The weather was perfect this morning, but only Michael and Ashley were out to enjoy one of the best rides of the year so far to the Avon Dam. We made good progress to Shipley Bridge and had time to sit by the reservoir to admire the tranquil scenery. The peace was only interrupted by a pair of female cyclists who asked us to take numerous photographs of them with the water and cattle as backdrop. Apparently one was from London, and her friends would never believe where she had been without photographic evidence!

We continued on across the moor to the Abbots Way and up the ridge, where clear air offered unparalleled clarity in the panoramic views to the coast. We managed to capture some of the exciting descent on videotape, just for the benefit of those who chose to stay at home!

This was a first tour for our three youngsters, all eager for action after being kitted out with the recommended equipment by generous parents. Tao and Joe (13) were first to arrive at Newton Abbot Station on this perfect spring morning. Ashley (15) and James (12) arrived next in Keir's Land Rover, closely followed by Michael and Gavin. Tao was inside the station when everyone else arrived, so Keir soon had to eat his comments about Tao always being late.

The First Great Western 1010 service was perfectly on time. There were 6 free bike racks in the guard's van as booked, and after a longer than planned walk through the train we soon found our reserved seats and enjoyed the kind of conversation that reflected our anticipation of the tour to come. In fact, we talked so much that we forgot to buy refreshments on the train, so the first task on arrival at Taunton was to seek out the cafe at Safeways. Service was not exactly rapid: we spent some time trying to work out where we should be queuing, and then plenty more time standing in line to buy less than exciting refreshments.

The main roads were quieter than usual on this bank holiday Friday. James had a problem with his single pannier falling off, but we were soon enjoying quiet lanes and the peaceful rural villages of Creech St Michael, Ham and Knapp. North Curry village green provided an attractive, sunny location for lunch and photographs.

Next stop was the Willows and Wetlands Visitor Centre at Meare Green. The Somerset Levels is a marshy landscape ideally suited to the growing of Willow. And Willow, as we discovered at the centre, is made into all kinds of wicker baskets and boxes. The youngsters particularly liked the hanging bee-hive seats, and had to test them thoroughly.

Burrow Mump is a small hill that stands out against the flat landscape that surrounds it. From the ruined church on top we could clearly see the network of ditches and drains that helps keep the land free of water. Without the series of pumping stations near the sea, the whole area would revert to an inlet of the sea.

There was plenty of time so we took a short detour along some fun tracks around Earlake Moor and Middlezoy. Burrow Mump soon began getting closer again, but the youngsters didn't seem to notice! From Othery the change of level on either side of the road was marked by Beer Wall, a sluice gate system controlled remotely. Joe did not seem to appreciate the long straight lanes across King's Sedge Moor - he thought he might go to sleep and veer off the road into one of the water-filled ditches on either side. The first real climb of the day brought us to Walton Hill and the National Trust woodland track to Street hostel.

The wooden balconies of the hostel and its rural surroundings always make for a warm welcome, and today was no exception. We were in one of the attic rooms which just added to our enjoyment of this excellent hostel. The youngsters, who all had easy-cook noodle meals, had finished and washed up before the more senior members even arrived in the kitchen, so they provided entertainment outside by performing jumps over the grassy banks outside. We just squeezed in a one-mile ride to the nearby Spar before dark to buy some provisions for supper. On our return there were card games and a viewing of the tour video, but Tao was forced to miss it all and retire to bed at 9pm - he works nights, and had been active for 26 hours with no sleep!

[Photos to follow]

Previous recorded mileage for today's ride was 29 miles)

The youngsters deserve credit for being so well behaved overnight - everyone got plenty of sleep right up to the designated time for getting up. Tao felt thoroughly refreshed after 11 hours sleep, and once Michael had got over the shock of discovering that his cheesecake and yoghurt, purchased only the previous night, had been discarded from the fridge (presumably because it hadn't been given a label) we set off for the short ride to Clarks village in Street.

We spent an enjoyable hour and a half browsing the well-priced factory outlets and sampling the hot pancakes while the clouds gathered above. Gavin bought himself a rucksack-cum-camelback, presumably to make up for forgetting his water bottle, but there was no opportunity to fill it for the rest of the day! We were ready to leave as the first drops of rain began to fall, but we had to wait another 10 minutes for James to return from a supposedly 2-minute shopping expedition to get some batteries.

We had lots planned for today, and next on the agenda was Glastonbury tor. There was a nasty shower all the way to Glastonbury, but it cleared up as we approached the tor so we were able to climb it after all. Everyone enjoyed the views, although Joe dismissed it as a pile of dirt just like any other!

We were clearly going to be late for lunch at Wells, and the significant detour we took to avoid main roads did not help, but a final cycle path along the course of the disused railway line eventually brought us past the Bishops Palace into the bustling market square by around 2.30. Lunch was hastily purchased and then consumed in the grounds of the magnificent cathedral. The famous clock (the second oldest in Britain) entertained us briefly with its twin knights striking the bells, but if we had thought to look inside the cathedral we would have seen the far more impressive display of two knights and two Saracens riding around in a jousting tournament. One poor Saracen gets knocked down every fifteen minutes, and elsewhere a seated wooden figure strikes the bell and turns his head to listen after each strike. Oh well, next time perhaps!

It seemed as though there would not be time to include our planned visit to Wookey Hole caves and paper mill, but we made good progress and arrived in time for a visit of more than an hour. James was feeling much better as we left and made good speed on the 200m climb to the top of Cheddar gorge. Michael, however, was succumbing to the same fever that had attacked Tao earlier in the week. The descent of the gorge was exciting and fun, and we surprised ourselves by arriving at Cheddar hostel shortly after 7pm.

We were in the annexe, as on all previous occasions, but carried out our meal preparation in the main kitchen. The showers caused some confusion – to switch them on you had to lower the head unit to below waste height! Obvious really! There was another short excursion to the nearby Spar (on foot this time, as it was dark), and the usual viewing of the day’s video clips – of particular interest to the three who had refused the caves! Poor Michael suffered overnight under multiple quilts!

Starting out a little earlier than usual we decided to explore Cheddar caves. Entry fees were quite high and some of the youngsters were hard-pressed to find the money, but we all spent an enjoyable hour wandering around some truly spectacular formations with the friendly voice of the audio guides accompanying us all the way. The café experience was not quite so enjoyable, with sky high prices for substandard refreshments.

There was time for a short stop at the Spar before we rode the short distance to Wedmore and Blackford. We then turned into the Levels again and enjoyed lunch in a field on the banks of Cripps River. The sun was hot in this sheltered spot, and nothing disturbed the peace except a single plane circling in the distance.

The afternoon ride took us past the Gold Corner pumping station to Bridgwater (where nothing was open on Easter day) and on to the foothills of the Quantock Hills where the ancient church in the village of Over Stowey looked delightful with its many spring flowers adorning the grassy churchyard. James’ bike needed a little attention before the climb to fix a bottom bracket, and Tao continued his regular maintenance of the offending pannier that refused to do as it was told. A challenging climb brought us quickly to the moor and tracks at the top, and James, who had never ridden this far in one day before, did not let himself down in any way. We didn’t feel like any major track excursions so we took the quick descent to Crowcombe and set about negotiating the final lanes to the hostel. On the way we were fortunate to see the steam train on the West Somerset Railway.

Crowcombe Heathfield hostel was up for sale many years ago, but the idea was abandoned through lack of prospective buyers and the hostel is still there now, a magnificent country house set in huge gardens in an isolated location. We had a large first floor dormitory and after adequate showers we prepared our final meals of the tour in the spacious self-catering kitchen. The youngsters were short of food and money so bought a loaf of bread and ate slice after slice of toast. Ashley decided to use the expensive Cheddar jam he had purchased – he maintains it was never intended as a gift for his parents!

(Previous recorded mileage for this ride was 36 miles)

After our final breakfast of the tour we set off through the peaceful wooded lanes to Lydeard St Lawrence, Tolland and Wiveliscombe where we felt sure we would fine a cafe. There was a cafe, but whilst the door was open the café was definitely closed. The supermarket was open, however, and the seats in the village square provided an excellent spot for the consumption of beverages in the morning sun.

Pressing on we proceeded through many more typical Westcountry lanes to Bradford-on-Tone. Lunch by the riverside in the shade of ancient woodland was absolutely perfect. Our train was leaving from Taunton at 2.36 so we took our time on the final stage of the journey along the river Tone, through Hele and Upcott. Cycle Route 3 led us usefully through some Taunton parkland direct to the Safeways near the station, so we were able to purchase some last refreshments and inspect the well-stocked cycle store nearby before boarding the train for home.

It's amazing how refreshing a 4-day break can be. By the end of the tour it felt like we had been away for a week or more. All the youngsters did well and were eagerly looking forward to their next trip - Salcombe in May. They all felt very pleased to have completed 117 miles over the weekend - an excellent achievement.

(Previous recorded mileage for today's ride was 25 miles)

The weather this morning was what one would expect for mid-July rather than late April. We knew we were heading for the beach, and Will and Louis were eager to break the 30-mile barrier for the first time - an amazing expectation for Will who had been off cycling for several months with a broken collarbone! Ben and Jason wanted to join the ride, but when they realised how far we were planning to go they contented themselves with joining us only as far as the top of Dean hill before turning back.

So, we were off on what promised to be our longest day ride for 12 months. With the sun beating down we reached the farthest point of our January attempt, near Diptford, but today there was no rain and everyone was pressing for more. The final downhill to Slapton brought us to Torcross by 1.25. I don't think we planned to stay there for an hour and a half, but some had to buy lunches from the cafe and of course there had to be time for playing in the sand and walking along the shore.

By this time we had already clocked up 21 miles, so it looked like the final mileage would exceed 40 miles. Ashley and Will were dubious about whether they would make it, but they found new stamina after the arduous climb to Strete and were spurred on by the prospect of completing a stage 4 mileage. Corkscrew hill at Tuckenhay offered plenty of downhill fun, and when Will had fulfilled the personal promise he had made to himself on his last visit to Bow Bridge, namely to ride across the ford the next time he was there, the youngsters had to dig deep to find new levels of energy to climb Bow hill.

The descent to Totnes was followed by a thoroughly enjoyable excursion along the Totnes cycle path and a final lap through Dartington to Buckfastleigh. Everyone made it, and whilst all the youngsters were tired they were all very pleased with themselves for achieving a 42 mile ride. After careful analysis we discovered that the ride broke more records: this was the first ride with youngsters in excess of 40 miles since at least 2001! Things are looking up for South Dartmoor!

(Previous recorded mileage for this ride was 42.0 miles)

A short ride in the hot morning sunshine brought our larger than usual group to Glendennings quarry, where Kevin and his two children met us on a very well laden tandem. When George had learned the name of the May Bug that he discovered hiding from the light we allowed Kevin to lead us on an interesting route to his home town of Bovey Tracey. There was a slight delay while those who had neglected to pack their lunch hastily purchased it from the Spar, then we were off again on another of Kevin's detours. The route through Reeve's Combe and Five Lanes was certainly new and interesting for most of us, but we remained sceptical of the benefits when we realised just how long the excursion had taken.

The tandem managed well on its first stretch of off-road along the side of the beautiful Tottiford reservoir. After rounding the corner of the bank we soon came across a wide stretch of grass overlooking the water that made a perfect lunch stop. The youngsters played while the older ones just talked - well, it really was too hot to do much running around.

Returning via the path on the far side of the reservoir, Kevin and family decided to head for home while the rest of us continued past Blackingstone Rock to Moretonhampstead. Many cold drinks were consumed under the now baking sun in preparation for the final leg of the journey through North Bovey and Hound Tor.

(Previous recorded mileage for this ride was 39 miles)

The sky was cloudless for our second youth hostel weekend of the year and the temperature was a very comfortable twenty degrees. Louis and Will were all kitted out with panniers for their first weekend awheel and everyone was full of eager anticipation as rode through South Brent and Wrangaton to California Cross.

The garage provided a useful and affordable refreshment stop, then we took a small detour off the main road along the narrow path that descends to the river Avon. Bluebells abounded in the woodland beside the river, and the silence was only broken by the youngsters playing with tree-stumps. The old railway track brought us back to tarmac roads at Loddiswell from where we made good speed to Malborough garage and our main shop stop before the hostel. Here we bought bread, milk, yoghurts and a frozen banoffee pie!

We didn't arrive at Salcombe hostel until after 7pm, but the evening was so warm that nobody minded at all. When the youngsters had finished running all over the hostel to explore its many rooms and corridors we prepared our meals in the newly refurbished kitchen and then prepared for our evening walk along the coast path.

James remarked that he had never seen such a magnificent view as we got from the path overlooking Salcombe estuary, from the wide open sea to the right, past Prawle Point with its lighthouse and right along the estuary to the flickering lights of Salcombe itself. There were sadly no glow-worms to be seen this year, probably because we were a few weeks too early, but there was plenty of opportunity for us to contemplate the universe as we sat on the wooden seat tucked under the cliff looking out over the remote and beautiful Starehole Bay.

(Previous recorded mileage for today's ride was 22 miles)

Sunday morning dawned all too soon for Will who seemed very content to stay in bed for a good deal longer. We ate breakfast on one of the huge mahogany tables in the dining room, then enjoyed a free tour of the National Trust tropical gardens before setting off down the hill to the first beach. Nobody was in any hurry this morning, so the youngsters had time to play with the Frisbee or just wade out through the waves. Will's first throw sent the high-flying aerobie into the hotel park, and during the retrieval process Louis discovered the duck pond with real live ducklings. He keeps ducks of his own, so he should have known that it was a big mistake to try to pick one up: the mother flew straight at him in full attack mode!

The second beach looked fun as well, but as it was now past 11am we pressed on to Salcombe ferry terminal and waited patiently while the little ferryboat cleared the queue in front of us. It took two trips to take us all across to East Portlemouth. The outdoor cafe just above the jetty (see picture) provided a delightful setting for refreshments, with stunning views across the estuary and some delicious organic coffees!

Some twisty lanes, a ford and a steep climb brought us quickly to Chivelstone from where the route to Torcross was relatively easy. Louis did report a strange sound coming from a hedgerow, however, that he described as "cheep-cheep-hiss"; his conclusion was that it was a bird being eaten by a snake!

After a short pause to admire the superb views across Slapton Ley we descended the final hill into Torcross, purchased lunch from the village store and settled down on the quiet beach to enjoy it. The youngsters managed to upset the owner of the adjacent beach who insisted that it was his own private property and they had no right to play on it. Michael pointed out that there were no signs to that effect for people approaching from Slapton, but he didn't seem interested in discussing the matter.

It was 2.30 and the most direct route home seemed like a sensible idea. We rode through Slapton village, climbed the big hill and then proceeded home along quiet country lanes via Moreleigh, Diptford and Rattery. Strangely enough, everyone seemed to get faster as we got closer to home, so we got back at a very acceptable time. Congratulations to everyone for helping to make this an excellent weekend.

(Previous recorded mileage for today's ride was 30 miles)

The long-predicted torrential rain on Saturday morning confirmed that we had been right to delay the start until mid-afternoon. We used two cars to deliver us to the car park at the top of Peak hill near Sidmouth by 4.30 and then set off for a well-earned refreshment stop at the Mocha cafe. The mist was so thick that we could see nothing of the tremendous views normally visible on the descent.

We stocked up with provisions at the local supermarket and then tackled the serious climb of Salcombe hill: thick mist surrounding the eerie woodlands made us feel we were on an alien planet. Arriving at the Norman Lockyer observatory at the top of the hill we could barely make out the first dome through the mist, so the youngsters had plenty of fun disappearing in one direction and surprising us by returning from another.

We could hardly see the boundary hedges of the donkey sanctuary let alone the alleged occupants. Mist turned to drizzle on the long descent through the village of Branscombe, so we were all decidedly wet when we made the final descent down the track to Beer youth hostel. Our rather late arrival held some advantages, including full availability of four showers and an empty member’s kitchen. We spent the last part of the evening exploring the mist-laden coastline between Beer and Seaton.