5/23/2012 By: C. Kent, aka (Superman) It looked like it might be a good day for a ride today. Not too hot and not too windy at least first thing in the morning. I hadn’t planned for a hard ride knowing we had two long rides coming up this weekend so all I wanted was some nice distance. I had some breakfast, got dressed and headed for Burger King to see who would show up. However there was a slight wind blowing from the west as I started out. As I pulled up into the parking lot Dura Max was talking to Coyote and Blood Hound. I didn’t know if Dura Max was going to ride with us or not and it looked like it might be a small group. Huntress and Gambler showed up just as Dura Max took off for Starbucks. We pulled out onto Latham a few minutes later and headed to Lyon to go south towards Johnston.

Blood Hound took the lead and pulled us to Thornton and east to State Street. We didn’t feel much wind at this point and the weather was just about perfect. I got out in front just before we got to State and started the run to Domenigoni. Everyone seemed relaxed and eager to get out on the long stretch west and we were looking forward to having Gambler pull most of the way. I don’t know if that was what he had in mind but he was the strongest rider we had today.

Once headed west Gambler had us moving at an easy 20 MPH and kept us there all the way back to Sanderson. Not long after than Blood Hound took over and pulled us to Warren where I got the lead and pulled us over the dry wash and surrendered the lead to Huntress who got us about halfway to Winchester till she fell off of the front because her tire was going flat. I stopped with her and watched her change the tire before we rode up to where the rest of the group was waiting. We all stayed together most of the way to Leon where Gambler started to pick up the pace. It was quite a push to the top of the saddle where we regrouped.

We headed down the hill and past Lindenburger and just as a big truck past up I saw Gambler drafting it as he shot by like a flash. He was well in front of us as we made the left into the housing tract and started to work out way over to Briggs. It sort of reminds you of an old country road as you turn south on Briggs and ride past the chicken ranch and the Dairy. At least this time of year we aren’t swarmed by flies and it isn’t too hot.

We got up to Garboni and turned west again and still the wind was in out face. It wasn’t hurting our speed much however and Blood Hound and Huntress took us to Antelope and back north to Newport. The plan was to head back east on Newport and cut over on Lindenburger to Simpson and then to Chris’s. However Coyote left for home on Antelope. When we got to Lindenburger Huntress, Gambler and Blood Hound had to stay on Domenigoni to get back early so I headed to Chris’s alone to see if Dura Max was there. He wasn’t so I got a quick cold drink and then headed for home. I got back to the house with about 38 miles on the computer and a pretty reasonable average speed. And no the wind never decided to hit me in the back no matter what direction I was going in.