George’s birthday pick sent us to the Exeter Ship Canal for pizza, a smooth riverside run tempered by officious signs keeping bikes off the high bank with the views. Highlights were a calm swan with cygnets and the hand-hauled Butts Ferry shuttling passengers despite a footbridge nearby.

With heavy rain cancelling the evening ride, our youngsters switched to a badminton social at Ashmoor, where marked improvement across the board led to tiring, closely fought games.

After John’s worn tyre split at the start, the ride settled into a calm thread of traffic‑free paths: Stover Country Park and the new Stover Canal to Newton Abbot for lunch. Aside from three awkward crossings at the new roundabout, we headed back by lanes.

Michael’s shakedown of his newly built wheels defined the ride, a minor gear issue found on the climb that needs fixing before the Norway tour. We ran home fast through Hembury Woods as dusk closed in.

With the Norway tour days away and John nursing a headache, we kept it short: after a quick chat we rolled out, climbed the lanes, splashed through a deep flooded stretch, and enjoyed excellent cakes at the Hill House café in Landscove before heading back to preparations.

With Michael resting a minor back injury, we swapped the ride for a relaxed social of computer games and a music quiz. The highlight was Jude’s Mum joining the final half-hour and putting in an impressive showing.

With Michael’s back still on the mend, the youngsters traded the bikes for a recovery day: spirited badminton at Ashmoor before winding down with computer games at Crofters. A gentle pause after Norway, and a reminder that club days can be about company as much as miles.

Washed out by rain, the ride became badminton at Ashmoor, hampered by a leaking roof on the best court and faulty lights on the rest. Morale intact, they moved on to Crofters for computer games until the finish.

Persistent rain cancelled the planned evening ride once more, so the youngsters turned it into a social by playing badminton at Ashmoor instead.

Relentless rain turned our ride into an indoor day: an energetic badminton session at Ashmoor, followed by computer games and a marathon Risk battle that had us happily plotting for world domination.

With Michael recovering from minor surgery, we shelved the evening ride and turned it into a social: games at Crofters followed by the inevitable badminton at Ashmoor. A low-key, good-humoured detour that kept everyone together off the bikes.