7/29/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)


It was Friday morning and like most Fridays I didn’t know what to expect. I had put together a slightly different ride and added a few little climbs for Highlander so as I left for the parking lot it was with curious expectation. It turned out to be a day full of nice surprises. Centaur and Surgeon were already there when I pulled up to Burger King. Blood Hound and Gambler pulled in followed by Team Full Throttle with Jack Rabbit and Dart and an addition named David. Huntress rolled up about the same time as Highlander and team 4 Seasons was looking a bit light today with just him. We were surprised to see Highlander unload a new weapon from his van. He had a brand new Scattante CF bike that looked a bit like an F-22 Raptor. I was a bit worried as we pulled out of the parking lot onto Gilmore and headed for Acacia.


While people were talking we wasted very little time getting to Acacia and then Kirby. We were still moving at a pretty good clip as we rounded the corner on Cypress and then on Johnston before Zigzagging our way onto Sanderson and then the road to the airport. It was still pretty cool as we came up to and then past Hanger 1 on our way to Stetson.

Soon we were out onto Stetson with Blood Hound and Surgeon in the lead. The whole pace line followed them all the way to Warren where we were passed at the last moment by a car that simply couldn’t wait to make a left turn. We got started back on Stetson and soon we were making the turn onto California with Blood Hound way out front. We came around the corner on Stowe and slowly started to pick up speed heading for Winchester. Before long Gambler started to pick up the pace again and as he past team Full Throttle was in tow with Huntress in the group. I caught the tail end of the train and soon caught up with Full Throttle and got in a great draft. However Gambler developed a gap and soon left us as he was in full pursuit of Blood Hound. We regrouped at Winchester and allowed our heart rates to return to normal.

Once we were back on our way it didn’t take long before we were turning on Grand and heading for Leon. I found myself in the front as we reformed the pace line and to be honest I was just a bit tired. I was also being followed closely by Highlander and his new machine as if he was going to run over my back anytime he wanted. With such strong riders behind me I just knew it was going to be a long hard day.

As we got close to Leon Gambler took mercy on me and took a few people and started a pull for me. I began to see the devious plan of team Full Throttle. He was going to send wave after wave of his young riders to push the rest of us till we were tired. That is just how it seemed as we rolled past Lindenburger and up the rise to Menifee. Not only did Jack Rabbit chase Gambler but Highlander went with him. As we turned onto Menifee and headed for McCall Dart and David rode past me heading for the stop light. We made it over McCall and then over Summit before a fast run down Antelope and past Newport.

We made our way to Garboni and then to Briggs before rolling past Holland and the RV park. We were pushing hard as we came up to the dairy and poultry farm and then worked our way back out onto Domenigoni and over the saddle to Winchester. We got split up at the light but soon we all regrouped at Chris’s for coffee and conversation.

As we talked and rested we sat at some European style outdoor tables and enjoyed the sun. The young guns of Team Full Throttle were sitting at one table, Dart, Jack Rabbit and David. Huntress was sitting with Gambler, Blood Hound and Centaur and seemed to enjoying themselves.

I spent my relaxing time with Highlander, Surgeon and Full Throttle and listen to all the conversations about bike and bike rides. Full Throttle was explaining to us his theory on advancing the sport of cycling to a younger group while Highlander and I discussed components and the advantages to Carbon Fiber and bike handling. As we talked it seemed Highlander was having a hard time taking his eyes off of his new ride. I will say again it looked fast just sitting there.

All too soon it seemed it was time for us to hit the road. You can always tell because people just start to get up and begin putting their helmets on. It is a signal for others to do the same. We reversed our path to go north on Winchester and then east on Stowe. We were joined by Shadow before we made it back to California. I tried to sprint with him when we got to Stetson but there simply is no way I can accelerate as fast as he can but at least the effort pulled me up with the rest of the group. We rode past the airport with Huntress and finally caught Highlander, Surgeon and Centaur at Sanderson.

We followed Highlander and Surgeon to Lowes and then over to Acacia. We made it out onto the road and back to Kirby only to once again catch the light red. We had no trouble getting back to Gilmore and up to Florida where we sat waiting for one last light before get back to the vehicles and start for home. Full Throttle had complained that the ride was a bit short but I still had 38 miles on the computer. Not bad for a Friday and a few climbs.

7/27/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)


For some reason I was up early this morning so I managed to have breakfast and get dressed even before I could see outside and discover it was a great looking day with close to perfect temperature. I ended up leaving the house about 15 minutes earlier than I normally do and arrived at the parking lot before anyone else for the first time in a very long time. But I wasn’t alone for long because people started arriving shortly after I pulled in. I was a bit surprised to see Puma because he had been gone for several months. After Team 4 Seasons arrived Huntress pulled in right after Centaur and Wolf. Team Musketeers pulled in when Gambler, D’Artagnon and Rocket pulled up only missing one of their team. Team Full Throttle arrived with Jack Rabbit and Dart. The rest of us would have to ride as independents. We pulled out of the parking lot just after 8am and headed for Acacia.


It was good to see so many riders behind me as we turned off of Gilmore and onto Acacia. The group stretch back halfway down the block by the time I got ready to merge left to set up for the turn onto Kirby. Like just about every time we caught the light red and had a chance for the whole group to bunch up so we could make it onto Kirby together. It was a simple short trip south to Cypress before we turned west towards Johnston and Sanderson.

As we turned onto Cypress I reflected on the fact that this was only one of several rides we had had where we started out with 20 riders. Not only were Puma and Huntress back with us but we were joined once again by Matt (The Marshall) to Warden. With any luck I would be able to keep up with a few of them and was looking forward to being pushed by some of them as well.

Blood Hound was in the lead most of the way south on Sanderson till just before Mustang where he had to pull over and check on a suspected wheel problem. We were soon on our way and made it to Domenigoni and headed west. I dropped off of the front early and fell back turning the lead over to Highlander. We started to rotate through the pace line until we got to Winchester where Sea Lion had to break off and head for home. By the time Vortex rotated to the front we were running about 22 or 23 MPH. Suddenly Gambler took off and made a run for the saddle at least a mile and a half before Leon and like a fool I went with him. Soon we were joined by Blood Hound and Rocket and before I knew it we had formed a 4 man breakaway and by Leon I found myself second man in a 28 MPH freight train. I took my turn at a pull and then fell back to hold on for
all I was worth. Once my heart rate hit 180 I was dropped and had to regroup with the other three at the top of the saddle.


It took a while for everyone to get to the top of the saddle but that was fine with me because it took a while for me to catch my breath and get my heart rate back to normal. I looked good seeing all of the riders talking and laughing while we waited for the signal to head off down the saddle and make our way to Menifee. But we had things to do and places to be so the signal was given and off we went.

Once on Menifee I expected we would kick it back a little but that wasn’t what happened. As we rolled up on Holland and the little hill I think the pace picked up a bit and before we knew it we were climbing again and some people sprinted to the top. It was a quick trip up to Scott and then west again to the AM/PM for a fast refuel and back on Scott to make the long steady climb to Murrieta. The group spread out into about three parts as we headed for Cherry Hill with about seven riders in the lead group. Most of us stopped at the Jack in the Box for coffee and conversation.

Huntress had to leave early so she didn’t stop at Jack’s and she took team Full Throttle with her. The Marshall must have been chasing outlaws because he forgot or didn’t realize we had stopped at Newport and Antelope and so he rode to the Saddle by himself. Like a hunter that loses his prey he must have assumed we were in front of him and took off to give chase while we were still having coffee. By the time we were back on the road he was long gone. We hit the saddle together but once over it the Musketeers took off with Vortex and Surgeon. The rest of us didn’t see most of them till we got back to the parking lot. I ended up attaching myself to T-3, Highlander, Warden, Spartacus and Puma.

I was very impressed that Highlander was still pushing hard after we dropped T-3 off at Johnston. He pulled us all the way down Sanderson and into the Lowes parking lot. I had to jump on it to get in front of him just to get a picture. We pulled back out onto Acacia and Highlander stayed glued to my back wheel all the h to Gilmore and then up to Florida. We got back just in time to see Surgeon and Centaur loading their bikes into their vehicles.

Today’s ride was one of our old favorite rides. The view from Murrieta and Scott is one of the better views of the valley and mountains we see while riding. It is not dead flat but it doesn’t have a lot of climbing either. Today’s pace was a bit quick but I was feeling good by the time I had a cool down ride home. 44 miles puts me over 500 for the month just in group rides. All I can say is I get to ride with an awesome group and we live where we can ride almost all year long. Yes today I was one happy camper

7/25/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)


As the song goes it was just another day in paradise when I looked outside first thing this morning. I got dressed, filled my water bottles, drank a cup of coffee, had breakfast and headed out of my front door to join my friends on what I planned for a good challenging ride. By the time I pulled into Burger King several riders were waiting and several were arriving after me. In fact by 8am we had 16 riders and two groups that I might start calling a team. Team 4 Seasons, made up of Highlander, Tax Man and Spartacus, plus team Full Throttle, made up of Full Throttle, dart and Jack Rabbit. As soon as everyone was ready we pulled out onto Latham and headed for State Street.


Once we were headed north I started playing with my bike computer trying to check my cadence as we crossed one street after another. Highlander pulled up next to me to engage me in conversation before we ended up going way too fast for the warm up part of our ride. But I wasn’t the only one that must have been eager to roll on today’s ride because looking back I could see we were all packed together more like a swarm of bees than a pace line.
After Cottonwood Blood Hound pulled in front of me and the pace picked up slightly as we closed on in Ramona Drive. Blood Hound almost made a wrong turn but was corrected well before the rest of the group followed him east rather that turning west toward Sanderson. I pulled up next to him and we all made the turn on Ramona together. Double Time pulled up next to me and stated he would start the pull once we got onto Ramona Expressway while he still had plenty of energy. For some reason he thought he might be tired by the time we got back to Ramona. So far I was feeling pretty good.

Double Time took the lead heading to Bridge Street but he quickly pulled too far away from the group and we risked blowing up the pace line if I tried to close with him. We had the added problem of the lane not being wide enough to rotate through the line. Still we managed to make it to bridge and hear towards Gilman pretty much in one long line. Everyone seemed to take a turn playing on the way to Gilman and at one point Wolf and Ocelot took off in a sprint leaving several of us watching as they attempted to run down the figure of a quickly receding Dura Max. Here is where team Full Throttle came into play. Full Throttle sent Dart and Jack Rabbit after Surgeon so they could pull him up to him like a Domestique in the tour. We finally all stopped and regrouped at Gilman and Bridge.

As we headed back towards Sanderson Blood Hound took off on a run by himself and I had the rest of the pace line following me. T-3 was very impressive in staying towards the front of the pack almost all the way to Sanderson where we regrouped briefly and made the run back to Ramona and State Street. Once we got to Soboba Canyon it was every man for himself as Rocket and Blood Hound pulled us through the rollers and finally Surgeon sprinted ahead after I fell in to try and take a turn pulling for Rocket and D’Artagnon. I was passed by D’Artagnon and Blood Hound and finally Rocket but I managed to catch a back wheel and stayed behind D’Artagnon as he reeled in the group in front of us with Wolf closing on the back of the breakaway group like a man possessed. Still I was with the first 4 as we topped the hill at the Golf Course and regrouped for the run over the river and down Washington.


For some reason I was still feeling pretty good after the river crossing sprint and we quickly made our was past Hemet Street and onto Cedar where we had planned on turning left and following it around to Florida and Fairview. Just as we made the turn Ocelot called out flat and about half of us pulled over while she fixed her tire. It was a short trip down Cedar till it turned into Fairview and we made the last turn to go to Carl’s for coffee. Quite a few of the group stopped and we had a good time talking and telling war stories before heading for home. We split up and D’Artagnon, Full Throttle, Dart and Jack Rabbit went south before heading west while Dura max and Ocelot headed east leaving the rest of us to ride up to Lincoln and head towards Park, still with plenty of spring in our step as they say.

We lost Blood Hound as he broke off for home first and the rest of us continued on towards Santa Fe before dropping down to Latham and back over State Street. It was good to see so many riders enjoying themselves today and it was good to see how much energy people had after almost 40 miles of riding. By the time I got home I had almost 42 miles and a smile on my face. Yes it had been another day in Paradise.

7/22/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)


What a fantastic day for a ride today was. The weather was just about perfect for the ride we had planned and the group was split before we even started. Most of our beloved animals were heading up to Idyllwild and that left one big B group to take an easier flatter ride for a relaxing Friday. At least I was thinking it would be relaxing. Once Highlander arrived at the parking lot we were ready to go and started down Gilmore to Acacia. Like normal we caught the light red at Kirby but there was a car there to trip the light so we made the turn and headed towards Cypress.


The whole group rode down Kirby smoothly and quickly with Highlander and Surgeon staying near the front follower by Ruby Tuesday and T-3. By the time we got to Johnston Vortex had pulled up next to me and we discussed part of Today’s TDF and what had happened yesterday in the Alps. Before we knew it we were at Sanderson waiting for that light. We made the turn and were quickly past Stetson and headed for Domenigoni.

Once on Domenigoni and up to speed I fell off the front and Highlander took over pulling the pack towards Warren Road. First Highlander then T-3 pulled off the front and fell in behind me. I watched Ruby Tuesday, Surgeon, Vortex, and Sea Lion fall back and as we got close to Leon Dura Max was pulling with Ocelot, Bounty Hunter and me right behind. To tell the truth I was perfectly happy to let Dura Max pull us to the top of the saddle when Surgeon flashed past me like he was being chased by Big Foot. Only it wasn’t Big Foot it was Sea Lion on his back wheel. I believe Sea Lion is getting stronger with every ride and soon he will need stickier tires to keep from doing burnouts when he accelerates. After chasing Surgeon to the top of the saddle we regrouped and headed for Menifee and turned towards Scott Road.

Once we started down Menifee all I could think of was how much I didn’t like the little hill just past Holland. I watched as Sea Lion, Vortex and Surgeon lined up to attack the hill and I decided shifting into the small ring was going to be my choice for today and just took and easy spin to the top. Once we regrouped we headed past Garboni and set our sights on Scott for the turn west.

Even the ride down Scott to Haun was quicker than I expected and by the time I made the turn north I was in the back of the pack with Highlander and Bounty Hunter pulling away. Sitting in the back of the pack I wondered if the lead riders were planning a stop for a nature break on Haun and Newport. It was all I could do to push myself up till I caught Highlander to tell him to stop and wait for the rest of us but I did and then fell back to ride with the rest of the pack. We regrouped at the AM/PM and made some minor equipment adjustments.

We left the gas station and Ruby Tuesday pulled us to Bradley before Highlander, Vortex and Sea Lion took off for McCall with Surgeon not far behind. Bounty Hunter was about halfway between the rest of us and the lead group as we made the turn and I didn’t catch him till we got to the light at Antelope. Surgeon was still looking strong as he closed with Vortex on the climb and Highlander passed me all the way to the top of the hill where we regrouped once more. Ruby Tuesday and T-3 left us and headed for home while we discussed how we wanted to ride to Winchester. Once back on Simpson Vortex pulled us almost all the way to Winchester catching T-3 and Ruby Tuesday just before we got there. We took a break at Chris’s and then headed for home up Winchester to Stowe.

Once again Vortex decided to pull and he pulled us all the way to Warren Road and at a very fast clip at that. We kept the pace up all the way back to the airport and finally turned it down a bit as we more or less cruised to Sanderson where we caught the light red like we almost always do. Highlander took the lead after the light and pulled us to Lowes and then through the parking lot to Acacia.

After we got back to Burger King we all stood around and talked about what a great ride it had been. After loading the bikes into some of the vehicles we said our good bye and I rode home at a much reduced pace. There is just something about the words, “an easy Friday ride,” that seems to make this group stronger. Still I had 40 miles on the computer when I got home. And once again I had a good time.

7/20/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)


Wednesday is a day we normally push ourselves just a bit and the planned ride for today was no different. We had a 40 mile ride with plenty of room for sprints and climbs giving everyone a chance to play if they wanted to. By the time we got ready to leave the parking lot there were 15 of us ready to play at our best. We took off down Gilmore and were headed for Acacia at just after 8am.


Bloodhound was in the lead as we turned onto Acacia and he was still in the lead as we pulled up to the light at Kirby. We didn’t have to wait long because it seems as if the light trips quite easily at that intersection and soon we were headed south on Kirby towards Cypress.

We made the turn on Cypress and chatted away as we rode towards Johnston. I was determined to stay back in the pack today and save some energy for the sprint I was pretty sure would come once we got out onto Stowe. Bloodhound took us to the light on Wentworth and once again we had to wait. Soon we were headed on towards the airport and more or less still in one group.

When we pulled out on Stetson Bloodhound was still leading and in fact he had started to pull away from the rest of us as we rolled past Warren Road. The bad thing about that was it left me pulling the rest of the group down Stetson and onto California with Surgeon and Highlander breathing down my back. Still I had no idea if the group would break into a sprint and Bloodhound was extending his lead by quite a bit.

Highlander and Surgeon took the lead from me and we headed west on Stowe well behind Bloodhound looking over my shoulder I still didn’t see the big dogs breaking out to push up the pace until Full Throttle and Jack Rabbit came flying by. I started to wait but decided to jump out and catch a back wheel on the two fleeting escaping riders. I thought the break was a bit early but I didn’t know if a chase group was coming so I held on until a small train of riders formed up and came flying by me. I couldn’t catch them right away but soon had pulled up on the back of the pack only to find myself backing off after getting past Full Throttle and catching the back wheel of Rocket. The group pulled into the parking lot at Winchester and regrouped.

Once we were all together it was time to head south on Winchester and make our way to Domenigoni. I pulled us to Domenigoni and we caught the light only to notice we had dropped Wolf. It seems he fell prey to one of the nasty realities of this time of year, a goat head thorn. Dura max and I went back to assist him while the rest of the group waited on Domenigoni. As soon as we made the light ourselves the group was off and heading for the Marina hill, the first of our little climbs. Everyone made it up the hill and back as we regrouped once again.

Next it was a run down Domenigoni to State Street and then work our way up to Ramona Bowl. We quickly made it to Thornton and then turned onto Santa Fe and finally onto Stetson. Highlander and T-3 decided to leave us at Girard and we had to attack the surprising hill without them. To tell the truth I was pretty much huffing and puffing all the way up the hill. We regrouped at the top of the hill and then moved on to Crest to continue our ride east to Lake Street.

It didn’t take long for the group to split and I stayed with half while Gambler took the other half ahead of us. We caught them waiting for us at Fairview and Florida. It didn’t take us long to make it to the ranger station and then a hard run back to Carl’s for coffee and conversation. Much to my surprise Highlander was at Carl’s waiting for us. About 20 minutes later we were heading back towards Burger King to finish the ride

As we quite often do we headed down Lincoln to Park and then worked our way over to Devonshire. One block after another rolled by and this time Dura max and Ocelot stayed with us as we got back to State Street. We got the light green at State and quickly worked our way past Palm and then Lyon before turning into the Pep Boys driveway and back to the vehicles parked at Burger King. We talked for a few minutes and then headed out separate way home.

As I pulled back out onto Lyon and headed for home I thought how lucky we are to live where we can ride bicycles for enjoyment for all twelve months of the year. It is true it gets hot here in the summer but if we ride early or even later in the day. Because of that it can be relatively easy to get 5000 or 6000 miles of riding in and to cover several cities in your journey every day. For today I managed to log in another 44 miles and I still felt pretty good doing it.

7/18/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)


Summer is back and it seems the cooling trend is over. It seemed prudent to do a flatter ride and a few less miles today so that is just what I had planned. I left the house a bit early and took my time riding over to the parking lot. Still Surgeon was there waiting as I pulled into the parking lot. In fact just about everyone showed up early for this ride, even Double Time.


I was thinking that with a new route the group might start out a bit slower but that thought was dashed shortly after we started down Lyon as Bloodhound took off a bit quicker than I expected. In fact by time we turned onto Thornton Bloodhound and T-3 had pulled away from the group and showed no signs of slowing.

The two riders may have had a lead but the following group was all that far behind and they were closing little by little. I was feeling just a bit slow so far this morning and could only hope things would get better after we made the turn onto State Street. Looking behind me I could see nothing but determined riders and knew that today it might be the kind of day where it would take all I had just to hang on.

After we made the turn and headed for Domenigoni it was more or less as I had expected. Bloodhound and T-3 pulled away again and I held back waiting to see if anyone wanted to pass me and give chase. No one wanted to so we followed at a distance till we finally reeled them in and followed most of the way to Warren before I took the lead and held it till I had to surrender it to Highlander after the little overpass. By the time we got to Winchester I was at the back of the pack and as I had predicted just hanging on. Strangely enough all 15 riders were still in the pace line and we had been running at 22 to 24 all the way to Leon. Here the group split in two and the sprint for the top of the saddle started to shape up. Surgeon placed himself perfectly and beat us all to the top to regroup. Again we split as nine of the riders started down the saddle and six of us took a few extra minutes to recover before heading down the saddle ourselves.

Ocelot, Dura-max, Quick-sticks, Double Time, Tax man and I followed the lead group by about two miles as they made the turn onto Lindenburger just as we got back onto Newport at Antelope. Quick-sticks pulled us over to Simpson and started us towards Leon where Tax man and Double Time took over and moved us towards Winchester. I don’t know what Tax Man had for breakfast but he was riding about as strong as I have seen him ride. Double Time’s excuse was simple, he could smell the coffee.

We turned onto Winchester and made our way up to Chris’s for a much needed stop for coffee and conversation. The other group was already sitting down and waiting for us, except Cossack and T-3 who have both left to go to their respective homes. It was also good to see Rocket’s since of humor in the way he responded to Highlander’s comment on how color coordinated he always seemed by dressing like team Kenya in Red, Green, White and Black. Highlander was impressed.

Before very long it was time for us to head for home or back to Burger King. Surgeon started us out and Quick sticks broke off as we got back to Stowe while the rest of us headed for California Street. We seemed to be in different needs for getting back because we split into at least three groups on our way back east.

I ended up in the last group as we cruised down California to Stetson and then back to the Airport before catching the light at Sanderson. Rocket had continued on Stetson and Surgeon had gone ahead with Bloodhound and Vortex while Dura-max, Ocelot, Tax Man, Highlander and I made it to Lowes.

All in all it was a pretty good ride and we seemed to set a pretty good pace. When I did the map on this ride it was real close to 37 miles and by the time I got home it turned into 40 miles door to door. But as much as I enjoy the ride I believe I enjoy the group I ride with even more. Good friends, good weather and a good route are just about all a cyclist can hope for.

7/15/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)


It was another cool day at the end of the week and I was looking forward to a relaxing Friday ride. I always look forward to a relaxing Friday ride but sometimes it just doesn’t work out that way. All I could do is hope for the best as I left the house and headed for Burger King this morning. When I got to the parking lot several rides were waiting for me. By 8am we had a group of 14 or 15 riders ready to go.


The ride was a slight variation of one of our normal Friday rides but everyone seemed more than ready to give it a try. So we took off down Gilmore and then west on Acacia with T-3 and Ruby Tuesday leading us to the light on Kirby. Once we were all grouped in the turn lane the light changed and we started south towards Cypress and the housing tract that takes us to Johnston.

It was a smooth quick trip to Johnston and then out onto Sanderson before we made the turn towards the airport. We seem to always catch the light at Wentworth and today was no different. But finally we headed west again till we turned to ride past Hanger 1 with everyone tightly bunched.

Soon we were out on Stetson and heading towards Warren Road. Up to this point the pace was a reasonable 17 or 18 MPH and while I was in the lead I knew that I was working far too hard to be a challenger in the sprint we expected to take place on Stowe. Still I pulled all the way to California and then stayed in the lead as we headed south once more towards Stowe. Once we turned west on Stowe I looked back and decided the group was looking far too relaxed for me to start a lead out pull so I fell back in the pack and waited to see what everyone else had in mind.

I fell back in the pack and was surprised to see the A riders spread out quite a bit. Surgeon pulled for a little while and no one made a break as if to start a sprint. As Rocket and Centaur started to move forward in the pack so did I but with Barracuda and Sea Lion in front the pace was fast but not as fast as I have seen in the past. Then almost before anyone could react Cossack put the hammer down and Barracuda took off with him. I made a jump way too late but I was still able to catch Sea Lions back wheel and let him pull me most of the way to Winchester and our regroup spot.

While I spent most of my time just catching my breath most of the rest of the group looked rested and were smiling while I was sucking air. It took a minute or two but we were ready to go again and took off as a group down Winchester to the dump road. I had already decided that if any of the A group decided to pull away I was just going to let them go. Sure enough a group pulled past me and started to fade into the distance.

The group stretched out over at least a half of a miles but the great equalizer was the light at Brigg and Florida. We all caught up waiting for the light to change and headed for Mapes together once again. Somehow we were all in one group as we turned on Mapes and made the run to Menifee.

Once over the small rise on Mapes we got into a coasting race most of the way to Menifee and once again spread out just a bit. Because I had pulled ahead to take a picture I ended up once again in the lead and pulled the group all the way back to the AM/PM on Menifee and Florida. We regrouped and rehydrated before pulling back out onto Menifee. While we were waiting for everyone to get ready to leave the AM/PM Cossack had to leave and head for home. Once the rest of us were ready to go and pulled out onto Menifee we quickly moved on to McCall. As we rode past McCall on Menifee we picked up Bandit. He stayed with us and we all were still together till we reached Lindenburger.

We broke into about three or four groups as we headed east on Domenigoni towards State Street. I expected Barracuda, Bandit, Rocket, Vortex and Centaur were going to drop the rest of us but I was surprised to see Highlander, Full Throttle, dart, Ruby Tuesday, and T-3 pulling away as I got to Leon and to be almost out of sight by the time we got to Winchester. We regrouped more or less at Warren Road and then lost Vortex and Surgeon at Sanderson.

Bandit left us at State Street, Rocket left us by San Jacinto, RCMP and Barracuda left us before we got to Lake on Stetson. The rest of us made it to Fairview where Highlander and Full Throttle managed to jump me and pass me in a sprint at the little bridge before Mulberry. Our next stop was Carl’s and we still had 8 riders.


After coffee and conversation at Carl’s we all took off for home with Dura-max and Ocelot heading south while Highlander, Centaur, Sea Lion, Ruby Tuesday, T-3 and I went north towards Lincoln. Highlander was still riding strong and we moved on to Lincoln and headed for home.

Multiple sprints, long runs to close a gap and 48 miles made for a good ride and one where my legs were about as tired as they have even been. But more importantly I had a great ride and I believe most of the other group members did as well. It was a lot more than just another Friday ride.