Nobody except Michael felt much like pressing on to the Ship Canal, so we opted for a shorter route that took us through some new lanes to Haldon, where we enjoyed lunch in a woodland glade. Ken kept us entertained by talking continuously about bikes, but it was too cold to listen for long.

Doddiscombsleigh was the next stop - Seb quickly found the parish noticeboard and pinned up a club poster. We concluded the ride with drinks at the nearby nursery, which gave Tao and Paul an opportunity to fix Paul’s puncture. There then followed a brisk ride to Chudleigh and home.