The road through Rew towards South Dartmoor School was delightful today. We had just begun the steep climb towards Whiddon Farm when a loud explosion signalled the end of the ride for Keir. Closer inspection revealed that a particularly bald patch on an otherwise good tyre had finally given way. Keir is not the only young member who enjoys skidding on his bike. Be warned, all you skidsters, that skidding costs a lot of money in new tyres, ruins your enjoyment of a ride, puts someone to considerable inconvenience to collect you, and holds up the entire club. Don't do it!

Keir walked the ridge road and the track, and then Peter, Roger and Mark Hedges escorted him back to the telephone box at Ashburton while the rest of us climbed to Cold East Cross. Luke and his friends took the short cut up the track, and then regretted it when Michael turned out to be right about it being 'all uphill and unridable'. We returned to Ashburton and Buckfastleigh across the moor, arriving just in time to see Keir passing in a van. Congratulations to the new riders, who all performed admirably.