We all know that the secret to a good cycle ride is about getting the right ratios. Ratio of conversation and climbing, the ratio of cake size to plate size, the ratio of eating time to cycling time…! A group of 8 tandems gathered at Halberton Farm shop, near Tiverton (most people will have heard of Tiverton by now!) to test these ratios! Nearby car parks were filling up as we’d chosen the same day as the Mid-Devon Show but our route quickly took us off the beaten path past the village of Brithem Bottom and in to Cullompton. A quick sprint across the motorway junction and we were back on gentle lanes and easy conversation through to Uffculme, followed by a steady ride up over the edge of the Blackdown Hills to our lunch spot at the Beambridge Inn (just over the border into Somerset!) – great food and quick service! On departing the pub the landlord warned of the next ‘vertical mile’, but this was not as hard as predicted. A mechanical issue on one bike meant that Richard and Michelle served as recovery bike to go and collect a car. Thank you! The other 6 bikes meandered their way through mid-Devon hamlets back to the Tiverton Canal and then to a second coffee and cake at the lovely farm shop. Perfect ratios! Perfect day!

Clive & Claire