11/19/2010
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)


Looking outside today it was easy to see it was a cold, damp, overcast day. The only good thing I could see about it was it wasn’t raining and it wasn’t windy so we had a chance to get in a ride before the front reached us later in the day. What I didn’t know was that the ride would be a bit like one of the old Clint Eastwood movies, the good, the bad and the ugly but in reverse.

I got to Burger King to see Dura-max and Ocelot resting against the wall. Rocket, Gambler, D’Artagnon and Bandit pulled up followed by a new rider, Dave, and Double Time. Huntress, Buccaneer, Sea Lion and Raptor joined us as it was getting close to time to leave. There were 11 riders behind me as we pulled out onto Gilmore and headed down towards Acacia before going west to Kirby.


Double time seemed to be full of energy as he pulled us most of the way down Kirby to Cypress before we turned and headed towards Johnson. But while we all seemed to be rolling along at a pretty good pace it wasn’t getting any warmer. I was dressed with a full middle weight base layer and heavier socks with long fingered gloves but I still thought it might have been a day where a hood or Balaclava might have been more comfortable.

Once Double time pulled over to let me pass I realized he had been blocking some of the cold and I was even happier that I had worn my heavier gloves. But the ugly part of the ride was just starting. Not only was it cold for our area it started to get just a bit wet. Once on Cypress Street the bicycle tires started to pick up a bit of water and everyone started to get a stripe down their back. Just a bit of grumbling had started but no one suggested we turn back.
As we turned onto Sanderson it looked like there might be a little clearing to the south and the pavement even seemed a bit dryer as we got close to the high school. We made the light at Mustang and everyone was still in one big group. As we turned onto Domenigoni the Good part started for me. We got in a pace line and headed west with ever so slight of a breeze to our back. As we rotated through the lead we easily started averaging 22 the 23 then 24 MPH and because no one stayed out front too long it seemed pretty easy to me. We crossed the rise after Warren and we were doing an average of 25 with ever lead change. By Winchester the lead group is doing 25 or 26 and we are getting close to 27. I was in a good position by Leon and feeling like I had plenty left for the Saddle sprint. Just before we got to the bottom of the hill I noticed it felt a bit bumpy and I pulled out of line only to discover I had a flat. The group dropped me like birds flying south for the winter. All I could do was pull my back wheel and start the repair. Things had gone from good to bad. A few riders passed and asked if I was ok and Huntress, Sea Lion and Double time stopped while I fixed the tire. Finally Attack Cat passed by after getting a late start and Dura-max and Ocelot checked to make sure I had what I needed to get back on the road.

Huntress, Sea Lion and Double Time worked our way over the saddle and rode together all the way to McCall and over the hill to Simpson. We didn’t see anyone at Chris’s so I called Dura-max and told him we would be stopping at Hanger One for coffee. As we sat there we were joined by Dura-max and Ocelot for a little while before heading for home. So yes the ride started out ugly, cold, wet, and over cast and ended not as cold or wet but still overcast. We got back to Acacia and headed back towards Burger King. The flat slowed me down a bit but getting to ride with the few friends made up for it. A few quick miles and practice at changing a tire are all in a day’s ride, for a cyclist.