9/13/2010
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)


Looking out at the sky this morning I was very pleased with what I saw, blue skies with maybe a wisp or two of very high clouds. It looked like a perfect day for a bike ride. I managed to get to the Burger King first but only just a bit before Duramax and Rocket. Mike, (Sea Lion), was back with us and Gina pulled up just as T-3 and Hit man arrived. Sherpa was back as well as Wart. Highlander and Tax man rounded out the group and we were ready to hit the road by 8am.


Wart took the lead most of the way south on Kirby but assured us he would be calling the ride early because he had been off the bike for so long. I was sort of thinking we would have a nice moderate ride and that maybe I could just sit back a draft the group all the way to Goetz if I was lucky. But what surprised me the most was the pace we were setting as we got close to Sanderson. It wasn’t the traditional A group riders pushing the pace it was it seemed to be Tax man, Duramax and T-3. Yes I pulled for the first mile or so but once we hit 19 or 20 miles an hour we never slacked off.

We worked a 10 man pace line all the way to Winchester Road and caught the light green. I found myself about six riders back as we got to Leon and watched as T-3 took the lead shortly before the traditional run at the saddle. T-3 has us going 23 before giving up the lead and falling back in line. No sooner had she pulled out of line than Sherpa and Rocket started to make the run at the saddle. I was sitting about six back and thought I could get someone to pull me up to their back wheel but it didn’t happen and I had to try and close the gap as they accelerated up the grade. I had enough matches to catch a back wheel but not enough to pass so I started to pull up only to see Tax man gaining on me. I managed to get to the top of the saddle in third but Tax man wasn’t far behind.

We regrouped at the top of the saddle and then headed west on Domenigoni towards Newport and Goetz. Duramax took 6 of the riders with him on LaLadera and 4 of us continued on to Goetz and up the hill. Rocket and Sherpa took off shortly after we made the turn and Sea Lion and I followed about ¼ miles behind. We regrouped once more at the top of the last hill and made a fast run down the other side towards Ethanic where we turned towards Murrieta.


One thing was evident to me and that was riding with Rocket, Sherpa and Sea Lion I wasn’t going to get much of a chance to rest till we got to Chris’s. Still we had an average speed of better that 17 MPH as we got back to Murrieta and McCall. We didn’t slow down any getting to Chris’s were we took a quick break having missed the rest of the group. We split up with Rocket and Sherpa returning on Domenigoni and Sea Lion and I rode back passed the airport. I may not have felt up to snuff today due to qa change in diet but I felt it was a good ride and it was good weather. To tell the truth they people I was riding with were good people as well. 43 more miles on my computer and a pretty good average speed with friends is the kind of thing that keeps bringing me back. I feel lucky to live here and know the people I know.