Poor Luke H! He was suffering from heat exhaustion right from the start of today's 55 mile ride, and things didn't get better as the day went on.

Our two anticipated new members did not arrive at the Gappah pick-up as expected, although Philip's friend Craig made up for the loss in many ways. Having collected Steven on Haldon we descended through Mamhead to Starcross and thence onto the towpath that ran up to Exeter. Sadly, certain members didn't stop until they got to the canal itself, riding straight past the proposed lunch stop, but one had to admit that the availability of iced drinks at Turf Lock was a definite bonus.

The canal was lined once again with fisher folk, making life very difficult for any fish that happened by. Richard B mentioned that the clever fish had only to swim along the far bank, where there were no fishermen, but then he observed some extra long rods that scuppered that idea.

There then followed another mad dash to the end of the canal by the leading riders, which would have involved someone in a long return search had anyone been found missing at the end of it. A short lecture from Michael on the subject seemed to do the trick, and the ride then continued through Shillingford St George, where a tiny little dog rushed down its path and barked itself silly behind its gate for a few moments as we rested outside in the shade of a tree. Clearly it had nothing better to do with its time! Eventually it packed up and walked hñome again, so we did likewise.

The long drag up from Dunchideock was thirsty work, and so all speed was made for Bovey and the Brookside Tearooms. Iced drinks were definitely the order of the day before the groups split to make their separate ways home. Some parents may not have recognised their offspring when they returned home, bright red in many cases.