1/2-4/2012
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)


Today you will get a two for one report on our club rides. More or less because I have only been feeling about 50 percent for the last few days and the beach ride Monday was just the beginning. There weren’t that many of us at the Starbucks on Monday but at least we had six people driving down to Gypsum Canyon to ride to Huntington. Matt, Blood Hound, Highlander, Vortex, Tax man and I caravanned to the Ice Castle and met up with Wolf and Falcon. We hit the trail about 9:30an and it was still pretty cool with a breeze right in our face.


Everything was going pretty good as we started out and then Blood Hound took a spill and we had to regroup. Once back on the trail we played catch up a bit but managed to pull into the rest area across from the Honda Center in good order. It got a bit dicey from there as Wolf and the main group hooked up with a rather strong rider and I found myself playing catch up most of the way to the golf course where Tax man waited for me and three of us followed as best we could till Blood Hound got us up to Highlander. By then I was fading a bit with a cramp in my right leg. But at last the group that drove down together regrouped as we started down the boardwalk towards Huntington Pier.

We had a quick lunch as a split group with Falcon and Wolf stopping at Starbucks and the rest of us going to Subway. Except Vortex who went off in search of something without bread. About the time we finished eating Wolf and Falcon rejoined us and we started back for home.

Some of the group stopped at the last restroom before heading back east and we got separated again. I was feeling a bit better but still felt something was wrong after we got back on the trail and reached the first bridge. For whatever reason I was out of juice and had no energy in reserve. It felt for the entire world like a bonk. Thank goodness Tax Man and Highlander pulled me back to the Honda Center and Vortex assisted on the ride back to the truck. We got in just less than 58 miles by the time I got back. Not the fastest time but at least we made it.

Tuesday was a day of rest and recovery and I even tried to go to bed early to be ready for Wednesday’s ride. I got up and headed out the door feeling a lot better than I had Monday afternoon and got to the parking lot to see Centaur and Highlander unloading their bikes. This time we had a bigger group but mostly A riders so I wasn’t sure how well I would keep up. Huntress pulled up and was awarded the monthly trophy for getting to the group at the last minute the most often.

I managed to get out front and stayed there as we pulled down Latham and headed for Lyon to begin our trek north towards Ramona.

Once we were rolling it seemed easier to keep a pretty good pace going than I thought it would so I continued to pull as we past Devonshire and then up to Menlo. Everything seemed to be going our way as traffic was light and the weather was mild with hardly any breeze. We past Esplanade in short order and everyone was still smiling.

The ride east on Ramona was uneventful and we all knew the A group was going to hammer the Soboba road but still some of us chased them up to the turn. It was here we started to split up and Huntress and Vortex started to pick up the pace as D’Artagnon, Gambler and Bandit faded into the distance. I dropped back and paced Highlander and Centaur till we got back to the Golf Course where we regrouped once more.

Here is where I made my big mistake and discovery. Huntress had a flat so we took a bit of a rest before heading to sprint for the river crossing. D’Artagnon took an early lead as Bandit and Gambler got ready to pounce. I felt pretty energetic so I made a run at the hill and got a pretty good jump till about ¾ up the hill I felt like my batteries had been drained. Whatever I had that stopped me Monday was still with me today and pushing it wasn’t going to make things any better. As we headed for Florida I talked Highlander into following me to Carl’s where we had coffee and waited for the rest of the group to come back from the Ranger Station.

We decided to ride home after everyone arrived and I waited with Huntress as Vortex replaced a front tube. I rode with Huntress and Vortex back to Park then Devonshire and finally back to Latham where I turned for home when I got to Palm. I will be trying to get more rest tonight and tomorrow and hope I have recovered and kicked whatever bug has hit me for Friday’s ride.