When two newcomers cancelled, we turned an easy plan into a longer push to Bovey Tracey and up the brutal Lustleigh Cleave, rewarded by ice creams at Hound Tor. A highlight was finding the Wrey Valley Trail’s missing bridge finally replaced; a scolding from a dog walker briefly soured the mood.

With Jude bike-less and keen to try his new badminton racket, and George expecting rain, the evening ride became an hour of fast, good‑humoured games on two courts at Ashmoor.

An attempted scenic ‘shortcut’ via Fleet Mill Lane proved rough and slower, confirming the main road is better. At Stoke Gabriel the café was not serving lunch ahead of a later barbecue, but the cakes were exceptional; a brief slip on seaweed added minor drama before a rapid ride home.

On a hot, sunny evening we climbed Wallaford Road to Lud Gate before taking the challenging moorland descent to Chalk Ford, with sweeping views over South Devon. The usual pigs and deer were absent, but at Scoriton George was greeted by a curious family of lambs at a garden gate.

With rain due after 1pm, we kept it to a brisk morning loop to Landscove, coffee and photos by the Hill House nursery fountain, then hurried home ahead of the showers. The downpour hit at 2pm, leaving the afternoon free to plan a Norway tour glacier walk.

A short evening loop pivoted on a sombre stop at Hembury Fort, where the National Trust’s felling of four mature trees and laying the trunks around the edge still felt like desecration; the ride finished with a run down the Slalom track through the woods.

Heavy rain turned the morning ride into a social: after coffee and sombre talk about the London Bridge attack, we swapped bikes for badminton at Ashmoor Leisure Centre.

With rain threatening, the group rode to Rattery Mill then, after some debate, chose a short return—just as drizzle began. They reached home minutes before the downpour and finished the evening with games at Crofters.

A breezy run to Dartmeet was overshadowed by Badgers Holt’s new regime: the cats gone, the once expansive menu pared back, higher prices and a 30-minute wait for "fresh" food, leaving us wondering whether to avoid it in future.

On the warmest evening so far, we worked through overgrown tracks and long grass to reach Skerraton Down’s high moor, rewarded with wide views over Buckfastleigh to Teignmouth. On the way down the youngsters climbed a fallen tree before a fast, cooling descent into dusk.

Our reunion ride brought old and new members together via Dartington Hall and the Totnes food market. The day’s high point came at Crofters, where iced treats and the presentation of the Colin Brierly Memorial Shield to Michael rounded off a memorable return.

With a hint of drizzle we kept it short: along the old road and railway to the wedge-shaped Belford Mill, then back beside the Ashburn. Curiosity about where the river meets the Dart found no view at Dart Bridge, so the confluence was left for Google Earth.