9/30/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)



There could not have been a more perfect day for a group ride. It was cool but not cold and the sky had a few light marshmallow white clouds that drifted by to expose a clear blue sky. There was no wind to speak of and the group that was forming looked calm and relaxed. I had already promoted the ride as a relaxed recovery ride or pre Century ride depending on how you looked at it. As we pulled out onto Latham all the remained to be seen was if I could hold my pace down even in the traditional places we normally crank it up.


It doesn’t take long to get to Lyon and make the turn north and once that turn is made it can be real easy to let the pace creep up and find the group moving into the red zone early. Spartacus was back with us today and his eagerness is contagious so it took great control to keep the pace down in the recovery range.

The steady pace we were keeping gobbled up the miles and we were passing one street after another on our way north. It felt like we were hardly putting out any effort and yet we were slowly picking things up till we were running on cruise control towards Ramona. Once we started west I expected the A group to come sliding by but they didn’t and we headed off towards Sanderson. Highlander had moved into the slot behind me and seems very satisfied with the pace we had been setting. In fact I looked back to notice him following me for most of the ride.

Once on the Expressway there would be very few lead changes because of where they decided to put the rumble strip, in the bike lane. It would also be the true test to see how many wanted to make this ride a easy cruise. I have to admit it was nice to see the whole group in a steady pace line that held together all the way from Sanderson to Lakeview. Once we regrouped at the gas station I knew we were having a nice day. Everyone still had a smile on their face. A quick stop and we were heading south towards Nuevo Road.

For some reason the ride up Lakeview to Nuevo was easier than it has been for me in a long time. It seemed almost like we had a tail wind pushing us because I felt I was drafting but there was no one in front of me. By the time we got out onto Menifee Surgeon and Spartacus took over the task of pulling and the rest of us followed them all the way to Mapes. Even Highlander seems to enjoy the pace east on Mapes and then south on Briggs. We headed for the housing tract before working our way to the Dump road.

Once we were headed back east on the dump road some wondered if the sprint was going to take place after Leon. Once Surgeon got out front Highlander thought I was going to give chase but I was determined to simply keep my pace in the recovery zone. Only a few took the sprint bate anyway so most of the group decided to hold back and enjoy the ride.

It is interesting how much you see or should I say notice when you aren’t hammering along on a back road. You notice plants and animals that have skipped your notice for weeks or even months. We could even take to each other as we headed towards Winchester and like I said before people looked happy.

We spread out a little heading for Winchester and as most of us turned towards Chris’s Dura Max and Ocelot decided to continue on. We enjoyed our coffee and conversation at Chris’s and soon started to move around as if ready to head back home. But unlike most days the group didn’t break up it stayed together and we were still together as we turned onto Stowe.

From Warren road onward we started losing riders as they headed for their homes and a few of us stayed together past the Hemet Airport and finally back out to Sanderson where T-3 broke off and headed for home. We didn’t have to wait long before we got a green on Sanderson and headed to Lowes parking lot following Barracuda. Once in the parking lot we slowed down again and cruised around the store to Acacia.

I will admit I had a lot left as we headed towards Kirby and it has been a long time since I felt this good towards the end of a ride. The few of us that were left pulled into Burger King and talked for a while before I headed for home. It was an easy day and yet I still had a pretty good average speed and about 38 miles on the computer. Better yet I think I will feel pretty good for the Century ride on Saturday. It was a good day for a bike ride.

9/28/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)



Today was a bit like the movie the good the bad and the ugly for me. It didn’t start out that way but slowly it turned out that way. I looked out at a clear warm beautiful morning and even left the house early so I could take my time getting to the parking lot. So far everything was right with the world. Of course I got there first but soon I saw Ocelot and Dura Max ride by heading to the mall parking lot and then Surgeon and Highlander showed up. It wasn’t the biggest group we have had but there were at least 10 or 11 riders as we headed for Acacia and then to Kirby. Two got stuck at the light on Florida but I knew we could pull over and wait for them on Cypress.




Vortex was very talkative this morning and we chatted all the way down Kirby with Surgeon, Highlander and Blood Hound close behind. It looked like it might be an interesting group today with Gambler and Bandit looking like they had plenty to give to make the ride intense. All that remained to be seen was how we would do on Domenigoni.

After we picked up our trailing riders we quickly rode to Sanderson and then up to Domenigoni where Vortex decided to start the pull for the Saddle. He pulled for a very long time and he may not have given up the lead if it hadn’t been for some glass Attack Cat pointed out to him. We were quite a ways past the dry wash and Warren when Attack Cat got the lead and he pulled us to Winchester where much to our surprise Gambler and Bandit made their attack. Half of the pack went with them and ended up with one of our quickest runs to the saddle. The pack exploded at the base of the saddle but Bandit and Gambler managed to hold on to finish the run in the one-two position.


It was a great run by the lead pack which even with maximum effort Full Throttle calls fun. I looked at my HR monitor to see that I was only one bubble from maximum effort so I back off a bit so I could sprint to the top of the saddle a distant 4th. We waited for everyone to regroup before discussing how we wanted to do the second leg of the ride. Dura Max and Ocelot decided to take another route than the one we were going to take so the rest of the group started down the Saddle towards Menifee to turn south.

Normally it is a rather casual ride for the little hill just past Holland but not today. Today the whole group looked like a Rugby Scrum as we rolled past the stop sign and started to pick up speed at the base of the hill. We had agreed to regroup after cresting the hill so for some crazy reason I decided to attack the hill. I couldn’t catch Gambler or Bandit but I did manage to burn off any extra energy I may have had left over from cresting the saddle. We regrouped only to find out the Blood Hound had a flat. I decided to assist him in changing the tire and the ugly part of the ride struck. As I was pumping up his tire I must have zigged when I should have zagged because a sharp pain slammed me in the back and I had to sit down. I finished the tire and got back on the bike and headed for Scott road. At the light the act of putting my foot down was like a knife sticking in me. I had to turn the group over to Full Throttle and fall back like a wounded Sauropod. Luckily Highlander and Sea Lion stayed with me to keep the Velociraptors from taking me down and killing me.

A hand full of vitamin I and I could follow my escorts to the main group on east Benton and Winchester.

After a rest I was feeling better and managed to stay with the herd till we got back to Leon heading for Scott again.


Once back on Scott and heading for Menifee I noticed I was still hurting a bit and decided it would be best if I dropped into the small ring and kicked it down till we got back. I have a Century coming up Saturday and I already paid so there was no point in pushing till I hurt today. Once again Sea Lion and Highlander stayed with me as we headed back to Dominigoni and finally to Winchester where Sea Lion left us so I could stop for some coffee at Chris’s. I have no clue how the rest of the group did but I took some more Aspirin at Chris’s before heading back to Burger King with Highlander.

After a hot shower and lunch I sat on my front porch and played at fixing out fountain water feature. For me it was a 50 mile ride door to door. But I think it felt longer. Still I would rather be riding with friends than sitting on the couch.

9/26/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)



It must be fall because it was cold this morning. At least it was cold when I walked outside to get ready to meet everyone at Burger King. I went back inside and put on a long sleeve jersey and leg warmers. I got to the parking lot and everyone looked about as cold as I was. Still 14 of us were ready to go shortly after 8 am as we rode out onto Latham and then north on Lyon to start the ride. We didn’t get all that far before we heard the dreaded words, “flat” and the group stopped as we watched Jack Rabbit’s pit crew fix his tire.


Once back on the road some conversations restarted and we slowly picked up speed heading north towards Ramona. Looking over my shoulder I could see all of team 4 Seasons with Piranha leading the pack. It was good to see him back after he had to abandon the ride last time because of a bad back. That didn’t seem to be bothering him today as he was riding strong and consistent.

Just as we passed Cottonwood I heard the dreaded call of “flat” again and we stopped to watch the founder of Team Full Throttle change the second flat of the morning. People started to look suspiciously at team 4 Seasons in case there was some intra-team sabotage. Just as I stopped to watch the tire changing clinic I got a call from a new rider that missed our starting and was giving chase as we headed north towards Ramona

Once the tire was repaired we were on our way again and Blood Hound pulled us to Ramona. We made the jog through the housing tract before lining up and heading for State Street. Like about 90 percent of the time we caught the light at State red. For whatever reason that particular light doesn’t tend to trip just because a few bicycles are sitting in the trap. Finally a car pulled up and we were off going north on State heading for Soboba with Highlander on my back wheel.

I stopped the group as we turned onto Soboba and tried to call Donovan to see how close they were behind us. Before I could try and leave a message he pulled up with his friend Gary and introductions were passed around. I split the group at this point and watched as the As and most of the Bs took off and headed for the golf course. I finally got a small pace line going and we started to gain on the back markers of the lead group. we got to the golf course to regroup before the last of the leaders stopped rolling. We were now 16 strong and ready for the next leg of the ride.

The group split once more and I ended up in the chase group following everyone else up to the Ranger Station on Florida at the bottom of the hill heading to Idyllwild. This time there were about 8 people in our group so we were split petty evenly. Just before we passed the trees at the start of the little climb we had T-3 take the lead and pull us all the way to the climb. We pulled into the Ranger Station to see the As relaxed and talking.

We took a few minutes to get to know Donovan and Gary and to tell them a bit about our group. Turns out they know GT-40 pretty well and might join some of us on the Parris Century Saturday. By the time we had shared stories and got ready to head back to Carl’s everyone was feeling pretty good.

Blood Hound and Highlander were the first two to turn west on Florida and it took T-3 and I quite a while to catch them. We pulled up on their back wheel shortly before we entered the trees and then reformed into a pace line till we were out of the trees. Not long after we exited the trees most of the group passed us in a rather fast and long pace line. Gary and Donovan were in the front with D’Artagnon, Wolf, Vortex, Sea Lion, Jack Rabbit, Full Throttle and Piranha rolled past me and never slowed down. We pulled into Carl’s and everyone decided to break for home. In the end Dura max and Ocelot rode home together while Highlander, T-3 and I rode back to Burger King.

It was rather cool and we didn’t get in much more than 30 miles but we had a good time and made some new friends so I would count it as a good day.

9/23/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)


There was every reason to expect that today would be a great day for a ride. The sky was clear and the temperature was in the low 70s by 8am. There was no predicted wind and we had a simple ride planned for the day. The only question I had as I headed for Burger King was how many people we would have and how many new riders. I only saw Ocelot and Highlander as I turned into the parking lot so I wondered how small the group might be. Still by 8am we had about 10 riders and were supposed to pick up two on the way.


The A group looked strong and I told them we would be splitting into two group after the saddle. With Gambler, Barracuda, D’Artagnon, Jack Rabbit, Shadow and Blood Hound in the A group I knew they would get antsy if they had to stay with the Bs all the way to Chris’s. Still with the exception of Blood Hound they held back as we turned onto Kirby and got ready to turn west towards Sanderson.

T-3 and Highlander quickly flanked me on Cypress and we chatted as we came up to Johnston and made a left to catch the light on Sanderson. The light allowed us all to regroup and make the turn together onto Sanderson and head for Stetson. Every time we get to Stetson we catch the light red. I can’t remember even one time rolling up to or through that light as it turned green. Today was no different it was red and we had to stop. We continued on towards Domenigoni and Blood Hound took the lead as we got close to Mustang with T-3, Jack Rabbit, Barracuda and Highlander moving to the front getting ready for the run to the saddle.

Blood Hound kicked it up a bit and stated to pull away in the front and I held the group back trying not to drop anyone. As we got close to Warren I saw Vortex and he pulled out behind Blood Hound and headed for the dry wash. At this point I decided to let the A group go and fell back to form up the B group. SR-71s friend developed a problem with his cleats and fell off the pace well before we got to Winchester. SR-71 stayed with him while I sent Sea Lion on to the Saddle with T-3 and Ocelot to wait for the regroup.

We had a little wait while the whole B group arrived so I let the A group in on their special challenge. While the B group headed straight for LaLadera the A group would turn South on Menifee and head for Scott road. Once there they would ride to Murrieta and head back to Newport. Then they would head to LaLadera and give chase to our slower group. They smiled but I think they knew they had a workout ahead of them.

The two groups split at Menifee and the chase was on. The great thing about this kind of ride is it invigorates the B group and challenges the A group all at the same time. The Bs have been chased down several times during these challenges and under normal conditions there was a very good chance we would be chased down again. However there was one difference with the B group today, we decided to form one pace line with the strongest riders doing most of the direct pulling. We didn’t stop at Carl’s for water and headed straight for LaLadera with the strongest riders doing most of the pulling. We turned north on LaLadera and formed a two line box, once Sea Lion pulled up next to me, and decided not to stop at the park.

Now all we had to do was stay together till we got to McCall and make a run for McCall hill. We held together all the way to McCall and once we crossed Murrieta we were stopped by someone asking about our group. We may have a new rider joining us because this man had been looking for a group to ride with. Back on our way we quickly made our way to McCall hill and I worked with Ocelot and T-3 getting them to the top as quickly as possible. T-3 must have thought of me like the rowers did of the drummer on a Trireme or old oared warship as I yelled for her to keep going over and over again. Whatever she thought we pulled up just as the other three riders stopped at the top of McCall. So far we were ahead of the A group but I could almost feel them getting close to McCall.

All we had to do was keep a reasonable pace going and we should get to Chris’s first and while that might not seem like much to some it means a lot to us because of the respect we have for the A group and their ability to catch us. We regrouped at Lindenburger and Simpson and I started a pull towards Winchester. So far we hadn’t seen anyone behind us and I felt that I could get the majority of the group to Leon before the A group could make the turn onto Simpson. We were doing pretty good till two riders fell off the back and I had to turn the group over to Highlander to get to Chris’s and I returned to make sure our last riders made the right turn and sat down with us for coffee and conversation. We made it and everyone grabbed a seat to talk about the ride.

SR-71 and his friend Rich were talking about the cleat repair and detour with Vortex while at the same time Highlander, T-3, Sea Lion and Ocelot were talking about the smooth climb of McCall.

About 6 minutes after we sat down the A group arrived. Bandit had been with them till they got over McCall but had decided to go home before he got to Chris’s. Their last man was Shadow and had they not stopped for water on the way would have been right on our wheel by the time we rounded Winchester. Still for today at least we were the Super Bees and felt good about it

For all practical purposes the ride was over at this point. Shortly after getting to Stowe we would break up and head our separate way for home but still we left Chris’s about the same time. As we turned east we broke into smaller groups and wished each other a good weekend and looked forward to our next ride. Sea Lion, Ocelot and T-3 turned right on Sanderson while Highlander, Vortex, SR-71, Rich and I turned left and headed for Lowes. Vortex rode home on Sanderson as the rest of us rode through the parking lot and then on to Acacia and back to Burger King. After some more conversation I headed for home and finished the ride with just shy of 40 miles. It was a great ride for a Friday and a lot of laughs between the two groups. Like I thought it was a great day for a ride.

9/21/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)


I wasn’t looking forwards to today’s ride at all. I didn’t sleep well the night before and for some reason my legs were sore. The only problem was my complaints were small in comparison to my desire to be with the group and doing the ride. I like how our group works together with the A riders helping the B riders improve. The A riders can still work on their sprints and their climbing and come back to work with the B group on their sprints and climbing. The system seems to work because of how well Gambler, D’Artagnon and Bandit did in the Tom’s Farm TT last Sunday. If nothing else I headed for the parking lot just to be with people I admire and call friends. I pulled out of the parking lot with about 12 of those friends.


I was moving along pretty good as I followed T-3 around the corner onto Acacia and headed for Kirby. Blood Hound got to the light first and we had to wait for a few minutes for it to turn green.

So far my legs seemed pretty good and I wasn’t dead tired so I continued on towards Cypress following Blood Hound just ahead of the rest of the group. I only wondered how well I would do once we got out onto Domenigoni. On Sanderson I felt fine.

As we past Mustang I tried to pick it up a bit but soon realized I wasn’t going to be able to fire on all cylinders but maybe I could cruise through most of the ride. As we got near the High School I kicked it up again and soon headed for the left turn lane to turn out onto Domenigoni. As T-3 and Highlander pulled up behind me I heard Piranha, calling my name. It seems he was having back pains and had to leave us. That would put team 4 seasons down one and make the big team The Musketeers. Once the light changed we headed east on Domenigoni.

Gambler pulled up next to me and offered to take the A group to the Marina while the B group went to McSweeny. This would be a great relief to me because we could stay at a cruising speed while the A group raced up the hill and we could regroup on our way back to State and Domenigoni. After the split the B group rolled on to State and then to McSweeny. T-3 was still near the front as we turned into the housing tract.

As I expected we met the A group on State and Domenigoni and headed for Chambers and the turn east. As we got about halfway down State Rocket started a hard fast pull. Before we got to the last sign where the sprint normally starts Full Throttle came flying by with Gambler in hot pursuit and I had to break out and try to give chase. It seems a bit early to me and it was all I could do to close on Gambler just as he got to the base of the rise. He got up on the pedals to sprint and jumped past Full Throttle and was only able to hang on to his back wheel. We regrouped on Chambers and headed up to Stetson. Rocket left us before we got to Columbia and somewhere before Crest we picked up Shadow and one of his friends.

I didn’t realize at this point that the sprint on State had drained me a bit like the Star Ship Enterprise with only half of my dilithum crystals left and no Scotty to help me get power back. Still I was running smoothly as we worked our way over to Lake and headed back to Stetson. I started to feel just a bit sore after climbing the little hill on Lake and slowly fell back to talk Shadow as D’Artagnon and T-3 rolled past me.

We made it to Stetson and regrouped once more on Fairview. After introducing Shadows friend we got ready to head north to Florida. It was a very slow start because no one wanted to take the lead out until Jack Rabbit finally moved to the front and started the pull. I was in the number two slot and figured I only had one hope of winning the sprint and that would be a early break out. I dropped the hammer and the chase was on. I crossed the bridge first but Gambler soon came around and I had to fall in on his back wheel. Full Throttle pulled up next to me but fell off just before passing and I chased Gambler most of the way to Mayberry. It was at this point my dilithum crystals ran dry and I ended up turning the group lead over to Gambler and decided to follow the group to Soboba and back to State.

I caught T-3 and Highlander at State I ended up riding back to Ramona and then east to Carl’s with T-3, Ocelot, Dura Max, Shadow and his friend. We stopped for coffee and conversation before everyone broke up and headed for home. I rode back to Burger King with T-3, Vortex, Highlander, Shadow and his friend and then home to end up with 43 miles on the computer. I was tired and had sore legs so it was more or less like a full circle except for a chance to ride with my good friends. Now all I have to do is see if I have any spare dilithum crystals in my junk drawer.

9/19/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)


It was Monday and it was a nice day. I had a simple route planned and headed out my front door early just to see who would show up. I knew it would be a little light because we had a group racing the Tom’s Farm TT on Sunday and some of them would be taking the day off. When I pulled into the parking lot Surgeon was there and to my surprise so was Dura Max. By the time everyone arrived we all had to ask D’Artagnon how the TT went. I am happy to announce that Gambler, Bandit and D’Artagnon all managed to make it to the Podium. As they say, D V V is in the house, good job. After a brief celebration we headed out for our ride 10 strong.


Once we made it to Acacia I took us to Kirby and headed south towards Cypress. I was still a bit tight and maybe even sore but the day was so nice the discomfort was fading. I chatted a bit with D’Artagnon and Vortex before we finally turned west on Cypress and headed for Johnston. So far the group was moving comfortable and cruising easily.

I started a pull out onto Sanderson before turning west towards the airport. We managed to get out onto Stetson without any problems and once again I pulled as we headed for Warren. Once past Warren I kept the lead to California and then south towards Stowe.

Once on Stowe I started the lead out and held it for the first ¼ mile. I slowly ratchet it up to about 23 before I noticed Vortex with a five man draft moving quite a bit faster than me. As the last man passed me I jumped on and Surgeon jumped on with me. D’Artagnon and Jack Rabbit pulled out of line again and headed for the parking lot on Winchester. I didn’t think I could catch them but managed to pull within a maybe 50 feet before we ran out of road and they pulled into the market parking lot.

We didn’t wait long before we were off again and running hard for the dump road. As we dodged small potholes and rough pavement we held a pretty good pace all the way to Grand where we turned west and headed for Leon. Dura Max wasn’t back to 100 percent so I fell back and stayed with him as we watched the group pass Leon and head for Briggs. Not the direction I had mapped so Dura Max and I were alone on Leon and then Simpson. Dura Max decided to call it a day at Lindenburger so I headed for McCall when I got a call from Full Throttle asking where I was. The group was heading back down Menifee and we would meet up on McCall.


When I saw them round the corner I started to move towards the Hill. Everyone passed me pretty quickly and several hit their stride right after the stop light to the School. Surgeon, D’Artagnon and Jack Rabbit put the hammer down and created a gap and I started to move forward. Once again I was way late and couldn’t catch the leaders. We regrouped at the top and got ready to head for the next turn on Hillpoint.

We worked our way over to Eagle Crest and got ready to climb to the top of Evening Star and over the top to Antelope. This time I was in luck and the whole group missed the turn on Sumner and I got a jump on then as Full Throttle made a run out and I caught his wheel till I had room and energy to pass. I topped the hill with D’Artagnon and Jack Rabbit in pursuit. They caught me shortly after the first stop sign and I caught a back wheel all the way to Newport. We made an easy run all the way to Garboni and then to Briggs and back to Domenigoni. One last sprint over the saddle with Surgeon taking the top and a quick run back towards Leon and we were ready to head for Winchester.

We noticed T-3 heading up Winchester and talked her into stopping with us before we headed for home. I was last out of Chris’s and was well behind the whole group as we headed for Stowe. I caught the wheel of D’Artagnon and he pulled me up to the group. We rounded the corner onto Stowe and Jack Rabbit started a pull that just kept getting faster as we got close to California. As we got close to Stetson I noticed Spartacus, T-3 and Bud,(Piranha) trailing so I fell back to check on then only to discover Piranha had a mechanical problem.

The 4 of us cruised all the way back to Sanderson where T-3 broke off for home. I followed Spartacus and Piranha all the way to Lowes and then to Acacia and back to Burger King where we caught up with Highlander and got ready to head our separate way home. I got home with 41 miles on the computer. Good ride with great people on a good day. This is why we live here.

9/16/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)


One thing about Fridays is you simply can’t predict what they will be like. The weather was cool this morning and attendance was down a bit on Monday and Wednesday so I wondered how many we would have. The answer was 18 but it took a while before everyone arrived. Double Time and Ferret got there just as we were about to pull out onto Gilmore. We waited a few minutes and headed for Acacia.


We had a dangerous looking A group with Barracuda, Gambler, Centaur, Cossack, D’Artagnon in the mix. Blood Hound and Jack Rabbit would have their work cut out in that group but they did have Ferret for help. There were some faster Bs as well with Full Throttle, Sea Lion, Bounty Hunter and Vortex giving close pursuit. But even the Bs had surprising energy today. With Highlander sticking with the leaders like glue it was all I could do to lead Bud, Tax Man, SR-71 and Carlos within striking distance if the pace picked up. All of that ran through my mind as we moved south on Kirby towards Cypress.

We moved quickly through the housing tract on Cypress and just as quickly north on Sanderson before heading west past the airport. Once we got back out onto Stetson I found myself about 5 riders back heading for Warren Road. We crossed Warren and headed for California with Vortex talking to me about the impending sprint that was bound to take place on Stowe. I was determined to stay with Carlos and SR-71 at least till we got to Winchester so I told Vortex that I was simply going to be a spectator.

The sprint developed pretty much as expected but I wasn’t close enough to see the outcome. What was impressive was how well SR-71 and Carlos did. We pulled into the parking lot maybe 50 yards from the end of the line and regrouped before everyone had stopped moving and started to take on some well needed fluids.

Once back underway Blood Hound and Barracuda pulled us to the dump road where I expected us to break into two groups. To my surprise we all got to the light on Briggs and Florida at the same time. In fact we were pretty close when we pulled into the Am/Pm for more water. After a short stop we were back out onto Menifee and headed for Simpson. Blood Hound was in the lead as we made the turn towards Lindenburger. And Cossack Headed for Home.

Once on Lindenburger it was a short trip to Domenigoni and up the back side of the saddle. Carlos had his chain jump the ring and took a bit longer getting over the hill than the fast guys so we had to form a three man pace line and try to catch Tax Man and Double Time. Turns out they waited for us and we were now five strong. We lost Bud early as he had an appointment and Tax Man pulled off at Sanderson. Double time, Carlos, SR-71 and I regrouped with the rest of the riders at the Marina entrance.

Once back on our way we lost Bounty Hunter to a flat and Double Time, Carlos and SR-71 stayed to help him fix it. Carlos and SR-71 broke off on State and the rest of us rode to Carl’s for coffee and conversation. It turned out to be a spirited ride with Full Throttle and Jack Rabbit in the middle of every sprint till we stopped for coffee. We didn’t stay long and when we left most of the group split up to go their separate way home. Double Time and Bandit stayed with my group as we headed for Lincoln.

As always the ride to Park was full of conversation and a retelling of how much fun the ride had been. Part of the fun in this group is the minor victories and game playing goes on. The ride home is usually a casual easy ride as if the ride was truly finished as soon as we stop from coffee. In most cases it is. We past State Street and headed for the Burger King parking lot with both Vortex and Highlander still in good spirits and looking pretty much as they did at the start of the ride. Ferret looked like he was ready to break into a sprint if anyone was inclined to toss down the gauntlet.

Back at the Burger King we talked for a bit and wished each other a good weekend and hoped to see each other Monday. I headed for home through the alley to Lyon and back south towards Johnston. I rolled up to my door with 47 miles on the computer. The ride could have been an easy one if the group wanted. It was just that they didn’t seem to want an easy ride today.