A café ride turned into a search for somewhere open: in warm sunshine we dropped Fermoys for Landscove, only to find it shut and even a driver with passengers turning away. We carried on to the new antiques café at Dart Bridge—good food, but a little steep.

With Michael recovering from a cold caught on our tour, we skipped the morning ride and spent a quiet day at Crofters instead, reliving the trip through video clips and settling a few contests over the chessboard.

Buoyed by Tom’s strong pace, we diverted onto Skerraton Down, battling an overgrown track and gorse before reaching the ridge for a glowing sunset and distant lights of Teignmouth and Totnes. A snapped brake cable slowed the run to Cross Furzes, but we still ended with hot drinks and quizzes at Crofters.

Showery weather left only two of us out. We turned the ride into a social and played badminton at Ashmoor instead.

Dillan’s birthday ride took us through Hembury Woods to Hembury Fort, where we called the National Trust’s tree felling sacrilege, before a cautious slalom descent in the dark back to Crofters.

We set out for a gentle farewell ride to Holne Café for chef Simon, only to find he'd left days earlier; volunteers kept the soup excellent. A resident’s thorn warning on the way to Michelcombe proved apt when a puncture struck, fixed swiftly before a quick loop at Hembury Fort.

With rain due by nine—ten, according to Gavin—we kept it short to Staverton Bridge. When the first drops fell, John insisted on the shortest way home via Abham and Caddaford; in the end the rain only set in properly around 9.30.

An intended push to Princetown was curtailed by rain we hadn’t packed for, so we took shelter and excellent refreshments at Badgers Holt, Dartmeet. Sunshine then saw us up Dartmeet Hill via Leusdon, with Michael’s beloved ducks hiding behind a tree, before a lively Spitchwick and New Bridge home.

A short, dark spin through River Dart Country Park and Holne Woods turned memorable when Michael’s pannier was left the wrong side of a barred gate and went unnoticed until home. Earlier, Ash joined late and departed early, managing only twenty minutes with the group.

An easy, sociable evening spin was lit up by George turning out in a flashy new Animal suit. We rolled over Caddaford Hill to Staverton and Rattery Sawmills on a cool, pleasant night, chatting all the way and back home by nine.

A leisurely morning centred on a café stop at Hill House Nursery: after fixing Dillan’s puncture we arrived to be served by his school acquaintance, Ziggy, and shared an excellent apricot and plum frangipane. We returned via Baddaford and a mercifully passable Ware Lane.