10/31/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)


“What a perfect day for a bike ride,” I said to myself as I looked out on the morning just about 7am. I already had breakfast and was dressed in my old BSC kit as I looked at a clear blue sky and a reasonable warm morning. I had a ride planned ride for Full Throttle just because he was going to have to take a month off because of work and it has been so good having him back with us this year. Little did I know it was going to be one of the fastest drag races of a ride we ever had for the whole group. By 8 am there were at least 15 of us heading down Gilmore for Acacia


I was impressed with the pace that was set early. Lucky for me I finally feel like I was recovering from whatever bug had been holding me back for the last two weeks. As I turned towards Kirby I looked back at a group of smiling faces cruising easily to the light. We no sooner got our foot down and the light turned green and we headed south on Kirby. I was followed closely by Centaur, Tax Man and Highlander and Rocket as we moved along towards Cypress.

As we turned on Cypress I got to settle into a nice easy pace with the whole group behind me. This warm up period is one of the few times I get to lead the whole group and I enjoy setting the pace just to test how well I will do later in the ride. My legs were feeling good, my heart rate was good and I was breathing well. All in all I was a happy guy.

Sitting at the light on Sanderson Full Throttle and I chatted watching for a green light. Once we made the turn we noticed that once again they must have changed the timing on the light at Stetson because after we moved about half way to the light it turned green. That makes it three times in a row we have made the light at Stetson and Sanderson green without stopping. In the last year that has got to be the first three times ever. It also seemed to encourage Full Throttle because he got out front and pulled us all the way to Mustang in a quick pace line.

Once we turned onto Domenigoni it turned into a high speed drag race that lasted all the way to the saddle. I started out pulling most of the way to Warren at a rather good 24 mph or so. By the time I had rotated to the back the pace had picked up and once over the dry wash it picked up again. The next thing I knew the pace line was breaking up and I was on the tail end of a 32 MPH snake being pulled along by JATO. Most of the group held together to the saddle but a few of us fell off of the back like phosphorus sparklers from a burning flair until we regrouped at the saddle.


We slowed it down a bit on Lindenburger and then over to Menifee where we stopped at the AM/PM for water refills before heading north on Menifee towards Nuevo. Full Throttle started a furious pull till we crested the ride just past Mapes and I got a chance to pull till we got close to Central. The big dogs rolled around me just before Central and the drag race was on with Full Throttle living up to his name and re-passing me before we got to Nuevo. We split in two groups at Nuevo and stayed split all the way to the Lake Paris Marina. After some coffee and conversation we got ready to leave for home. We had only lost one rider, Rocket who had an appointment and decided to do hill repeats a bit closer to home.

The bike path around Lake Paris is one of Full Throttles favorite rides and this time of year it is easy to see why. During the week there are very few other people using the path and the wildlife is easy to watch as the birds and squirrels run or fly back and forth as the bicycles approach.

Half of the group seemed to feel the need to push through the Lake path while the half I happened to be with was more content to cruise along and enjoy the view. I have seem snakes, lizards, rabbits, squirrels and an army of stink bugs marching, hopping, scurrying and bouncing across the bake path but today all I noticed was critters diving for holes on the side of the path as we got close to them. Just before we got ready to run out of the back gate to head for Ramona Expressway we regrouped once again.

We decided to take a group pictures of the riders that came out for this ride as much for Full Throttle as they did because we enjoy the lake ride. Looking at the picture from left to Right you will see JATO, Full Throttle, Vortex, Centaur, Blood Hound, Jack Rabbit, D’Artagnon, Spartacus, Highlander, Sea Lion, Dura Max, Tax Man and Ocelot.

After we got on our way I expected we would break into the final two groups and more or less that is what happened. We stayed together most of the way to Lakeview and then Full Throttle and JATO started to pull away. D’Artagnon and several other took off to give chase and Highlander, Tax Man, Spartacus, Sea Lion and I settled into a reasonable pace line behind the lead group. I was very impressed with the co-operation this smaller group has as we moved down Ramona never losing sight of the A group. Luck was with us as we picked up Surgeon who decided to join us for the last part of the ride. Our luck continued as we caught the A when Vortex flatted and we got to continue on while they fixed the flat. It was a quick trip to Sanderson and then Lyon as we headed for home.


With Surgeon’s help we made it down Lyon and back to Burger King ahead of the pursuing A group. I will admit we were only a few minutes ahead as they came rolling in as we were still dismounting and catching our breath. We got a chance to visit once again tell Full Throttle how much we enjoyed the ride and we will miss him and Jack Rabbit. I headed for home and ended up with just over 52 miles. Once again a great day and a great ride with great friends.

10/28/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)


I knew it was fall when I got up this morning. Sure it wasn’t back east cold and there wasn’t any snow on the ground but for us it was cold. It was clear the night before and so it dropped to about 40 last night and it was only 41 when I took off for Burger King. Highlander was waiting for me as I got there. It started out looking pretty thin as far as riders ready to ride but by just after 8am we had 14 riders heading down Gilmore towards Acacia.


The ride was supposed to be a Friday easy ride but we all knew that often that was simply a code word for the A group to drop the hammer on the rest of us. Still they behaved themselves as we turned onto Kirby and I got a chance to chat with Full Throttle. There was some bad news however because Team Full Throttle would only be riding with us today and Monday and they wouldn’t be back till December when they might start riding with us on Fridays. They would be staying near the front for today’s ride just to remind us of how much they have improved this year. Both are A riders and they will be missed.

It was an easy ride west on Cypress as we passed through the quiet housing tract and turned onto Johnston. We caught the light just as it turned green on Sanderson and followed a few cars south towards Stetson. For the third straight time we managed to catch the light green on Stetson. At least some of us made the light while it was green while a few got stuck just as it turned red. Once they started on their way towards Domenigoni , Vortex, Sea Lion, Jack Rabbit, Huntress and I headed for the High School in front of the pack.

We made the left turn on Domenigoni and headed for State Street but just before we got there the A group headed for the boat ramp. The B group continued on to McSweeney with me trailing the pack. I am still fighting a head cold so climbing Seven Dollar hill was not even on my radar. I continued on with the B group till we hooked back up with the A group on State and Dominigoni heading north.

On the way to Stetson D’Artagnon got a phone call and I stopped to remove my jacket. We lost the rest of the group and D’Artagnon was kind enough to pull me over to Santa Fe and then to Stetson. The lead group was nowhere in sight so I tagged along all the way to Fairview where everyone was waiting for us. I was thankful that D’Artagnon did all the work to get me to Fairview in time for the traditional sprint. The effort didn’t drain my tank but it was close and I decided to cruise the rest of the ride. Still we didn’t lose the A group till we turned off of Washington and onto Soboba. We didn’t regroup till we got to State Street and headed back to Ramona.

Once we were heading back east on Ramona the A group dropped the hammer and ran like a dog was after them. Huntress, Highlander and I missed the jump and followed at a more reasonable pace all the way to Hemet Street where we picked up Sea Lion and formed our own pace line all the way to Carl’s. Coffee and Conversation is one of the main reasons we make these coffee stops and today was one of the better ones. We broke up into smaller groups and headed for home. Highlander, Huntress, Dura Max, Ocelot and I were in the last group to leave. We were moving along pretty well till Hintress flatted on Devonshire. Still with Dura Max there it is like having our own Woods Brother’s pit crew when it comes to changing tires.

We got back to Burger King and stayed to visit a few minutes and talk about next week. As we were talking Surgeon rode up and showed off one of his classic steel bikes. After a few minutes we parted our ways and Surgeon rode with me most of the way to my house. I got home with 41 miles on the computer and I wasn’t congested at all. I have to say it was a very good day.

10/26/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)


It looked like it was going to be an iffy day for a ride when I looked out Sunday night and felt the moisture in the air. It was obvious it had rained when I got up and looked outside first thing in the morning. Looking at the forecast it seems like a good chance we could get in a ride so I tossed on some extra layers over my cycling kit and headed out of the door to meet up with whoever decided to join me. By 8am I was surprised to see 18 riders, and some of them new, ready to hit the road. So it was out onto Gilmore and head for Acacia.


It was still a bit cool as we headed west towards Kirby and I was glad I had on a base layer and a jacket. We pulled up behind a car at the light so I was pretty sure we would make it as soon as the green arrow showed up. Blood hound stayed behind me all the way to Cypress as we turned west once again and the group hit cruise control as we started towards Johnston. Once again we were stopped at the light on Sanderson and waited to make the run towards Domenigoni.

To my great surprise we hit the light green at Stetson and Sanderson so I began to speculate that they have changed the timing between Johnston and Stetson. But it didn’t matter because the group was picking up speed as we passed Wally World and headed for the high school. We quickly passed the school and Centaur took the lead and pulled us towards Warren. The whole group was rolling along at a pretty good clip as we past Warren and crossed over the dry wash. Right after it leveled out and we were back to a 23-24 MPH pace Highlander flatted big time with a pop that sounded a bit like a gun with a silencer.

Once the flat was fixed we were back in one big pace line and headed for Winchester. I was back in the lead as we rolled by Winchester and was planning on pulling out on the lead before we hit Leon. Before I could give up the lead the A group took off on their run towards the Saddle. I gave chase only dreaming than I might catch a back wheel and just as I did the back rider fell off and my chase was over. We didn’t see the A group again till we pulled up to Carl’s and watched the A group heading out. The A group made it to McDonalds well before the B group but we were able to join them for coffee and conversation.

We talked about the ride for a while before I looked over to see Gambler, D’Artagnon and Bandit in a huddle suspiciously looking like they were discussing the run for home. I was only about half done with my coffee so I wasn’t planning on giving chase with the B group for a while after they were ready to leave.

Whatever their plans were they would be taking the lion’s share of the group with them. Dura Max, Sea lion and Ocelot had turned off at Murrieta so we were down to 15 riders. Wolf had to get home early to get some things for work Thursday leaving us with 14 riders.

I think one of the things I enjoy about our group is how they take care of themselves. No one has to assign what group someone rides with the person simply goes with the group they want to. If they can’t keep up with the A group the B group will pick them up along the way. So Gambler, Bandit, Centaur, D’Artagnon, Full Throttle, Jack Rabbit, Matt, Jake, and Blood Hound headed out of the gate to make quick work of the ride home. Huntress, Highlander, Piranha, Vortex and I followed about 10 minutes later. We decided to get out of the wind on Domenigoni and head north on Winchester and then east on Stowe where we expected less wind and less traffic.

We made easy work of Stowe and California before Vortex and Piranha left us at Warren. Huntress and Highlander pulled most of the way back to Sanderson where Huntress took off and all but sprinted to Lowes. I managed to hang on till we got back to Acacia where Highlander pulled us back to Burger King and the finish of the ride. I had a mile or two to go as I left for home and got there with 47 miles on the computer. The day turned out better than expected and the weather co-operated. We have it pretty good out here; at least no one is suggesting we change to studded Bicycle tires.

10/24/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)


We had a great weekend so I was thinking it would be a pretty good day today. There were a few clouds but nothing serious so I put on arm and leg warmers and headed for Burger King a few minutes early. It wasn’t any warmer after I arrived and Dura Max said it was only 2 degrees less than when he left home. By 8am we had a reasonable sized group to head west to Murrieta.


My cycling computer had been acting up and I was having trouble getting it to reset. I played with it all the way down Gilmore and then on Acacia as we pulled up to the light on Kirby. Blood Hound pulled up next to me on one side and Highlander pulled up on the other. We had a car sitting in front of us so the light tripped first try and we headed south on Kirby towards Cypress with Highlander and Blood Hound following close behind me.

The A group looked ready for whatever I could throw at them and to add to it they were joined by Donovan, JATO who promised to add to their ability to run down the B group even when they had a pretty good lead. As we turned onto Sanderson Jato was already asking when the As were going to break off. I pretty well knew once they hit Domenigoni and I pulled off of the front they would be gone.

To my surprise only Dura Max and I cruised west on Domenigoni while the rest of the group stayed right behind Gambler, Jato, Blood Hound, Rocket and D’Artagnon. We watched as they seemed to disappear over the horizon when Wolf fell back to ride with us. Not long after Wolf started to pull us to the Saddle Highlander came back to assist as well. Racket flew past us going the other way as we got to the saddle and where we regrouped and decided to split for the rest of the ride.

I decided to send the A group on the regular route and then modified the ride for the B group so that we could get to McCall first and they would have to chase us. To my surprise the Bs took this as a chance to push themselves and their pace picked up quite a bit all the way to Carl’s. A quick nature call and we were headed to McCall. Once headed east we reached the hospital hill and quickly made it to the top. They were interested in spending much time talking and most of the B group took off for Simpson. I think by the time Dura Max and I got to Leon Highlander, Vortex, Surgeon and Tax Man were already at Chris’s.

Shortly after the A group joined us and we had a quick cup of coffee the group started to get antsy and we were back on the bikes and headed north on Winchester. Highlander, Tax man and Surgeon took off like a shot and reached Stowe well before Vortex, Dura Max and I did and I had to push myself just to catch them for one last picture before everyone split up for home.

I ended up riding with Dura Max and Surgeon and we never did catch up with Tax Man and Highlander before they got back to the cars. We got there just as Jato pulled up after a slight detour following Gambler and D’Artagnon part way home. I rode home and took a quick shower before lunch after which the sky opened up and dropped rain by the buckets full for about 15 minutes. We were lucky we missed the bad weather and lucky we have such a group of people to ride with.

Two Friday rides

10/21/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)


I haven’t completely gotten over whatever bug hit me last week but I was still looking forward to getting out for a ride. It was cool, verging on cold and just a touch of fog and the group was divided into two parts with a Lake Paris ride and an Idyllwild ride. By 8am there were seven of us ready to head out onto Latham. A quick turn onto Lyon and we were on our way.


Ocelot, Dura Max, Rocket, Spartacus, Highlander, Blood Hound and I more or less cruised down Lyn to Ramona and then jogged over to the expressway. Once we started west I knew something was still wrong with my system because already I was running on empty. I managed to stay with the pack for a while but soon had to downshift and fell off of the back. I pulled up to Rocket waiting at Bridge street and we talked for a minute as he too seemed a bit drained. I don’t know if it was the cold or what but Rocket decided to call it a day and I was determined to at least make it to Lake Paris even if I had to cruise all the way. Finally I caught Spartacus and Highlander when Spartacus flatted. Blood Hound had continued on to Lakeview while Dura Max and Ocelot opted to turn towards Nuevo. Only 4 of us headed to Lake Paris so we decided to go in at the east gate and ride the bike path to the Marina.

It was still a bit foggy as we got to the lake but at least it was warming up. I felt a bit better than when I started but I wasn’t going to set any land speed records getting home. Still we visited for a little while at the observation deck before heading for home. It was still hazy but at least it was much warmer.

Blood Hound and Highlander did a great job of pulling as we got back onto the Expressway. At least we were able to work together and make an easy cruise back to Sanderson. All in all I was feeling pretty good even if I was a lot more tired than normal. Thanks to Highlander and Blood Hound the pace was easy and we made it back to Sanderson to head over to Lyon on Ramona.

I always enjoy the Lake Paris ride and today was no different. It did seem like fall because of the weather but the Lake was a good back drop for coffee and conversation. I had enough in the tank to get back in front to pull to Lyon. I just guess it will be necessary to take it easy for as long as it takes before trying to push myself again. A fact of life is sometimes we need to give our bodies a chance to recover even when our desirers tell us we can do what we have always done. Still riding easy is better than not riding at all and I was still having fun.

Something over 40 miles wasn’t bad for a day like today and it gave me a chance to ride with some friends so it was 100 times better than staying home and watching TV. So I guess I will continue planning rides for the group and modifying some of them till I get over whatever energy sapping bug has a grip on me. I am looking forward to next week and riding with everyone again.









Special report from Gambler:
Friday Idyllwild Report

Hi Everyone,

The ride report for Friday 10/21/2011 is below, no link attached.

I woke up early and eager for this ride, it is a hugely challenging half the time and hugely rewarding the remaining half. When I looked outside, it was cloudy and foggy, I opened the door and it was cold!!! I ate breakfast, watched the news and started to get ready about 7:30, I put leg and arm warmers on, an undershirt and my beanie. When I finally rolled out the door at 8:05, I decided against the arm warmers but kept everything else in tact. Shadow, D’Artagnon and Arron were waiting at Carl's jr and we were still expecting Bandit and Attack cat. They pulled in shortly and we rolled out of the parking lot at 8:45 on the button. Full Throttle and Vortex, were ahead us by about 45 minutes to an hour. It would be next to impossible to catch them.

Attack cat did a good job getting us up to speed and pulled us until the pottery yard on East Florida. I took over and settled into a nice rhythm of about 19 to 20, we kept this average well past the fire station and into the first rollers where the group split up. I brought it back down and tried to regroup. We did and started rolling again, but after about 5 miles into the ride, I was burning up and so was Shadow, so we pulled over and removed all the cold weather gear, the sky had cleared and it was warming up fast! While we did that, Bandit passed us then D’Artagnon and then Aaron, Siegfried was not yet visible so we started again. The first half of the climb before you get to Strawberry Creek seems really painful and it just keeps doing the same thing, no variety, right turn then left and then a steep inclined right turn and it starts over. Shadow and I started catching up and regrouped with Bandit at Strawberry Creek and let him pull us up the hill, it was nice! At the top, the three of us rolled on and could see D’Artagnon and Aaron just a little ways back. When the second passing lane came up we had run straight into a strong headwind coming off the top of the mountain, worse in the canyons. This dropped our speed like an anchor but we pushed on. My favorite part is when you hit the tree line and it starts to look more like a mountain ride rather than a desert ride. Our speed picked up and we hit Mt. Center with an average of 11.6 to that point.

After a few minutes everyone was there and we rolled onto Idyllwild and the Mile High Cafe, legs a little heavy so we spun for a while. Then we carried a decent speed that hovered between 11 & 13 until the Idyllwild sign and the quick downhill to the cafe. I had told my parents who were meeting us there, that I was planning to be there by 10 but with the late start we did not get there until 10:30, time to the top was 1:34:37. We all took the time and ordered some light breakfast, visited and recalled our climb, then the descent.

We took off together and just before the left turn to start downhill, Bandit's bike was making noise so he and I pulled off and tried to solve it but with no luck. Bottom line, he needs a new bike! So, we got a late start and had to play catch up. We were able to catch D’Artagnon and Aaron pretty quickly, D’Artagnon with his deep carbon wheels has a hard time in the wind and it was windy. We pushed our speed into the mid 40's until Mt. Center and staying on the gas until we caught Shadow, he had fallen off the back of Attack cat and Vortex. Shadow does not carry the same amount of mass as the big guys so he really suffers in a decline, gravity is only on his side when the road turns up, not down. We did not catch Attack cat and Vortex until nearly the fire station but they were surprised we caught them given the amount of time we spent on the side. Full Throttle was up ahead at the divided road tree line waiting for us and we regrouped and rode to Carl's together.

Bandit asked me why this ride isn't becoming easier, honestly I didn't know but when I got home and looked at my prior time splits, it made sense. We beat our prior time to the top by over 15 minutes, so it doesn't feel easier because we are going faster; we are working harder and making better times. We can't wait to do it again, and we will see you all in the coming week. Have a great weekend!

10/19/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)

I thought I had a good ride planned for Wednesday and it was a good day for it. I got up and it was clear and cool but warming to just over what I set my air-conditioner on. I got to the parking lot first and simply waited for everyone else to arrive. By 8am everyone was eager to go and we took off through the Pep Boys parking lot and out onto Latham.


It was good to have Huntress back but she stayed in the back of the pack as we headed out onto Latham and down to Lyon for our turn north towards Ramona and the eventual run to Nuevo. However that didn’t slow Highlander, Blood Hound or Piranha from staying right behind me all the way to Lyon. In fact it took a block or two before the group started to tighten up into a solid pack.

Once we were all together the pace picked up a bit and we began to cruise along at a pretty good clip without putting much strain on the group or my legs. I was still feeling the effects of being sick most of last week but as the ride progressed I started to feel more like riding and less like stopping for coffee than I had when we started.

Once we made it to Sanderson and turned towards the expressway we started to pull up behind a car just as the light turned green. It was a short light and Huntress, Dura Max and Ocelot didn’t make it. Blood Hound, vortex and Full Throttle didn’t seem to notice and continued on while the rest of us waited for Huntress. As soon as she caught up D’Artagnon and Gambler took off after the leading three and Sea Lion soon followed. Highlander, Huntress, Piranha and I followed about ¼ of a mile behind the lead group and soon regrouped at the light on Hansen. Here we split into two groups again with most of the riders heading for Juniper Flats and five of us heading for Nuevo and Menifee. Soon Highlander, Piranha and I pulled away to make a run for Mapes and Briggs to see if we could stay ahead of the Juniper group.

We did manage to get to Grand before the A group could run over us and managed to get a seat and wait for the A group to arrive. In the distance we could see D’Artagnon and some others speeding down the dump road heading for Winchester. We tried our best to look relaxed as if we had been there for a while but I am sure our smiles gave us away. Highlander did manage to keep a pretty good poker face.

Shortly after the big dogs pulled up they sat down with three other riders they picked up along the way. Turns out Bandit and some friends met up with them and joined them for the ride to Chris’s. It always surprises me when Bandit just shows up out of thin air.

Just before Dura Max and Ocelot pulled up Huntress and Sea Lion arrived and sat down with Full Throttle and D’Artagnon to enjoy some coffee and conversation. We only stayed long enough for one cup before heading for home on Winchester to Stowe.

Highlander lost a spoke shortly after we got to Warren and Stetson and we had to slowly limp back to the Airport and then Sanderson. At that point the wheel was wobbling so bad I had to ride back and pick up Highlanders van and pick him up. Still he had to agree it was a great day for a ride, right up to breaking a Spoke. Still I was home well before noon.

10/17/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)

What a perfect day for a bike ride today was. Cool in the morning and warming towards noon. Clear blue skies and no wind, I don’t know what more someone could ask for. That was just what I was thinking and I pulled into the parking lot to meet up with our weekday cycling group. It seems as if everyone felt the same way because everyone was all smiles as they arrived and got ready for a quick and easy Bridge Street to Soboba ride.


We didn’t waste any time riding down Latham to Lyon and the ride north on Lyon seemed easier than normal as we headed for Ramona. It felt good to be out on my bicycle and for the first time in a week my chest didn’t feel like it had a knot in it and I wasn’t fighting nausea. My legs were moving reasonable well even if I wasn’t spinning as well as I like so all in all it felt like a good day to be on a bike.

No one seemed to be complaining so we held a steady pace of about 18 as we crossed one street after another on a very light traffic day. Seventh Street and Cottonwood soon slipped behind us as we closed in on the turn that would take us to Sanderson. The group tightened up a bit in anticipation of the run down Ramona to Bridge.

Team 4 Seasons had three riders today. Highlander, Vortex and Piranha, and Tax Man plus we had two of the Musketeers in Rocket and D’Artagnon. Sea Lion, Dura Max, Ocelot, Blood Hound, Surgeon and I rounded out the group as we turned off of Sanderson and headed west on the expressway. The group picked up the pace all the way to Bridge and it was all I could do to just hand on. Once on Bridge it didn’t get any easier and only by catching a wheel off of D’Artagnon was I able to catch the leaders. Before we made the big right hand turn towards Gilman Vortex flatted so we got to take a break.

After we got going again D’Artagnon dropped the hammer and Rocket, Blood Hound and I went after him. The gap between us and the main group was growing even as I questioned my wisdom for even holding on to the pace they were setting. When we got about 150 yards before Gilman I dropped back realizing I was burning matches I should have saved for later. It was almost too late because they bumped the pace all the way to Sanderson and then back down to Ramona before heading east towards State Street.

I got a chance to pull us up to Soboba and we turned east once again to start towards the Golf Course. As we topped the first roller four or five riders blew pat me and headed for a high speed run down Soboba. I held my pace as Piranha took off as well. This time it was a case of local knowledge in that he didn’t realize we had a second roller and we reeled him back in. I was fading fast as we got close to the last rise before the golf course driving range but Sea Lion saved me by taking the lead and holding it to the last little hill.

We regrouped at the big tree next to the gold course before making the last leg to Carl’s and coffee. I am usually up for the sprint over the river bed but today I had nothing left and made a very poor lead out till we crested and made our way to Washington. We caught up to Dura Max and Ocelot and just as I pulled up next to them Dura Max flatted. I stayed with them and we rode to Carl’s together. A little coffee and some conversation as we were on our way home with another great ride under our belt.

Dura Max and Ocelot left us at Park and Highlander pushed us all the way back to Devonshire and then west in an attempt to keep his average speed up. I don’t know what happened to Highlander but ever since he got that new bike he has turned into an animal. Still it was a good ride and a good day so who am I to complain?

10/14/2011
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)


It was good to be back on the bike after a week off. I was gone for a race in Death Valley and after I got home I got home I got sick. I could hardly stand up Tuesday and I wasn’t much better Wednesday. Today I felt a bit better and it was a bit cooler so I thought I would chance it. It made for an interesting ride. I met everyone at the parking lot the normal time and we talked briefly before I sorted out the ride order for the day


The A group looked pretty fierce today and I was feeling anything but fierce so I decided to send the A group out to State Street while I took the B group out Sanderson. I knew I wouldn’t be much help today so I expected the A group would catch us before the Saddle. The rest of the B group must have had a different idea because they wasted little time forming at the front of the pack as we headed down Gilmore towards Acacia.

This is a little different than normal because the A group traditionally runs hard for Acacia to jog over to Lyon and work their way to Thornton and then State. But they seemed a bit slow to get started and in fact Blood Hound forgot to turn with them so they were one man down for their rotation.

Once split into different directions the B group started to move smoothly over to Kirby before going south to Cypress and finally over to Sanderson. I had Blood Hound way out front with Surgeon, Bounty Hunter, Sea Lion, SR-71, Dura Max and Ocelot as we turned onto Domenigoni and headed for Warren. To my surprise the whole B group had no problem runningat 20 to 23 MPH almost all the way to the dry wash where I took the pull and dropped us back to 21. Sea Lion, Surgeon, Bounty Hunter and SR-71 pulled away after Winchester but Dura Max, Ocelot and I topped the saddle less than 20 seconds after they did. We did find Blood Hound waiting for us.

Someone must have lit a match to the A group because I barely had time to take a drink before we could see three of them starting up the hill. Barracuda and his pink Jersey got to us first. Strung out behind were the rest of the A group but not that far behind. It seems their average speed was about what our top speed had been. Thank goodness for red lights. We headed down the saddle and through the housing tract to head south on Briggs only to lose Blood Hound and Team Full Throttle somewhere.

Everyone rejoined us on Antelope and we headed back to Domenigoni to Lindenburger before turning on Simpson and heading to Chris’s. We had our coffee and conversation before heading for home on Winchester. The group wasn’t wasting any time getting up to Stowe and I managed to catch D’Artagnon’s wheel. Just before we got to Stowe I started feeling short of breath and decided I wasn’t quite as over being sick as I had thought. Lucky for me Sea Lion and Surgeon decided to pull me home and I followed them all the way back to Sanderson and then to Lowes.

From there it was an easy cruise to Acacia and back to Gilmore before turning towards Burger King. Surgeon was kind enough to tease me and offered to buy me a discount Hamburger. I haven’t been able to keep solid food down in three days and he knew full well all I needed was a greasy hamburger to make my day complete. I was just glad to hold on for 35 miles and headed for home thinking of a hot shower and some jello.