8/01/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)


I knew it was supposed to be hot today so I had planned a bit shorter ride than normal and only added the Marina to Cactus valley. Surgeon and Wolf were already there when I got to Burger King and shortly after I started talking to then Blood Hound arrived. Dura Max and Ocelot were the next to arrive followed by Sea Lion and Jack Rabbit. Rocket, Gambler and D’Artagnon made up three of the Musketeers and when Tax Man and Spartacus pulled up we had two of team 4 Seasons. Ruby Tuesday and T-3 pulled into the parking lot just in front of Goliath bringing our number to 16 as we pulled out onto Gilmore and headed for Acacia.


It didn’t take very long to make the turn on Acacia and catch the light on Kirby and at first I thought the group was going to take it easy because of the shorter ride. But as we moved down Kirby I could see the group the group was staying in close formation as if no one was willing to take a chance on getting dropped before we made it to the Marina. It stayed that way as we turned onto Cypress and headed for Johnston.

As we turned south on Sanderson I was pleased to see a long line of riders stretched out for about half a block behind me with no real gaps separating us into more than one group. We ended up behind a car that was in too big of a rush to allow us into the left turn lane. As we waited for the light to turn Spartacus discovered he had a loose crank arm and I was pretty sure I had the wrench that fit it so we rode to the beginning of the marina hill and stopped to fix it while the rest of the group rode up the hill. We managed to get it fixed and made it half way up as everyone else was coming down. We regrouped at the bottom of the hill and got ready to head for Cactus Valley without Gambler and D’Artagnon.

I took off on a pull and we made it down to State Street where we lost Sea Lion just before Newport. I gave up the lead to Rocket and fell back behind Spartacus as we headed for the corner climb as we made the turn onto Cactus Valley road. We were now spread out over about 1/3 of a mile with Rocket, Blood Hound, Surgeon, Goliath and Jack Rabbit in front and Spartacus and I between them and the chase group. Once again we regrouped at the end of the road where we lost T-3 and Ruby Tuesday.

It was a fast ride back to McSweeney where Goliath and Blood Hound missed the turn through the Housing tract but they waited for us farther down the road. We turned onto Chambers and then out onto Stetson where we lost Rocket. The rest of us made it to Fairview and then up to Wilson Mesa and regrouped once more. Next came the dash down Fairview with Blood Hound taking the lead out. Goliath and Wolf closed on his back wheel and a few of us caught up with them by Stetson. From that point on we all knew the sprint was going to come. As predicted once over the bridge it was a mad spring down to Mayberry and we all caught the light at Florida. We made the turn and quickly scooted down to Carl’s for coffee and conversation and a well deserved break.

About 30 minutes after we stopped we took off for home with Dura Max and Ocelot heading south and the rest of us going north to Lincoln. We made it to Park and then to Devonshire with little or no trouble and then all the way to Santa Fe and down to Latham where we lost Goliath. The rest of us made it to Burger King and spent a few minutes talking before we all took off for home. I got home a bit before noon with 37 miles on the computer. It was hot but not as bad as it has been in the past. We also had a great group that held together, even if it times we were stretched out a bit and we all seemed to have a good time.