An evening built around curiosity: we paused to inspect the almost-finished Dry Bridge near Rattery—astonished to learn its £1.6m price tag—then tried a new route, sweeping down to Huxham’s Cross before returning along Colston Road at dusk.

Marking our 30th anniversary on Dartmoor, we mixed letterboxing with heritage: a visit to the elusive Ten Commandments Stones crowned the views, and Dillan and Will each found a box. An early broken chain was deftly fixed, and Widecombe’s Green Café proved a startlingly smart new stop.

With Dillan under the weather we kept it to a gentle spin along Duckspond Road to Cross Furzes, then used the spare evening to sketch out our summer tour—likely Scotland. A modest outing that turned into purposeful planning.

A lively Camel Trail outing where drizzle never dulled the pace, with small mishaps shaping the day: a puncture conveniently outside the Boscarne café and, on the return, a sheepish seagull-that-was-a-goose moment by the lake. Padstow was heaving, but the riding was fast and fun.

Newcomer Tom took on Staverton as his first real outing and surprised himself by keeping pace along Colston Road. In a glowing sunset by the River Dart we paused for stone skimming, before he found the courage to ride the final hills back to Buckfastleigh. A fine start.

A damp start and forecast saw the planned ride swapped for a badminton social at Ashmoor. Dillan pushed himself to his limits, finishing with as much exercise as a ride.

On Tom's second ride we mixed gentle climbs with his first off-road, then uncovered why hills felt brutal: his front derailleur was stuck on the big ring. Set to the small ring, he breezed up, and a huge friendly black pig by Dean Hill provided the evening's most unlikely companion.

With a disappointing turnout on a fine summer afternoon, we abandoned Avon Dam for the Hill House Garden Centre tearooms at Landscove. A brief halt for a puncture and scones in the gardens gave the ride its quiet charm before we retraced our route to Buckfastleigh.

A planned day ride became a morning ride to Holne. The mood turned reflective when we found Leo, the Scoriton dog, too weak to rise; after a brief split—Dillan taking the short climb while Michael and John looped via Michelcombe—we met at the café for hot refreshments before returning via Hembury.

We welcomed George back after a 10-week absence with a gentle spin to Staverton Island. A quiet stretch of riverside beach for stone skimming, with children at a nearby adventure party spotting us from the woodland, gave the ride its own mood, and we finished knowing he hadn't lost his touch.

With George absent, three of us took a relaxed ride to the Totnes Food Market, sampling its busy stalls. The day’s talking points were the weir turned building site for a new hydro scheme and an eerie single‑file parade of Canada geese up the river.

A tranquil summer ride found its heart on the quiet track through Burchetts Wood. Earlier, Dillan fell into a ditch after Michael turned into what looked like a gap in the hedge, and we were relieved to find Leo the dog at Scoriton fully recovered.