A planned run to Venford and Dartmeet was swiftly undone by relentless rain: by Buckfast we were huddled under a flimsy bush, as wet as if we had stayed on the road. We abandoned the ride and headed home for a sociable afternoon, salvaged by a few choice videos.

In damp, unsettled weather we took an easy ride along Colston Road to the Staverton riverside, pushing the bikes on the final section to avoid upsetting residents. A brief Frisbee throw on the playing fields kept spirits up before heading back past Caddaford.

Rain dogged us to Plympton, but after the tunnel on the newly resurfaced Plym Valley cycleway the sun broke through and spirits lifted. Eschewing the moorland track for the old railway line, we reached Princetown to find the revamped Foxtor a revelation: hot scones and hot chocolate.

On our final evening ride before the big tour, conversation revolved around Switzerland. We climbed Green Lane, then looped back through Staverton for a spell of Frisbee in the park.

The day was marked by the welcome return of John Hayes after several years away. A tumble on newly laid gravel forced a shorter route, but conversation and excellent refreshments in the shade of the cafe garden made the stop at Landscove quietly memorable.

An unplanned evening meander via Dean and Rattery delivered us to Totnes at dusk, the Dartington path becoming a guessing game in the dark. A bat seemed to collide with John Hayes, and later a broken chain left Stan being towed and then pushed along at speed.

A small turnout reshaped the plan: Michael and Stan swapped Mothecombe for Diptford and made a sociable morning of it, with time to talk. The highlight came when they met the Torbay easy riders and joined their ride back towards South Brent.

Reversing a familiar route via the old Ashburton road and River Dart Country Park made the ride feel new, dusk settling as we passed Holne and the scent of dried hay. A long, dark climb through Coombe led to Cross Furzes and a fast descent to Buckfastleigh.

A gentle day shaped by a sore knee saw us take Hospital Hill slowly and linger over lunch by Trenchford reservoir in the afternoon sun. The only drama came at the North Bovey ford, where Stan sank into soft sand and rode on with wet feet before ice creams at Hound Tor.

A tranquil evening ride through the lanes around Landscove became quietly magical, with lively chat, numerous bats and owls, and a full moon hanging over the lights of Totnes. Buoyed by the mood, we fixed plans for our first car-assisted Sunday ride to the lanes of north-west Dartmoor.

A spontaneous exploration of NCN Route 27 from near Peter Tavy brought fresh territory and constant navigation puzzles, from a wrong turn into a pathless meadow to settling for ice cream at Lydford Gorge, a day of surprising descents that somehow ended where it began.