5/02/2012 By: C. Kent, aka (Superman) You just can’t seem to predict the weather this time of year. A week or two ago and people were asking if I planned on moving the time up because of the heat. The very next Monday it was pretty cool and has stayed that way most of the week. Today I got up early and looked out and at first I thought it was going to rain. Today looked like at least arm and knee warmers but maybe I could get away without a jacket. I had breakfast, and got dressed and headed for Burger King. I arrived to see Coyote had his truck set up with the jersey fit kit so I stopped to talk to him as Highlander, Dura Max, Ocelot and Paul rode up. Bandit pulled into the parking lot just a few minutes before Gambler, Surgeon and Shadow stopped by to say hello and look at the jerseys and last but not least Huntress arrived. We all mounted up and headed down Gilmore to start the ride.

We slipped around the corner on Acacia and headed towards Kirby fully expecting to catch the light on the corner. Much to our surprise it turned green just as we pulled up to the intersection and we got to glide through and onto Kirby and south towards the railroad tracks. I was feeling pretty good and pulled us to Cypress and then headed west towards Johnston to work our way out to Sanderson.

Once we got through the light at Sanderson I got out front again and picked up the pace so we could catch the light at Stetson green. We more or less just scooted past Wally World and headed towards Mustang. I looked back and everyone was in a line behind Paul and it looked like just one or two riders behind me. I knew there were more but everyone was reserving their energy for the run to Domenigoni and then towards State Street.

As we waited at the light on Sanderson and Domenigoni we watched at least two truck simply roll through the red light to make a right. It wasn’t a pause even it was a turn as if the light had been green rather than red. We waited till it turned green and I took us east towards the Marina road and beyond. As we passed Searl, Gambler and Bandit headed for seven Dollar hill while the rest of us continued to State. I tried to give up the lead before State but no one would take it till we were closing in on McSweeney. Finally we were able to rotate through a complete cycle and Coyote was in the lead as we got to the rise and left onto Cactus heading to Sage. Coyote and I hit the hill in a jump and I pulled all the way to sage before Coyote dropped me on the little climb just past Sage. We regrouped at the end of Cactus Valley and waited till we could see Bandit and Gambler coming over the rise.

We didn’t wait till they got to us and we headed back towards State Street. I started the pull as we dropped down the hill past Sage and we took turns all the way till we turned north on State. Coyote started us north and some of the group pulled up as he finally gave up the lead. I pulled forward to try and get us back in a pace line but Bandit and Gambler flew past me and I just managed to catch onto the draft. We sprinted back to Newport.

We then rode through the McSweeney housing tract and back out onto State to ride down to Domenigoni again. There was a slight tailwind and a slight downhill heading t Domenigoni and Bandit and I chatted as we caught the light green at Domenigoni. Bandit wanted to pull out a sprint and I drafted him most of the way to the rise heading to Chambers. Gambler came out of the group and caught the draft as well and then blasted past me on the rise. Two sprints in ten minutes are a bit more than I can respond to.

Bandit had to leave us and get home early so we turned onto Chambers and then over to Thornton and finally Santa Fe. We headed east on Stetson and decided to go straight to Fairview. Gambler left us and I pulled us to the High School and then to Lake. We rotated all the way to Fairview and turned towards Wilson Mesa and regrouped again. It was a hard and fast run back to Florida with only one short sprint at the bat bridge. We then stopped at the light on Florida and then turned to go to Carl’s for coffee and conversation. Twenty minutes later we were headed for home on Lincoln.

Soon we were passing Lake again and chatting away as if we hadn’t seen each other in weeks and were trying to keep up on the events of everyone’s life in the last year. A truth about this bike group is we are not only social we are friends and care about each other and our families. As we got to Park Dura Max and Ocelot left us and the pest of our group continued on without them.

We stayed together most of the way to Santa Fe and then we headed west on Latham. Two cars pulled up to the stop sign at Buena Vista and most of us slowed down to make sure they were going to stop. Highlander made it through the intersection while the rest of us waited for one car to turn and followed after him. He made the light at State and we didn’t and we never closed on him again till we got back to the vehicles. We talked briefly at the cars and then I had to head for home for lunch and a Shower. 35 miles and just over two hours aren’t bad for a day that looked like rain all morning.