feeling the pain from a recent leg injury by the time we had ridden through Buckfast, so we abandoned plans for a detour through Michelcombe and set about tackling the main hill through Hembury.

From the top we took the path through to the fort, where Ashley was particularly disappointed to find that logs had been placed strategically to prevent cyclists riding down the steep slope. Our devious route took us through to one of the glades at the far end of the woods, where chocolate was enjoyed by the hungry ones and Ashley and Gavin vied to see who could throw the rocket the farthest (Gavin one by a few metres).

On the rough descent to the river Conner B, who had not done an off-road ride with us before, could be heard shouting "I . .don't .. want .. to ... die .. yet ..", so he was clearly enjoying the fun. Callum F's fun came to an abrupt halt however when he picked up a pinch puncture on a particularly rocky section of the track. A spare tube ensured a speedy repair, and we concluded our ride with the riverside track back to the car park, where Zac finally met up with us at 12.30.