Axe Valley Pedallers, like many other club riders, usually carry some form of sustenance in their pockets, often jelly babies to share round or a banana or flapjack, anything sweet and tasty to keep those energy levels high.

Over the years, certain stopping places get such names as Jelly Junction, Banana Bend and also on Trinity Hill, we have Cake Corner where one of our members occasionally treats us all to cake, usually in recognition of their birthday, and even if it is a bit squashed and messy--who cares!

Many rides have been undertaken already this year and, despite the bitter cold on one particular day, we had 22 riders turn up at Fishermans Gap in Seaton, one of our regular meeting points, which must be a record for January.

The fantastic numbers necessitated the riders splitting up into three groups at different venues to avoid too many arriving en-masse at one place. The maths was a bit tricky but it worked out well for the enthusiastic pedallers.

It is really encouraging for Axe Valley Pedallers and local cycling in general to see the sport continuing to thrive all through the year. Winter challenges make the summer rides even more rewarding.

On a serious note, January saw the introduction of the revised Highway Code, which is intended to create greater protection to cyclists, horse riders, pedestrians and the disabled.

A car passing a cyclist must now allow a minimum gap of 1.5 metres for passing, or 2 metres if over 30 mph, and also 2 metres for any large vehicle. Horse riders also must now only be passed with a similar gap at no more than 10 mph.

It is frequently our experience that a close pass, or a pass on a bend is very frightening, and we sometimes think that motorists do not realise that over 90% of cyclists are also experienced motorists, who have passed our tests and paid our road tax.

Although these changes have so far not been publicised enough, we just hope that it will make our local roads, in particular, a little safer.