Ride Reports
Plymouth and Golant weekend 1992 3
A bee on the tongue set the tone for Eliot’s weekend, then burnt toast at the Plymouth youth hostel. Near the Monkey Sanctuary he crashed while showing off; after extravagant ice‑creams in Looe a hasty guess sent the others down a dead end. Yet resolve won out: they rode through wind and drizzle, a head‑down 55‑mile push to Buckfastleigh to spare the train fare.
Avonwick meet, home via Diptford
An unusual evening saw the Buckfastleigh ride double as the rendezvous for the Plymouth hostelling weekend: we rolled together to Avonwick, then split, six pressing on towards Plymouth while Budgie turned the rest home through Diptford.
Dartington–Totnes cycleway preview
This was our first ride on the almost-finished Dartington–Totnes cycleway ahead of its official opening next weekend. Smooth, scenic and well planned, it left us eager for the day it extends all the way to Buckfastleigh.
Tally Ho Bridge via Staverton lanes
An unhurried afternoon, with riders from Marldon and Buckfastleigh converging at the Tally Ho railway bridge before a quiet meander through the Staverton–Broadhempston lanes; nothing dramatic, just sunshine, easy chat and the pleasure of familiar roads.
Evening ride towards Ashburton
In drizzle and low cloud the ride stayed short and local, favouring steady pace over distance. Its character came from the unhurried mood and a sociable end to the evening.
Brookside Tearooms, Bovey Tracey
Persistent rain saw us abandon Underdown and divert to Bovey Tracey for the warmth of the Brookside Tearooms. An extended stop there became the day’s centrepiece before we headed back to our start points.
Dartmoor: Chalk Ford via Lud Gate
Toby arrived on his touring bike expecting a road ride; Michael took us up the rough track to Lud Gate and across open moor to Chalk Ford, then mud and stones down to Scoriton. The evening’s theme: a touring set-up put onto classic Dartmoor tracks, even the leader on a tourer.
Mansands beach and Brixham harbour
An excellent ride from Marldon to Mansands via Brixham, with Michael remarkably finding the right road at the first attempt despite the crowds. A chance meeting with Kevin and his friend, and Ken’s complaints about the rough tracks, gave the day its colour before a brief rest on the beach.
Yorkshire Dales and Teesdale 1992 8
Bookended by wrangles with British Rail, this Yorkshire Dales tour ran on resilience and dry humour. A crash on the Trough of Bowland sharpened respect for descents, and later Tristan’s hand needed stitching in Sedbergh. Between caves and waterfalls, a marathon whist league bound the group together, before a final station standoff ended with a cavernous guard’s van unlocked.
Unadvertised Friday evening ride
With no evening ride advertised, two members turned up anyway and improvised a brisk outing—likely keener than our usual Friday pace—beneath cloudy but dry skies. A simple, unscripted ride with the destination unknown, made on the spot.
Lannacombe Beach ride curtailed
Under damp, unpromising skies at Totnes, the plan for Lannacombe Beach was dropped in favour of a short morning loop, and we were home for lunch.
Across the moor to Lambsdown
It was a perfect evening to cross the open moor to Lambsdown. The only mishap came early when Andrew Steward fell into the nettles on the rough track; otherwise it was a steady run on to Cross Furzes.