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.