It was a little painful to get up so early on that chilly October morning. Eight o’clock starts for both Torbay and Dartmoor contingents brought us together at Drum Bridges for the beginning of what was to be a long and eventful day. The ride was supported by ten Torbay and three B-Section members – yes, you did hear right. Two of the Torbay youngsters, Colin Downie and Nigel Wilson, wanted to complete the course in eight hours for some obscure reason, so off they sped, never to be seen again.

The remainder of us continued through Bovey and Chudleigh Knighton to the Teign Valley, and then on up to Longdown. Some of the group had difficulty chasing Colin and Jean down the hill on their tandem – they went like a bat out of hell! Coffee and toast at Adrian’s was much appreciated before the stretch up to Willand, and there a few of us indulged in beans on toast and fruit pie instead of breaking into the sandwich boxes. A mile further along the road we came across the A-Section laid out on the grass, so another stop was called for in order to pass over the seventy-odd Highwaymans which had been weighing me down all morning, and to consume one or two more items of food.

Colin was anxious to move on, so off we went again to cover the Waterloo Cross / Tiverton loop back to Stoke Canon. Jean and the Bs, who had arrived before us, had prepared tea and toast for those of us who called in, and how good we felt when we finally got on the bikes again. The others had gone on, thinking that they were too late for tea, and we waiting at the end of the road for us, cold and hungry. I don’t think they were too pleased when they realised what they had been missing!

On again through Exeter for the last lap around the coast – not the easiest miles to finish on. At last a few faces showed signs of tiredness, and a final stop at Dawlish for coffee and cake was definitely the order of the day. Eleven-year-old Glenn Powling amazed us all yet again by completing the course without difficulty. Congratulations to all who rode with us – it’s not an easy ride. I was certainly glad I didn’t have to cycle back to Exeter that night!

(Michael Jones)