Our return to setting provisional destinations for Sunday rides got off to a good start as four of us set off from Buckfastleigh at 10.35 in cloudy but dry conditions. We rode through Harbourneford to South Brent and then took a Google Maps shortcut to the Sign of the Owl pet centre near Wrangaton before heading along the B-road to California Cross. The sun broke through now from time to time, and we made good progress to Loddiswell. The Chilli Farm café looked interesting but we had set our mind on Avon Mill.

We arrived by around 12.20 and quickly settled into the café for very tasty but expensive soups and snacks. We then moved upstairs to the balcony for the second course, enjoying coffee cake and lemon meringue pie in the early afternoon sunshine.

The return route proved far more interesting and varied. We rode up to the old Loddiswell railway station and joined the path the follows the old railway line to Topsham Bridge. It’s been a few years since we last rode this path and we were pleased to discover that there are now no obstructions, apart from a fallen tree that required a small deviation. As we emerged at the far end John commented that the path was “all right”, high praise indeed from someone who is not a fan off off-road.

We were back on the South Hams lanes for the final part of the ride, taking us through Moreleigh and past Diptford. As we rode down the hill towards the solar farm we had to stop for three huge trailers carrying old tractors. John thought they had probably come from a ploughing match, and when we met two more between the viaduct and South Brent it looked like he was spot on. We finally found the entrance near the A38 junction at the top of Dean hill, with several horse boxes leaving the event.

We got home by 4pm after taking the short-cut down the A38. It had been a good ride, so we hope to set provisional destinations for most of our future rides.

We set off around 10.35 and decided to ride to the Brookside Tearooms, Bovey Tracey for coffee with a view to going on to Lustleigh for lunch, as John said he was in no rush. We made good pace through Blackpool to Bovey Tracey, arriving at 12.00, and we had nice coffees and cakes in the Brookside. Dillan had a soup instead. While we were in there, we discovered that the Primrose Cafe at Lustleigh was now closed, which was rather sad.

John then received a text that meant he had to ride home by the shortest route to sort out a problem in the shop, so sadly we rode back the same way and got home at 2.20.

We left a bit late at 11.00, then had to go to BigPeaks on the way so Gavin could fix a brake bolt on Hayley’s bike. She also ended up buying a helmet and a saddle. We got to Exeter Marsh Barton and parked near the canal at 12.15 or so. They had brought Alfie the dog with them! Harry looked very happy on his special seat.

We rode to the quayside, then past the Welcome Café, which closed in October, but we noticed it is being taken over by new owners and will start up again in January. We followed the canal path all the way to Powderham. A new path has been built from Turf Lock and a new bridge erected over the rail crossing to avoid the hazard of walking across the line. It was all very smart, but from this wonderful new path it was not possible to see the estuary at all.

We got to the Powderham road at 1.35. Here we trusted Hayley to know the way to Powderham café as we had never been there, but she was not sure. We followed Google Maps to the right and found that entrance was closed, so looking at the map on the sign we thought it would involve using the main road whichever way we went, so we carried on. But at the main road there was no pavement. Gavin tried walking with the dog, but it was way too slow and not safe for Gavin or the dog, so he doubled back along a track while we went on. Hayley then remembered going there without using the main road, and a guy told us there was a right of way to the Lodge, so he recommended trying to find that way in.

We all got to the café in the end, and it was excellent. We had to wait ten minutes for Gavin to join us, then we ate in the restaurant. Dogs were not allowed in there, so we all had to eat outside! It was a bit chilly, but OK. Soup was £5.50 so not cheap at all, but it was nice soup with thick slices of bread.

For our return journey we followed the path back to Powderham Lodge which was much easier than the route we had taken to get there. We reached the rail junction by 3.35 after Hayley needed a chain link removing. It was a bit grey and chilly now, so we rode straight back to Exeter at good speed, reaching the car by 4.30.

Michael had proposed Holne or Widecombe as a destination today, but George wanted Trago Mills and Dillan wanted to ride further than that, so we decided to ride to Costa Kingsteignton for coffee first and then go to Trago for lunch on the way home.

There was a lot of surface water on the A383 to Newton Abbot, and Dillan, who was just behind Michael, got sprayed by his back wheel and got in a bit of a state about it. Michael suggested he rode in front of him, then several cars on the other side went through a lake in the road and sent a wave of water all over poor Dillan. The rest of us got it too, but not as bad as Dillan. His shoes were filled with water and he was not at all happy!

We arrived at Costa at around 12.05, and had to wait a while for our food as there was a long queue. Michael's camera was on a go slow for some reason, so he only got one photo. We enjoyed the usual nice Costa coffees and cakes, although we should probably have bought the special Christmas shimmer cake, a very moist-looking chocolate cake.

Now George had changed his mind and wanted Subway for lunch instead of Trago, so we rode to Subway in Market Walk, Newton Abbot, and bought lunch for £3.20 each. There were a few Newton Abbot teenagers playing in Market Walk while we ate it, and I don't think our youngsters were too impressed with their behaviour.

From here we took the Google Maps recommended route home, which meant riding through East Ogwell and Denbury, an excellent and very enjoyable route. Michael managed to take another photo with his phone camera near Ogwell. We got home at around 3.10 after a very good ride.

There was a frost this morning, the first Sunday frost of the season, but it started dry and sunny, although turned cloudier later. John and George arrived by 10.25 but Will was late, so it was 10.50 when we set off for our Christmas Lunch ride.

Google took us down the Templer Way cycle path shortcut in Bovey Tracey, which brought us to the Edgemoor Hotel in plenty of time at 12.25. It was a very nice, old fashioned hotel, which we were visiting for the first time this year because the Ilsington Hotel could not accommodate us. We were directed into the lounge area to start with. Michael asked for the price of a pint of blackcurrant and soda, and was told it was £2.80! That is an absurdly high price when many places will do it for £1 or less. He later ordered two pints of water with ice, but the others asked for a jug of water on the table and Michael never received his iced water, so he assumed they had decided he wouldn't need them now.

There was a good range of food available and it was all very tasty. The soup was carrot with cumin, which was delicious. Then Michael had oven-baked cod, followed by plum and blackcurrant crumble to finish, which was all superb. Dillan had the brownie for his dessert.

But then we got the bills, and they had charged us full menu prices instead of the agreed discounted prices of £21 per person for three courses. Soups and puddings had been charged at £5.95 each! It took the guy more than ten minutes to sort everything out. First he asked why we had "thought it would be £21 each", and when Michael said we had agreed that by email, he had to go and ask the manager for approval. He still took ages to sort it when he returned, and then Michael found they had put some of John's drinks on his bill! All in all it was a poor show, but it was all sorted eventually.

We left at around 2.50, when conditions were quite chilly. Everyone opted to return by the same route, which was sensible in view of the fading light, and we just got home by 4.30 as darkness fell.

Julian had to leave just as many others were arriving, but we had a very enjoyable afternoon chatting and checking out some of the tour videos that Michael has recently edited. We also made plans for a reunion cycle ride in June.

This was Jude’s first ride with us, so we planned a gentle introduction to the club with a visit to the café at Holne. He found the ride to Scoriton very easy, so Dillan and George decided to take him up the steep hill to Holne rather than follow Michael and Tao on the recommended route through Michelcombe. He didn’t enjoy that so much, but still made it without too much difficulty.

We enjoyed a range of hot and cold snacks at the café, then left at around 12.35 to explore a track from Gallant Le Bower that Tao had discovered a while ago. It was a bit muddy at the start but soon improved, leading us eventually to the main track to River Dart that we frequently use. At least we no longer have to pass the bikes over the gate now!

Jude somehow managed to come off his bike in the Park, while he was at the back with Dillan and George, but there was no serious harm done and he had no difficulty at all in completing the ride back to Buckfastleigh.