11/02/09
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)

Hemet, Ca
When the alarm gently reminded me it was time to get up it was already getting light. A quick check of the thermometer told me it was warmer than last week and a look at the sky told me it was going to be a great day for a ride. I had a light breakfast put on my riding Jersey and Bibs and headed out the door.

I could tell the ride was going to be well attended because there were quite a few riders already waiting by the time I got to the parking lot and I had left the house early. Once everyone was assembled the ride was selected and off we went on a slightly different route.

Everyone seemed pretty eager as we left for Acacia and by the time we turned off of Kirby the group was still running like a tightly controlled pack of hunting dogs.
After turning off of Sanderson and heading towards the air port The Red Rabbit pulled ahead a bit and stayed there till just after we turned onto Stetson. Shortly after we passed Warren Road the Tool Man decided to pick it up a bit and took off on his own and quickly pulled away. We didn’t catch him again till he decided to wait for us at Winchester road. Just before we made the turn on Winchester I looked back to see Hughlander, Hit Man, Rocket, von Richthofen, Duramax, Tax Man, Red Rabbit and Whippet. I didn’t see Wart but I did see a different Jersey pulling up behind us.

Red Rabbit passed us at the turn and the different jersey started working his way through the pack. Tool Man got squeezed out into traffic with Rabbits unorthodox lead and passed us and I made a dash after him when to lone rider tried to pass behind me. Just passed Chris’s the road got wider and Tool man let us catch up before we were to turn onto Stimson. Hit man, Rocket and Tool Man made a run for it as Mike, a local ride we see now and then attempted to pass. When they turned on Stimson he went straight and the new leading pack of Rocket, Tool Man and Hit Man pulled away. We in the chase group were rolling along at a pretty clip, if you consider 23 MPH a pretty good clip. None the less we caught up just before Lindenburger because of road construction.

We all turned onto Domenigonoi together and headed back towards Hemet and that was just about the last time we were together. Once over the Domenigoni Hill and headed out on the flats Rocket, Whippet and Tool Man were off again. They waited till we regrouped just passed Winchester and we got in a line that held together until almost Warren Road when Whippet attacked the overpass and the group fractured. Highlander and Tax Man fell back planning on turning on Sanderson. Duramax, von Richthofem and I road together only to watch Hit Man turn on Sanderson and to ride up on Whippet taking a break about halfway to the Marina entrance. He rode with us for a few hundred yards and then we lost him.

We saw Tool Man and Rabbit at State Street and Tool Man went back to see if he was ok. By the time von Richthofen, Duramax and I got back from riding through the housing tract and back to state Street it was down to just the three of us.

We made it to the east end Carl’s almost right at 11 to have coffee with Deacon and Parky and were joined by Raptor after he had his men’s meeting. 40 miles with an average speed of close to 17 MPH tells me it was a good ride and a good day.