Jude had been baking carrot cake over the weekend and we all got a slice this morning before we finally set off at 11am. The rough plan was to head to Loddiswell and the Avon Mill café, but by the time we had reached The Sign Of The Owl pet store near Wrangaton Michael had a new suggestion. All was agreed so we took the very long downhill road to Ermington, stopping for photos at Ermington Bridge.

Dillan liked the idea of an extended ride to Mothecombe with the traditional wading of the river that we haven't done for many years, but our late start and the darkening evenings meant that was a ride to be arranged for another day. We contented ourselves with a ride back to Ivybridge where we bought hot food from the Subway and ate it by the river next to the Leisure Centre.

Next stop was the Co-op for a coffee and a pastry, consumed on a table in the courtyard opposite until the gentleman locked the gates. We then headed back at good speed along the cycle route through Bittaford and South Brent, leaving us all feeling quite tired.

Our planned ride to the track from Haytor to the ruins of Graetor Village had to be changed since George, who enjoys off-road, did not turn up but his father, who dislikes it, came in his place. Additionally John needed to be back for 2.30, so our options were somewhat limited. We wanted a Dartmoor ride so we headed up Ausewell Hill to Cold East Cross, a climb that took us over an hour today for some reason.

We had just reached the start of the interesting part of the ride at Hemsworthy Gate, with plans for an easy track to Natsworthy, when Jude announced that he thought he had better ride home now (he lives at Ilsington). We all thought he was joking and waved merrily as he set off towards Haytor. When he continued into the distance, however, we began to suspect he was not joking after all. Text message communications proved very difficult up on the moor, but we eventually discovered that his Mum had suggested he could ride home today if he was ever close enough. We were pretty sure she hadn't intended him to go home an hour into the ride, but there was no way to discuss alternatives now so we pressed on to Widecombe for lunch.

We haven't visited the Wayside Café for a long time, so today we called in for omelettes and other tasty snacks. It was very quiet today, with just two other customers - very different from the busy days of the 1990s when all the staff would run outside to wave happily at passing coaches. The prices were a little more than they used to be but we were happy with what we had.

We left Widecombe at 1.20 and it took us over an hour and a quarter to ride back through Ponsworthy. We rode the recently-discovered lane back to New Bridge, stopping at Newbridge Marsh for photos along the way. We were all tired when we finally got home at 2.45 but unfortunately John had to get to work immediately to make over a hundred portions of fish and chips for the steam train!

John was feeling a little under the weather today, and since showers were forecast for the afternoon we decided on a morning-only ride to Dartington. We took Colston Road to the Dartington cycle path on the way out and then called in to Baynard's Kitchen, the new restaurant that has replaced Cranks.

Cranks served up vegetarian meals for thirty years before it closed last November, and whilst Baynard's Kitchen had some excellent meals available the prices were sky high, the range was far more limited and there were a number of meat dishes on the menu. We all ordered soup but were told we had to wait five minutes for the lunch menu to start. When it finally arrived it was not properly heated, but once that had been sorted it was generally a good meal.

With showers in the air we headed back to Staverton, arriving at the station just as a steam train was leaving for Totnes. A good pace through the lanes past Riverford brought us back to Buckfastleigh for around 1.40.

John had to get back for 2.30 again so we rode all the way up Wallaford Road to Cross Furzes and then down the hill to Coombe. Leo the farm dog was presumably indoors by the fire today as he was not in the courtyard at Scoriton as we rode past. We took the Michelcombe road for a change and arrived, surprisingly, at Holne café at the same time as a shower.

The chef had prepared Pumpkin Soup today which was certainly very seasonal and actually very tasty. After a nice long chat the rain had stopped but it felt very cold as we returned to our bikes. Being autumn we took the track through Holne Woods to River Dart Country Park. Michael did get some good pictures, but autumn came early this year and most of the leaves had already fallen. We rode home through the park and along the old Ashburton road, returning to Buckfastleigh by 2.10.

Jude had earned the right to come on the Bonfire Night social, so he stayed at Crofters to play computer games until we left.

With showers in the air and mocks to revise for tomorrow we decided on a morning ride to South Brent, riding out via Zempson Bridge. The Co-op provided shelter from a shower as well as some Danish Pastries and, for Jude, a luxury full-size caramel cake reduced to just 75p.

Conditions were pleasant again on the climb through Lutton, but Michael's plan to stop to admire the view at the top of the hill past Bloody Pool did not turn out to be such a good idea when a squally shower came out of nowhere, driving raindrops into our faces like bullets. We pulled ourselves together and got down the hill to Gidley Bridge where conditions were altogether different.

After examining the peculiar stone structure that divided the river Harbourne after going under the bridge and failing to establish its purpose we proceeded down the hill to Deancombe and along the attractive autumnal lanes back to Buckfastleigh.

George was up for a longer ride today so we headed out through Ashburton and took the Bickington road to Blackpool and Bovey Tracey. Here we called into the café at the Devon Guild of Craftsmen, which offered excellent refreshments at reasonable prices.

We haven’t been up to the Hennock reservoirs for many years, so today seemed the perfect opportunity. Riding up through the town we took the steep Furzeleigh Lane up past the hospital which offered superb views from Bearacleave Wood and fabulous autumnal colours. Eventually we reached Tottiford Reservoir, one of three built here in the 1860s to supply water to Torbay. The water was drained several years ago to reveal prehistoric standing stones that were the subject of a Time Team investigation at the time, but even today the reservoir was barely half full.

We followed the track all around the reservoir, stopping once or twice to walk down to the water’s edge. We look forward to the day when the reservoir is full again, returning the area to its usual beauty, but we still had a lot of fun negotiating the tree roots lining the rough track.

It was getting late so we rode down Slade Hill, took the shortcut through Bovey Park and then returned the way we had come, through Blackpool and Bickington.

Yet another new member - Ziggy - joined us this evening: with a record eight players we ended up booking the entire Sports Hall. Everyone loves badminton and everyone managed to play a full game with everyone else, so we had a fabulous evening.

George was away collecting John from his recent surgery in Cambridge but the rest of us felt that Fermoy’s would be an excellent destination at this time of year. We rode out through Broadhempston for a change, arriving by 12:30 to find a café packed with Christmas gardeners. We had some reasonably tasty food, although prices seem to have jumped sky high without a proportionate improvement in quality. There was then time to look around the store: it seemed that the Furry Animals pet section has been removed now, but there were plenty of other things to browse.

For the return journey Michael wanted to take us along the lane past Newhouse Barton. This turned out to be muddier than the last time he rode it, which was frustrating for Jude as he was wearing his brand new Adidas trainers. We continued home via the usual route through Staverton and Caddaford.