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.