5/28/2010
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)

Hemet, Ca.


I never know what to expect on a Friday ride. The problem is the rides take on a life of their own. That might not be a problem come to think of it because we ride for a different reason than some clubs. We ride because we enjoy riding and because we enjoy riding together. Today was a good looking morning and I had high hopes it would be a good ride.


Once I got to Burger King I didn’t have long to wait till people started showing up. Parky was already there and Duramax wasn’t far behind me. Some of our regulars showed up, Rocket, Cossack, Hit Man, Gambler, Sidewinder, and Raptor. I also noticed Kathryn, (Ocelot) had brought a whole new group of riders with her, Chad, Windy, Troy and Jay. Each and every one looked faster than me. Noel and his wife Mary joined us as well. It was 8am so we pulled out of the parking lot and headed for Devonshire to make the turn towards Lyon and then up to Ramona Expressway. Looking back I noticed we had picked up Huntress as well.

Raptor had left before us so we spent most of the time on Lyon trying to catch up to him. He made a turn somewhere before we got to Ramona so I lost him. Just before we got to Ramona I looked back to see the faster riders moving towards the front. I knew that soon I would have time for many more pictures because once I fell off of the lead the group would start to pull away and I wouldn’t see the front again till we stopped at the golf course. Once we made the turn onto Sanderson I pulled over and just as I suspected the faster riders started to pull away. I fell back with some of the new riders to make sure they made it down Gilman and onto Soboba.

The run down Soboba is almost always a good workout but everyone seemed to be taking it in stride. We regrouped at the golf course and then took off once again for the run to Florida and the final run up to the Ranger station. Some of the group broke off and went to Carl’s as we turned onto Florida and the rest of us made it to Ranger Station and once again regrouped for the ride back to Carl’s

Four of us made a break as we entered the trees coming back on Florida. Sidewinder was out in front but was caught off guard as the group passed him. We made it to Fairview where Cossack and Rocket planned to turn off and Hit man and I continued running hard knowing that if Sidewinder caught the lights right he would be on us before we got to Carl’s. We were in luck however and managed to get to the Ramona turnoff just as the light turned green. We went into a full sprint all the way to the driveway and got ready to go in for coffee. Much to our shock we got a call that one of our riders was down and everyone rode back passed Fairview to see if there was anything we could do. There is nothing quite like downed riders to make a group of cyclists seem like a tribe as when they are taking care of one of their fellow riders. It is always good to make new friends and it is always good to let them know you care. I hope all of our new found friends return to ride with us again soon. And may all the cuts and scrapes heal quickly.

5/24/2010
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)

Hemet, Ca.


Yesterday was overcast all day and it even rained a little bit. I didn’t know what to expect when I opened the drapes this morning. What I got was very pleasing, clear skies and the promise of warmer weather by the rides end. I still put on arm warmers and leg warmers but that was more of a precaution than anything else. I left the house right at 7:30 am heading for Burger King and I ended up getting there first. As I waited for riders to arrive I wondered if the ride I had picked would be challenging enough for everyone.

Right after Duramax pulled up a new rider, Kathryn, pulled into the parking lot. We were expecting her and had talked to her on the group site several times. She came over and introduced herself and then went back to unload her bike. Rocket, Oso Rojo, GT-40, Hit man, Sidewider and Raptor showed up. Raptor showed up with a relative from Northern California, Brian and we were ready to go. Not all of us made it through the light at Kirby but we weren’t split that far apart.


The fun started as we turned onto Domenigoni and the A riders started to pick up the pace. Kathryn was just learning to draft so we were at the back of the pack just trying to hold on. We did manage to catch everyone as we reversed course at Warren and I took some passed the Horse property and Rocket took the rest back down Domenigoni. We came out onto Domenigoni with a lot of distance to make up. Duramax, Kathryn, Hit man and I could just see the rest of the group racing down the road heading for the road that turned towards the Marina. I figured that Rocket, Brian and Sidewinder would make short work of the Marina hill and I was hoping to do better than I normally do as well. Then I discovered that this would be Kathryn’s first run up the Marina hill. At least she was game and some of us were there to see her reach the top and looking like she had energy to spare.

I noticed that we had picked up Powersurge somewhere on the hill and received a call from Bounty Hunter asking where we were and making plans to join us. We rode back down the hill and regrouped in front of the Museum before heading back out to Domenigoni and over to State Street. Our groups were a bit more even now with five on the lead group and five in the second group. Somewhere between the Marina and McSweeney Oso Rojo but we regrouped on State and waited for Bounty Hunter to join us.

We make quick work of State Street and soon we turned onto Stetson and made the run to Columbia and over to Crest Street. We all stayed pretty close together as we turned onto Fairview and slowly Brian and Rocket pulled away from us heading to the Ranger Station. Once we were all collected at the turnaround point we caught our breath for a minute or two before making a mad dash back down to Carl’s. I am not sure but we may have set some kind of record because the average speed must have been close to 27 MPH for the lead riders.

We had a great time visiting and talking over coffee. We had about 6 riders heading back towards Burger King but we lost Duramax at Park as he headed for home. Powersurge, GT-40, Kathryn, Hit man and I rode back to Burger King together and all but Powersurge stopped to make sure Kathryn made it back to her car. It turned out to be a good day and a good 39 mile ride. Kathryn even proved herself a real cyclist by shedding a little blood before going home. We will never tell how she got it but a wound while cycling is a wound while cycling so she has earned her status.

5/24/2010

5/21/2010
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)

Hemet, Ca.


There are days when you know you should have just stayed in bed and today was one of those days for me. I got up and looked outside and the weather looked like it was trying to co-operate but I just didn’t feel like my motor was turning over smoothly. Still I was looking forward to an easy flat ride and prepared myself for just such a ride.

I got to Burger King and I was the only one there for quite a while. Duramax had gone to ride over with T-3 and I was a bit early. Soon Rocket pulled up followed by Noel, and a new rider Jeff. Gambler was next to arrive with Surgeon and Duramax and T-3 came next. Cossack and Powersurge finished off the group and we were ready to go. At 8am sharp we left the parking lot and headed down Gilmore. One look behind me should have told me the group was looking far too fresh for my planned nice easy ride


We scooted down Acacia and made the turn onto Kirby and things were rolling along pretty well as we turned through the housing tract and towards Johnson. We fell into line and made the turn towards the Air Port. We hooked up with Casey Jones as we got close to Stetson and the pace picked up. I caught up to the tail end of the pace line and held it till we turned onto California and noticed Duramax and T-3 had fallen off the back. T-3 was still recovering from being knocked off her bike by a car and Duramax was sticking with her so I continued on to Stowe and Winchester. Once there we waited for Duramax and T-3 while Casey continued on without us.

We discovered that Duramax and T-3 were going to cut their ride short and we took of down Winchester. We didn’t get far till Noel tossed a chain and we had to regroup for the ride down 9th towards Leon. That turned into a drag race to Leon and finally to Lindenburger. I pulled up to wait for Gambler and we caught the group at Domenigoni. As we started up the back side of the saddle the line spread out so that we were at least a quarter mile from front to back. We regrouped a bit before Warren when Rocket, Cossack and Jeff took off and I stayed with Noel, Surgeon and Gambler. I was back with Gambler when Noel and Surgeon took off after Rocket and Cossack. The group completely broke up at that point and most of them turned on Sanderson. I called Surgeon and only three of us made it to the Old Train Station. Surgeon and I had coffee and Gambler left for work. I have no idea where everyone else went but I guess everyone made it home safely. For an easy Friday it sure turned into a quick Friday.

5/19/2010
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)

Hemet, Ca.


Just what does it take to make a great ride? Some might say good weather. Some might say a good route. Some might say good equipment and some might say good riders. Today we had all of those things and more.

The day started out great when after pulling into the Burger King parking lot I noticed that T-3 was riding with Duramax. Surgeon, Hit man Cossack and Rocket all seems just as pleased as I was to see her back on her bike. It may take some time before she is back to 100 percent but at least we know she is on the road to recovery. It was also good to see Sherpa back with us and once again Noel joined us putting him one ride closer to getting a nick name. Powersurge rolled in just before we were ready to leave. The group decided to split in two half riding west with T-3 and half riding north towards Lambs Canyon. T-3 was in good company with Duramax, Hit man and Surgeon so I decided to ride with the group going north.


It would be a short ride compared to some we take but Lambs Canyon has both a challenge and a reward. The challenge is the 8 mile climb to the Jack in the Box with two 8 percent grades and the reward is the ride back to Ramona Expressway after the break. I knew I would pay the price riding up the hill but I look forward to the run home and this day would be no different. We moved up Lyon at a pretty good pace and stayed together all the way to Ramona where we caught the light just as it turned red. Rocket pulled us to Sanderson and I took a turn at the front to Just before Gilman but I could see the first grade coming us so I pulled out of line to let the climbers have at each other and prepared for the climb that for me would be a long grind.

All things considering I was doing pretty well on the first grade and Powersurge was kind enough to stay back with me as we watched Rocket, Cossack, Attack cat, Noel and Sherpa pull away. I was saying within striking distance of Sherpa when he stood up to push an 8 percent part of the hill and I watched him leave me and close with the lead group as they started to spread out under the pressure Rocket was putting them through. I watched carefully as my heart rate started to increase and realized that I had made most of the first grade in my big chainring. Not a good way to try and keep a spin going. I was far more careful as Powersurge and I passed the dump and got ready to start the second grade of climb. Just a few strokes in the big ring and it was a downshift into the small ring and a spin of 80 plus almost all the way to the top of the second grade. Well except for the little 8 percent kick towards the second crest where I had to drop into my lowest gear to stay above 65 RPM.

A brief stop for coffee and it was back on the road heading home. As we crested the first rise and started down the hill towards the dump Attack cat slid passed me and took off at a blistering pace. I did see him coming so I was able to grab a wheel and stayed with him till I had a chance to pass back. I pulled most of the way to the second hill where Attack cat passed me once again. Again I managed to grab a wheel and drafted him most of the way to the final rise and final decent to Ramona. I passed and took the lead on the last rise and stayed there all the way to Gilman. Attack cat jumped back in front as we passed the Gilman off ramp but I got back in front and managed to lead the way to Ramona and our regroup. That was the reward part of Lambs Canyon, a blistering downhill run of about 8 miles

As we headed for home I fell behind and paid the price for not taking an allergy pill before riding the canyon. I got home with only 30 miles on the clock but I felt good about the ride and good about the people I rode with. I will need a flat Friday ride after two climbing rides in a row but I look forward to that as well. It was a great day to be a cyclist in Southern California.

5/17/2010
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)

Hemet, Ca.

There is a legend that just might be several hundred years old. Then again it might just be a legend but I thought I would share it with you. It might have started as an early indigenous story I am not sure but I hope you enjoy it.

Many years ago it is said that man and animals used to live in peace as brothers. Yes there were times when they would eat each other but that was only out of extreme necessity. The animals had a village about 9 miles up what is now called Bautista Canyon. The Squirrel clan, the Rabbit Clan and the Nuthatch clan had made a place where they could live with very little interference from the Fox, Coyote and Bob Cat clan. Then one day a group of man stumbled into the little village starving. The Animals gave them grain bars to eat and Honey flavored energy fluids to drink till they got their energy back. When the men left they promised if the animals ever needed help all they would have to do is call and someone would return to help them.

Years passed and some men forgot the about the relationship men had with the animals and the animals had to flee their village and life in the hills and stream beds. Man even put in a camp to keep other men in who needed to be retrained for social life. However the road man had put in to get to the camp became a problem for the animals. A new enemy had invaded the area, Serpiente del traqueteo or what man called the Rattler. And while the animals could easily detect the enemy as it slithered through the brush they couldn’t hear in on pavement. Plus the enemy was very slow when it was cold but the road would allow it to warm up and become more aggressive. The animals were alarmed because they were losing too many of their children.

One of the elders from the Squirrel clan remembered a story about when their village had helped some men and the promise these men had made. So they sent a message to ask for help from one of the descendants of those original men to get them to come up and drive off the enemy. That man assembled a group of warriors of calm demeanor and decided to call them the Mild Bunch. The first member of these avenging men was Duaramax.


As the group assembled to ride in the shadow of Duramax one of the first men to have his wheel tested was Red Rabbit. When the trek and challenge were explained to him he decided not to join the group. But that didn’t stop the next gallant man, Hit Man from stepping forward to claim a spot to ride to and dispense justice for the brother animals.

It wasn’t long before the warrior Rocket stepped forward took up the challenge and joined the group. Stepping up to his side was the battle hardened Cossack ready for action. They two of them would make up our advanced guard as we approached the enemy. For us they operated like the light Calvary did during the civil war making it possible for lightning strikes to the enemy’s flanks.

I rounded out the group not because I was qualified to ride with such noble warriors but because I had received the plea for help and had notified these men of the dire straits the animals living in Bautista Canyon were suffering from. The conditions we were mobilized to ride in were anything but ideal. It was unusually cool and at least two of us were not dressed for the journey. Still the need was so great and the bounds of the fellowship the warriors felt was so strong that we continued on fighting the cold all the way and planning our attack. Soon we turned onto Bautista and you could almost feel the tension as we formed a 4 across formation to keep from being picked off while moving up the road.

We rode together for the first third of the road and talked quietly as we stalked the enemy who might be waiting around any turn we came to. To me the road seemed a bit damp and I wondered how well we would be able to maneuver if the road turned out to be slippery. Serpiente del traqueteo doesn’t normally attack a mounted warrior but if we happened to fall we could easily have become overwhelmed by a rapid attack. I think I began to show some fear but I was assured by Cossack that he would protect my back and we moved forward to face the enemy of our friends.

As we rode towards the end of the road Rocket and Cossack began the attack while Hit man, Duramax and I took up the rear. We had planned an attack of a double hammer blow that would scatter the enemy after it was fully engaged with Cossack and Rocket but what we were worried about was an ambush at the last little river crossing or dip in the road. I am sure the enemy was massed there for an attack but we had our maneuvered them when we had Raptor take up a position on the other side of the crossing before we were halfway up the canyon. Seeing they were surrounded by so many dedicated men the enemy must have slithered away to safety as we all joined up with Raptor in a Victory celebration and conversation with a elder of the Nuthatch clan.

The animals were safe for another day and we were ready to take our leave. Even in the frigid cold we had one last demonstration to show the Serpiente del traqueteo. We had to prove that we had the ability to strike with the speed of the wolf clan or even a diving eagle. As we picked up speed Rocket pulled me along at a pace that would make my eyes water if it were not for the cold. Faster and faster we went till Rocket missed a shift and I started to slide passed him. Just then Cossack flew passed me like the diving eagle we were trying to emulate and it was all I could do to grab a wheel and hang on for dear life. We made the run to the bottom of the canyon in record time leaving the impression on the enemy that if we have to come back he will not be able to get away.

After we were back on Fairview and heading towards Florida it was like we had traveled in a time machine back into modern times. Cossack broke off on Stetson and not long after Rocket followed him. Duramax, Hit man, Raptor and I continued on to warm up and have some coffee before we joined up with our reserve warrior Quicksticks.
Yes we were prepared for our ride up Bautista and after coffee and a ride home maybe the whole thing seems more like just a story anyway. But we had a good time.

5/12/2010
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)

Hemet, Ca.
When I got up this morning it looked like summer was about to get here. It was clear but not cold and the sky was blue with just a smattering of white fluffy clouds. I would be using a base layer but it didn’t seem like arm or leg warmers would be necessary. Other than my legs being a bit tight I thought it would be a good day for a ride. I got dressed slathered on some sun screen and rolled out of my front door heading for Burger King. When I got there everyone looked ready to ride, even Parky.


Everyone was talking as it hit 8am and I explained where we were going. Cossack informed us that Scott road had some construction work going on so we modified our ride on the spot and cut out the planned section on Scott. As we pulled onto Gilmore and came to the stop light at Florida I tried to pass that information to the rest of the group. Most of them shook their head as if acknowledging my words. Then light changed and I sprinted ahead to get a picture only to see a group of very determined riders pulling up to me. That look told me this was going to be a very spirited ride.

We caught up to Red Rabbit by the time we got to Kirby and I noticed that Parky was right with us. I really didn’t know how long he was planning to hang with us but it is always good to see him rolling along at such a good clip. Looking over my shoulder I noticed some of the men that had been such a great influence in my riding. Sherpa who was sure I could ride a Century before I was, Rocket who pointed me in the right direction when it came to bicycle choices, Duramax who taught me that a clean machine is a happy machine and Cossack who showed me how quickly someone could become a powerful rider. I have to admit this is a good group to be able to ride with.

The run down Sanderson was a bit quicker than usual and somehow I managed to turn onto Domenigoni first. I ended up pulling for about ¼ mile before giving the lead to Sherpa and from that point forward we ran a pace line all the way to Winchester Road. The pace was a bit faster than I expected but we were still all in one line as we got to Leon and once again Sherpa was pulling when I noticed Cossack moving towards the front. I was in the back following Rocket when he pulled out of line and started to close on Cossack. I didn’t intend to challenge those two riders on the Domenigoni saddle but sometimes you just can’t help yourself. The three of us stopped at the top of the saddle to catch our breath but the rest of the group was only moments behind us so we were off towards LaLadera and a quick stop at the park. We hooked up with Oso Rojo on Newport and collected Raptor on LaLadera. We didn’t wait long before we were back on our way and headed passed the ground Owls towards McCall. No one was loafing as we moved down Honeycutt as the whole group slipped smoothly passed me and started to drift away as we turned north.

Duramax and I got caught at the last light going up McCall and had to watch as the rest of the group pulled away from us. We regrouped at the top of the hill and headed down the back side for the final run to Chris’s. Some of the group had to continue on but a few of us stopped for coffee and fellowship before heading home passed the Hemet Airport. It was just over 40 miles but it was a good 40 miles and you couldn’t ask for a better day.

5/12/2010
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)

Hemet, Ca.

There is a poem by Robert Burns called “To a Mouse” from which we get the Paraphrase “The Best Laid plans of mice and men often go astray.” That might lead you to guess my plans for today might not have gone exactly the way I wanted. I have to admit it would be a gross underestimation of how my ride plan turned out.

After getting to the Burger King only a few of us had arrived and introduced ourselves to one of our new riders, Noel, when I heard Oso Rojo yelling something at me from the corner of Gilmore and Florida. He had to get across the street before I heard we had a rider down on Acacia and Gilmore.


It then took another second before I discovered it was T-3 and she had been hit by a car. I managed to get to my bike first and was by her side in about a minute. The Paramedics were already there and attending to her and to police were arriving and getting information from Ruby Tuesday on how the accident happened. Soon the whole club was there and we stayed with her until the ambulance left and Ruby Tuesday went home to get a truck to take the bikes home. Everyone was stunned and quiet as the police and emergency services opened the street and left us by ourselves. Needlessly enough to say we were no longer concerned with the A group pursuit and hardly even wanted to ride at all. Still to get our minds off of worrying about her and knowing we could do nothing till we got a call from the Hospital we decided to try a short ride and try to shake it off.

As we rode down Kirby I got a call from Attack cat saying he was still back on Acacia with a flat. We told him we would wait at the corner after we turned off of Kirby and see how long it took before he caught up. We talked a bit as we waited and expressed our concerns for our fallen friend. It was easy to see our minds simply were somewhere other than on getting in a 30 mile ride so we decided to cut the ride very short and head straight to Domenigoni then to State Street and to Carl’s at the east end of town. First we returned to assist Attack cat as he fought with his tire and then rode together back to Sanderson and passed Walmart.

When we turned onto Domenigoni we got a chance to make a steady run to State Street with Oso Rojo hot on my wheel. We were averaging about 20 to 21 all the way down Domenigoni and then turned north and ran hard to Chambers. Cossack headed for home at Chambers and Oso Rojo had to leave for work straight up State Street. Rocket left us at Girard and Huntress turned off at Lake. Noel, Attack cat, Duramax and I made it to Fairview with Hit man in hot pursuit after stopping to remove a jacket. Hit man left us at Fairview and Florida and four of us made it over to Carl’s.

We got a chance to visit with Noel and learn about him and his family and how long he has been riding. He indicated that his wife might be joining us after recovering from a injury which I am sure will make Huntress happy. Even if we were somewhat subdued because of T-3s accident we put on a strong face and started the ride home. I tried to assure Noel that Friday would be a better ride but I realized I was only trying to keep my mind from worrying about T-3. By the time I got home I only had 24 miles on the clock but I was emotionally as tired as I have been in a very long time. After I took my shower my phone rang and much to my relief it was T-3s voice. Our prayers had been answered and she was OK and they were going to release her to come home. Suddenly I felt much lighter and my energy started to return. This is the second rider we have had that was hit by a car in two weeks and the second one that was going to need a new helmet. I know there is a debate by many on the usefulness of a bike helmet but in the case of our two riders the argument is settled, they saved their heads from some of the damage the helmet took. Two inches of foam and plastic are a lot better than two inches of skin and bone.

As they say, the best laid plans.

5/10/2010
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)

Hemet, Ca.

Last week it seemed as if summer was almost here. I know some people don’t like the heat but for early morning rides a little warmth seems nice. In fact I did a ride to the beach on Saturday and the weather was close to perfect till late in the afternoon when it got just a bit windy. When I opened up the shades on the front window the sky seemed pretty clear so I expected the same weather we had Saturday. However by the time I got my kit on and went out of the front door I knew I would have to right back in to put on leg warmers and arm warmers. It was cold and windy and the sky was clouding over right before my very eyes.

Considering the weather we had a reasonable turnout for today’s ride. There was some small suggestions that we might want to shorten the ride, maybe even to just riding over to Starbucks about a block away. But we decided to go through with the ride anyway so we took off north on Lyon towards the Ramona expressway with Oso Rojo, Tool man and Sherpa setting the pace.


I thought I would have a hard time hanging on today because I had been up late in Loma Linda with a friend and didn’t get home till after 2am. Not getting enough sleep turns out to be just as hard on the legs as not having breakfast and I was suffering from both maladies at the start of this ride. Looking over my shoulder I could see Sidewinder, Hit man, T-3, Red Rabbit, and Duramax. Turning back to look in front I could see Sherpa, Jerry, (Sling Shot) Oso Rojo and Tool man. The problem as I could see it was once out on Ramona the pace would pick up and if the wind was in our face the run down to Lakeview can be exhausting.

Much as I suspected the pace picked up as we turned onto Ramona and I managed to hold my own at first. I even took my turn pulling till we got to Bridge Street and when I pulled out of line I lost the draft and the group split. Duramax and I took turns pulling the second half of the group to Lakeview and we all regrouped at the gas station on the corner. After leaving the gas station we took a few minute to get back in line while Oso Rojo, Raptor, and Sherpa headed for Nuevo Road. Once the rest of us we in line Sidewinder and I pulled everyone up to the lead group and we managed to ride to Menifee together.

Once we got to Mapes Street I realized I had enough energy to make it to Chris’s so I started feeling much better. We regrouped and were making the small climb to Brigs street while the big dogs barked greeting at us from behind fences. Just as we passed an open gate a small pack of dogs raced down the driveway at us or maybe it would be more accurate to say a pack of small dogs raced out at us. They weren’t serious about catching us because most of them would have to jump to get to our feet but they were letting us know they were there. Just as we were about to ride passed then a small brown Terrier took off running passed us as if to throw down the challenge of how fast he was. And he was fast because I got it up to 20 and didn’t pass the little guy. I couldn’t go any faster up hill and he didn’t race me down hill so I guess he won.

We quickly rode through the houses on the south side of the High School and soon found ourselves on the old dump road heading towards Leon. As we got passed Leon and headed for the rise on Grand Sidewinder and I were riding side by side. It wasn’t long before we got into a sprint and we both laughed as we pulled up at the end of the sprint. It felt good to put out the effort. Then I caught a glance of Tool man closing behind us and warned Sidewinder that he was coming. Tool man forced a second sprint before we got to the Pentecostal church and we got to the stop sign at Winchester a minute or two before the rest of the group. We all pulled into Chris’s in a long stream or riders maybe 20 yards apart. Parky was already waiting for us and had his coffee and breakfast waiting when we walked in.

On a morning like this coffee seemed to be the drink of the day and we enjoyed a cup or two as we tried to warm up. It turned out to be a good ride despite the wind and despite the cool weather. Sling Shot and Red Rabbit were the first to leave because they were going to go have a big breakfast somewhere. Oso Rojo and Tool Man got ready to leave next but they decided to wait while the rest of us got ready. It was good to see Sherpa back with us and there were many times during the ride he pushed the rest of us just to show he was back and getting stronger.

The ride home passed the airport was relaxed as we turned off of Stetson and headed towards Sanderson. We split up once more as Sherpa, Duramax, T-3 and I rode down Johnson together towards home. As much as I like riding I like riding with friends even more. Even if it was a cool windy this turned into a good ride.

5/7/2010
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)

Hemet, Ca.

Friday is supposed to be an easy ride and my hope was that this Friday would be just that. Looking out of the front window this morning I was pretty sure the weather was going to co-operate. I rolled out onto the street right at 7:30 and headed for the Burger King.

It wasn’t long after I pulled into the Burger King Parking lot that people started to arrive. I don’t know if I was a bit late or if everyone was eager to go but we were all there by 7:50 am. One disturbing note was when Wart pulled up with his son and we say the condition of his bike and his body. He was bruised and battered and his bike was bent because he had been hit by a car while riding to the meeting place on Monday. He seemed OK even if sore but he wanted to stop by to show us that his helmet saved his head. The side was ground down in the back several inches. If that hadn’t been his helmet it could have been his head. Wart says, “Helmets can and do work”. He is living proof.
Considering the size of the group over the last few days we were a bit smaller than I expected but still after a head count was taken we had nine riders. Duramax, Gambler, Bandit, T-3, Red Rabbit, Hit man, Surgeon, Connie and I made up the group and that is how it was as we pulled out of the parking lot.


We all made it down Acacia to Kirby and through the light as a group. So far it looked like my plan for an easy recovery ride was not only possible but was going to take place. I was thinking about that when Red Rabbit pulled up next to me on his brand new Giant Defy Advanced. It was a nice looking blue and he seemed to be enjoying it quite a bit. Even if he was telling me he didn’t think the saddle was set quite right he looked very comfortable on it. Even I felt quite comfortable as we turned towards Johnson and discussed the weather with Connie.

It wasn’t long before we made it to Johnson and turned towards Sanderson for the right turn and then the left towards the air port. We caught the light where we make the left and sat there quite a while waiting for it to turn green. Finally a large truck pulled up behind us and we got a clearing to make the turn. Connie and Red Rabbit were still with us as we finally turned passed the air port and headed onto Stetson. Connie commented on the blimp flying over the air port and I just caught a quick view of it as we got out onto Stetson. As we headed towards Warren I looked back to see Connie leading the pace line with a big smile on her face

We passed Warren and headed for California Street. Slowly the pace began to pick up and we were soon running along in a long string. Gambler and Bandit soon took off to stretch their legs and started to pull away from the rest of us. I watched as they comfortably slid around the corner on Stowe and started to shrink into the distance heading towards Winchester. Still there was no sense of urgency as the rest of us took our time and followed them to the parking lot in front of the market on Winchester and Stowe. The two young Turks looked rested by the time we got there and I looked down t see that our average speed was close to 17 MPH up to this point, pretty quick for a simply recovery ride.

We lost Connie at Winchester and Red Rabbit at Chris’s but the rest of us continued on to Domenigoni. We turned West towards Leon and kept the pace up as we watched Raptor heading back the other way on Domenigoni. We broke up a bit at the U turn before Leon but regrouped before Winchester Road. Shortly after that however we split into two groups and stayed that way till we got to State Street where we regrouped once again and headed towards McSweeney. As I turned into the housing tract at McSweeney I noticed we had been joined by Tool Man out on one of his morning workouts. He stayed with us till we were back out on State Street and passed Domenigoni where he left us to ride with Steve going the other way.

We made a brief stop at the golf course and continued on towards Stetson and finally right on Columbia to Crest. I ended up riding with Surgeon was we traveled through the old Hemet neighborhood and commented how nice and peaceful it seemed. Somehow this part of any ride east seems less rushed and more relaxing than any other part. I was also impressed with the smooth effortless style Surgeon has when he rides. We talked as we got close to Lake Street and turned towards Stetson one again. We stayed together all the way to Fairview where Gambler and Bandit had to leave for home.

We regrouped for the run down to Florida and made very good time all the way passed Mulberry and our average was still close to 16.5. I was still surprised because I didn’t feel like we had been working all that hard and I wasn’t all that tired yet. At Florida we lost Surgeon and just four of us continued on to the ranger station. Once we got there we collected ourselves for the quick run back down to Carl’s. I was very impressed with T-3 as she made the spring all the way from Ramona to the Carl’s driveway pushing all the way.
After coffee we had a leisurely ride back towards Burger King with just Hit man, Duramax, T-3 and I. We lost Hit man at the end of Lincoln as he went back to get his sun glasses and we watched Duramax head for home as we got back to Columbia and Park. I had a great time riding with and talking to T-3 all the way back to Lyon. It was a great 46 miles and a great day for a ride. But like I have said before, good friends and good weather makes life better.

5/5/2010
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)

Hemet, Ca.

I didn’t know just what to expect when I got up this morning. I was pretty sure the weather would be good and I could hope it wouldn’t be windy but you never knew till you actually went outside. Today looking outside was very encouraging. In fact it was close to perfect. For some reason I was up early so I had plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast and change into riding kit. I fact I was fully ready to go by 6:30am so I had an hour to kill before leaving the house. I have discovered the chance to ride with a few good friends is one of the highlights of my week.


Somehow I got to the parking lot first and for a minute I thought maybe I had the wrong day. Soon however I was pleased to see Duramax pulling up and not long afterwards Rocket pulled up. About that time Sherpa called to say he would meet us on our way out to Domenigoni and he would have a new rider with him. I always look forward to new riders. By the time 8am rolled around we had twelve riders ready to go and would be picking up 2 more. Not bad for a Wednesday.

I didn’t notice that Red Rabbit was out in front of us until I saw him turning onto Kirby and I had planned to try and catch him till we lost Quicksticks at the light on Kirby. Seems he pulled a Hamstring and was feeling a bit sore today. I didn’t think it would be a big problem because even sore he is a pretty good rider so I wasn’t too worried as he caught up to us. We turned onto Cypress I realized we also had Raptor way out in front of us so we would have to chase him down as well. It didn’t matter because everyone seemed to be riding well and relaxed.

After we turned onto Johnson we picked up Sherpa and his friend Bob and then caught Red Rabbit at the light on Sanderson. We spread out into a line as we rode passed the High School and made the turn onto Domenigoni and started the run towards Warren Road. As has become his habit Attack cat pulled out of the line and took off by himself. Still Rocket and Cossack made the Domenigon saddle first. For a ride with as much climbing as we had we were all running pretty strong. I started up the hill at Goetz and was cruising along at one of my better paces when Hit man jumped passed me to try and run down the leaders. Sherpa was pushing himself and I couldn’t catch him either. Some of us waited at the top of Goetz and regrouped then it was a quick trip down the back side and over to Murrieta and finally heading to McCall. For the first time I managed to stay with Sherpa all the way to the top of the Hill.
Next it was down McCall and through the housing tract and a fast run down Sempson to Leon. It felt like I had been doing intervals for the last 45 minutes and I was pretty tired as we pulled onto Leon. Normally we regroup on Leon but this time only about 1/3 of the group got together and turned onto the dump road. We went into a sprint and it was pretty close till Rocket started to pull away for the rest of us. I thought he was going to fade into the sunset but soon he back off and Attack Cat pulled up to him. I thought it was over and then out of nowhere Hit Man blasted passed all of us heading for Winchester. Next stop was Chris’s for some coffee and fellowship. It was good to see that Bob stayed with us for the whole ride. I think he would make a good addition to our little group.

We sat around and talked for a while and then everyone seemed to get restless and we knew it was about time to go. Sherpa and Bob would be going down Domenigoni along with Parky while the rest of us headed for Stowe and east towards the Hemet Airport. Towards the end of the ride it was down to Duramax, Surgeon, Huntress and I as we pulled through the Lowes parking lot and down Acacia and home. I ended up with just over 44 miles and I have to admit it was a great ride. I pushed myself a bit more than I had planned and I was tired but it was a good tired and I did enjoy being with good friends.